Terrible business ideas where everyone will loose everything

[StangGT]

PRTVR said:

Talking to the owner of an ice cream parlour in the north east, we had to book to get in, she had plans to close in January and February for maintenance and holidays but it was so busy she couldn't shut, if you provide a good product they will come.

Would that be Wheelbirks? They do fantastically well as their ice cream is superb.

[ecs]

technodup said:

SystemParanoia said:

technodup said:

f I opened a burger place that's precisely where I'd want to put it. The closer the better.

Got my Vote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jILgxeNBK_8

What that doesn't cover is the marketing element.

I've a client who sells carpets. Immediately across from Carpetright. He loves when they do a TV campaign. Customers go to Carpetright, but seeing as they're there anyway they wander over to him too. And guess who gives them the best deal?

I've got a few like that. Independents piggybacking off big players marketing budgets. Works great.

On the flip side there's a video somewhere showing Starbucks on four corners on the same junction in Seattle iirc. They noticed that people (unlike for carpet) wouldn't cross the street for coffee, so one by one they took a unit on each side and hoovered up every coffee buyer around.

James Watt, one of the founders of Brewdog covers this sort of tactic in his book. It's written in a bit of an exhausting tone, but the knowledge in it is really good.

[hyphen]

technodup said:

xjay1337 said:

I'd love to have my own business. Unfortunately what I am skilled in requires either massive capital investment and huge risk, or is already in the local area and as such market share is already there.

Would be the equivalent of trying to open a fast food burger type restaurant next to McDonalds.

If I opened a burger place that's precisely where I'd want to put it. The closer the better.

Have you seen the McDonalds movie out now?
If not: SPOILER ALERT



McDonalds Corporation bought the McDonalds name from the original founders They then made them change the name of the original McDonalds that the founders were still running and opened a McDonals across the road from them.

Despite being there for years, and being popular at the time, their previously loyal customers followed the brand and the founders couldn't compete and closed up shop a few years later. If you are going to compete with McDonalds, doing straight fast food would be brave. If you are targeting more up market then no need to be so near them (see Five Guys et al).

[Andrew[MG]]

ecs said:

James Watt, one of the founders of Brewdog covers this sort of tactic in his book. It's written in a bit of an exhausting tone, but the knowledge in it is really good.

It's a terrible book, I'm surprised you took the time to wade through all the "we're so anti establishment" crap to get any useful points.

[technodup]

From what I've seen and read of Brewdog he's a bit of a bawbag. And there's only so far you can take the punk stuff before you become what you're purporting to be against.

[ecs]

Andrew[MG] said:

ecs said:

James Watt, one of the founders of Brewdog covers this sort of tactic in his book. It's written in a bit of an exhausting tone, but the knowledge in it is really good.

It's a terrible book, I'm surprised you took the time to wade through all the "we're so anti establishment" crap to get any useful points.

Ex-employer used to pay £50 if we read a book from their 'library' and wrote a review. I know

[PistonBroker]

Andrew[MG] said:

ecs said:

James Watt, one of the founders of Brewdog covers this sort of tactic in his book. It's written in a bit of an exhausting tone, but the knowledge in it is really good.

It's a terrible book, I'm surprised you took the time to wade through all the "we're so anti establishment" crap to get any useful points.

Tbf, I've managed to get 2/3 of the way through - didn't take me too long! But then I put it down about a month ago and haven't picked it back up.

It did mean I got free postage on the sub-£10 book I bought for Little Miss Pistonbroker though. ;-)

[mybrainhurts]

A Labour government.

[fridaypassion]

technodup said:

From what I've seen and read of Brewdog he's a bit of a bawbag. And there's only so far you can take the punk stuff before you become what you're purporting to be against.

Ha yes I've always wondered this. My mate runs a successful microbrewery and the constant snifiness and pomposity of the real ale scene grates on me like nails down a blackboard. Nothing can be good if it's made by one of the big corporates apparently so let's all stand round pinching our noses while we fight the urge to vomit out some twig laden grog that some 49 year old CAMRA member that lives with his mum says is the best beer ever.

It's a fashion for the midlife crisis generation I think and I can see a big crash heading for the hipster beer market. Lots of brewerys have gone pop over the last 2-3 years but there are always 2 more to step in with a wittily named gloop to flog. Oddly brewdog do maintain respect with these bearded mummy's boys despite operating in a progressive but fully corporate way. The geezer is pretty sound according to my pal so good luck to them on a business level but it wouldn't be for me.

[SidJames]

rob0r said:

Restaurants/businesses in old Little Chef buildings at Services. I do a lot of travel for business in the UK and I live in East Anglia, so I often see these businesses come and go down the A14. Everytime I think why bother!

round here on the A38 they are mostly porn stores or crap curry houses!

[Fastpedeller]

hyphen said:

McDonalds Corporation bought the McDonalds name from the original founders They then made them change the name of the original McDonalds that the founders were still running and opened a McDonals across the road from them.

Hmm - McDonals - Would that be in Dublin then?

[matjk]

whats with all the porn shops on fairly major roads. The A1 is riddled with them, one section near to Biggleswade has about 3 and a big swingers club! Do the 'Pervs' like to get out on a bit of dual carriage way before they purchase the lastest in Gimp suit technology or double ended dildos ? Seems like a weird location to me.

[SidJames]

matjk said:

whats with all the porn shops on fairly major roads. The A1 is riddled with them, one section near to Biggleswade has about 3 and a big swingers club! Do the 'Pervs' like to get out on a bit of dual carriage way before they purchase the lastest in Gimp suit technology or double ended dildos ? Seems like a weird location to me.

see my post 2 above yours.

[dxg]

technodup said:

BoRED S2upid said:

The Spruce goose said:

dessert lounges, on trend but how long?

A what? On trend where? I've never heard of such a business.

Glasgow for one.

Popular with Asians.

When I worked in Glasgow city centre, the Chinese "all you can eat" were a thing to behold...

We literally ate all we could eat.

[matjk]

SidJames said:

matjk said:

whats with all the porn shops on fairly major roads. The A1 is riddled with them, one section near to Biggleswade has about 3 and a big swingers club! Do the 'Pervs' like to get out on a bit of dual carriage way before they purchase the lastest in Gimp suit technology or double ended dildos ? Seems like a weird location to me.

see my post 2 above yours.

yeah i know , that's what i was referring too, doesnt answer why they have all suddenly sprung up

[SidJames]

matjk said:

SidJames said:

matjk said:

whats with all the porn shops on fairly major roads. The A1 is riddled with them, one section near to Biggleswade has about 3 and a big swingers club! Do the 'Pervs' like to get out on a bit of dual carriage way before they purchase the lastest in Gimp suit technology or double ended dildos ? Seems like a weird location to me.

see my post 2 above yours.

yeah i know , that's what i was referring too, doesnt answer why they have all suddenly sprung up

cheap rent
isolated car parks

[Trabi601]

rob0r said:

Restaurants/businesses in old Little Chef buildings at Services. I do a lot of travel for business in the UK and I live in East Anglia, so I often see these businesses come and go down the A14. Everytime I think why bother!

What you want in one of those is a Sex shop. The one on the A1 seems to have been there forever.

[Trabi601]

Foliage said:

fridaypassion said:

Pay as you gym. Currently burning through some VC funding doing TV advertising. Targeting half a dozen people hat travel on business, need a gym but dont stay in hotels with a gym. Totally stupid concept and annoying that there will be some really good businesses out there that could have made good use of the funding.

Any more you have seen?

Pay as you gym is a great idea, aiming at business travellers is completely mad, considering the tight budgets in the work place these days.

People want this flexibility and will pay for it, both me and my GF have used it a few times to use each others gyms, and to use high end gyms as a one off while away somewhere, but all occasions have been treats, paying £7 to spend 2-3 hours at a fitness centre with a spa, pool sauna etc, its not really paying to gym but paying a small fee to spend the afternoon at a spa type facility to do a bit of exercise then to chill out.

Surely the business market is exactly where you'd want to target this?

Not everyone gets the budget for hotels with gym / pool / spa - lots of people are staying in Premier Inns, Travelodge, Ibis, etc. When I was regularly going to the gym, I would usually get a hotel with a gym, but sometimes ended up in a cheaper hotel and wished I could use a local private health club, or local hotel gym.

These days, I just stick a pair of trainers on and go for a run.

[WaferThinHam]

Trabi601 said:

rob0r said:

Restaurants/businesses in old Little Chef buildings at Services. I do a lot of travel for business in the UK and I live in East Anglia, so I often see these businesses come and go down the A14. Everytime I think why bother!

What you want in one of those is a Sex shop. The one on the A1 seems to have been there forever.

You mean the one near Sandy? (So I've heard....)

[mko9]

fridaypassion said:

Any more you have seen?

Uber. It is a glorified taxi service that is hemorrhaging money.