Extremely Frustrated need suggestions!!!

micdug

You looked for advice and you received it! Don't bite because you don't like the advice! It was actually written with a bit of humour but also honest advice.

Not having worked in a club will increase the chance of failure by a magnitude. Let's put it this way - the local Garda Super will object to you being granted a licence before you even get to set foot on the premises if you have no experiance running a club... unless you are thinking someone will act as licensee as well!

Unfortunately my comment about being a dreamer is as harsh as it sounds. You are not realistic and you acknowledged you have no experiance in this trade. You are simply dreaming about running a business. BTW both Dreamers and Entrepreneurs are ambitious. The difference is dreamers dream about achievement, skipping any of the hard graft needed to get there. And never get there. Entrepreneurs put the hard graft, long hours etc. to build a viable business. Harsh but true - any investor will say this in an even harsher tone.

I suspect anyone putting their hardearned cash into a business will want it run by an ambitious entrepreneur.

Look, I'm not trying to rain on your parade. But nothing is worse living your life as a "ambitious" dreamer..... take the hard road -thats why so few people startup and succeed with business.

Anyway, to answer your question have a look here: http://www.irishinvestmentnetwork.ie/home

CathalMc

I don't know the market, but if I was in your shoes this is how I'd proceed - and I'd see this as a multi-year effort.

It seems to me primarily you will need a partner with experience.

I would probably start by contacting a large number of club owners (particularly in other towns where there won't necessarily be competitive defensiveness) and get a sit down lunch with as many as possible. Explain your circumstances - get feedback, and ask them how they got started, and start building up your knowledge base. Expect some attitude - remember you're still just some kid. Ask if they know anyone looking to expand their business to a new location - they'd likely know the scene, you might get lucky. I might consider offering my services to help out with cash-flow or payroll accounting or general management for a few hours a week in exchange for access to the business details, as well as hands-on experience. This way you could build up a knowledge the actual day-to-day running and financials. This research, along with more specific quotations for insurance, suppliers etc, will form the bones of your business plan finances.

I'd also ask the about any bars or clubs under construction or in planning they know of (and they'd know the landscape). I'd be brazen about approaching these people and offering, again, a quid-quo pro arrangement, your cheap labour for the experience and hands-on involvement in the set-up phase. In my experience (wholly unrelated to services industries), people will rarely say no to enthusiastic and free help, especially during the stressful, unprofitable early days of a business.

If you haven't discovered a partner by this point, you at least have established your experience as someone who has indeed actually helped establish and manage a bar/club, with recent, relevant raw data to support your investor pitch.


Piriz: I totally agree about In&Out Burger (I'm living about half a block from one right now) - but what amazes me about the In&Out Burger system is: basically 2 items on the menu, amazing cheeseburger... and kinda crappy fries. How could dry cardboard-y fries possibly be one half the equation of such a successful brand. And then, they've pretty slow service for a fast food restaurant considering its essentially a two item menu, - it astonishes me they couldn't optimize the process a little more.

Ashlinggnilsia

Ok well thanks everybody for all yer help!