“Well, we aren’t finished yet,” Eve told her.
“We aren’t?”
Eve shook her head, pulling a folder out of her briefcase. “I have some details to go over with you that didn’t need to be included in the taped segment.”
“Oh,” Josie said, resting her elbows against the bar. “Okay.”
“We’ve placed job listings for the new staff you’ll need to hire, and I’d like you to help me interview people later this week. I’ve got details here for you, and as soon as we’ve narrowed down the candidates, I’ll start setting up interviews.”
“Staff. Right.” Josie swallowed as she looked down at the paper Eve had slid toward her.
“Have you talked to Jason to see if he’d like to stay on at Dragonfly?”
Josie sighed. “Yes, and he doesn’t, so we’ll need to start from scratch with the bartending staff.”
“All right.” Eve jotted this down. “We’ll cover costs for the first two weeks to help get you on your feet, but I’d recommend that you use your time off this week to get that loan I mentioned.”
Josie nodded, her smile gone fragile.
“Remember, you have to spend money to earn it, okay?” Eve said. “We’re also advertising on Facebook and other local media outlets to generate interest in your relaunch on Friday, and we’ll continue to advertise through the end of the month to help you find your new audience.”
“Advertising,” Josie repeated, a wild look in her eye. “Eve, I don’t know how to do any of this. Should I have been advertising the bar these last few years? I don’t think my dad was doing that, but maybe he was.”
“I’ve written up a detailed marketing plan for you, and we’re going to go through it right now,” Eve told her. “I’ll be here to teach you everything you need to know, and remember, you can still call me after your relaunch. I work with all my clients for as long as they need me, and my services will still be free under our existing contract for two weeks after your relaunch. I want you to succeed, and I’m going to make sure you’ve got all the tools you need, okay?”
“Okay,” Josie said, looking a lot calmer.
Eve spent the next few hours going over every detail of the marketing plan with Josie and laying out a checklist of things Josie should be working on this week while the bar was closed. By the time they’d finished, the film crew had packed up and left, and the renovation team had arrived. All around Eve and Josie, plastic was being rolled out.
“You have to stop giving out so many free drinks,” Eve told her as they went over the budget.
Josie shook her head, turquoise curls bouncing. “I don’t feel right taking money from my friends.”
“This is a business, and you have to start running it like one.”
“But—”
“Do you pay when you buy something in Kaia’s store?” Eve countered.
“Well, she doesn’t own it. She just works there, so if I don’t pay…”
“She has to cover the cost for you, just like you do when you give her and Adam free drinks.”
Josie frowned. “I don’t want their money. I’m just happy to have their support.”
“They’re successful adults with full-time jobs. Take their money.”
Josie slumped in her seat. “I’ll think about it.”
“Do that,” Eve told her. “One last thing. I’ve noticed that you have a good relationship with several of the neighboring restaurants and often get takeout for yourself and your friends to eat here in the bar.”
“Yeah,” Josie said, brow wrinkling in confusion.
“As I mentioned once before, it was a significant disadvantage that Swanson’s didn’t serve food. So I propose that you approach your neighbors about creating an official arrangement. You would keep a list of approved restaurants’ takeout menus here in the bar that your customers can order from and have delivered to enjoy while they’re here. In return, you ask the restaurants to promote the deal on their end, maybe offer a discount if they send a customer your way.”
Josie pursed her lips, tapping her fingertips against the bar. “Yeah, you know what? I love that idea.”
“Perfect,” Eve said. “You can get it set up this week before the relaunch.”
