Would you open a shop? Should I?

[Lilyofthefields]

Just that really.

I have an idea and a place in mind but I don't even know what questions I should be asking, let alone the answers.

I have zero experience of running a shop or business, although I briefly worked part time in a petrol station / village shop back in the 90s. I don't really know where to start.

I am 39, work part time for £42k, have no kids, no mortgage and no purpose in life.

We have one near us in London. thesourcebulkfoods.co.uk/.

It is great and we use it, mostly for spices. I think you would need to consider your area very carefully.

There is one near me www.storebrighton.co.uk/ . It hasn't been going long so still has the novelty factor. It is in a "naice" area with artisan bakeries, coffee shops, art supply stores etc lots of middle class, eco concious families. I think it is fairly expensive. In a low socio economic area you would need to be cheaper than say Aldi to make it work I think.

I have seen people try out this idea by having a stall in a local market and/or a van visiting street markets etc.

This business would go like a bomb if it opened up in my area tomorrow, I reckon - affluent Home Counties, plastic reduction very on trend. Could be opened up somewhere not too central with lower rates and people would travel to it to bulk buy. I'm not sure the area you're describing is ideal for it, though.

Waitrose, I think, are already piloting something that sounds identical

Very half-heartedly though, I think just in a single store or not much beyond that. I'm quite surprised they're not going for it more strongly really.

It is definitely a business that is 'of the moment', but I guess only time will tell how mainstream it becomes.

Also all London Wholefoods shops offer similar.

It’s great to have a dream but you’d be mad to just go for it without doing a LOT of research and ensuring you understand everything about setting up a business and the implications.

Yes, I know this. I'm not planning on signing up to a rental agreement this afternoon.

I’m going to go against the grain here and say there’s one in my high street and it’s VERY popular.

One thing that makes it so popular is that it’s incredibly attractive and so all the rich students/wannabe lifestyle bloggers shop there. They don’t get their weekly shop but they will buy their weird blogger ingredients.
It’s a destination shop and an experience in itself. People love to be seen shopping there.

One advantage of this kind of shop is longevity of the stock, as it’s mostly grains, flour, weird nuts etc it’s not like other food stores where you have to have a high turnover of stock.

You could also do zero waste courses etc.

The make or break with this will be your branding and the look of the shop, if you can tap into the aspirational zero waste market it could really work.

I run a successful small business that if you posted on here everyone would say the market is saturated and it’ll never work.

Location is key too if you’re saying between £200-£500 a month rent I’m assuming it’s nit a very affluent area. It would be worth going further upmarket and placing yourself amongst some nice brunch spots.

Running a business is hard, but it’s doable and so rewarding.

One has just opened near us. It looks lovely but it's not easy to park near it so I've not been. I don't want to be carrying loads of plastic tubs home on the bus. And it's expensive. Not sure your area sounds like quite the right place for it, unless it had a car park and people would travel.

I’ve thought about doing this but I believe these local zero waste shops have a short shelf life. Like it or not the supermarkets will soon be doing this. There’s already a Waitrose trial store in Oxford that has been really successful.

My advice is don't do it. A better option would be to address the lack of purpose in your life first. Your part-time job gives you security, so don't throw that away. Start finding things to do in the time when you are not working: volunteer at a hospice or the local hospital, volunteer for a befriending scheme, take up a new sport.
The shop sounds like a high risk attempt to fix the aimlessness, but if you chuck in your job and the shop fails, you'll feel even worse.

I don’t see how it will work in a student area. Students mostly can’t be arsed. Even the ones who start the term with lofty ideas of cooking are living on Pot Noodle and Dominoes by January.

I think if you focus on purely the environmental aspect it might do okay but I think your market needs to be wealthier people. Not like the old days where it was cheap but more for those it's a higher disposable income upping to pay more to cut out plastic.

Location will be the key to success or fail.

Students only want cheap so don't target them.

There is a zero waste shop in a town near me, but it's in the posh area of town, on a street with good footfall, and a 'nice' set of shops including fishmonger, butcher, deli etc. Its in the kind of area where people have enough disposable income and time to consider environmental impact and its fashionable around here to be going plastic free with your fancy reusable cup and so on.

Sadly, ethics cost money and time, and I can't see a shop that costs more doing well if people in the general area are counting every penny.

Thanks @WhataLovelyPear I have set up and lead a couple of worthy endeavours, I play in an informal Netball league and I am a minor player in a large local dance/social scene.

Well, thanks for the feedback everyone. I asked for advice and I got it - kindly and honestly in most cases. The main hurdle are the local demographics and competition I think. I realise that it's a case of IABU. RIP Weigh To Go

Starting as a market stand as previous poster suggested might be a really good idea OP to test out the market?

Are you prepared to work at least sixty hours a week for, if you're lucky, minimum wage for a year? That's the reality of a new business.

I suggest you try and find some retail/bar work alongside your current job. Do that for a year, save like mad and then revisit your idea.

Could you employ someone part time to run your shop while you are working at your lucrative part time job? You could work in the shop late afternoons and weekends until it takes off.

Another alternative is to run it (possibly part time) from a van. We have one that follows the farmers markets round the area. They are called Incredible Bulk if you want to look them up.

I’d be very wary of setting up anything too risky for the next few years though. I agree with others that it looks like supermarkets are going to be doing more of this. But conversely there are going to be a lot of people with less disposable income over the next few years. Food prices are set to rise and so you need to do a lot of research into wholesalers and how affluent your area is.

Good luck with it all x

Check business rates before anything else. And check if you can get reduced rates. Depending on the council and the size of the property you might get small rate relief which is a reduced rate or rate releif which means no rates but if it's over a certain size then you pay the full amount. Rates are what kill most businesses.

Check the population.
You will need contents insurance.
Check the lease if it is full repair lease or if the landlord is responsible for repairs
Get yourself a good accountant and solicitor.
Check energy suppliers and water
Internet/phone
Waste disposal. You will need to organise this.
The landlord may charge a service charge and building insurance payments.
If you need stock delivered check the delivery van can get to a point to deliver. I.e back door. Is there room to drive to the back door etc

If its anything to do with eating inside i.e a cafe etc then you need specific toilets/disabled tpilet. You need to check with the council regarding their requirements.

Also if food you need to meet hygeine standards.
If you need extractor fans etc then you need planning permission and if it doesn't have the correct use on the building you may need to apply for change of use.

Too many things but if you are committed and can afford it then go for it

I read Tesco or Sainsbury’s are running a trail doing this. Sorry to be the bring dad news.

There are independent shops closing all over the place in my village! £42K pt sounds like a good deal, I’d stick with that.

There's one of these opened in a city nearish us, I would love to see more as we are never in the city and have worked so hard to minimise our plastic and single use consumption. From what I hear it's doing well but there is easy access to parking. I'm a member of several groups on fb etc and that would be the key to getting your services known.
Some other things to consider are the type of footfall (so is it a shopping route or more bars and restaurants for example)

Hygiene, work in advance with Environmental health to see what will be required then there's no nasty surprises.

If you are working with a contractor for pest control ensure they have the right credentials or do your own course and record how you have followed protocol.

Financially you will take a big hit but make sure to keep records and get a good accountant knowledgable in small businesses.

Do as much prep in advance so business plan, how accounts and stock controls will work, stock rotation, best place to buy wholesale (surprising differences) how you will cover emergencies etc

Could you do some market research? I would LOVE a shop like that to open near me, and I wouldn't mind no parking - I'd cycle so I can add more shine to my eco halo. I know there is one in Bournemouth doing well - a friend of mine (who is on a low £20,000-something income) does most of her shopping there - on her bike!

£42k part time.....I want to know how to do that!

I would stick with your part time job tbh as that is a great salary. Otherwise how about re training or finding hobbies to give you a bit of a boost?

If you're passionate about it, what about starting a co-op? Get together like minded individuals, everyone commits to X shifts:

www.truefood.coop/

Maybe one day it could become profitable, with an adjoining veggie cafe or similar?

I wouldn't unless you have a very very USP... I have worked in retail all my life and run my own business ( very successful and sold on) and I wouldn't at the moment , however you don't seem to 'need ' much money and if you are going to do it then give it a go but don't sign anymore than a year lease ( ideally 6 Months ) and give it a go.. make sure you have an online service as well( use eBay / Instagram etc to sell too)