Edin Basic

We Amplify

I created and run many different Food & Bev brands in the UK and abroad, and I feel it is time to help the founders on their journey. 

Why?

Well, in my journey from the idea to exit to a market leader, I realised how many expensive mistakes I've made. 

Honestly, it's scary to think how I made it to the finishing line. So much money was lost. And time, frustrations.  

That is why I decided to start Amplify with my amazing co-founders to... well AMPLIFY your journey from the idea to exit. Here is what we actually do👇

We have created a new hub pouring our experience as seasoned entrepreneurs. 

Amplify is not a group of individual companies, it is a comprehensive service where our co-founders work together to deliver the services to our clients. 

So partnering with Amplify gives you access to specifically tailored services for your company. 

We have a track record of building different F&B brands in the UK and abroad and running the sales process, due diligence and completing the exit. 

Our collective experience covers all aspects of the founder's journey in F&B, ‘from the idea to exit’ which is at the core of what Amplify stands for.

Olcar, Edin and Ashon

Co-Founder

Mano Pizza

After exiting Firezza to Pizza Express, it was one of these calls from an unknown number. 

Shall I answer or not? It is probably a sales call. I answered anyway. 

"Hello, is that Edin?" 

Here we go I thought?! These salespeople are getting good, how does he know my name? 

It was Tobias from Norway. "We found a gap in a pizza market in Norway. You were recommended to us by one of your suppliers and we would love to work with you. Did you know that Norwegians consume more pizza than any other nation in the world?" 

Really, I never thought that?! 

Fast forward, they asked me to be a co-founder of the new pizza brand. I reluctantly accepted and 6 months later first Mano Pizza opened in Stavanger. 

I helped with:

-> Branding
-> Customer Journey
-> Menu design
-> Recipes
-> Equipment
-> Kitchen Design
-> Training
-> Compliance
-> Positioning
-> Financial Modelling
-> Recruitment
-> Marketing
-> Delivery strategy
-> Launch

It was a huge success from day 1, literally. Now we have already 5 profitable sites and growing fast.

A Slice Of Blue

I was running my new pub concept in West London. Live music- Neapolitan Pizza neighbourhood vibe where we knew all customers by the name. 

It was a success story and we decided to go for a second site. This time hipsters East London-Hackney. 

The idea was to set the bar for the British Pub concept, open 4 sites and exit. 

Here is the story how it all started:

Angelo and Pasquale, founders of Santa Maria, met Edin, founder of Firezza, and decided to create a space where they could eat some pizza, drink craft beer, listen to some fine music, and share their love for PIZZA, BEATS And BREWS.

Great plan, great team, we already had a proof of concept, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, COVID lockdown after 1 month of opening! 

Who could have predicted that?

The opening went exceptionally well. Live music by Incognito and Cleveland Watkiss. 

Immediately the sales picked up £10K+ per week. 

And then BOOM! COVID lockdown.

We never recovered and had to stop the project after 2 years of struggle to keep it going. 

You learn much more from failures than successes. 

And this was my lesson -> If something does not work, cut your losses early and move on. Emotional attachment is a b****. Do not let it affect your decision-making. Life is too short to take on battles which are already lost.

Pizza Madre UK

•	New start up Neapolitan pizza al metro

•	Pizza in the pub 

•	Ideal for large groups and families sharing boards

•	Gold medal winner best pizza in the UK - industry PAPA Awards 2021

Founder

Red Lion Stage 6

I was solo-travelling Cuba after 16 years of running my start-up Firezza, 6 months of gruelling due diligence, and finally completing the exit to Pizza Express. 

It was one of these unusual times, out of everyday routine, when you go away and think about what to do next. 

The Bank account was healthy and the world of opportunities was in front of me. 

Still, my entrepreneurial bug was already working. What next?

I realised that there are so many pubs in the UK. And they are all kind of similar:

-> Music is often a secondary priority. Something plays in the background.
-> Service is mediocre. "Another pint? Thanks. Next customer please!"
-> Pizza in the pub is badbadnotgood 99% of the time.

On top of that, I thought that in areas like Ealing, where I live, the quality of places to go out do not represent the type of people who live there. So, people go to trendy places, like Notting Hill for example.

And there it was. My new concept. 

Local pub with great service where we know every customer by name, live music mid-level, not too loud-jazzy vibe and Neapolitan pizza.

I took a lease in a historic pub Red Lion opposite Ealing Studios. I was right, it worked very well. This is what Ealing needed. 

The plan was to open 4 sites and set the bar for British Pub and Exit.

Tern

Advisory Board Member

Firezza Pizza Ltd

In February 2016 we sold Firezza to Pizza Express. I was asked to help
with the integration as MD of Firezza. 
•	Successfully opened 6 new sites across the country 
•	Worked closely with Pizza Express on integrating Firezza to multiple central functions within the group 
•	Merge two management teams together aligning company culture differences and focussing on the common goal
•	Developed new QS Firezza restaurant concept and opened the first flagship site in Soho Dean Street London

Co-Founder and MD of Firezza

In February 2016 we sold my company Firezza to Pizza Express. I was asked to help
with the integration as MD of Firezza.

•	Recognised gap in the market in gourmet pizza delivery space
•	Found and developed Firezza pizza company from start up to 17 sites and multimillion pounds turnover 
•	Firezza became market leader in gourmet pizza delivery in London with 300K loyal customers
•	Won best pizza delivery company in UK - PAPA industry award
•	Successfully raised funds from institutional investors and private network individuals
•	Run sale process and 6 months due diligence
•	Successful exit - sale to Pizza Express in February 2016 creating high return for all shareholders

Starbucks Coffee Company

Fully responsible for running of six busy Starbucks coffee shops in the hart of City of London.

Area manager

CAFE UNO LIMITED

I post about startups, scale-ups & my entrepreneurial journey from idea to exit to the market leader

My whole life is a story of uncertainty, determination to succeed and continuous learning of how to create value. 

1. Small Obstacles-> Small Victories
2. Medium Obstacles -> Medium Victories
3. Huge Obstacles -> Huge Victories

Well, I am in the last "Huge" bracket... I think?!

Imagine being on your last exam of 5-year university and then from one day to another catapulted to a new life in a foreign country. Well, that happened to me. 

I found myself in London with no money, did not speak the word of English, no support from anyone and no plan B. I had to do everything myself, from scratch.

After years of searching, surviving and gaining different experiences, my entrepreneurial mind led me to start my own company Firezza, raise VC funds and angel investors, scale up to 17 sites and exit to a market leader.

This is followed by public speaking across Europe, hospitality consultancy, starting new F&B concepts in the UK and abroad and supporting founders on their journey from the idea to exit, with my own "been there done that" experience.

Reach out, follow, DM, WhatsApp, E-mail, whatever works for you. 

I completed that journey, let me help you do the same.

It’s all about timing.

Picture this:

- You have a successful site. Or two. 
- You proved your concept and now is the time to scale up.
- Scaling up your company is another topic. But what about timing? 

When we were scaling up our own company, we did not have a clear exit strategy. Grow, grow, grow!!!

After 15 sites we smartened up:

-> Our plan was to have 35 sites in 2 years
-> Hired expensive Ops manager
-> Invested heavily

Then the market changed with the arrival of aggregates. Is it even possible to grow as stand-alone delivery sites?

We received offers to sell and we exited to Pizza Express with 17 sites. It was all a bit chaotic. 

The lesson here:

Have a clear exit strategy early. Get your timing right.
————————————
————————————————
I’m Edin.
I help Food & Bev founders grow and exit their business 
DM me to get the ball rolling


I said I would never post the image of my cat on LinkedIn. 

(why now?) 

Following my yesterday’s post about LinkedIn and personal branding.

(“Personal” does not mean - Pic of my cat, her name is Stella …)

I thought to clarify 👇 

This IS my cat, Stella. 

If I post this incredible image of her eying a mouse in our garden and leave it there

It is not a personal story which has a purpose (for me)

I can spin it into a story which transforms itself into a completely different meaning.

For example:

As a Founder/CEO,

- You need a strong board BUT, be careful who you appoint. 
- Their job is to support and monitor your performance. 
- They can replace you.

There are predators out there, not everyone has good intentions. 

You get my point…

Be personal on LI, but not any old personal just for the sake of it.

Thoughts?

PS
I saved the mouse BTW.
——
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6 uncomfortable truths about Founders.

(nobody tells you about)

After nearly 20 years of starting (and funding) 4 companies and 2 exits, here are 6 uncomfortable facts every founder should know (before you start) 👇 

1. Every mistake from your team is your mistake. You hire them, you train them and you (de)motivate them. No escape.

2. If you can’t explain in 5 seconds your proposition to your target customer, you do not have one.

3. You need a strong board BUT, be careful who you appoint. Their job is to support and monitor your performance. They can replace you.

4. You are responsible for your numbers, not your CFO. They work for you.

5. To manage your performance, you need clear KPIs. If you do not, you will be firefighting all the time. 

6. Forget about work-life balance, it’s a myth. As a founder, you are on 24/7.  

What did I miss? 

#founders
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I’m Edin.
I help Food & Bev founders grow their business and personal brand on LinkedIn
DM me to get the ball rolling

I have been sitting here for the last hour trying to write my post.

(it can happen)

It is not that I do not have ideas. I do, and I have a long list. 

I was debating about choosing which one to use today. 

While staring at my framework.

Then, I thought -> share my framework.

I know… genius, right?!

That is what LinkedIn is all about after all. Helping others. 

My process is embarrassingly simple:

1. What problem am I solving?
2. What are the benefits of solving it?
3. What emotion am I generating?
4. The bullet point summary
5. The Hook -> Ask yourself: What is the main takeaway from my post? 

That’s it. 
I told you it’s simple. 
And it works.

I use it every day to write posts for me & my LinkedIn Food & Bev clients.

Everyone tells you to do personal stories on LinkedIn?

(but how personal)

Someone’s post yesterday "LinkedIn is not Facebook" went kind of viral.
(whatever the definition of “viral” is nowadays)

It inspired me to write my own take on this.

LI is about personal branding.

But, PB requires you to share... well, personal stuff.

Now, “personal” does not mean:

- Here is my recipe for banana bread
- Pic of my cat, her name is Stella
- My parking place is taken

This is FB personal.

LI personal is different. It has a PURPOSE.

Connect your personal story with your own journey in business (or life).
In return, that builds your authority in your niche.
It builds your personal brand.

- Stories of success and failure
- How I started (and exited) my business
- My own way of dealing with life-work balance
- How I entered the world of uncertainty and made it work

I can go on and on…

The point here 👇

Be personal on LI, but not any old personal just for the sake of it.

Do you agree?
—————
I’m Edin.
I help Food & Bev founders grow their business and personal brand on LinkedIn
Book a free 1:1 discovery call to get the ball rolling.

This strategy wins every time.

(it worked for me)

Underpromise & overdeliver.

Founders’ natural tendency is to pump up the expectations. At the end of the day, you start with passion and desire to fill that gap in the market. And you translate this into your brand:

- Fancy Design
- Food out of this world 
- Once-in-a-life-time experience

Easy mistake to make and I’ve seen it so many times.

Here is the opposite 👇

I went to a pub, and they started doing pizza. 
Pizza in the pub… hmmm, not sure. 
Then, this THING came out.

OMG, I did not expect this. The phone comes out, social share...
I love that feeling. And I love to go to places like these.

Low expectations are easy to exceed and leave a long-lasting impression.
Some people call it the VOW factor.

PS
What is your favourite pizza place? 
——————
I’m Edin.
I help Food & Bev founders grow their business and personal brand on LinkedIn
Book a free 1:1 discovery call to get the ball rolling.

When people read, they “hear” the words in their heads.

(as if they are listening to someone speaking)

How can you use this fact to write better posts?

Here is an example:

👎  Choose from smart stripes, fun spots and sophisticated cotton

👍  Choose from snazzy stripes, funky spots and classy cotton

Can you see how the rhythm changes… like a gentle stream, easy flowing 

A pleasing post maintains the flow and keeps attention. 

➩ Mix of shorter and longer words
➩ Pause, let the reader “draw breath”
➩ Right balance of stressed and unstressed syllables

The easiest way to achieve this in your post:

Have a conversation with your reader 
Write as you speak
Read it aloud
Tweak
Post

PS
What is the best post you've read today? 
----------------------------
I’m Edin.
I help Food & Bev founders grow their business and personal brand on LinkedIn
DM me to get the ball rolling

Growing your sales doesn't happen by:

- Discounting
- Offers, offers, offers
- No weekly KPI’s

What growing sales actually requires:

> Understanding your numbers
> Defining clear KPIs. 
> Monitor weekly 

I know because I did it myself.

I doubled my sales in 12 months. How?

When I took over the business, food was doing very well. 
Drinks sales - not so well. 

My strategy was simple. Keep food sales as they are and sell more drinks. 
Everything we did was focused single-mindedly on this strategy.
My KPI -> Monitor weekly split Food V Drinks.

It started 70/30. After 12 months it was 50/50.

Results?

Drinks AND food sales went up. I doubled my sales in 12 months. 
----

I’m Edin.
I help Food & Bev founders grow and exit their business 
DM me to get the ball rolling

I walked into a room to meet my client. He was furious.

(it was tense)

The manager did not turn up to work and they could not open the site. There is nobody else who can jump in and run the shift.

The founder was furious. Angry at the manager, blaming employees. 
Throwing out one verbal grenade after another at anyone within range.

Nobody cares anymore. 

Then I said - it’s all your fault😳

He looked at me - whaaaat? 
How is this my fault? HE did not turn up to work? 
HE is the manager for God’s sake. It’s HIS responsibility.

Well,

- You employed him
- You trained him
- You (de)motivated him

He is the effect of your actions. It’s all up to you.

When you point a finger at someone, 3 fingers are pointing back at you 👉

PS Did you ever come across "it's not my fault" people?
———————————
——————————————————————
I’m Edin.
I help Food & Bev founders grow their business and personal brand on LinkedIn
DM me to get the ball rolling

How I left the 9-5 corporate world.

(I had a great job)

Area manager for the large coffee chain in the City Of London.

- Great salary
- Expenses
- Private health insurance 
- Gym membership
- Career progress

After 6 months, I came in one morning and resigned. And off I went, into the unknown. No salary to start with.

My partner and I started a pizza company in the seemingly saturated market.
But, we had a plan.

I know risk-taking is not for everyone. 
There were weeks, and months when we could not take any salary.

To this day I do not know how we managed.

In the meantime:

- Our startup was building slowly. 
- We opened a second site.
- Raised funds from a VC.
- Became a market leader in London in Neapolitan pizza.
- Won numerous industry awards.
- 17 sites later we exited to a market leader.

It is easy to look back and say it was worth it. 
Yes, it was, but in the middle of the grind, I remember thinking how stupid I was to leave the security of a well-paid job. 

Life on the other side of 9-5 is exciting. Unpredictable. Rewarding.

PS
Do you have a burning idea, a gap in the market which you can solve?
My advice -> go for it. 
Do not regret it later when your circumstances change and stop you from taking the risks.
————————————
I’m Edin.
I help Food & Bev founders grow their business and personal brand on LinkedIn
DM me to get the ball rolling

How to make a perfect LinkedIn post 

(I know now)

After posting for 6 months 5 times a week I realised that imperfection makes it perfect. Yes, exactly that.

There are many templates to follow. Rules, advices. I know them all by now.

- Strong hooks
- Formatting 
- 800 characters count 
- PS, CTA, CBT, C whatever. 

My most successful posts were written in a moment, 5 minutes and hit the post.
People relate to raw and unfiltered feelings. 

Spelling mistake... that's ok. Too long or too short... that's ok too. 

As long as you are honest and write as you talk, that's what makes the post perfect.

Following all the rules is boring. We all look the same, little clones of the big creators. Be yourself, it's only one you in this world. 

There we go. I said it. 

No CTA in this post I am afraid. 


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