How can I get LESS benefits?

nannymiaow

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

Currently we are self employed and run our own small shop, however with the recession etc we no longer make enough money to take a wage from the buisness, we are just able to cover bills and run it at neutral.

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

Its difficult as neither of us feel able to look after her in the shop on our own as it is quite a busy store.

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

We do very well usually but for the last 8 months e just have run dry and cant seem to get the customers in.

Well that's confused me! Which is it...too busy or too quiet??

Fishcake_Random

90% of our stock is secondhand, the profit on new games is non-exsistant thanks to the local tesco and asda.
We run a fortnightly tournament one evening in the store but are hoping to this weekly from this week. We will definitely look into setting up an internet corner, its something that we hadnt thought of.

As for living on £220, it is very tight. DD's food and things always always come first, our leccy is £20 a month, we dont have gas (lol), we dont have internet at home or a car. We mostly eat stirfry made from whatever reduced veggies we can find.

Fishcake_Random

We are lucky to be in a good spot for lots of passing people, and we have plenty coming in and browsing. But sadly not buying anything. We make sure are store is inviting and we welcome every person as they enter, help them where ever possible etc but asI say our takings are only covering our bills


So sales have run dry but foot traffic is high.

Sixer

Fishcake_Random wrote: »

We run a fortnightly tournament one evening in the store but are hoping to this weekly from this week. We will definitely look into setting up an internet corner, its something that we hadnt thought of.

If you do have people spending good amounts of time in-store (ie testing/playing games, surfing) then it's definitely worth looking into vending machines and/or a chiller for drinks etc. Coca Cola will usually supply the chiller in return for specifying a percentage of what you put in it, so it shouldn't be a significant cash outlay. What about one of the small, table-top coffee machines you see in petrol stations? You can charge at least £1, if not more, for the coffee/hot chocolate and the makings will cost you about 50p. Again, you can usually get the machine for next-to-nothing at your local cash and carry because you'll be tied into a particular brand of coffee.

Could you offer a photocopy and fax service, too? Fewer people need those these days but a few do and a poster in the window could bring in an extra few quid a month.

What about console and/or PC repairs? If you can't do them yourselves, you could still find a local person to farm them out to and take a small percentage of the bill? Again, a poster in your window could add a small bit of extra turnover.

How about getting yourselves set up to sell mobile phone top ups? It's the type of service your customers would use and so you could attract a little bit of business.

paddedjohn

woodbine wrote: »

what a shame you didnt learn some manners at that school you quote in your signature

Manners dont come into it, the fact of the matter is that the op and their partner are running theselves into the ground playing shop when its clear they are flogging a dead horse, their best option in my opinion would be to negotiate themselves out of their long lease and at least one of them go and get a proper wage paying job.
Could you not consider shutting the shop 2/3 days a week and get part time work else where?

OP, im not having a go at you i admire anyone who tries to make a go on their own but sometimes you have to say enough is enough.

Sixer

paddedjohn wrote: »

Manners dont come into it, the fact of the matter is that the op and their partner are running theselves into the ground playing shop when its clear they are flogging a dead horse, their best option in my opinion would be to negotiate themselves out of their long lease and at least one of them go and get a proper wage paying job.
Could you not consider shutting the shop 2/3 days a week and get part time work else where?

OP, im not having a go at you i admire anyone who tries to make a go on their own but sometimes you have to say enough is enough.

I wouldn't say that's clear at all. It's tough for independent retailers in the current conditions - tougher than for many - but it could just be a case of some creative thinking to expand their customer base a bit, and of scraping through until times when people have a bit more spending money in their pockets.

OP: I had another idea. You're wanting a younger clientele, I guess. How about talking to the local secondary schools and getting your name down for work experience? Most run a week's work experience for Y10s, usually in June or July. It's a bit of form-filling, but if local kids have a familiarity with your place as a good venue to test games and exchange old games for newer ones, then that's good? The work experience thing could be good word-of-mouth for you.

Also, is it worth your listing stock online to give you two sales outlets?

Fishcake_Random

We find ourselves in a really really difficult place. If we close the shop for a few days and go out to work else where we would then have to put some of our non-shop wages into the shop to cover the difference.
If we close the shop completely we would still need to pay half the monthly rent untill a new buisness took the lease so need to find £470 for that on top of earning enough to pay our own rent etc.
So do we stay as we are, muddling along but using benefits to get by untill times get better? or do we close the shop and go out work and probably be no better or worse off?

I'm starting to feel really stuck in a catch 22


P.S Sixer - everything in our shop is avalible on amazon, play and after a while if it doesn't sell its ebayed. Most of our earnings are through internet sales.

gingergee

Have you thought about doing home care? or yr partner? The hours are super flexi, and agencies are usually crying out for people. You could fit shifts in around each other, yr DD and the shop. Good luck x

Metalwrath

Firstly fair play for having the incentive to run your own business and the desire to be less dependent on benefits. If more people shared your inititive things would be a lot better for all of us!

Given the good foot traffic in your store maybe you could look to selling some other stuff alongside your currant stock? Not knowing what other shops are local (or more importantly what is lacking locally) it's hard to make suggestions. I'm not sure if the same is true nationwide but here kids are scooter crazy - we have a shop in town which sells scooter/skate/bmx clothes primarily but also sells spare wheels, bearings, bars etc. They have a free fitting service which only takes a couple of allen keys and a little practice to perform, and the shop is always bustling with customers.

It seems you need to make the most of having a physical location and provide that which internet retailers cannot. Best of luck with your endeavors!

System

paddedjohn wrote: »

Manners dont come into it, the fact of the matter is that the op and their partner are running theselves into the ground playing shop when its clear they are flogging a dead horse, their best option in my opinion would be to negotiate themselves out of their long lease and at least one of them go and get a proper wage paying job.
Could you not consider shutting the shop 2/3 days a week and get part time work else where?

OP, im not having a go at you i admire anyone who tries to make a go on their own but sometimes you have to say enough is enough.

Every shop keeper ( bar Primark and Poundland it seems) are struggling at the moment. Saying "Go and get a proper job " is all very well, but there aren't that many about! ( I've witnessed myself the undisguised delight at the job centre when someone says 'I'm going to try going self-employed"!).

I think the suggestions re internet cafe, and small computer repairs might be a good idea...especially if you can find someone who will do the repairs for a reasonable percentage ( my son would! lol).

Good luck