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The Liliget Feast House

Getting Started

Dolly Watts is a wonder. At age 49, she went to university; at 57, she started a catering business; at 60, she opened a restaurant. And at 69, she won the Gold Medal in an Iron Chef competition in Vancouver. Dolly owns and operates Liliget Feast House in Vancouver, a restaurant that celebrates the aboriginal food of her childhood. In 2001, she won a National Aboriginal Achievement award for business and commerce. Dolly estimates that, between her catering business and her restaurant, she's spent "more than $1 million in wages for aboriginal people." Liliget is a combination of all the things that matter to Dolly: she's an organizer and a manager, and she enjoys the business end; her family works with her; the restaurant features native cooking; and it gives her a chance to share her Git'ksan heritage and culture with customers. "I knew it was the only native restaurant in Canada," she says, "and because I studied anthropology at university, I could talk to anyone about our culture. I was very outspoken and not shy to talk about it." Even Dolly's website finds a balance between savvy marketing and being true to herself. She's a poet, and uses her website to give customers another sense of her life. "When we launched the website, we launched it at an international market - especially the poetry. I wanted people to see what my life was really like - that it really was me picking berries, or participating in a large funeral. People are really thankful to learn about native people."

You have a great idea, and you wonder why no one thought of it before. Before you start filling out loan applications or renting office space, ask yourself some tough questions - and be prepared to do your homework.

1.Do you have what it takes to be your own boss?

To manage a successful business, you'll need: _ Passion for your idea and the ability to communicate it to others.

_ Motivation to develop a plan and to work hard to carry it out.

_ Problem-solving skills.

_ Multi-tasking skills to handle a hundred details at once, as well as develop and manage your business strategy.

_ Self-confidence: trust in your decisions and people skills.

_ Flexibility to recognize and adapt to change, opportunities and unforeseen developments.

_ Ability to sell yourself and your products or services.

_ Persistence to see your idea through.

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