opening a coffee shop

[plastcom]

hi,im thinking of opening a coffee shop its a different career change but really looking forward to the challenge . Being a plasterer at this time im used to the hard work ,the research im doing is weather to try and buy a shop or fined a shop to rent my budget is about £40,000 if there is anyone with some experience who would care to shire any advice i would be very greatfull thanks kevin

[Glenn]

Welcome Kevin

Leasing premises will give you more flexibility, and an exit strategy should things not work out how you would like them to.

Buying premises and kitting out the shop is likely to exceed the budget you have mentioned.

That said, renting premises, and leasing the equipment is likely to help with cashflow.
The actual budget required (to open) will depend on the location, size of premises, what market you are aiming to attract and the quality of beverages you would like to serve.

Locating the premises first and running footfall analysis. along with preparing a business plan - detailing all known expenditure and profit forecasts - will give you an idea whether or not your investment will be a sound one.

Is there much competition (other cafes) in the area you intend to operate in?

[plastcom]

hi, im still looking for a place ,from what i have seen there is a cafe everywhere i go ,but there aren't many coffee shops i would prefer to set everything up from scratch & make my coffee shop a comfortable place to have a drink im thinking seating for about 20 people is my budget realistic the building plastering decore will save money thanks kevin

[Glenn]

Hi Kevin

For a leased premises this is a very realistic budget

Would you like me to email you a sample business plan which will open up a number of questions and considerations, and help plan for expenses and start projections for turnover?

[plastcom]

that would be fantastic ,im not going to rush into doing anything its only early stages ..much appreciated thank you very much


thanks kevin

[plastcom]

hi glenn looking forward to your email my email address kevhenshaw@ntlworld.com


thanks again

[plastcom]

ok glenn your obviously full of wind no help from your email so far ,if anyone ealse can give advise i would be greatful .thanks kevin

[vintagecigarman]

Woaaaah!

Hang on plastcom, a guy who runs a business around coffee consultancy offers you help for free and you complain, having done diddly-squat for the forum, because he doesn't reply instantly? Particularly when you are the guy who says "im (sic) not going to rush into doing anything".

If you're going into a customer service business, then honing your communication skills should perhaps be your major priority?

[Glenn]

I'll send as soon as I am back online.
I have been travelling for the past couple of days (unexpectedly) and need to convert to .doc / .pdf as the software I have is in a file format that is not readable if you do not have the software (Business Plan Pro)
I think you'll find the template worth waiting for

[Glenn]

The document has been converted and emailed