Help wanted.

Serious thread for once.

I'm thinking of buying a shop because I'm getting sick to the back teeth of working for dickheads who don't appreciate you but are happy to nick all your ideas.

Has anyone ever had their own shop and what do I need to know?

Cheers.

Do you really need a shop - most shops are closing down these days as people shop on line.

I'm guessing it is something to do with bread/baking?

How about hire a unit on an industrial estate to make it and sell the bread to existing retailers instead.

Limits your risk.

Means delivering as well though.

We're looking at a butty shop in Howfen that's up for six grand.

It's leasehold and I haven't a clue about business rates and all that shit, but for six grand, I'm seriously considering taking a punt because they've expanded Wingates and they're talking about this massive new development at Cutacre, so with deliveries, it might be a decent earner.

I'd want to see a copy of the sellers latest accounts first and to see what the overheads and profit are first.

My brother in law bought a pub against my advice for 50K and the pub's net profit was only about 4K a year, he made a massive loss 18 months later and he ended up walking out of the place.

My brother in law is still paying for this today, as he borrowed all of the 50K on his mortgage.

Just do your homework Breadman.

Cheers, Culcheth.

I've got a meeting with him and my accountant on Tuesday.

The 6 grand would come out of the savings, so it's not a massive gamble.

I wouldn't even trust the last set of accounts myself - they only report what as been put down on paper - if you get my meaning.

It might be an idea - if you have the time - to go and watch the shop and see for yourself the footfall - at different times, across different days.

Does it rely on a big customer - is there a works or school say, when everybody calls at lunchtime - if so make sure the big customer doesn't suddenly moves away - works closes, school merges with another somewhere else - sort of thing.

What's access like - will you rely on passing trade - if so can people park - yellow lines, waiting times, parking charges, etc.

I'm sure you know all this already.

I think small businesses can claim a business rate rebate from the council - up to £1,000pa I believe.

£6k sounds a bargain - too good to be true perhaps?

Make sure you don't get stuck with a 10 year head lease or something!

Worth checking shop hygeine history with Council's Environmental Health office maybe - don't want to own a shop with a bad local reputation.

Get a celebraty to open the shop - Chorley's top fan and Business Woman of the Year, perhaps?

Are you buying the shop or a lease? With a lease you normally have to take it out for a set number of years and if your business flops you are still responsible for paying the lease.

The mark up on Butty shops is normally very good because your overheads are pretty low but if you employ staff you will be expected to pay their stamp as well as sick pay unless they are part time. If the shop is in a prime location with plenty of businesses in the vicinity then it could be a goldmine but as Culcheth says, you need to see the previous accounts and also have a firm idea of how much the business rates are.

Breadman wrote:Cheers, Culcheth.

I've got a meeting with him and my accountant on Tuesday.

The 6 grand would come out of the savings, so it's not a massive gamble.

Obviously, 6K doesn't sound much, but if you pack your job in for a business that you really don't know much about, then it could be a massive gamble.

I used to work on Wingates and they have two vans, that do everything from full breakfasts, burgers chips, hot and cold sandwiches  etc (I would recommend the chicken wraps if you want to check out the competition).  So I would say if you are not based on the industrial estate itself I wouldn't expect a lot of custom from Wingates.

You will also need public liability indemnity insurance just in case some shyster gets bacon rind trapped in their throat and pursues you for damages.

I will have a Avocado & Salmon with cream cheese on brown please.

Cheers fellas.

(Not you, Magoo.)

Mr Magoo wrote:I will have a Avocado & Salmon with cream cheese on brown please.

You'll be lucky if you get a packet of pork scratchings.

Mr Magoo wrote:I will have a Avocado & Salmon with cream cheese on brown please.

WTF!

Ive listened to your ideas, i have listened to all of them and i haven't liked a single one. Im out.

I think I'm at a Crossroads Moment (Cue Benny gag from Magoo.)

I work in the food industry as a Lean Manufacturing consultant, which sounds a lot grander than it actually is, and the latest bunch of twats I've been working with have just milked me like a fucking prize heifer and decided that what should have been a six month gig, actually became a six week deal.

Once I'd presented to the board and given them a twenty page report with Gantt charts, costings and a strategic plan for sustained development......

I'm annoyed at myself for letting it happen to be honest and I should have realised something was up when they started mithering for a written plan on Day One.

I've been played like a fiddle and there's nowt I can do about it, so I've decided that from now on, any good ideas I have are going to benefit MY business and not some other fucker's.

Rant over.

Sorry.....

Get on with it you Faggot, O good luck with it.

Faggots.....

Yeah, we could sell them.

In gravy with chips and a barm.

Eight quid please, Magoo.

Ok....six fifty?