I'm planning opening a pasty shop - what are the profit expectations?

Davesnave

I think I've said before, we never did that well at agricultural shows. We could sit there and safely learn what it's like, when you have the footfall, but the wrong product!:o

Seems Greggs have made a huge success of being mediocre. OK, sometimes we choose ordinary. I'm not having anything exotic or wonderful tonight, but it will surely be better than a Greggs pasty!:D

dopester

PasturesNew wrote: »

Gardeners and dog walkers seem to attract a high rate for jobs that theoretically "anybody can do".

You and I really do think at opposite ends of the spectrum about this.

You promoting the chasing of basic low-end low-skill work, where increasing numbers will be competing for such work, forcing rates down... from a buying market-pool which is also contracting, with even those still employed looking at their outgoings. (We've cancelled pet-plan).

Whereas I champion niches which target those who still have plenty of disposable wealth, where just a few sales at high margin can see a comfortable living. Not meaning to use Ferrari as an example anyone could follow (as they are too big to compete with and prone to other competition), but Rod Stewart took delivery of his new Ferrari the other day, which he couldn't operate due to paddle-shift. Some sales group will have had a nice commission with that. Higher end high-margin niche products or services for me thanks.

!!!!!!? wrote: »

Indeed. Bad news if you are a poodle walker.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article4761883.ece

Lucy Kennedy, who runs a dog-walking business in Kensington, lost business almost immediately. A Lehman employee had phoned that morning to tell her that he no longer needed a professional to look after his poodle. “I’ve also had customers who have decided to get their dogs rehomed, to save the expense,” she said.


Even jobs that were once thought recession proof (by the person doing them) are not safe it would seem....

dudleyboy wrote: »

Dog-walkers. I swear, you know how people look back at periods in history and laugh or ridicule our ancestors? Dog-walking businesses will be up there with the ridiculous excesses of the early 21st century... along with this guy... the "juice" expert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCKGhRuwIbI

Why? Just why?

(actually, I could do with seeing Matthew Wright going too)

PasturesNew

dopester wrote: »

You and I really do think at opposite ends of the spectrum about this.

You promoting the chasing of basic low-end low-skill work, ...
Whereas I champion niches which target those who still have plenty of disposable wealth, where just a few sales at high margin can see a comfortable living.

This might have a lot to do with lifestyle. It's hard for people to understand my life because their opinion of "I have no money" means a different thing to mine. I have never known/met people with the levels of disposable income that I have discovered exist here on MSE. I probably have no idea that people will actually spend high sums on things that I have no knowledge/experience of.

So, I can write about things I know, but not dream of things I know nothing about.

I would have absolutely no understanding of the market, the people or the motivations to be able to champion niches so far up the wealth scale from my own experiences.

I haven't even set foot inside a 4-star hotel ever (not even lost and looking for a loo) - and I've only ever once booked myself into a hotel (£50/night, inc breakfast, broadband and unlimited films) for a very special event (because I couldn't get away with staying 2 miles down the road at a £20/night B&B). I just have no concept of lives that others consider "normal".

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

I have never known/met people with the levels of disposable income that I have discovered exist here on MSE. .

But how do you know this? People don't walk around with a bank statement on their backs....what people spend on is often not so visable...either big spends that don't happen often or those things that add up weekly. e.g. it can cost more than Hamsh said he spent on supper to go out clubbing...and how many people do that every single weekend...people who you might have shared an office with. I have a friend who goes to restarants every week and has two courses, she sucked her teeth whn I said we were going to aparticular local restaurant, but it probably cost us less for one meal there in a month than her meals out do ove the whole month.

people spend money on all sorts of invisable things.

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

But how do you know this? People don't walk around with a bank statement on their backs....what people spend on is often not so visable...either big spends that don't happen often or those things that add up weekly. e.g. it can cost more than Hamsh said he spent on supper to go out clubbing...and how many people do that every single weekend...people who you might have shared an office with. I have a friend who goes to restarants every week and has two courses, she sucked her teeth whn I said we were going to aparticular local restaurant, but it probably cost us less for one meal there in a month than her meals out do ove the whole month.

people spend money on all sorts of invisable things.

Well, I've always worked in small companies, where you didn't speak to people because it was frowned on. So I never really had friends at work and certainly had no idea what others were buying/spending on, nor went to their houses ever.

I have now seen a wide screen TV in real life, but certainly only recently saw an iPod and XBox (in a shop). I've just not been exposed to people very much at all. I wouldn't even know how to use a dishwasher and have never had a tumble drier. I've just lived in my own tiny world.

You have to remember I'm odd

dopester

PN, it doesn't have to be right at the very top-end. Just perhaps something different from what you are experienced with. Just because you don't indulge yourself with luxury, or have much experience with top-end products and services, doesn't mean you couldn't provide others with luxury/high-end does it? Or something niche and different people are willing to pay a premium for. You know such markets exist.

I don't want to sound patronising and of course setting a significant business up usually comes with risks of it's own. You're a very capable person from all I've read... maybe risk averse (with capital outlay) but so am I.

Possible example?: You mentioned 4* hotels so I'll take my lead from that. Recently reading about one of Wayne Rooney's far-flung villas (Barbados, and I think he had a lot of input with it's design), and other celeb foreign holiday homes sitting idle... perhaps you could set up in business offering to rent them out. Just checking.. he is already planning to rent his out, but I'm not sure with which agency.

Is there any mileage in a website dedicated only to renting out celebrity and star's foreign/UK holiday homes? Not for just Joe-Bloggs, but only celeb villas and apartments?

Does one exist already? A very quick check and I can't find one. A central one I mean. www.snazzytitle.com www.yourcelebholiday.com (rubbish but I can't think atm)

Providing you could come to an agreement with owners, or their agencies on commission (which is the difficult bit) on weeks sold... I'm sure such a central website for celeb holiday home rentals would have a lot of snoop-value, and also lead to real booking customers - even in an economic depression. A few hundred or even thousands pounds commission for a few celeb holiday home rentals booked a week/month?

Actually there seems to be lots of celebs with holiday homes for rent, but all at different websites/agencies and mixed with the properties of non-celebs, with corporate-sounding instantly forgettable agency website names.

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/overseas/article6804421.ece

Anyway that is just me brainstorming on the fly - and something like that may be too tough to setup anyway and have flaws I've not yet considered - (I don't give away my best ideas) but perhaps it is a nod towards the niche higher end stuff I was thinking of, beyond gardening, handymanning, dog-walking.

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

You have to remember I'm odd

Not odd, unique, perfectly you, irreplacable.

puddy

I havent read the whole thread but as a foodie (and greedy person) I love pasties although I try not to buy them due to being unhealthy, so I have a few points to make.

I would pay extra for proper pasties, I dont like the ones with too much crimped pastry on top as I love an equal portion of meat and pastry.
You need to ensure that the potatoes in it are completely cooked, I cannot stand a crunch of potato in a pasty, it needs to be soft.

PN is exactly right about thinking carefully about the way takeaway food is served. I love toasted cheese bagettes or sandwiches, however, what normally happens is that the cheese melts out all over the toaster or the packaging meaning i get minimal cheese in the sarnie and I cant stand that. Quite often when ordering a panini or something, I will say, 'dont do it too long, I only want it heated a bit'. the server will say, OK, then put it in the toaster and promptly forget, with cheese melting over the toaster and me getting v irritated and frustrated as i watch the lovely cheese being wasted.

I also cannot stand a high level of mayonnaise in sandwich fillings, not only does it make the sarnie unstable, it ruins the taste, the mixture should be more dry.
I also love jacket potatoes but find that the method of putting marg in it, means it simply runs down the side of the cut open potato all over the polystyrene container, yuk. If doing potatoes, make sure you mash the butter in the potato before putting the filling in. I am almost homicidal if someone gets this wrong.

I think you should start with the idea of travelling round in a van. One place to start is the local council offices, most council workers are too lazy or busy to go out at lunch time especially if the local area doesnt have very good shops for food. send out leaflets announcing your start, do a special offer, get people to order in what they want.

PasturesNew

dopester wrote: »

PN, it doesn't have to be right at the very top-end. Just perhaps something different from what you are experienced with. Just because you don't indulge yourself with luxury, or have much experience with top-end products and services, doesn't mean you couldn't provide others with luxury/high-end does it? Or something niche and different people are willing to pay a premium for. You know such markets exist.

I don't want to sound patronising and of course setting a significant business up usually comes with risks of it's own. You're a very capable person from all I've read... maybe risk averse (with capital outlay) but so am I.

Possible example?: You mentioned 4* hotels so I'll take my lead from that. Recently reading about one of Wayne Rooney's far-flung villas (Barbados, and I think he had a lot of input with it's design), and other celeb foreign holiday homes sitting idle... perhaps you could set up in business offering to rent them out. Just checking.. he is already planning to rent his out, but I'm not sure with which agency.

Is there any mileage in a website dedicated only to renting out celebrity and star's foreign/UK holiday homes? Not for just Joe-Bloggs, but only celeb villas and apartments?

Does one exist already? A very quick check and I can't find one. A central one I mean. www.snazzytitle.com www.yourcelebholiday.com (rubbish but I can't think atm)

Providing you could come to an agreement with owners, or their agencies on commission (which is the difficult bit) on weeks sold... I'm sure such a central website for celeb holiday home rentals would have a lot of snoop-value, and also lead to real booking customers - even in an economic depression. A few hundred or even thousands pounds commission for a few celeb holiday home rentals booked a week/month?

Actually there seems to be lots of celebs with holiday homes for rent, but all at different websites/agencies and mixed with the properties of non-celebs, with corporate-sounding instantly forgettable agency website names.

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/overseas/article6804421.ece

Anyway that is just me brainstorming on the fly - and something like that may be too tough to setup anyway and have flaws I've not yet considered - (I don't give away my best ideas) but perhaps it is a nod towards the niche higher end stuff I was thinking of, beyond gardening, handymanning, dog-walking.

I am 100% risk averse.

I am not sure how to put this in words and convey what I mean, but, if I am to have anything whatsoever to do with a business in which I have to deal with people, especially where things might have gone horribly wrong, then there is a need for somebody else to sort that bit out as I don't do people. I don't network, I don't get listened to, I can't negotiate.

My areas of expertise are where people hear me speak about things I can do and realise I am a genius and want me to do that thing ... which is usually the sort of work you can do in a cupboard, certainly not out dealing with people or wheeler dealing or even having to wear "posh gear". The closest I can come to people is tutoring/teaching specific technical subjects. I just .... don't .... do ..... people. Ever.



This short article absolutely explains my experience of every time I go out and try to mix: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2339008/adults_with_undiagnosed_asperger_syndrome.html?cat=5

So, got any suggestions for obsessional geeks?

PasturesNew

And, just the frustrating effort of explaining myself .. lead me to a total meltdown. Had to leave, go outside. Now I'll be unsettled for days. It's just the way it is.