What businesses every small town/ village needs
Discussion
skwdenyer said:
Not a business per se, but a police station.
Every small town and many villages had one back in the day. I simply refuse to accept that the marginal cost of providing police officers needs to have risen as fast as it apparently has. And whilst selling-off police houses and stations I'm sure raised a bit of cash, the long-term harm has been immense.
Police are no longer "in the community." It will take time, but that will have poor long-term consequences I believe.
I actually think you are very close the the mark here - a private home security company.Every small town and many villages had one back in the day. I simply refuse to accept that the marginal cost of providing police officers needs to have risen as fast as it apparently has. And whilst selling-off police houses and stations I'm sure raised a bit of cash, the long-term harm has been immense.
Police are no longer "in the community." It will take time, but that will have poor long-term consequences I believe.
I had someone trying to kick my gate down earlier this year at 1:00pm. Called the police and the result was me getting a call back at 6:00pm asking me if he was still there!
A private home security company that had a car patrolling the streets 24/7, responding in minutes to phone calls and alarms going off would be highly comforting to most residents of villages and small towns that have absolutely no police presence and the nearest station many miles away (and very understaffed in dealing with what they have to deal with on their doorstep).
You would need three 'officers' and a couple of cars, but really wouldn't have any overhead other than these, phones and holiday cover. Ex police or military would be ideal, as would forging a good relationship with the nearest police station so when they call something in it is treated seriously.
You call also give home security advice and add other community services such as a parcel drop off for when you are out. Like your postman everyone will soon be on a first name basis.
You could probably charges it out at a £1 a day or less, depending on the number of households involved.
Easy and cheap to gauge demand with a simple website and leafleting campaign to see if it could be a goer before you commit any capital.
I wouldn't hesitate to pay for something like this.
That is very interesting. I can imagine the demand in those areas, but I think the same would apply to many of our rural villages and market towns.
The difficulty is getting the balance of the demand required in any given area to enable you to profitability fund the overhead needed to provide the service. Wages being the largest.
The wife is away so I'm going to build a website this afternoon and see how the concept could look. I might actually run with this and turn it into a franchise if it looks worthwhile, so I am starting to regret posting it now!
Edited for clarity!
The difficulty is getting the balance of the demand required in any given area to enable you to profitability fund the overhead needed to provide the service. Wages being the largest.
The wife is away so I'm going to build a website this afternoon and see how the concept could look. I might actually run with this and turn it into a franchise if it looks worthwhile, so I am starting to regret posting it now!
Edited for clarity!
Edited by JulianPH on Sunday 20th May 13:06
JulianPH said:
That is very interesting. I can imagine the demand in those areas, but I think the same would apply to many of our rural villages and market towns.
The difficulty is getting the balance of the demand required in any given area to enable you to profitability fund the overhead needed to provide the service. Wages being the largest.
The wife is away so I'm going to build a website this afternoon and see how the concept could look. I might actually run with this and turn it into a franchise if it looks worthwhile, so I am starting to regret posting it now!
Edited for clarity!
I would be very interested to see how this looks. Something my village needs...badlyThe difficulty is getting the balance of the demand required in any given area to enable you to profitability fund the overhead needed to provide the service. Wages being the largest.
The wife is away so I'm going to build a website this afternoon and see how the concept could look. I might actually run with this and turn it into a franchise if it looks worthwhile, so I am starting to regret posting it now!
Edited for clarity!
Edited by JulianPH on Sunday 20th May 13:06
I live in a small town ~6500 (not a large village), it VERY, VERY dull.
The main street has 4 estate agents, several "posh home tat" shops (cushions, heart-shaped wood things, mirrors etc), about 4 hairdressers, a chip shop, a sweet shop, a post office, a chemists, a paper-shop, and a couple of "women's stuff" stops (no idea whats in there, but there are mannequins in the window)
Both banks have now shut.
It feels like a dead town, there is absolutely nothing to to what-so-ever other than sit in a pub or sit at home.
The only reason I have to visit the centre is to pick up my prescription once every couple of months, otherwise its the odd cash-machine visit or post office trip.
I actually used to have a highstreet shop there (Computers) and did reasonably well as I got a lot of browsers and passing trade, but the recession killed it.
I really don't know what would lift it, its one of those places that looks nice, and is nice to visit for a day, but living there... (given the current average resident age) it's a place to die, not a place to live.
FYI - Melbourne Derbyshire.
The main street has 4 estate agents, several "posh home tat" shops (cushions, heart-shaped wood things, mirrors etc), about 4 hairdressers, a chip shop, a sweet shop, a post office, a chemists, a paper-shop, and a couple of "women's stuff" stops (no idea whats in there, but there are mannequins in the window)
Both banks have now shut.
It feels like a dead town, there is absolutely nothing to to what-so-ever other than sit in a pub or sit at home.
The only reason I have to visit the centre is to pick up my prescription once every couple of months, otherwise its the odd cash-machine visit or post office trip.
I actually used to have a highstreet shop there (Computers) and did reasonably well as I got a lot of browsers and passing trade, but the recession killed it.
I really don't know what would lift it, its one of those places that looks nice, and is nice to visit for a day, but living there... (given the current average resident age) it's a place to die, not a place to live.
FYI - Melbourne Derbyshire.
Sheepshanks said:
LivingTheDream said:
slipstream 1985 said:
Hairdressers.
This - someone counted recently and apparently we have 13 hairdressers/barbers shops in our town (10000 people). They are all constantly rammed!Not that it affects me
Do they have low Business Rates like Charity shops?
They are all mostly empty - like you say - must be a front.
Business rates start at 12K RV and increase pro rata to 18K. Only an unusually large village shop is likely to have to pay anything.
If it was the right village and suitable premises I'd like to have a coffee shop, and expand sales and services out from there. Outside catering is the usual progression route, supplying buffet lunches etc for events. Many such coffee shops do something like 2K sales per week with a GP of around 70%. Most of them only have class A1 planning.
If it was the right village and suitable premises I'd like to have a coffee shop, and expand sales and services out from there. Outside catering is the usual progression route, supplying buffet lunches etc for events. Many such coffee shops do something like 2K sales per week with a GP of around 70%. Most of them only have class A1 planning.
JulianPH said:
That is very interesting. I can imagine the demand in those areas, but I think the same would apply to many of our rural villages and market towns.
The difficulty is getting the balance of the demand required in any given area to enable you to profitability fund the overhead needed to provide the service. Wages being the largest.
The wife is away so I'm going to build a website this afternoon and see how the concept could look. I might actually run with this and turn it into a franchise if it looks worthwhile, so I am starting to regret posting it now!
Edited for clarity!
Have you built it yet?The difficulty is getting the balance of the demand required in any given area to enable you to profitability fund the overhead needed to provide the service. Wages being the largest.
The wife is away so I'm going to build a website this afternoon and see how the concept could look. I might actually run with this and turn it into a franchise if it looks worthwhile, so I am starting to regret posting it now!
Edited for clarity!
Edited by JulianPH on Sunday 20th May 13:06
How about now?
Something my village and the surrounding villages could definitely do with. We already have an informal "call tree" via FB when dodgy vans and the like arrive in a village, it's amazing how quickly word gets around to neighbouring villages. It's equally amazing how many people leave lawnmowers out, sheds unlocked etc. It's also equally, EQUALLY, amazing just how brazen your common or garden opportunists are especially in rural areas. Last week news went round of a burglary where they gained entry by smashing a window in broad daylight whilst the lady popped out on the school run. Uniformed patrols would be very well received I'm sure. The challenges are going to be things like the potential for confrontation and having no actual powers to do anything.
JulianPH said:
I actually think you are very close the the mark here - a private home security company.
I had someone trying to kick my gate down earlier this year at 1:00pm. Called the police and the result was me getting a call back at 6:00pm asking me if he was still there!
A private home security company that had a car patrolling the streets 24/7, responding in minutes to phone calls and alarms going off would be highly comforting to most residents of villages and small towns that have absolutely no police presence and the nearest station many miles away (and very understaffed in dealing with what they have to deal with on their doorstep).
You would need three 'officers' and a couple of cars, but really wouldn't have any overhead other than these, phones and holiday cover...
I think it sounds like a great idea but to do 24/7/365 you need four people working a 'continental' shift system. You would need holiday and sickness cover as well but double shifts at a suitably enhanced rate might be cheaper than temps.I had someone trying to kick my gate down earlier this year at 1:00pm. Called the police and the result was me getting a call back at 6:00pm asking me if he was still there!
A private home security company that had a car patrolling the streets 24/7, responding in minutes to phone calls and alarms going off would be highly comforting to most residents of villages and small towns that have absolutely no police presence and the nearest station many miles away (and very understaffed in dealing with what they have to deal with on their doorstep).
You would need three 'officers' and a couple of cars, but really wouldn't have any overhead other than these, phones and holiday cover...
User name said:
I really don't know what would lift it, its one of those places that looks nice, and is nice to visit for a day, but living there... (given the current average resident age) it's a place to die, not a place to live.
FYI - Melbourne Derbyshire.
If it is nice and gets tourists, an Ice-Cream place does a roaring trade spring-autumn.FYI - Melbourne Derbyshire.
Must be homemade or good Italian style ice cream though so can charge more, and then also do waffles/cake/coffee type stuff for the winter.
singlecoil said:
I think it sounds like a great idea but to do 24/7/365 you need four people working a 'continental' shift system. You would need holiday and sickness cover as well but double shifts at a suitably enhanced rate might be cheaper than temps.
Not only that but you're paying twice!jamoor said:
singlecoil said:
I think it sounds like a great idea but to do 24/7/365 you need four people working a 'continental' shift system. You would need holiday and sickness cover as well but double shifts at a suitably enhanced rate might be cheaper than temps.
Not only that but you're paying twice!Do not buy a pharmacy or chemist as it known informally, unless it does a lot of items.
You get a certain fee per item on a prescription, you cannot decide that rate. The counter and shop stuff you don't actually make that much.
You must have a pharmacist on the premises for every minute that the pharmacy is open, also if errors occur it's not the case of sorry that I gave you a small fish and chips instead of a large it's sorry your family member was admitted to hospital due to an error made by colleague the other day.
If anyone wants to know more details or specifics then PM me
You get a certain fee per item on a prescription, you cannot decide that rate. The counter and shop stuff you don't actually make that much.
You must have a pharmacist on the premises for every minute that the pharmacy is open, also if errors occur it's not the case of sorry that I gave you a small fish and chips instead of a large it's sorry your family member was admitted to hospital due to an error made by colleague the other day.
If anyone wants to know more details or specifics then PM me
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