[EricaBG]

So for this personality profile I am interviewing a business owner and creating an article based on questions that I ask him about his career, life, etc etc. Can you guys help me come up with some questions? Anything you can help me with would be wonderful! Thank you.

[mandalinn82]

You're trying to get at his personality? Do you have any other guidelines/things you're going to focus on? I find it is easier to come up with a theme/focus, then the questions (you know how celebrity profiles are always done around the time they have a movie or some other project going on, and the questions start general but quickly wrap back to whatever is being promoted and then all tied together at the end? The goal is to do that...)

[EricaBG]

I'm writing more so about his career in owning a business and how his business has an affect on the community. He is the owner of a franchised restaurant.

[frogponder]

How did he end up in the restaurant business?
What surprised him about the business?
What was his greatest challenge?
How do different business owners support each other?
How active is he in the business community?
How does local government impact his business?
How do you not end up sponsoring every little league, soccer
team, concert, parade, etc. that shows up on your doorstep?
What advice would he give people starting out?
What are his future plans for his business?
What does his like best about it?
What does he like least about it?
What is the strangest thing that has ever happened in
the business?
(Hope I haven't repeated myself.... and hope it helps!)

[raw23]

Well I was going to post... but looks like frogponder covered it!

[sapphire9]

You might want to interview some people in the community who know him, spend an afternoon or evening in the restaurant, watching him at work.

[Ufi]

Don't just go in and get answers to a list of questions you've made up before the interview. Really listen to what he's saying and have a conversation. Be interested in this person. Make it your goal to really get to know who he is, to learn what about him makes him unique. Don't be afraid to let there be silence or to ask something like, "Can you expand on that?" He might drop hints to questions you could ask as you're talking to him, like if he says he started the business "right after my son was killed," or something like that, give him the chance to talk about that instead of rushing on to the question next on your list. Sure, maybe the information won't be useful to you when you write your assignment, but it just might be, or you just might be the helpful ear that makes his day. It's been my experience that not a lot of people are really listened to often in their lives.

Often, details can tell a lot about a person. Look for clues to his personality, what's important to him. Does he have awards on his walls? Certain decorations? What about his clothes or any jewelry? Has he named any menu items after anyone or anything?

[EricaBG]

Thanks for the advice all! Ufi, unfortunately I had to do an e mail interview due to the fact that our schedules are very different and we could not find a sufficient time to meet.
Thank you all for your help