Helping Others to Help Yourself (Solo)
Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 5:29 pm
Ash 2, 121
It was shortly after the lunch rush and Franky was staring at the particularly empty space of wall between two of his hearths. There were a few stragglers and drunk scattered around, but nothing he couldn't handle easily alone. But he knew when evening came, they'd be busy as always. Millie was great, but he truly did need more help. And with as many heads that came through here, surely he could find a few that wanted to work here.
But maybe there was more he could do with his need. He knew other businesses struggled to hire from time to time. He remembered how Yeva asked about where to find a hardware store, where to get some herbs. There was something worth doing here, he just needed to figure out how to make it work. Franky looked out over the bar, "Oy, can all of y'all read Common?" There were several head nods, a few verbal affirmations, and the like. But everyone could.
"Thanks."
Franky poured himself an ale, sipping on it as he walked around the bar.
"What you thinkin' 'bout Franky?"
"Well, Gleck, you still doin' odd jobs, cleanin' chimneys and shit?"
"Yeah, why?"
"How do you get your jobs?"
The Grackle looked up at him, "Word of mouth usually. Other Gracks know people who need a good chimney sweep, usually people they work for. I work cheaper than the sweeps on west side, so they recommend me."
Franky nodded, "And who have you hired in the last season or so? For anything."
The little green man pondered. "Well, a carpenter to fix my leaky roof. Nanny to watch the runts while the missus went home to visit her mum. Oh and that fuckin' plumber. Fuck that guy."
"And how did you hear about them? Did you go to their shops?"
"Oh nah, none of them had shops or nothin'. Just word of mouth again I spose. Where you goin' wit' this Franky?"
Franky took a deep drink, now staring over at the blank space in the wall. "I think I have an idea."
"Want a refill Gleck? I gotta head upstairs real quick."
The Grackle waved him off. Franky popped upstairs, grabbing a spare, empty ledger book and some pens. He took up a spot on a stool, opening the book before him. In large letters, he wrote out, "CHIMNEY SWEEP AVAILABLE - See Franky to hire" Franky carefully tore the page out, setting it aside. Then at the top of a page, he wrote "Gleck - Chimney Sweep"
"Gleck, how much do you typically charge?"
"Well, not much for my friends and family."
"And for a stranger?"
The Grackle pondered, "Three silvers an hour, I'd say."
Franky nodded, writing that value next to Gleck's name in his book. Franky turned the page after the ink dried and split into with an ink line, vertically. On the left he wrote at the top, Services Offered, and on the right, Jobs Available. He nodded as the ideas were flowing more freely now. It was a simple set up, but one that could both profit him and help out many of his clientele.
Franky wrote out several more adverts, each seeking for people to work here, for him, as cooks, bartenders, servers, house keepers, entertainers. But he kept each separate, and he simply would write "COOK WANTED - See Franky". He reached behind the counter grabbing some copper tacks, he went over and hung the paper adverts on the wall, separated by an invisible line, the same one on his paper in ink.
"Gleck, when you get a chance, will you send that carpenter my way? Give ya a silver for your trouble."
The Grackle smiled broadly, finished his beer, and hopped off his chair. "I was headin' that way anyways."
Franky continued serving his customers, prepping the upcoming meal for the evening's dinner. His mind was whirling though. By building this board, and making himself the middle man, he took on the connection making, letting him get to know both the workers and the customers, and by offering an upcharge, he would take a piece of the pie without taking it from the worker. This could definitely work.
And it would be good to get the names of people who could do good work.
An hour later, a Goblin walked in, "Ey Franky, Gleck sent me. Need more chairs?"
Franky's smile broadened, "Ah he didn't say it was you, Frezn. And nah, I'm good on chairs." Franky slipped around the bar, standing before the adverts and waving Frezn over. "I want a nice looking frame there, with a thin border down the middle. Left side to say Services Offered, right side to say Jobs Available. Real big, pretty letters. Use the good wood, I want this to pop."
Frezn pondered, "I can do you better. Them there tacks you're usin will really tear up that wood over time. I got a nice soft wood you can use as a backpiece, works much better. And cheaper than replacin a wall all tore up." The goblin smiled up at him, "What you up to, mate?"
"Let's call it an experiment."
The goblin laughed, "Alright, keep your secrets. I can get that to you in a day or two." Franky smirked, "And if I tossed in an extra gold?"
There was a clear glint in the goblin's eyes. "Then I could get it up before your lunch rush starts."
Franky grinned wide, "Perfect."
Another hour passed and Franky was busy cooking up a rope of rabbits that had been brought. He was in the middle of deboning them when Frezn knocked and pushed open the door, "If ya hear bangin' its either me or them two orcs in the corner givin each other the lovey eyes." Franky snorted and the door shut as Frezn got to work.
Once Franky had the hares cleaned and deboned, he began working on a simple sauce for them, largely of lingonberries and anise, getting a big batch going on simmer. He filled up a cauldron with water, to get it started boiling. Then Franky went about the job he'd grown up doing, peeling potatoes. His hand worked fast with the peeler, dropping the shavings into a bucket at his feet. He worked through an entire sack of them by the time the cauldron reached boiling. Franky went through, chopping them up into large chunks, depositing them all into the liquid.
Now that the potatoes were going, Franky stepped back out into the bar, seeing Frezn standing back and looking at the board. It was of some nice, shiny red wood, with the cork backing. The goblin smiled, "Ain't she a beaut? I put your papers back on it."
It was pretty. "Great job, mate. Want a drink? Food will be up before too long."
The goblin pondered the time of day, "Eh why not. Call it an early one. Gimme somethin from home."
Franky nodded, pouring a flagon of Imperial Bock. "Got this one in this mornin'." He set it in front of the goblin who had climbed up on the stool. "So, can I get my name up on your fancy board?"
Franky smirked, "Not your name, but I can put up your trade. Your name goes in my book."
The goblin looked skeptical, "Then how would they find me?"
"Through me."
The goblin's eyes narrowed even further, "And how much would this cost me?"
At this, Franky smiled broadly, showing off his many teeth, "Absolutely nothing. What would be your hourly or daily rates for typical jobs?" Frezn gave them, "I just tack on a little bit there on the price. Not enough to scare them off, just enough to wet my thumb, without you losing out. And with you being the only carpenter, currently, in the book, you'd get all the jobs that come through here."
Frezn looked at Franky, "But why do it this way? Surely it will be easier to do things the way we've always done them."
Franky crossed his arms and smiled down at the man, "It's good to know people. I knew you, Gleck knew you. This way, every person I meet or know could potentially be a customer for you. And an awful lot of people come through here. And the people they know? They too could be customers. Lookin to bring a little bit of organization to... all this."
Frezn nodded, "And you give my name out first?"
Franky smirked, "For now. If that seems to be changing, you'll be the first to know. In the meantime, let's just give it a try."
Frezn nodded, "What's for dinner?"
"Rabbit, lingonberry sauce, potatoes."
Frezn's smiled broad, "You spoil me."