Balancing business and personal challenges

Running a business doesn't make you immune to the other challenges life can throw at you. Nearly one year into owning his restaurant COYA, Ashraf Saleh's health problems flared up - and temporarily put things on hold.

Ashraf Saleh has shared his story with Small Business Secrets from the beginning.

Since opening night we've followed the ups and downs of his first restaurant, COYA.

He's recently won an award for his colourful creations, but there have been some confronting challenges.

Ash suffered a heart attack in 2015 and in August this year, he had another scare.

 A few months ago I got a really bad chest pain and then went to the hospital,” he says.

“The bottom line is you have to exercise, eat good food, try to be healthy and lose some weight because chefs don’t eat that well.”

Source: SBS

Despite these setbacks, it hasn’t stopped him from making improvements to the restaurant.

We've got a liquor licence now. There was an issue with the brightness of the walls, so we painted the walls a chocolate colour and added frosting on the windows.

“We’re making sure diners have a peaceful dining experience in Coya.”

Like most small businesses in the first 12 months - Ash and Kit are having to put more money into the business than they're necessarily getting out of it.

Despite minor setbacks and challenges, Ashraf is determined to make COYA work. Source: SBS

“Financially it’s been a little bit tough, we need to put it out, take it out... maybe in another three, four months’ time we'll be better. “

However, they're determined to keep making it work, with a raft of loyal locals regularly dining in.

“Every time you do something you learn something, you make mistakes you learn.”

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