Starting a catering business - South African Style. Dealing with the restrictions...

I am a South African married to a polish man and we live near to Olesnica, we are thinking of opening ou own business here selling clothes from SA, and the UK and was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice. We tried to open a catering firm but found it almost impossible with all the restrictions etc and are still waiting on clearance, Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Starting a business in Olesnica??? I think you would do much better in Wroclaw.

Would you be selling new or used clothing? I've never met anyone who started a clothing store in poland, but i think it would do well if you could have trendy clothes that were cheaper than what they go for in the Galeria's.

It will be an uphill battle though. This is Poland.

One more thing, it's a good thing that you husband is Polish - this will make things easier.

Best of Luck with, as someone who has a soft spot for SAFA's and considers at least a part of himself as South African, I wish you the very best of luck.

Poland is a rapidly changing country and I am confident that that it will provide increased opportunities in the near future.

I thought about Wroclaw, but the start up in Wroclaw is too expensive, and is far away, so I think costs will be higher then profits, where Olesnica is cheaper but still loads of people commute to wroclaw each day put live in Olesnica.

We thinking of doing both used and new, depending on what we can get imported etc.

@hague: So you are partyly SA? You live in Poland? Not found mny South Africans this side, there seem to be a few in Warsaw but not in Wroclaw.

maybe opening a business with South African goods instead, like biltong for example....Poles like their meats like kielbasa and kabanoska ect. if they tasted biltong they would be hooked......anyway best of luck w/ that. I cnt think of a better culture or people which I would want to influence Poland in any way (although im a little bias because I lived there once;)

I also thought about the South AFrican products but not sure how customs will feel about it....My brother once sent me a parcel from SA and by the time it had to got to me it had been ransacked by customs, things confiscated etc.. BEsides we make our own biltong here now:)

Yes, because SA is a Major drug transhipment country for the whole of Europe in both dagga from SA and heroin and cocaine from elsewhere and even maybe mandrax made in india.

If I was you right... I would open a brick/mortar clothing shop in Oleśnica, at the same time have a internet shop. As for the type of product - you do not want British clothes, there is already plenty of this crap, both new and used. Your advantage is having access to the SA clothing market, and as far as I know heaps of teenagers there buy/wear AMERICAN-Type Hiphop/Baggy/surf clothing, which is Not the Original AMERICAN products, but good copies (not fakes, similar style but SA label Made in china).... If I spoke Afrikaans and knew sum peeps in SA and had access to some capital I would put All the money in that type a shop.

There is many other things you COULD import, like matches made in Durban .... but on this you will get taxed a HEAP and yes...
Clothes is the one product which you can put a High markup on. Another being Jewellry.
Maybe think of importing wigs from India.

PS: As for used clothing, I would be trying to make business by selling Used Polish Clothing and exporting this to SA and neighboring countries (you think this do not happen already??)

Best of luck.

I am Polish, but my parents and I moved to SA in 1992 and we left for Auss in 2001. we spent most of our time in the north of the country Transvall and the Free State or the Vraystaat. We met some really warmhearted individuals and would probably have never left if security, economics and the political situation were more stable. My dad lived in Zim for a bit and I lived in Botswana for a bit as well. My dad was usually contracted with De Beers and Anglo American as a GP.

One thing i will never forget about SA is Biltong- I absolutely looooove it(:

I really hope you stick it out in Poland but I am sure like me, you must miss SA a lot. There is something about that part of Africa that brings out this primal attachment in individuals, that few other places can match. In the African night, even though far away from the rest of the world in some ways, I feel very close and content at the same time. I do not feel the same way about Auss.

Another thing that triggers memories of SA is the smell of that anti Mosquito smear on. I have grown accustomed to that smell(:

Starting out a Biltong franchise could be a great idea!(:

I think the saying," is you can the person out of africa, but never the africa out of the person"

Like anyone, there are certaint hings I miss and certain things I don't. I still hold hope that it will turn around and become the country it has the ability to become.

I was born in Durban, but we moved to Cape Town when I was 13, and lived there till I was 21 until i went overseas and well haven't lived there since. We go back every year and maybe one day in the future we will settle back there, but for now Poland is our home. We thought about Australia, New Zealand, but think we may just stick it out here. Poland also has a lot to offer, if you willing to put the sweat and tears into it.

mosquito cream- tabard, still use it here in Poland.

Yes that or ' Peaceful sleep', which i am more familiar with. And yes that saying about not being able to take Africa out of the person sums it up quite well.

And we always use the word braai and never barbecue(:

There are quite a few South Africans in Australia, one of them Gail Kelly, runs Australia's biggest bank Westpac, and another Marius Kloppers, runs their biggest company, BHP Billiton.

Starting a Catering business really is a bit confusing, but I would like to suggest a website that can help you with this questions. how to catering business is really a big word but don't you worry just check out the articles and it will help you resolve your issues. cateringbusinesssuccess.com/how-to-run-a-catering-business/

If you ever decide to start a Biltong business in Poland, I know of a few South Africans that would kill for some biltong or "droee wors"! And I'm sure the Poles would love it!

For sure! How can one not like Biltong?