Theo listened, nodding along, appreciating Henry's infectious enthusiasm and practical, growth-oriented ideas. Good instincts, he thought. Already thinking about expansion, efficiency.
Their desserts arrived, looking decadent under the cafe lights. Tammy carefully inspected her Gateau, adjusting its position on the plate slightly before taking a small, precise bite. "It was... efficient," she conceded, acknowledging the weekend's sales volume between bites. "But the workflow at the packing station needs optimization. The placement of the boxes versus the chip scoop creates unnecessary motion." She took another bite. "And Henry," she added, though not unkindly, "your chip salting technique could use refinement. The 'random shower' method leads to inconsistent sodium distribution. A focused, elevated 'pinch and cascade' ensures better crystal adhesion." She demonstrated the motion with her fingers above her cake.
Henry just blinked, then shrugged good-naturedly. "Uh, okay. Pinch and cascade. Got it."
Tammy continued, "And the bonus you mentioned is appreciated. Things have been... tight lately." She didn't elaborate, focusing back on her cake, but the comment hung in the air for a moment. Theo filed it away, potential financial pressure? Why? Failed business? Debts? Or just general cost of living? Keep an eye on it. Her criticisms, while delivered with a slightly grating pedantry, weren't entirely wrong. The packing flow could be smoother. But her focus seemed to be on minute process flaws rather than the bigger picture success Henry was celebrating. Different personalities, different priorities.
Theo ate his cheesecake, mostly listening, observing the dynamic. Henry, the optimistic engine, already brainstorming growth. Tammy, the meticulous technician, focused on refining the existing process, perhaps driven by underlying financial anxieties. Both were valuable. Both were necessary, at least for now. His initial assessment during the interviews felt accurate. Managing them effectively, harnessing their different strengths while mitigating potential friction (especially Tammy's critical tendencies), would be key.
"Well," Theo said, finishing his water as Henry scraped the last vestiges of fudge from his sundae bowl. "It was a hell of a first full week with both of you. You handled the pressure incredibly well. We proved the demand is there." He looked at them both. "We definitely need to talk about prepping more for next weekend, Henry. And Tammy, I appreciate the feedback on the workflow, let's look at optimizing the packing station setup tomorrow." He kept his tone neutral, validating both their perspectives.
They left the dessert shop, the sugar rush doing little to combat the deep fatigue setting in. Theo thanked them both again as they parted ways in the parking lot. Walking back towards his own car, the cool night air felt good. The weekend had been a brutal, chaotic, overwhelming success. This works. The Tool Enhancement model, applied correctly with competent (if quirky) staff, was powerful. Now, how to replicate it? How to scale it? And how, eventually, to bring someone like Sarah into a venture where her skills could truly shine, alongside his own unique advantage? The possibilities felt vast, limited only by his capital and his nerve.
Theo Sterling - Financial Ledger (End of Week 21):
Starting Balance (Beginning Week 20): $18,655.00 (Carried over from End of Week 19)
Income (Weeks 20 & 21):
Week 20 Sales (Est ~778 orders @ $16 avg): +$12,448.00
Week 21 Sales (Est ~1027 orders @ $16 avg): +$16,432.00
Total Income (2 Weeks):+$28,880.00
Expenses (Weeks 20 & 21):
Personal Rent Paid (Wk 20, 21 @ $450/wk): -$900.00
Personal Living Expenses (Wk 20, 21 @ $500/wk): -$1000.00
Business Lease Payment (Wk 20, 21 @ $700/wk): -$1400.00
Food Stock/Supplies (Est. based on ~1800 orders total): -$5400.00
Shop Utilities (Est. @ $150/wk): -$300.00
Wages - Henry (Wk 20: 2.5 days + Bonus | Wk 21: Full week + Bonus): -$1190.00
Wages - Tammy (Wk 21: 4 days + Bonus): -$480.00
Misc Shop Expenses (Fees, Spoilage, Staff Meals, etc. Est.): -$500.00
Team Dessert Celebration (Est.): -$60.00
Provision for Estimated Taxes (Est. @ ~30% of Profit): -$5559.00
Total Expenses:-$16,789.00
Net Change (Weeks 20 & 21): +$28,880.00 (Income) - $16,789.00 (Expenses) = +$12,091.00
Ending Balance (End of Sunday, Week 21):$30,746.00
Assets:
Maria's Charcoal Chicken (Business Purchase Price): $38,000.00
Status: Rapid Growth & Operational Scaling. Successfully hired initial staff (Henry, then Tammy). Sales volume exploded due to sustained quality (from Tool Enhancement) and marketing effects, consistently hitting or exceeding prep capacity (Max 200/day achieved). Identified labour as primary bottleneck and addressed with second hire. Confirmed shop is highly profitable (~$12.1k net gain over 2 weeks after estimating taxes & higher misc costs). Maintained contact with Sarah, potential collaboration still viable. Financial reserves rebuilt significantly to ~$30.7k cash + business asset. Immediate focus remains on stabilizing operations, optimizing inventory/prep for higher volume, potentially further staff training/hiring, and maximizing cash flow from this proven venture.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Author: Hi All, thanks for reading and hope you are all enjoying the story.
I'm hoping the novel gets a bit more traction this week, please vote some power stones! I'll try and increase the release speed if the novel gets a bigger audience!
Help leave a review, or comments on how you think the story is going. In particular how the +1 could be used by Theo in smarter ways to achieve what he wants. Would love to see all the great ideas people can think of! It would be great to incorporate people's idea into the novel.
Finally, a lot of advanced chapters are already available on patreon. If you want to read ahead, please join my patreon, it would really mean a lot to authors like me. Thanks everyone.
www.patreon.com/coffeetimewriting