Boat based business

[WJM]

"That is why so many have disappeared "

 

These businesses die because they fail to respond to a changing marketplace - Petrol Forecourt Mini-Marts are the worthy successors to these time warp businesses.

[allybsc]

Creating pocket money as you put it would be the idea. I'm a bit too lazy to try to get rich.

I'm afraid I'm not caught up in the making as much money as you can fever. I really just thought it would be fun and useful. I will look into it with licensing authorities etc.

Thanks for all your advice everyone. I'm ignoring most of it, but you knew that would happen.

 

xx

 

How about you get a butty and do it up like a laundry, you could take in washing and ironing. Down side of course is the ironing, I hate ironing and would gladly pay for mine to be done.

[Hairy-Neil]

"We stopped stealing other countries wealth"

 

Who said we ever stopped - now we just call it liberation from evil dictatorship (ouch!)

 

Added to the Far East sweat shop labour we exploit as retailers or support by buying their goods....

[Hairy-Neil]

We ran a village post office for ten years and the income from a six figure turnover worked out at substantially less than the national minimum wage - you can earn more by working for someone else and avoid all the hassle - sadly, that is why such businesses are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

 

I have a friend that also ran a village shop for many years. Towards the end she found the cheapest place to buy much of her stock was Tesco......They were selling at cheaper than Cash & Carry prices.

[carlt]

How about you get a butty and do it up like a laundry, you could take in washing and ironing. Down side of course is the ironing, I hate ironing and would gladly pay for mine to be done.

Only problem would be the huge quantity of grey water you'd be chucking in the cut.

 

You haven't trained your fella well enough Ally. I've always thought of ironing as men's work. You can stand and daydream, listen to music and still look like your doing something productive.

 

I love ironing. Sad but true. Bizarrely I'm also the scruffiest bloke I know.

[dccruiser]

I had a similar idea many moons ago, at the time i worked out the best option would be to do the circuit during the summer months , i.e. all the boat gatherings and festivals that way you are guaranteed at least a few days of heavy trade, aside from which its a damn fine excuse to cc the system!

 

as your going to do it anyway...best of luck

 

Rick

[magnetman]

Moor outside pubs and charge smokers to sit in a 'non public enclosed space' with a 'real view of the canal'. Laundrette would need a wickedly big genny and a massively big water tank would need filling. Boat based garden centre potted plants etc i reckon thats a goer but local shop is a loser cos too many tescos. Unless u can sell 10 times the recommended daily alcohol (3-4 units) for £6 or less.

 

Moor outside pubs and charge smokers to sit in a 'non public enclosed space' with a 'real view of the canal'. Laundrette would need a wickedly big genny and a massively big water tank would need filling. Boat based garden centre potted plants etc i reckon thats a goer but local shop is a loser cos too many tescos. Unless u can sell 10 times the recommended daily alcohol (3-4 units) for £6 or less.

[Hairy-Neil]

Moor outside pubs and charge smokers to sit in a 'non public enclosed space'

 

The minute you charge them for the service doesn't it becomes business premises....

[Theo]

One of the real barriers to this sort of business is that most of us have become too greedy to live on the modest profits that a small enterprise like this is likely to produce.

 

We ran a village post office for ten years and the income from a six figure turnover worked out at substantially less than the national minimum wage - you can earn more by working for someone else and avoid all the hassle - sadly, that is why such businesses are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

 

Do it to provide a useful service, a little pocket money and an absorbing pastime by all means but don't hold any ambitions of earning a comfortable living . . .

 

...and you moved from a beautiful village to a beautiful boat!

 

Nick

[anhar]

It's one thing to make a tiny profit and be happy with that. That is understandable. But it's quite another to make losses which obviously do not a happy life make, over time. I believe a boat based grocery shop will make losses, that is why I find the concept to be a non starter.

 

regards

Steve

[allybsc]

Only problem would be the huge quantity of grey water you'd be chucking in the cut.

 

You haven't trained your fella well enough Ally. I've always thought of ironing as men's work. You can stand and daydream, listen to music and still look like your doing something productive.

 

I love ironing. Sad but true. Bizarrely I'm also the scruffiest bloke I know.

 

Maybe you could filter and recycle the grey water, or pipe it directly into the drains. You are absolutely right about my bloke, but then he is out of the house a minimum of 12 hours a day and I only work part time so I do it. I prefer scruffy blokes, the ones who are too fastidious are a bit suspect in my opinion

[handy2man]

Hi greyrose

Down on the Thames At Hurly locks is a cruising boat selling ice cream and soft drinks . Obviously seasonal.

The boat has advertising for Walls on equipment. Expect its a tied supplier.

Must be something in it.

Don't give in too easily

Regards

John

[Christine]

I prefer scruffy blokes, the ones who are too fastidious are a bit suspect in my opinion

 

 

Too right!

 

Have you met Ken?

[RichardH]

Im thinking of starting a little shop from my boat, selling essentials. Milk, bread, loo roll, tobacco etc.

1. How likely is something like this going to work and...

2. How do i go about business liscence, etc.

 

Any thoughts / ideas welcome.

Just imagin I know nothing but have a boat and can count.

 

Did you ever kick this off?

 

There was a chap at the top of Hurleston doing this but to be truthful there wasn't exactly a chip shop queue.

[Brad Naylor]

"you can earn more by working for someone else"

 

If everyone took that approach there wouldn't be anyone to work for!

 

Most of us self-employed people do it because we're unemployable!

 

Cheers

Brad

 

Self-employed since the age of 19

Edited September 13, 2007 by Brad Naylor