Читать книгу Start & Run a Coffee Bar - Tom Matzen - Страница 11

Buying an existing business can save you the time, effort, and expertise necessary to find a good site, plan and build the coffee bar, and then develop a client base. If the business you are considering purchasing is profitable, you may find you can start earning a profit immediately.

Keep in mind, though, that you will end up paying for someone else’s time, effort, and expertise through the purchase price of the business. This is where you must weigh the trade-off. Ultimately, you will need to decide which option will net you the best return.

Make sure you thoroughly research any business that you are interested in buying. Find out about the marketing systems being implemented. Spend a lot of time in the coffee bar — watch traffic patterns, count customers, look for what is being done well. Look for areas you could improve and estimate how that would influence sales.

In determining areas you would improve, it may help to think of yourself as a customer in the business. What would you look for? A better atmosphere? Better service? Better products? Better marketing? And if these things were improved, would it make you want to come back and bring friends? How much more money would you spend if these improvements were made? Keep in mind that even a 25 percent increase in the average amount a customer spends can result in thousands of extra dollars per year in pure profit.

When considering whether to buy an existing business, remember that it is difficult to change customers’ perception of a business once that perception is ingrained. If an existing business has developed a bad reputation in the community, you may be fighting an uphill battle trying to win customers back.