Prospective Location
Sep17
Mick probably shouldn’t be flip with Alex when it comes to cash. She had more than he could ever spend when they met. She did’t get there by being COMPLETELY stupid.
I’m in a very punk rock mood.
Comments are closed.
Mick probably shouldn’t be flip with Alex when it comes to cash. She had more than he could ever spend when they met. She did’t get there by being COMPLETELY stupid.
I’m in a very punk rock mood.
Comments are closed.
Ah, opening new businesses. I’ve learned a lot about that over the decades.
(1) Paint does not repair structural defects. It doesn’t even hide them well.
(2) New carpet/flooring goes in LAST, after the messy work is done, after the new roof goes on, after the plumbing explodes.
(3) No one likes walking around on concrete all day. Padded carpeting is good. Cork flooring is also acceptable.
(4) ‘Abandoned Warehouse Chic’ is only novel for about a week. After that, customers get tired of the way your place looks.
(5) Sound systems are, oddly enough, important. Interesting and appropriate music choices are also important. Don’t believe me? Go shop at a “World Market”.
(6) No one ever pays enough attention to lighting. Can your customers see the merchandise? Can your employees see their cars in the parking lot? Can the bad guys see that the doors, path and cars are well lit? Can the cops see what’s going on? Can the FD see the numbers/name on your building from 50 yards away?
(7) Signage, signage, signage. Never block your windows with signage. Small notices at the door, a banner covering the top 1/4 of the facing windows, that sort of thing is great. But when the windows are obscured by signs you might as well be running a comic shop. Also, make sure your main sign is large enough to be seen at least a block away. Walmart didn’t invest in 2″ high lettering, neither should you.
Tons of stuff like that. In the comic strip world, things will work out. But look around you and see how many businesses in the real world are getting it wrong. Then ask yourself how often you shop there. 😉
Some localities, stupidly, restrict signage. I drove all over one such place near Scottsdale AZ looking for a business. Finally said “Fuck it” and drove to a different town that had saner laws.
Living in and near Scottsdale, I can vouch for the stupidity of their signage laws. Fountain Hills, AZ, and Cave Creek, AZ are pretty bad about it. Also some places in Tucson require ALL signs to be this same teal greenish color… Drove me batty trying to find businesses that I KNEW what their sign looked like, but NOPE teal greenish signs EVERYWHERE!
I have come to HATE that color.
The Woodlands, TX takes it to a whole new level. Not only do they restrict signage, but they also require full grown trees as frontage landscaping. You have no idea you’re right on top of the business you’re looking for until you roll past the entrance. GPS is marginally helpful, sometimes. It’s beyond ridiculous.
That’s why I park near the place, recce it on foot and then move the vehicle closer if necessary.
Building numbers….
I’m going to have to agree with that one — it seems that almost nobody worries about that these days. Being a contractor, I generally end up doing jobs all over the place; There are very few things more irritating than going three consecutive blocks without seeing a single business with it’s address clearly marked when I’m trying to figure out if I’m at all close to where I’m trying to go.
And when GPS tells you to go 3 further blocks than the actual building that you are looking for it gets even MORE fun. If I ever own a shop, My numbers will be displayed on the top left corner on each street facing surface in large enough numbers to actually see from the road.
Location, location, location…..what’s wrong with the old site? Unless they were renting, which I don’t think uncle Ormar would, why not pull up a dozer and start from scratch…. Unless this place has some outstanding advantage, it’s a candidate for the bulldozer too.
My thoughts exactly! If Omar built a business worth millions at that location, the customer base is still in that area, and would begin to get excited as soon as they see the “WE SHALL RETURN, BIGGER AND BETTER” sign you put up in front of the construction!
Unless there were some haz mats involved in the explosion? The EPA can get crazy about cost to clean up waste, cost WAY more than pitching the site and starting anew.
BTW Ashrael – I hope you are a small business consultant. I know a LOT of folks who could have used that kind of advice!!!!
Currently I’m a gunsmith. I’ve been a business manager multiple times in the past, though. Interestingly, most corporations and even small businesses aren’t interested in helpful advice. They already have this mental image formed of how the universe should work, and damn you for suggesting otherwise. Go figure. 😛
You’re back in business quicker if you start with something already existing than if you have to clean up and start over. That said, however, the shop’s existing customers are going to be looking for them to reopen in the old location.
‘what’s wrong with the old site?”
It’s possible that there is some governmental issue with the old site (anything from PD investigation to EPA); It’s also possible that there is something sub-optimal about the old site.
Frankly, were I in a business like that, and I had the opportunity to start over from scratch drop into my lap, I probably wouldn’t opt to just rebuild exactly what I had before. Maybe they want to put in a range… Maybe they want to go for a different internal layout that is more suitable for the business? Maybe they want a bigger space? Who knows?
The old location did have a small gun range. However, a bigger gun range does sound better.
Nothing wrong with renting temporary premises while the permanent shop is rebuilt. Get the doors open fast, get some cash flowing.
Mind you maybe I’m a little biased here – I’m a commercial property manager :p
“She did’t get there by being COMPLETELY stupid.”
I thought she got some of it as compensation for sideswiping a tree with a flaming motorcycle while high on cocaine?
Either I’m misremembering, or you have a VERY high threshold for “completely”.