Pastry Biz Chronolog

Big vs. Small

Advantages and disadvantages of going with a big house vs. a small operation:

Big operations offer the following:
Benefits including paid sick leave, vacation, and holidays
Medical, dental, and perhaps vision
Profit sharing, 401, tuition reimbursement
Job security, structured production/expectations
Opportunity for advancement

Small operations usually offer none of the above but may offer the following:
Disbursements in cash
Greater flexibility of schedule
Less structure to ordering equipment and supplies
Less structure/formality to hiring process for associates
Little to no opportunity for advancement
Sometimes greater ability to dynamically spindle (come up with new creations) time contingent

Bottom line-depending on your own career path and your measure of how important job security and a stable (reliable income is worth) Big usually beats out small, unless you work for incredibly savvy administrators.