Starting a small business next week

[Ted]

Here are some other ideas:

1) I think quiet (subtle) background music in a liquor store is a good idea (match the music to your primary audience – no radio stations – just random mp3). None of the liquor stores in my town do it. Yet when I am shopping for booze it is usually a browsing experience where I go up and down the aisles looking and looking. So you want to have a positive, relaxing and fun shopping atmosphere.

2) Hang a big sign by your cash register that says “My goal is to carry your favorite kind of booze. So please tell me if you don’t see what you are looking for. It is my job to keep that in stock for you. But, I won’t keep it in stock unless I know that it is your favorite. Please speak up.”

3) Get to know the local people who shop at your store. Ask them their names and introduce yourself as the owner. If you shake their hands and try to get to know them, they will want to be loyal shoppers of yours. Ask them to always please offer feedback about what they wish you carried in the store. Collect their names and addresses into a contact list. Send them a postcard or a newsletter before major holidays with specials on the generic booze like rum, vodka and bar whiskey. If you have a video camera in the store, go back and look at the people again and memorize their names. Nothing impresses and endears a customer to you more than when you remember them personally. You can see their eyes light up. They crack a smile. You make their day when you make them feel important.

4) Find out who your regular wine drinking customers are. Ask them which wines they would come there to buy if you kept them in stock. Those regular wine drinkers spend a lot of money over the course of a year.

5) Dedicate a nice large section of the store to gift ideas and gift packages. In addition to having the boxed booze sets that you always see in the store, you should also have empty gift bags and bows. That way when someone is stopping for a gift, they could buy an unboxed bottle and get the gift wrap from you too. If I knew of a local store that had a big section dedicated to gift giving, then I would go there whenever I was looking to buy liquor for a gift.

I hope you like my input....

[coachcarolleek]

I would say to follow your gut instinct and do it for the right reasons. Sounded like it was convienent because your girlfriends' store is next door. What happens if your relationship ends down the road? IDK. I think that if you already have a profitable landscaping business, that you should think of expanding and growing it. That is of course, you like it and are making money on it. The liquor store idea, I would seriously give it some deeper thought. Just my opinion.

[dave@businessecon.org]

I just saw this thread. Today is your lucky day! My brother owns two liquor stores. I'm a former CPA and he is an active CPA. So you will do OK. First off, I will need to know what state you are in and your hours of operation? from there I can begin to address some other issues.

Thanks.

I'm sipping my beer right now laughing.

Dave