Brick and Mortar Business

[johnbears]

Lets trade some "Brick and Mortar Business" ideas (Please do not summit internet businesses). Let us know why they are good businesses and if you know anyone who operates one:

-Shoe store. Because they have high margins, need almost no technical qualification, no marketing needed, not a stress filled job. Unfortunately, I don't know any shoe store owner.


Its your turn!!! Spit some fire.

[KKoher]

Clothing & Accessory store...I own one.
- It depends on what exactly you are selling. The tee's and hoodies we get in are usually a 100% mark up...belts and buckles are like 300%, body jewelry ranges from 300% -1600% depending on what items you are selling. Hats, wallets, and bags are around 100% as well.

I'd say right now isn't a great time to own one because of the economy. Clothing and accessories aren't exactly a necessity right now...but with back to school coming up and Christmas, hopefully it should pick up. You do need to know what your doing though...at least when it comes to ordering, you really have to know your target market, and be able to predict what they are going to want to buy and wear.

[andrewrichardgale]

whats brick and motar mean?? im confused

[johnbears]

Brick And Mortar

"What does it Mean? A traditional "street-side" business that deals with its customers face to face in an office or store that the business owns or rents. Web-based businesses usually have lower costs and greater flexibility than brick-and-mortar operations.
Investopedia Says... The local grocery store and the corner bank are examples of "brick and mortar" companies."

source: Brick And Mortar

[bizdev]

-Shoe store....no marketing needed, not a stress filled job.

I used to own a brick and mortar children's store (franchise), which for the sake of this discussion, equates to your shoe store example.

I don't know where you get the idea that you don't need marketing and that it is not stress filled. Pretty much ANY business will need to be marketed. Even an online business needs to be marketed.

And not stress filled?? It's obvious you've never owned a brick and mortar business. My children's store was a fairly simple business model, but the stress was off the charts. Any time you deal with the IRS (payroll taxes, income taxes) or the state (sales tax, income tax) or the city (permits needed for every little thing and fines slapped on you faster than you could say 'yes sir, right away sir') and employees that might not share your vision and disgruntled customers and vendors that can't seem to meet schedules and landlords that raise the CAM charges every year until you can't afford the space anymore.....see what I mean??? Even a "simple" business can be stress filled.

Sorry, you hit a nerve there.

It drives me nuts when I hear someone say they just want to open a little coffee shop or whatever coz it sounds like fun. Think again people. Even the smallest of brick and mortar businesses will have high start ups costs and ongoing monthly expenses that you may not think about until the bills start coming in. I could on for a few more paragraphs about the expenses alone. But I think you get my point.

[andrewrichardgale]

maternity mothers business, sell clothes for pregnant women as a income, but make it close enough to the border to dig a tunnel under from the store to mexico and secretly smuggle massive loads of drugs into the us and you will never get caught and make millions and millions of dollars.

[bizdev]

maternity mothers business, sell clothes for pregnant women as a income, but make it close enough to the border to dig a tunnel under from the store to mexico and secretly smuggle massive loads of drugs into the us and you will never get caught and make millions and millions of dollars.

Now that's the way a true Preneuraholic's mind works! That is insane, but might just work.

[chrispalko]

Without getting into the details of my opinion on brick and mortar businesses, I feel that if you set up shop in a mall selling clothes and accessories to the "teenage" crowd, and keep up with the trends, that would do well.

Maybe not necessarily brick and mortar since it's in a mall, but that would be a good place to target that audience.

[johnbears]

I used to own a brick and mortar children's store (franchise), which for the sake of this discussion, equates to your shoe store example.

I don't know where you get the idea that you don't need marketing and that it is not stress filled. Pretty much ANY business will need to be marketed. Even an online business needs to be marketed.

And not stress filled?? It's obvious you've never owned a brick and mortar business. My children's store was a fairly simple business model, but the stress was off the charts. Any time you deal with the IRS (payroll taxes, income taxes) or the state (sales tax, income tax) or the city (permits needed for every little thing and fines slapped on you faster than you could say 'yes sir, right away sir') and employees that might not share your vision and disgruntled customers and vendors that can't seem to meet schedules and landlords that raise the CAM charges every year until you can't afford the space anymore.....see what I mean??? Even a "simple" business can be stress filled.

Sorry, you hit a nerve there.

It drives me nuts when I hear someone say they just want to open a little coffee shop or whatever coz it sounds like fun. Think again people. Even the smallest of brick and mortar businesses will have high start ups costs and ongoing monthly expenses that you may not think about until the bills start coming in. I could on for a few more paragraphs about the expenses alone. But I think you get my point.

1) What I meant with "no marketing" is a shop in the city where thousands of people pass by the shop and all it does to get customers is have a good looking store from the outside.
I say that because my brother owns a successful Restaurant/Take Away in the center of the city and folks just drop by although he never does any marketing.

Do you still think one needs to do marketing for a store that has thousands of bypassers every day?

2) Stress is relative from one person to another. Your children's store, to what other business where you comparing it to. If you compare it with a vending machine business, then it might be more stressful. However, if you comapare it to a airport or restaurant, it might not seem to be that stressful.

[andrewrichardgale]

i dont think you would need marketing inside of a mall or anything, and ims ure you would make good money without marketing as long as you had a good display. But also if you did marketing you definitly could make more money and bring more traffic for yourself, but in my opinion it isint needed

[KKoher]

Without getting into the details of my opinion on brick and mortar businesses, I feel that if you set up shop in a mall selling clothes and accessories to the "teenage" crowd, and keep up with the trends, that would do well.

Maybe not necessarily brick and mortar since it's in a mall, but that would be a good place to target that audience.

My store is a mall location..so I guess I'm not sure if its considered brick and mortar or not...we target the teenage crowd as well...but, just because we have a mall location, and target teenage crowds doesn't automatically mean we are rolling in the dough or anything...there are tons of competition for this market...Hot Topic, Pac Sun, Old Navy, Aeropostale, Hollister, A&F, Wet Seal, Charlotte Russe...those are just a few..and obviously all the Anchor stores (JC Penny, Macy's, etc) sell teenage clothes as well...even Journeys (shoe store) sells Tee shirts, belts, buckles, bags etc....so there is def. some tough competition for in the Teen market

[bizdev]

1) Do you still think one needs to do marketing for a store that has thousands of bypassers every day?

2) Stress is relative from one person to another. Your children's store, to what other business where you comparing it to. If you compare it with a vending machine business, then it might be more stressful. However, if you comapare it to a airport or restaurant, it might not seem to be that stressful.

The reason I chose my location was because it had tremendous traffic (foot and vehicle). The shopping center was packed every day of the week. And I still needed to spend loads on advertising and needed to work on marketing constantly. I guess your brother just got lucky.

As to the stress discussion, I was equating my shop to your example of a shoe store. Not to restaurants or airports. I just wanted to make the point that just because a business "looks" easy, behind the scenes can still be tremendously stressful.

[andrewrichardgale]

i worked a retail job and i think its 1 out of 100 customers are expected to buy something or maybe it was 10, and that was at guess.... and john varvatos which is a really high class store same as loui vuitton they have seperate people , special people do the window display to make everything look extra special hhaha

[johnbears]

Anyone else got some suggestions

[The Digital Channel]

Interesting post, I had a different view of bricks and morter businesses, I agree that it is based around a premises rather than virtual(online)however is it limited to "street side"?

I would say live music is a place to be, either a music venue ( giving the bricks) or music festival, which in essence leases/owns land or venue to put on the event.

I am involved in both through a client, they have a venue which does pretty well 2/3 nights a week and are also hoping to stage a 2 day festival with 20,000 ish ticket sales and a great lineup.

Im from the UK and there is a pretty big festival season, however it has been pretty stagent over the last few years with only the major organisers and events generating the press coverage.

There are of course local/specialist events, but often these are let down by a lack of commerical knowledge which makes them profitable,( only my view and I am no expert...)

Live music is also great because with the no smoking ban, pubs are being crippled and I am sure their are a number of potential venues across the UK going for a song..... I am a smoker and dont go to the pub as much as i did, but I have been to more gigs since the smoking ban as I am not wasting my limited cash down the pub ))

Well I am sold on the music idea ( have been for sometime, however costs seem to restrict small timers like me) until I make my fortune that is, then watch out))))))