Daniele Benedettini spotted a pair of disused phone boxes in Russell Square, London, and decided to rent them to launch Walkmisu. He chose tiramisu because he could not fit a kitchen for pasta or pizza into the small space, spending £1,000 on the transformation by doing all the work himself. Passers-by constantly take pictures of the cafe, even when it is closed, and Benedettini has expanded with an online store offering nationwide delivery and click and collect from his 18 square foot space.
Benedettini claims part of his business success is due to using artificial intelligence. A study of 500 SME owners by Accio Work, Alibaba's AI agent for small businesses, found 40% of small businesses use AI so far, with many automating key functions like compliance, marketing, and supplier management. More than half (53%) of SME owners said running a business has become more complex in recent years.
Workload pressures are significant for SME owners, with 12% feeling like they are doing the work of an entire team alone and another 12% feeling they wear too many hats to focus on growth. 69% struggle to get everything done each day, estimating they need an extra two hours daily, and on average, they work outside office hours three days a week and put in a shift three weekends a month. Bookkeeping, chasing late payments, and filing paperwork are the most loathed tasks. Daniele Benedettini described managing suppliers as his most hated task, citing frustrating price increases.