OK, I'm tired of the rat-race, and even if it kills me, I'd like to open my own business. Something small and part-time at the moment, but looking to do it full-time and be my own boss. Any good advice you could give me would be much appreciated.

Just so you'll have an idea, I'm thinking of opening a small Gothic Gift & Novelty shop here i my town.

 

Pick a good location.

Identify your client base and target them...this is MAJOR. Blanket radio ads probably are not the best way to market.

I don't know if "goth kids" have clubs or not, but sponsoring isn't a bad idea.

Set realistic goals.

Unique merchandise (not stuff they can buy at walmart).

Send spam to as many people as possible.

One of these isn't a good idea

 

is there a substantial enough Goth community in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to sustain a small goth novelty shop? NYC yes. Cape Girardeau??

 

u mean selling necklaces, rings, trinkets and little metal dragons and crap. there is a kiosk like that at the shopping centre where i have my business at. it does pretty well for the owners.
they purchase the items overseas at riduculously low prices and make a fairly sizeable markup. if ur into that type of thing and understand what goths want then sure, go ahead, it isnt as tho gothism is a fad, its been around for a while and doesnt look like that its going to go away anytime soon, there is a lot of "lost" souls out there that are always fretting and despairing.
however, opening a business simply because u hate what u r doing now is perhaps not the best reason for doing it. neither is buying a franchise because u love the product, it involves a lot of research. u need to do something that u know, and franchising is a way that helps u understand a little about the product, but if u dont know retail, or u dont know customer service, then u may find the transition difficult.
good luck

 

goth or "alternative lifestyle homewares" such as crystals, incense, etc.
there is always a market for this type of stuff but whether you are going to become a millionaire or not is debatable.
but then again, the people who are into this aren't particularly materialistic, they just want enough for their next joint, bong hit, chronic dive, whatever they call it now.

 

1. Besides having enough money to buy inventory, rent and improve space, equipment, supplies etc. have enough money in the bank to live on for at least 6 months. A year would be better.

2. If your store is open, you better be there. Employees will not only sell as much as you will, but they will (might) steal you blind when you're not looking.

3. Forget any vacations, holidays and time off for a long time. Check the cost of health insurance if your employer has been paying it. Consider disability and business interuption insurance as well.

Research everything, before you do anything else. Is there a similar business in a similar city? Will the owners talk to you and advise you.

Good luck.

 

Well, as a business major from NY, who has a ton of experience in the small business and hospitality field, take a listen.

I suggest you do not open a business, take a vacation, and go back to work. Please dont think I am trying to offend you, or think you are too stupid to open a business, its nothing like that.

Based on your opening sentence, you just want to open a business to get away from the "rat race" and be your own boss. As nice as that is, its not enough. It is so hard to compete these days, let alone keep open.

Your type of store is almost a guaranteed failiure, due to a TINY clientele, a very specific clientele, and a poor clientele. This isnt a racial remark, but goth people arent the richest in the world, as they often do not finished school, nor can get jobs because the communinty frowns upon them.

Next, your store will cause mommies to go crazy and give you problems because of the "type" of store it is. Kinda like a porn store near toys R us.

Do you live in a Christian town?? If so, the church will be all over you "satan worshippers" and never let you hear the end of it.

Overall, this is not a good business idea. You have a 99.9999% chance of failing, and no chance of becoming rich. You will at best make a little cash, but nothing worth all the hassle.

in conclusion, this will take a lot of your money, a lot of your time, and probably will not pay off. If you wish, I can do some research and give you a couple of business ideas for your area, but from a "professional's" point of view, the goth store is a certain failure.

 

We started as a small business with couple kiosks in the mall now i have a major company selling accessories. opening can be very stressful. For a spot in the mall ur averaging about 2,300 a month depending on the amount of traffic flow in the mall. for you to actually make a good living from it you have to average at least 300 -500 a day. weekends you can generate about 1000-2000 average weekends. so basically you can average about 30 grand and up depending on what you sell. if you have any questions just pm me

 

30 grand a year? Thats hardly worth the stress of having your own business. Your own business should yield more than what you can make salary wise. A good retail business should have 1 million net sales+ annually.

 

I think one could go by on less than that. Your average McDonalds brings in under $2M in gross sales.