Travelling east towards Dublin in the old N4 at Moyvalley you will see a piece of waste ground just off the main road. It is in front of what used to be ‘McGovern’s’ pub and just before you see ‘Fureys’ pub on the left.
It is an area of approximately a half acre, I would guess, and a few weeks ago a guy pulled in and set up a mobile catering business. He had a mobile food van which opened up at the side and from which he dispensed coffee and food likely to be popular amongst road users, especially truck drivers and anyone happy to plug a gap in the appetite in the most convenient way possible.
I don’t suppose any of the legalities of planning permission or food regulations were at the forefront of the mind of the entrepreneur who started the service.
As I drove past every morning and evening on my way to the office in Enfield I was silently rooting for him, hoping it would work. I always root for the ‘man in the arena’, the small guy or girl, the start up, the brave ones who have a go and try to build a business that will at least sustain them.
As you would expect the first few days were quiet and I saw him waiting for commuters to give him a try. Gradually, he got busier and things were looking up, appeared to be improving.
It’s now two weeks later and the only sign of him is the discarded ‘fresh coffee’ signs in the ditches approaching where he set up and started his business.
Anyone who has started a business knows things can go well or badly but one thing is certain: you need a bit of fortitude and commitment to make a go of it. Two weeks doesn’t seem long enough, in my view.
But the bottom line is ‘this might not work’, and you had better keep this in mind when you are starting a business. That’s the bad news.
The good news is you can start again.