WHY THE FIRST 6 MONTHS MATTERS

There’s something exciting and intense about the first six months of opening a business. It’s a time when energy is high, everything feels new, and every win feels massive. But more than anything, this period is critical. It sets the foundation not just for how your business operates, but for how it grows, how it adapts, and how it survives long term.

We get it. We’ve been through it.

When we opened Drizzl’d, we didn’t treat the first few months as a soft opening. We treated it like a live test of everything we had built on paper. Systems, branding, team structure, supplier relationships, this was our chance to stress test it all. It wasn’t about perfection, it was about learning quickly and setting standards that could scale.

One of the most important lessons we’ve learned is that customer feedback in those early days is gold. People will tell you what they love, what’s missing, and what isn’t working. Listening to this, really listening, can shape your menu, store layout, even how you manage peak times. You don’t get a second shot at those first impressions, so the faster you adjust, the better your long-term results.

Those first six months are also where your team culture is created. You can’t just write it down in a handbook. Culture comes from how you show up, how you handle pressure, and how you treat both your staff and your customers. If you want a business that runs smoothly without you in the room, then the culture needs to be strong, and that starts with how you lead in the beginning.

Financially, this is the moment of truth. All the projections and planning meet reality. You learn how the store performs day to day, how much waste really occurs, and whether your costings hold up against supplier changes or seasonality. Smart operators know that it’s not about perfect profit from day one. It’s about learning, tweaking, and making improvements based on real data.

Even for those buying into a franchise like Drizzl’d, where the branding and systems are ready to go, the first six months are still make or break. Not because you’ll fail, but because this is when your habits are formed. It’s when you learn how to lead your team, how to maintain consistency, and how to bring the brand to life in your local community.

At Drizzl’d, we don’t just give you the tools and wish you luck. We’re hands-on from day one, because we know how vital those early decisions are. We’ve been through it. We’ve lived it. Everything is documented.

It’s not about sprinting to the finish line. It’s about setting a solid rhythm that can be sustained over the long haul. Whether it’s your first business or your fifth, treat those first six months with intention. They matter more than most people realise.