Award Winners - iCafe, Umer Ashraf, Managing Director
Umer Ashraf started iCafe, an internet coffee shop, in August 2004 after he graduated from university, to offer products and services that the likes of Starbucks didn’t offer, while providing excellent service with great food and the all important coffee in a very modern and elegant way. His initial focus was simply to run a successful business, and after a busy, fast paced couple of years, he opened his second iCafe outlet in Gibson Street, next to Glasgow University to tap into the student market.
So all was going great, two outlets, healthy turnover, growth prospects and a good brand. However, Umer realised he needed to stand back from the business and draw breath. He was so preoccupied running the business that he didn’t realise what he was doing well or where the profit was coming from. It just seemed to happen - ‘Management and myself were too involved in the coffee making & customer facing role and I didn’t really have time to work “on” the business. I was always “in” it’.
Too many fundamental aspects of managing the day to day business were being overlooked and key issues needed to be addressed. For instance delegation proved challenging, no one could do things to Umer’s exacting standards. I had difficulties in dedicating certain tasks and jobs to other people and there was no strategic planning amongst the team’. Although I had staff working in both shops, basically it was still a one man operation! - planning, working, driving, operating, and as a result sometimes stalling the business! . . ‘.Things had to change’
The Business Map came along just at the right time.
Umer needed to stand back from his business to find out how to take it to the next level. The Business Map allowed Umer to do just that – draw breath and assess his business with other fellow directors facing similar business challenges. Debating issues and challenging each other’s thinking was of great benefit, resulting in a number of crucial changes to his business. A robust business management system is now in place for iCafe. Umer has now ‘let go’ allowing his staff to do the day-to-day running of each store. Umer has his life back and found the time to turn his energies back to growing the business and not firefighting with the daily grind – no pun intended!
Umer completed The Business Map in February 2008; iCafe is now a well structured business with a Managing Director who is managing his business. The 3rd iCafe store will open soon with the iCafe franchise being launched next year – look out Starbucks & Costa!
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