And I can see myself, up the front, hosting a course. Teaching people. Sending them away happy and satisfied, having learnt new stuff that they will remember and use. In my mind, I can hear them, hosting their first dinner party and telling their friends about the balsamic vinegar tasting, how they made butter from cream and "of course the bread is homemade - have another roll."
I've even thought of a name - Amateur Chef, and I register the domain. Who is the amateur chef, my wife asks, you? No, of course not. It's the customer. But now a bit of doubt is setting in. I don't know enough to teach all those courses. Bread making sure, but not advanced stuff like brioche or croissants. Indian, Italian? No problem. But sushi? Baking? No chance. And if I can't offer a wide enough range of courses, then the numbers don't stack up. It isn't viable.
The only solution then, is to learn those skills. So, I get on the net and start to look into courses at catering colleges. But they take too long - three years, full time and me with a mortgage? Impossible.
More searching and I find out about Leiths, Tante Marie and Le Cordon Bleu. You can compress a course into less than a year, but what a price! My wife, ever supportive but also a realist, points out that I have given up a pretty good income for a (currently) mediocre one but I'll be giving that up as well if I pursue this. I've still got to support my family and we don't have the savings to pay for the course and a years bills. Another non starter. So I start looking into residential and holiday courses. And I find a few. Things are looking up. But hold on - they are aimed at recreational cooks, will I learn enough? The irony of going to a cooking school so I can start one myself isn't lost on me either. So I give up on the idea.
Except that I can't let it go. It's taken hold of me and I am compelled to pursue it. OK, so I can't teach the courses at the moment, don't worry about that, a solution will present itself. In the meantime, I can still look into all the other stuff that will be needed. Like premises, equipment, regulations, costs. So for the next few weeks, that's what I do. I trawl the net researching areas, property, prices. I compress my sales appointments into one day so that I can make time to drive around looking at potential premises. I spend the evenings drawing up budgets and forecasts. I even go so far as to discuss it with my bank manager who gives me a thumbs up, a verbal agreement to lend me some money.
"Come back when you are ready and we'll do the paperwork."
With that endorsement my confidence is high that I can make this change in my life and make it successfully. I stumble across some premises that look like a great place to start - not quite as big as I would like, but certainly affordable. I arrange a viewing and then another. I put down a deposit so I can have the keys without taking a lease. Now I can start getting some quotes for the installation of a load of kitchen equipment.
Everything seems to be going smoothly. The location I have stumbled across is better than I thought - it's a pretty little village in Essex with thatched roof cottages, it is on a direct link into Liverpool Street Station, there are some tourist attractions nearby, and it's not far from The Cricketers, Jamie Olivers' parents pub. Wow, a ready made foodie connection! Now, if only I could buy the skills I need to run the classes.
Doh! That's it! The last doubts fade away. I can buy the skills I need. All I have to do is find people with the right skills and get them to host the class! I am back to what I know how to do - bringing other peoples skills together to provide a service. Nothing can stop me now.
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