Great news! The sale of French Fries is up!

No, Très Spa does not sell French fries. In fact, I rarely even eat them. However, I am a small business owner and I like to learn from other small business owners. Being in the small business sector, you gain an Interesting perspective of the economy and the trends in the market place. Often times we see the economic reality long before the news casters are reporting, and sometimes in contrast to what they are reporting. Recently I was talking with a friend of mine who heads up sales for a software company. He has a product that is really geared for the small business sector so he spends a good deal of time talking with small business owners from all different industries.


One of his customers is a local restaurant chain. They have 5 restaurants in a major metropolitan area and they are well known for really good burgers and fries. Simple business, but they do well and have several employees. Most of the customers who frequent his establishments are from the blue collar working class. Tradesmen in the construction industry and various other industries.

They were talking about the current state of the economy from the perspective of the small business owner. One of the advantages that small business owners have is a close connection to the consumers. We get to know each other by name and share personal stories. When our customers are worried we see it and feel it rapidly. Often times we see the spending behavior change even before the economic forecasters are broadcasting on the media.

A simple thing the restaurateur noticed, just before the newscasters were speaking about an economic recession, the sales of French fries was beginning to slip. As the economy increased in its decline the sale of beverages began to also slip. People would still come in for the burgers but would pass on the extra fries and beverages. When asked how sales are now. The owner was happy to report that sale of beverages has been up for some time and is right back to where it was before the down turn. And, yes folks, the good news is that the sale of fires is climbing back as well. Puts a whole new meaning on the phrase “Do you want fries with that?”