Consider start up costs, then find out what kind of permits are needed before you can open. Where are the best markets for purchasing stock like produce and meats. Corporate structure is another puzzle that must be worked out before you can open for business. This is all part of the fundamentals of running your own restaurant.

Understanding and setting costs per meal is vital as is providing a menu that will “sell” your restaurant. You need people to return again and again to be successful. Contact the British Hospitality Association for information on financing a restaurant. You will not find books or manuals on how to run a restaurant because there are none! It takes years of experience to learn the trade but if you can find someone to mentor your plan you will be successful.

You may be a foodie or gourmet cook at home but cooking for hundreds of people each day can be a daunting task. You can find much more information and help by visiting Tedariah.com catering consultancy.

You need to consider hiring a good experiences chef who also happens to have a good reputation. Let them help you plan a menu based on what he or she can cook really well. Develop your own taste of what’s good and popular in your area. Do not overprice your menu but definitely do not under price because your margin of profit will be so tight already just a few cents can mean closing or becoming a hit in town. Have fun with your entrepreneurial endeavor and listen and learn from your peers.

With this in mind, what key factors should you consider when appraising the suitability of forex trading as a viable investment method.

Through forex trading, investors execute transactions based on wider economic trends and their impact in the market. This often requires a certain level of determinism, however, as the market does not always react as you may expect. Essentially, forex trading demands that you are able to gauge market sentiment as economic trends break, without missing any timely opportunities that may come your way.

With forex trading, your transactions are only ever as reliable as the informational sources that you access. If you are to be successful, you must ensure that you are using only reputable and real time tools, as this ensures that quality of information that you receive.

Forex trading is a strategy, and a method used to acquire profit. It is important that this is compatible with your wider investment philosophy, however, as otherwise it is impossible to reconcile the two and make them work in harmony with one another. If your underlying philosophy is opposed to trading, then it is wise to consider an alternative method of investment.

This confusing charge was added without mention under the vague description of ‘additional services’. HSBC made many claims of letters being sent out back In December, or January (they can’t seem to agree on when this was) which were addressed to ‘all business banking customers’ to alert them to the charges soon to be made. The only problem with these alleged messages is that nobody seems to have actually received one. Were these phantom letters lost in the post? Thousands of rogue envelopes disappearing without trace, forever into the mailbags of time? A search of the HSBC site will find no mention of these charges. Isn’t relying solely on her majesty’s postal service somewhat archaic in the digital age? Hmmm…

Shockingly, the charge was also applied to customers who have signed up to HSBC on the agreement that they will hold a free account for a fixed term. Even more astonishing is that these charges were applied to the community accounts of registered charities which are understandably exempt from all business charges.

As many of the customers who have commented on our original post stated, HSBC (and indeed all banks) should employ a new system in which customers should have the right to decide if they wish to pay for the ‘additional services’ a bank offers BEFORE being charged without warning. Waking up to find an uncertified charge on your statement is not what you need first thing in the morning.

It’s reassuring to know that so many customers were able to make just one phone call to HSBC to have this whole situation turned around, but others have not been so lucky. Tales of woe involve long rambling forms to fill out and long waiting periods in phone queues. But with customers threatening to close their accounts, and Radio 4 making an investigation into this ‘stealth charge’ on their Moneybox programme, HSBC’s surprising willingness to refund the money is suddenly not such a shock.

So was this a deliberate con or a genuine accident? If it was a simple mistake, why did HSBC not immediately inform customers of such an occurrence? It’s unfeasible for them to say they were not aware of a charge being issued to their patrons that would have totalled tens of thousands of pounds for the bank. Or was this a sneaky effort to charge additional fees, in the hope that nobody will challenge it. It’s quite striking that before we made the previous post, many of us were not aware of the charge, or were actually going to pay without consideration of its purpose.

After trailing through the many comments listed in response to our previous post, we have reached the conclusion that the following is the best way if having the fee waived.

1. Call HSBC services directly by calling 01226 260 878. This is HSBC’s national rate number; any other number will probably result in your receiving a telephone charge. The 0800 085 3822 number mentioned in the previous post is no longer valid.

2. Explain you have been charged for a service you do not need or want. Then request a refund.

3. They should readily comply and refund the full amount charged, no matter how much it is.

HSBC have still got my custom for now, but they’re on thin ice. I’ll be paying very close attention to their policies from now on.

This charge comes under ‘additional services’ within your monthly statement, and is probably something that would simply be missed by most people.

On contacting HSBC, it seems that the charge is there for a service that allows you to send money to international bank accounts via your Business Banking service. So what if don’t need to send money to international bank accounts, and therefore the FGN Payment Limit doesn’t apply to you? Well, simply phone them up and it can be turned off…

We would recommend doing this as soon as you get your statement however, to ensure that the charge is waived and you don’t end up paying for something that you don’t need (and didn’t ask for…!)

At the time of writing, HSBC Business Banking can be contacted on 08457 606060.

**UPDATE** The following info was supplied by Rob Jenkin in the comments:

By the way if you don’t want to pay the ’08457′ telephone charge, “saynoto0870″ lists a free phone (0800 085 3822 - NOTE: this no longer works) and national (01226 260 878) number!

So, kind of reminiscent of that great space entrepreneur Elon Musk‘s successful launch of his Dragon spacecraft last week, we have our own (slightly less stratospheric) launch today!

We were trying to think of a topic that would be appropriate to use as our first post – what burning issue related to entrepreneurship should we cover? Funding? Strategy? Dealing with failure?

There’s so much scope, and we’re looking forwards to bringing you so much useful content over the coming months. In the end, we thought we’d go for something timeless – advice from entrepreneurs who’ve been there before (and back again in some cases!), that we’ve found inspiring in our own quest for entrepreneurial success.

Ten inspiring entrepreneurial quotes

What quotes have you found inspiring in your own entrepreneurial journey?

Large and small Banner Stands proudly promote any business!

Choose among the many options available in high quality banner stands. Go big and soar to the heights with twist banner stands, or pull up banners or roll up banners that can be linked together to provide a virtual wall of highly visible advertisement. Let the public know your business is in business with boldly coloured signs with photo quality graphics that are stunning, visually appealing, and of high quality.
And whilst these stunningly beautiful signs will surely promote your business successfully, keep in mind how very affordable they are!

Each business owner hopes that his (or her) business will be the next success story, one that will be the top ranking and most profitable enterprise each and every year. Helping to insure that all comes true are signs that attract attention wherever they are presented. Take banner stands along to the trade shows or business forum and once set up you will surely be noticed as the “stand out” business, one that grabs the attention of all who pass by your stand or desk. Link your aluminium framed displays with roll up banners or perhaps try out the pop up banner, complete with highly visible graphics and grab their attention!