Just like with any other career, cafes and hospitality businesses will suit certain types of people — and not everyone. Money aside, you need to have the right personality to enjoy running a cafe. Here are 4 key traits that cafe owners should have.
1. Early Birds
This is especially true with cafes, more than other types of businesses like restaurants and pubs. The average time that cafe owners need to be awake is 5 a.m.! Waking up this early means you would usually have to go to bed by 9 p.m. Say goodbye to late nights!
2. A People Person
Good interpersonal skills are a must! You will be dealing with customers, staff, suppliers, reps, delivery drivers, landlords — just to name a few!
Yes, you may be able to learn these skills by reading great books (I personally recommend How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie). However, you will have a greater head start if you were naturally born with this skill.
Picture this: a fish is born to swim in the ocean. Humans can learn to swim too but won’t be in their natural environment. Those who are naturally talkative, understand how to please people, and don’t have too much ego will enjoy this profession. It is a very service-based industry, so you will have to bow down to people all the time — like it or not!
3. Good with their Hands
Let’s admit it — cafe work is physically intensive and hands-on! Expect to get oil, water, dirt, and coffee stains on your clothes by the end of the day.
On the bright side, if your hands are faster than your brain, you’ll love this industry! 99% of tasks (including making coffee, juices, smoothies, and sandwiches) rely mainly on your hands.
Just a heads-up: cafes are a water business (coffee is made from 90% water) so get ready to be surrounded by water all day — every day!
4. Great Sleepers
As with all businesses, you need to be someone who can handle stress effectively by getting enough sleep at night (ideally at least 8 hours). Running a business has ups and downs, and if you let it affect you so much that you can’t relax and simply “switch off,” it will impact your quality of life and that of your family.
You should be someone who can go to bed and sleep without constant worry. Sleep is important because it boosts your mood, supports a healthy workplace culture, and helps you focus better, problem-solve, and make the right decisions.
And there you have it! From my experience, having these 4 traits will help make investing in a cafe business a great choice for your career and lifestyle.
![Read more about the article Do Cafe Businesses Make Money? [Part 1]](https://calypsocafe.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/do-cafe-businesses-make-money-part-1-300x214.jpg)
