If you weren’t already in this business you are in, what would you enter today?

[fullflavor]

If you weren’t already in this business that you are in,what kind of business would you enter today.

[Owen]

Hmm...not an easy question. It depends, really. If I decide to do it right now it would probably be website design or...nothing. If I decide to wait until I'm 18 then it would most definitely be venture capital, though I would love to become a stock broker one day. :D

[Alexcook]

I don't know about which business, but yes I would love to follow my passion of Adventure Riding.

[Harold Mansfield]

If I could go back a few years I would have learned Java, Python, Ruby and C++ programming and kept learning it and today would probably be in software and application development.

Or I would have opened a bar.

[David Hunter]

Hmmm... If I wasn't already in marketing, I would probably get into the printing industry, though, I guess, I could still get into it as a broker without having all the overhead.

[turboguy]

Well if I could go back to the time when I started my business and do something different I would either start an online book selling business and call it Amazon or an online social networking site and call it Facebook. But more seriously I always liked the printing business so that might be one choice and I always enjoyed building things and could have enjoyed being a home builder or contractor. Of course I can think of a conversation with one of my customers ages ago and he had some good points that a bar would be the perfect business. First off it's a cash business and second if business was bad you could drink away your sorrows at a discount.

[Harold Mansfield]

Of course I can think of a conversation with one of my customers ages ago and he had some good points that a bar would be the perfect business. First off it's a cash business and second if business was bad you could drink away your sorrows at a discount.

Actually it's not as much as a "cash" business as it used to be decades ago. These days every dollar, every drop of booze, and any waste is tracked and accounted for. In my area there's also the gaming component where there is no room for error. Creative bookkeeping can actually land you in jail.

Of course there are still people who fly by the seat of their pants, but in this city you need to be a little more corporate and a lot less cowboy if you want to last.

In a different market or smaller town I'm sure things are a little more flexible with less regulation. Out here it's hard to get into the bar business, with a decent location without at least $300k (which is low) on top of whatever the purchase price is.

If you're building from scratch you'll need far more than that.

[turboguy]

It is probably a little more laid back here than in Vegas. I live in a town with a population of 8,500 and the customer who long ago said that would be a perfect business was in a small town in the Finger Lakes region of NY. He was also running a multi million dollar business at the time. Actually he did go out of business later and rather than open a bar became the manager of a fairly large airport. I do agree it is probably harder to get too creative with your accounting these days. Dealing with drunks seems like it could have a negative side as well. I think I will just stay in the business I am in.

When I think about avoiding taxes I can always recall one of my members of the National Guard unit I was in many, many years ago telling me he cheated on his income taxes by not declaring his income from the National Guard. Not that to me seems like the height of stupidity. The checks came from the Government and he really thought they would not figure that out.

[Harold Mansfield]

It is probably a little more laid back here than in Vegas. I live in a town with a population of 8,500 and the customer who long ago said that would be a perfect business was in a small town in the Finger Lakes region of NY. He was also running a multi million dollar business at the time. Actually he did go out of business later and rather than open a bar became the manager of a fairly large airport. I do agree it is probably harder to get too creative with your accounting these days. Dealing with drunks seems like it could have a negative side as well. I think I will just stay in the business I am in.
I couldn't do it in a small town unless it was a sea side tourist area. An indoor/outdoor bar in S. Florida or some island would be my dream retirement.

Dealing with drunks is mostly fun because it's usually people having a good time. If you have a good location, and upbeat environment that attracts good people, you rarely have bad problems. It happens, but it's not every day. You attract the vibe that you and your employees put out. Location is a pretty consideration though.


When I think about avoiding taxes I can always recall one of my members of the National Guard unit I was in many, many years ago telling me he cheated on his income taxes by not declaring his income from the National Guard. Not that to me seems like the height of stupidity. The checks came from the Government and he really thought they would not figure that out.

How long ago were you in? I was Army National Guard in Michigan from 86-92. 1776 Military Police Company, 210th Military Police Battalion.

[turboguy]

I was in long before you were Harold. I was in from 1964 to 1970. I was in the headquarters battery of an artillery outfit. I was a surveyor. My son spent 4 years as a marine and has been in the national guard ever since and has nearly 25 years in.

Owning a bar in a sea side resort would not be bad. Here we don't have the highest class of people so dealing with the drunks might amount to more than people having a good time. I have a young guy that lives about 3 blocks from my business that helps me out with a sideline business and someone asked about our town. I told the guy that my helper could really save some money. If he likes cops shows with shootings and drug dealers he could drop his cable and watch all the shootings and drug deals just sitting out on his porch.

[Harold Mansfield]

Here we don't have the highest class of people so dealing with the drunks might amount to more than people having a good time. I have a young guy that lives about 3 blocks from my business that helps me out with a sideline business and someone asked about our town. I told the guy that my helper could really save some money. If he likes cops shows with shootings and drug dealers he could drop his cable and watch all the shootings and drug deals just sitting out on his porch.

Yeah, that's a rough undertaking owning a bar in that kind of area. Maybe if I was younger, but I'm too old to be playing Roadhouse. At this stage of the game if I ever got into the business as an owner it would have to be a great neighborhood or tourist area...or in this town have good gaming potential.