Business Overview:

If you’re looking for a fun and financially rewarding business idea helping people become healthy and fit, consider learning how to start a fitness center. As a fitness club (also known as “health club”) business owner you will provide facilities and assistance to people looking to take care of their health and fitness. Therefore you’ll be making a fantastic contribution in such an important area of people’s lives, and the great thing is that you don’t have to be a fitness trainer yourself in order to do it—you can hire personal trainers to work for you. If, on the other hand, you are a personal trainer, then learning how to start a health club could be a very attractive business idea for you as it will allow you to become your own boss. With a solid fitness club business plan, you can design the center itself and decide the type of services you want to offer. You can also decide whether you want to open a general fitness center, or if you want to open one aimed at specific types of people (for example older adults, younger people, women only, men only, etc.). In addition to this, when starting this business you’ll have confidence knowing that you’re moving into an industry that, while somewhat competitive, is proven to be resilient and strong in any economy. Recent statistics in the USA for example have shown that the numbers of fitness club memberships have doubled over the past 10 years, and those numbers continue to grow consistently each year. While you can get creative, put together your own health club business plans and build your own thriving fitness club, it is also possible to purchase a franchise. And in addition to this, you’re not limited to offering fitness facilities only. You can also increase your profits while improving the service you provide to your members by offering complimentary classes such as Pilates and yoga, and other complimentary services such as massages. All in all starting a fitness club represents a highly lucrative business opportunity for you to take advantage of.

A Day in the Life of a Fitness Center Business Owner:

As a fitness center owner, a typical day would start early—as many people like to get in their workout in the morning before work. Therefore you’d be up and ready to open your center at around 6 a.m. Of course, you can hire staff to open up early for you if you wish. If you are a personal trainer yourself and you choose to work directly with clients, then throughout the day you’d spend time helping your members achieve their health and fitness goals by putting together plans for them and working with them during their workouts. If you’re not a personal trainer, then your staff will be doing this for you. Fitness centers are typically open late to give clients maximum flexibility for getting in their workouts. Therefore you’ll typically close down your fitness center around 10 p.m., ensuring all the equipment is back in the correct place and that the center is clean and ready for business the next day.

About Your Customers:

The specific needs and wants of your customers may depend on whether or not you decide to focus your fitness center on specific groups of people (e.g. older people, younger people, women only, men only, etc.). However, in general your customers will be people looking to improve their health and fitness. This will include people looking to lose weight, increase their levels of fitness and energy, and people who want to build muscle and/or tone up their bodies.

What You Need to Start:

• Adequate space for your fitness center
• A good location for your fitness center
• Equipment (fitness and weight machines, fitness accessories)
• A fitness club business plan
• A marketing plan and materials
• A computer with finance software

The Good:

• You’ll be making a fantastic contribution helping people take care of one of the most important areas of their lives – their health.
• You don’t have to be a personal trainer to start this business.
• You’ll be your own boss.
• There’s lots of freedom—you can offer a general service or target specific groups of people.
• It’s a strong and profitable industry to be in and has been proven to be recession-proof.

The Bad:

• The overhead can be quite high when starting up.
• It can take some time to build up a client base in the beginning.

Resources:

• International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association
• IDEA Health and Fitness Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Fitness Workers
• Wikipedia on Health Clubs

Technorati Tags: fitness club business plan, health club business plans, how to start a fitness center, how to start a health club

Business Overview:

When you learn how to open an ice cream shop you’ll have the opportunity to provide great memories for others while making a solid profit for yourself. This business idea can be incredibly fun and highly rewarding, and is usually quite stable despite the economy, but you will need to have a detailed ice cream shop business plan in place before you jump in headfirst. The fact is starting an ice cream shop is an investment—often upwards of $20,000—because you need a storefront, equipment, and employees to achieve real success. The good news in a business like this is that there are plenty of opportunities to buy an existing ice cream shop, even a franchise, and just step right into a thriving business. This can make the process of learning how to start an ice cream shop so much easier in that you won’t have to start from scratch. You might also get some good advice from the previous business owner. Whether you work your ice cream business from the ground up or buy an existing and known shop, you’ll still be providing your community with a sweet treasure and showcasing your entrepreneurial talents. All this plus all the ice cream you can eat—a win-win business idea.

A Day in the Life of an Ice Cream Shop Business Owner:

Like any business, especially one that provides food and entertainment, a great deal of your time will be spent ensuring your shop is clean, efficiently run, and supremely appealing to customers of all ages. You’ll want to spend some time each day ensuring your equipment is well-maintained and that the ice cream flavors you offer are the ones customers want. You will likely review any advertising or marketing techniques to see that they are working to lure in new customers (are they using the coupons you offered in the local paper? Have they come in droves for the buy-one-get-one-free offer?), and that your shop is prospering. You will also want to positively connect with your employees and interact with your customers so that everyone knows the type of businessperson you are. After all, no one wants to buy ice cream from Scrooge. Finally, a check on supplies and finances will keep your business a float.

About Your Customers:

Customers of an ice cream shop will run the gamut from the first-time eating ice cream toddler to the twilight-of-life senior citizen. A successful ice cream shop will spark new and vivid memories in the former and evoke memories of childhood in the latter. It’s up to you to create an atmosphere of happiness and fun so that these customers, and everyone in between, take home more than just a belly full of ice cream.

What You Need to Start:

• A storefront location in a prime location
• Business license, permit, and insurance
• Ice cream equipment and supplies
• A supplier for your ice cream and toppings
• Decor appropriate for your type of ice cream shop
• Employees
• A marketing plan
• A price list
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• This business is a full-time investment that can pay off big time, both in financial and personal rewards.
• Your ice cream shop will provide a valuable small business for the local neighborhood.
• You can choose to run a franchise business or create your own unique shop.
• You can tailor your shop to suit your fancy, from an old-fashioned ice cream shoppe to a trendy shop with exotic flavors to a kid-friendly ice cream bazaar.

The Bad:

• The investment to open a business like this is fairly steep. You’ll want to be sure this is the business for you before you invest.
• To get the most from your business, you will need to focus on finding a prime location that customers can walk, drive, and bike to, or one next to another busy attraction.

Resources:

• National Ice Cream Retailers Association
• International Dairy Foods Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food and Beverage Serving and Related Workers
• Wikipedia on Ice Cream Parlors

Technorati Tags: how to open an ice cream shop, how to start an ice cream shop, ice cream shop business plan, starting an ice cream shop

Business Overview:

If you’ve often tossed around the idea of owning a thriving bar and think it’s for you, now might be the time to learn more about how to open a bar of your own. Opening a bar can be a fun and lucrative business idea, especially if you’re serious about it, you have a solid bar business plan, and you heed the advice of others who have succeeded in the field. It’s important to keep in mind that starting a bar comes with heavy responsibility—to your business, to your customers, to your local neighborhood, and to the law—so it’s important that you pay careful attention when learning the ins and outs of how to start a bar. You’ll first want to secure the financial end of this business, knowing that a bar business requires an investment of at least $25,000. Then you’ll want to ensure you’re set with the legalities—a business license, permits, and insurance, not to mention a liquor license. After that nitty gritty is taken care of, you can focus on the more enjoyable aspects of opening a bar, like choosing a location and a name. You’ll also want to determine the type of bar you want to open, for example a nightclub or a pub or just a local watering hole. Finally, you will want to interview and hire your bar staff and decide how you’ll market your bar to attract the most—and most returning—customers. With some effort and sound business sense, your bar business will be off to a toast-worthy start!

A Day in the Life of a Bar Business Owner:

Your days (and often nights) as a bar owner will be busy, but you can temper your work by hiring a competent and trustworthy staff to work for you. Beyond the bartenders’ and other employees’ responsibilities, you will still want to keep a close eye on your business, especially your finances. In a business like this, where cash is king and tips are part of your employees’ expectations, you need to account for your daily inventory and revenue if you want to succeed. While you want employees to make money and customers to be happy, you will always want to keep your eye on the bottom line. You also will spend a good part of your days ordering from suppliers, ensuring your bar is clean, keeping up with staff concerns, and maintaining your permits. Finally, you will want to find new and ever-enticing ways to draw crowds to your bar and remember, too, to enjoy yourself and your business every now and again.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be interested in having a drink, mingling with others, watching sports, or just enjoying a night out at a bar. Depending on the type of bar you open, you will either have many regular customers or an ever-changing crowd of partiers. No matter, you will want to ensure every customer of your bar enjoys himself, feels perfectly safe to enjoy herself, and is treated well by every member of your staff. With these in place, you will likely find yourself with many repeat customers.

What You Need to Start:

• Startup capital of at least $25,000
• A business license, permit, insurance, and liquor license
• Bar location
• Catchy name for your business
• Inventory
• Staff
• A marketing plan
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• This business can be extraordinarily exciting and you may find you never have the same day at work twice.
• You can stand to make a lot of money as a bar owner.
• You can bring a valuable small business to your neighborhood.
• You might decide to open another bar if you find success in the business.
• The bar business is a stable one, no matter the economy.

The Bad:

• Bars have a history of quick turnovers.
• You have to be serious about starting a business like this, especially considering the startup investment and the potential for long days.

Resources:

• National Bar and Restaurant Management Association
• Bar Owners Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food and Beverage Serving and Related Workers
• Wikipedia on Bars

Technorati Tags: bar business plan, how to open a bar, how to start a bar, opening a bar, starting a bar

Business Overview:

If the idea of helping people achieve their best selves—whether professionally or personally—appeals to you, learn how to start an image consulting business. The purpose behind a business idea like this is to create a market where you can instruct individuals on how to dress, speak, behave, and “sell” themselves in their best light. Of course, if you’re thinking of starting an image consulting business, plan on looking the part yourself. This means you (and your employees, if you have them) need to perfect your own image and etiquette before anyone will trust (and pay) your company to help them. Additionally, you’ll want to possess a good eye for details and for style so you can better assist your clients in determining what their clothes should look like and how they should present themselves. Achieving success as an image consultant means that you will have to establish relationships with your clients so you know how to help them and what their image goals are. To do this, you should have strong people skills and enjoy working with others in sometimes sensitive situations (think: body issues or social anxieties). Your client relationships and image building techniques might take weeks or months to develop and culminate to a finished “product,” and so pricing your image consultant services can be a difficult task. You would do well to have a very definite pricing scale for your services, based on the detail of consultation you provide for your client. Finally, you should be prepared to market your business effectively; because while it is becoming more and more popular, not everyone has heard of real-life image consultants. Talking up your business and looking like a million bucks can turn your dream into a lucrative business model.

A Day in the Life of an Image Consulting Business Owner:

In this business, your mirror and your eye for detail can be your best friends, so starting the day by looking the part of a stylish and successful business owner will be your first task. Next, you’ll want to review your contact and to-do list. This will set up your day—do you have any client meetings or will you be working on your recruiting and marketing techniques? If you will be consulting a client, you will need to review what the client will expect from you that day, whether it’s a wardrobe analysis or etiquette lessons, and you’ll want to be overly prepared for it. If you have employees working for your consulting firm, you will want to ensure they’re keeping up with the clients and providing the level of service your clients would expect from your company. Finally, you will need to review your expenses to ensure your business is growing and earning you profits.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be interested in modifying their look or their behavior in order to achieve success in their lives. Their motivations for hiring an image consultant can run the gamut from new weight loss to recent divorce to impending promotion, and your company will need to be armed with the expertise to meet their needs. Because your clients’ needs can be so vastly different, you might tailor your services to fit a certain niche. Your company could provide image consulting for divorcees, executives, cancer survivors or any number of life-altering experiences that might call for a change of image.

What You Need to Start:

• A name for your company that explains what you do
• Business license, permit, and insurance
• Office space (a home office works fine for this business)
• An eye for style, etiquette, and detail
• A look of your own that will appeal to the masses
• A pricing menu for your services
• Relationships with local store and boutique owners for samples
• A contact database
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• You can start this business with very little money upfront and no specialized education.
• You can run your business on a part-time or full-time basis, with or without employees.
• You can operate your image consulting business from your home office.
• In addition to meeting new people, you might also get some “ins” at local boutiques or shops that you introduce your clients to.
• The business can be lucrative, especially if you make a name for yourself, or find your business a niche market.

The Bad:

• Image consulting is not always the top priority in people’s lives, especially if there’s a downturn in the economy (conversely, that may be exactly when people need your services the most).
• Pricing a service like this can be tricky.

Resources:

• Association of Image Consultants International
• World Association of Image Consultants
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Article on Image Consultants
• Word IQ on Image Consultants

Technorati Tags: how to start an image consulting business, image consulting business plan

Business Overview:

If reading is your favorite pastime, and you deem yourself a natural when it comes to grammar and punctuation, it’s time to consider a book editing business. A business idea like this is quite easy to start, if you have the right tools and are truly motivated to make it work. To get started, you’ll want to decide which aspect of book editing most interests you—do you want to solicit and read manuscripts as an acquisitions editor to determine whether they’re possible bestsellers or are you better suited to reading and copyediting manuscripts that are on their way to print? In either scenario, you will be responsible for making good books better and for making writers’ dreams come true. What’s great about this business venture is that it requires very little startup money and since it’s an online business idea, you can easily operate out of your own home office; you might also decide to start bigger with office space and employees. Beyond that, most of your effort as an entrepreneur will be in garnering enough work to make your business a success. To do this, you’ll need to have a strong marketing plan in place and work hard at establishing yourself as a capable book editor. You might consider working the angles of a niche market—becoming an expert at editing how-to manuals or children’s books or romance novels. This can help you more quickly establish yourself in your genre, rather than competing with any number of editors in the larger market. Finally, knowing how to price your editing services can make your business more competitive. From there, you can read, read, read your way to a profitable venture.

A Day in the Life of a Book Editing Business Owner:

Much of the work involved in the book editing business revolves around the acquiring, reading, and correcting of manuscripts. Whether you’re the sole editor in your business or you have employees working for you, you will spend a good portion of your day with these works and communicating with the authors. The rest of a typical day will include your attempts at securing future manuscripts, whether through advertising or word-of-mouth. Then, as any business owner knows, reviewing finances will be crucial in securing the future success of your enterprise.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be hopeful writers of manuscripts who need an editor to acquire their work for publishing and fix their copy so that it’s streamlined for publication. The goal is that, with your edits, a publishing house will be willing to pay the author to publish the book. You get paid from the writer who is need of your services, though you and the writer might contract your work and fees to be somewhat contingent upon publication.

What You Need to Start:

• Business license, permit, and insurance (if necessary)
• Office space or a home office
• A stellar command of language, grammar, and punctuation
• A marketing plan
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• You can start this business with minimal investment.
• The business is entirely scalable.
• You can put your natural talents with written language to work for you.
• The business can be lucrative, especially when you get your name out in the field.

The Bad:

• With the larger publishing companies ever-looming, it could take some time to establish your company and make positive revenue.
• Working solo, you might be limited in the number of manuscripts you can edit, thereby limiting your income potential.

Resources:

• American Copy Editors Society
• National Association of Independent Writers and Editors
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Authors, Writers and Editors
• Wikipedia on Editing

Technorati Tags: book editing business

Business Overview:

If you love bringing smiles to kids’ faces and you’re a child at heart yourself, you should learn how to open a toy store where the grins are guaranteed. As the owner of your very own toy store, you can decide what types of toys to carry. Instead of the mainstream commercial fare, you may decide to stock only specialty or educational toys. You can also decide who your customers will be. Do you want to sell toys only for babies or will you stock educational toys for all ages? As you can see, opening a toy store is a business idea that can go in many different directions. This is why it’s vital to have a solid toy store business plan in place. Your business plan will help you answer these questions and many others so you don’t waste time and resources going in too many different directions. When you research how to start a toy store, you will need to consider how you will market your new store. Taking out ads in local family magazines is a good place to start. You could have a big grand opening sale with fun events and promotions that you advertise with direct mail. Discount coupons and word of mouth will also help get new business in the door. But perhaps the most important thing you can have at your store is great customer service. Shopping for toys at a large chain store can be aggravating and unpleasant. Giving your community an enjoyable alternative can be the key to success in the toy store business.

A Day in the Life of a Toy Store Business Owner:

You will start your day making sure all your displays are in order and your staff is there and ready to open the doors. You will spend the majority of your day talking to customers and helping them find just what they need. You will also talk to your distributors to check on orders and delivery dates. You will meet with your staff at the end of the day to discuss any issues that arose during their shifts and to prepare for the next day. Finally, you will record the day’s earnings and take a look at your bottom line to ensure it is healthy.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be toy lovers, both young and old, looking for the perfect toy for themselves or as a gift for someone else.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing plan
• Storefront
• Toys
• Display cases and shelves
• Staff
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• If you love toys and being around kids, this business is fun and easy.
• Helping kids find toys they love is very rewarding.
• Happy customers will return time after time to purchase toys from your store.
• If you know where to get toys wholesale, you can make a good profit.
• Once your store is up and running, your staff can handle the day-to-day operations and you can take time away when you need to.

The Bad:

• The investment is steep; you will need to have financing set up and be prepared to wait a while to turn a profit.
• Toy shopping can be seasonal so your profits will be inconsistent depending on the time of year.

Resources:

• American Specialty Toy Retailing Association
• Toy Industry Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Article on Toy Store Jobs
• Wikipedia on Toy Stores

Technorati Tags: how to open a toy store, how to start a toy store, opening a toy store, toy store business plan

Business Overview:

If you have a keen eye for design and enjoy using your creativity to give others a sense of confidence and style, consider starting an interior design business. Even if you’ve never been a professional interior designer, learning how to start an interior design business is not difficult. All you need is a good sense of space, knowledge of design fundamentals, color coordination basics and a drive to succeed. You will also need a strong interior design business plan to get this business idea off the ground. This plan will outline what type of design your business will specialize in (homes, offices, stores, hotels, restaurants, etc.), what your rates will be and how you will market your new business. Although you don’t need any official training to own an interior design business, if you have never been paid for your design services, it would be a good idea to research exactly what it means to be an interior designer. You’ll want to learn as much as you can about colors, lighting, furniture, flooring, window treatments, etc. If you’d be more comfortable just running the business and having others do the design work, you can hire interior designers to work for you. You and your team could be working in beautiful homes, lavish hotels or fine dining establishments in no time. You will need to have a solid marketing plan to accomplish this, however. Ask your first few clients to spread the word among their friends and associates. Take out advertisements in local magazines targeted toward your prospective clients. With a little time and patience you could be the proud owner of the best interior design business in town.

A Day in the Life of an Interior Design Business Owner:

As the owner of an interior design business, you will start your day by checking your schedule to see what jobs are ongoing. You or your design staff will pick up any supplies you need and head over to the job site. You may need to coordinate deliveries with contractors for jobs such as demo, construction or flooring. You will meet with your clients (or speak to them on the phone) to hammer out any last minute decisions that need to be made. You may go shopping with a client so they can select certain design elements like tile or fixtures. You will spend some time marketing your business by putting ads online or in magazines and by calling realtors or others in your line of specialty to see if they can put your business on any referral lists they have. You may also spend time meeting with new clients, listening to their wish list, and presenting your plans to them. Finally, you will check on your finances to ensure everything is in order.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals or business managers in need of high quality interior design services.

What You Need to Start:

• An eye for good design
• Business plan
• Marketing plan
• Relationships with local interior design showrooms and suppliers
• Vehicle large enough to transport items that you cannot have delivered
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• If you love design, this business will be fun and easy.
• You get to work with interesting people in lovely locations.
• You don’t have to work in an office 9-5.
• You can charge top dollar for excellent design services.
• You can easily hire on more designers to handle an increasing workload.

The Bad:

• Working with contractors and deadlines can be difficult at times.
• You must be able to think on your feet and solve unforeseen problems very quickly.

Resources:

• International Interior Design Association
• American Society of Interior Designers
• Interior Design Society
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Interior Designers
• Wikipedia on Interior Design

Technorati Tags: how to start an interior design business, interior design business plan, starting an interior design business

Business Overview:

Attention tea aficionados: If you love relaxing with friends and you’re looking for a great business idea, starting your own tea room could be the answer. In today’s busy society, people are looking for a place they can unwind and take their minds of the day’s stresses. As the owner of a tea room, you can create the atmosphere you enjoy and attract others who will enjoy it as well. You could choose to open a conventional tea room, an Eastern-themed tea room, a café that offers snacks as well as tea, a tea room specifically for children, or any other type of tea room that appeals to you. As you can see, this business idea can go in many directions so it’s important that you have a good tea room business plan in place before opening a tea room. Your plan will also help you decide how many and what types of tea you will offer, what food items, if any, you will offer, how you will decorate your tea room, etc. You will also need to decide if you want to start your tea room from scratch or if you will seek out a tea room for sale. Buying a tea room franchise may be easier at first since the supplies and décor will be included, but it will likely cost more and it might not be a perfect fit for what you had in mind. If you start your store from the ground up, you’ll need to research how to open a tea room. You’ll find that you can start with a few basic design elements and a smaller tea selection and, as business picks up, you can add to your tea menu and attract a larger customer base. Another element to your business plan will be marketing. Find out where your target market shops and eats and put advertising there. This type of clientele may shop at organic grocery stores and healthy alternative “fast food” establishments like yogurt shops and juice bars. Place fliers in local gyms and dance studios and take out ads in local entertainment magazines. People are always looking for the newest, trendiest place to hang out and your tea room could be the new hot spot for taking it easy.

A Day in the Life of a Tea Room Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of your tea room to make sure everything is clean and ready for business. After brewing up some of your most popular teas, you will open your doors and along with your staff, you will tend to your customers. You will spend time in the tea room, making sure everyone is enjoying themselves. You will speak to your distributors to ensure timely delivery of new products and you will spend time searching out the newest teas to offer your customers. You will take a look at your finances to make sure your bottom line is healthy. Finally, at the end of the day, you will review any issues with your staff and make sure the shop is cleaned and ready for the next day’s customers.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals who love tea and are looking for a relaxing place to enjoy it while visiting with their friends.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing plan
• Storefront
• Decorative items (tables, chairs, couches, art, lamps, etc.)
• Various teas
• Tea accouterments (sugar, honey, lemon, etc.)
• Menu of food items (if offered)
• Staff
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• A tea room is a relaxing place to spend your day.
• It is relatively inexpensive to start up this business.
• If you offer tasty teas in a calm atmosphere, you can really boost the prices you charge.
• With your staff running the day-to-day operations, you can take time off when you need to.
• You get to visit with fellow tea lovers every day.

The Bad:

• The hours can be long, especially at first.
• It can take time to spread the word and get enough customers to turn a profit.

Resources:

• Tea Association of the United States of America
• American Tea Masters Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food and Beverage Serving and Related Workers
• Wikipedia on Tea Houses

Technorati Tags: how to open a tea room, opening a tea room, starting a tea room business, tea room business plan

Business Overview:

Beer lovers rejoice: Learning how to start a brewery can put you on the path to a fun, profitable—and possibly life-changing—business venture. If you’re considering opening a brewery of your own, you must have a detailed microbrewery business plan, which should include the location of your brewery, the type of beer you plan on brewing, the type and supplier of brewing ingredients you’ll use, a bottling and distribution plan, and your marketing plan. It also must include your means of funding a business like this; after all, the location, equipment, ingredients, and distribution of handcrafted beer are expensive. You should be prepared to invest at least $25,000 USD in the startup of your brewery. If you’re still excited by this business idea, here’s the lowdown on how to start a microbrewery. First you’ll need to find a location for your brewery, one that’s large enough to house all of the equipment you’ll need to brew and bottle, and then a bar area if you’re planning on including a brewpub in your master plans. As an alternative, you might also consider seeking out an existing brewery and leasing or buying a share of that space to brew and bottle your recipes. An added bonus to this type of shared brewery could be that you’ll have another brew master to turn to for business advice and brewing techniques, especially if you’re rather new to the beer-making process. Then you’ll need the ingredients to make your magic and the equipment required to bottle your beer. Finding a reputable supplier of ingredients and learning the ins and outs of bottling and labeling will be key to your smooth running operation as well. Finally, a plan to sell your brew, either in stores, on a website, or at a pub, will be necessary to make your business lucrative. At the end of the day, you get to sit back and enjoy a pint of your own creation while mingling with friends and customers if you’ve opened a pub, knowing it’s your great business idea that afforded everyone the opportunity.

A Day in the Life of a Brewery Business Owner:

If you’re the owner and master brewer, you will need initially to be hands-on in the mixing, pouring, and tasting of your brew. You will make the daily decisions about what brews to craft, when a brew is ready, and various other operational decisions. If you have employees doing most of the work, you will still want to oversee the major operations to ensure the quality—and the vision—remain your own. A daily check on inventory might lead to a call to your suppliers, and a review of your bottling, labeling, and distribution systems will be necessary to see how your inventory is moving. Of course, the nitty gritty details will always be an important part of each day—reviewing financial records, handling payroll and rent, and ensuring your advertising is effective will render your business truly successful.

About Your Customers:

Customers of a brewery business will be interested in sampling and buying handcrafted recipes of beer. They might try your brews because of the quality ingredients you use (maybe your beer is organic or uses all fair-trade ingredients) or because you’ve created a craft brew that they is far superior to a commercial beer. No matter, they will likely be connoisseurs of good beer and will enjoy learning about your brew’s origins.

What You Need to Start:

• A brewing location
• Brewing equipment
• Bottling, labeling, and distribution equipment
• Business license, permit, and insurance
• Recipes for your homemade brews
• A means of selling your brew for profit
• A pub to showcase your goods, if desired
• Suppliers for your brewing needs
• Employees, if desired
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• This is one business idea that can be extremely enjoyable at the same time it is profitable.
• You can act as sole proprietor or you can share your business with partners and employees.
• You can operate a pub in addition to your brewery to increase your profits—you can even give tours of your brewery as an attraction.
• Your business can make others very happy.
• You become an expert of beer making.

The Bad:

• The startup investment is steep, even if you utilize the equipment of an existing brewery or buy out an established company.
• This is not a part-time business venture. It will likely require a great deal of time, energy, money, and knowledge in order to get off the ground successfully.

Resources:

• Brewers Association
• Master Brewers Association of the Americas
• North American Brewers Association
• Wikipedia on Breweries

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Business Overview:

If you have an eye for fashion and want to be your own boss, you should find out how to open a bridal shop and turn the dreams of countless brides into reality. Imagine spending your days surrounded by beautiful bridal gowns and blissful brides shopping for the perfect gown for the most important day of their lives. Helping these women find just what they are looking for can be so rewarding, not to mention lucrative. The average amount a bride spends on her dress is $1,200 USD. Add to that the cost of accessories like a veil and jewelry and you can see how much profit can be made with this business idea. But before opening a bridal store, it’s important you have a solid bridal shop business plan in place. This plan will help focus your efforts and answer questions about what types of gowns you will carry, whether or not you will also carry bridesmaids dresses and other formal attire, how you will market your new business, etc. Bridal shows come to town often and these are good opportunities to get your name out there and invite brides into your shop. Another option you’ll need to weigh is if you want to purchase a bridal salon franchise or start one from the ground up. A franchise might be easier up front (everything is already in place, perhaps even including some stock) but this will be the more costly option and you might not be able to run the store exactly the way you want at first. Whether you start from scratch or buy a bridal shop, this is a costly investment and you will need to line up financing before going too far. However, once your shop is up and running, it will only take a few satisfied brides to spread the word and soon your shop will be full of joyful brides wanting the perfect dress. You may even be able to add to your collection and begin to offer prom dresses, flower girl dresses, shoes, jewelry, and even tuxedos. Before you know it, your bridal shop will be the go-to place for every fashionable bride in town.

A Day in the Life of a Bridal Shop Business Owner:

You will spend most of your day helping brides and their families find the right dresses. Depending on how large your staff is, you will either work directly with these women or simply check in on them to see if your employees are giving them the help they need. You will spend time communicating with fashion houses and distributors to ensure dresses are delivered on time and on budget. Whether you use an in-house seamstress or use third-party alterations services, you will check in on these alterations to make sure dresses are ready on time. Finally, you will record the day’s payments and check your finances to ensure everything is in order.

About Your Customers:

Most of your customers will be brides and their families. Depending on your inventory, you might have some younger ladies shopping for prom dresses and all ages looking for a special occasion dress.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing plan
• Storefront
• Dresses, accessories
• Racks, display counters, dressing rooms with large mirror areas
• Staff
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• The bridal business can be very lucrative.
• It is rewarding to help brides find just what they are looking for.
• If you love fashion, you will enjoy spending your day around beautiful dresses and being the first to know of new fashion trends.
• Once your shop is up and running, you can let your staff do most of the work and you can take vacation or days off when you want to.
• You get to work with others in the formal wear industry and attend bridal shows and, if you wish, fashion shows featuring the latest couture designers.

The Bad:

• It can take a while to get your first few customers.
• You will run into some brides and their families who are difficult to work with.

Resources:

• Association of Bridal Consultants
• Bridal Association of America
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Clothing, Accessory and General Merchandise Stores
• Wikipedia on Wedding Dress

Technorati Tags: bridal shop business plan, how to open a bridal shop, opening a bridal store