Preparing Yourself For A Rocky Road
To profit, or not to profit? Well; to profit, obviously—Hamlet was getting existential on his audience, he was not speaking of economical matters. No, for any business to remain afloat, it must bring in more than it spends on core prerogatives. The profit must come at an increase for the business to survive inflation, competition, and other unpredictable market shifts.
A bar is no different, but there is a certain security in managing one. People always need to unwind, they’re always going to want to unwind, and if you can help them do so, you’ll have legacy customers that make your establishment a staple of their life going forward. There’s a reason the television show Cheers (where everybody knows your name) resonates so well, even long after the series has ended its run.
So if you’re going to be that pillar of the local community, it’s integral that you think things out a bit before jumping in. First, keep in mind that whatever you do, crazies will come. There’s enough mental illness out there to run an entire medical industry, and you can bet a hefty portion of it will come dancing into even the most high-class bar. If you’re ready for it, this won’t impact operations.
Traditional Infrastructural Considerations
What you’ll want to do is hire the right people. Behind the bar, depending on location, you’ll either want sensuous servers or buff dudes who would squint at a gorilla and cause it to scurry. A bouncer is a good idea if you can afford one. The larger the bar, the more staff you’ll need. If you’ve got a really big establishment, traditional business infrastructure will be considerable.
Running payroll can be complicated sometimes; solutions like Clockspot are key in simplifying such things. Scheduling can also be a nightmare. From there you’ve got to handle questions like whether or not to install a kitchen, and what levels of alcohol consumption predicate the amount of liquor you purchase.
Speaking of liquor, if you don’t have a license for it, you can’t have a bar. Getting your liquor license, especially in Texas, can be a big pain. Ignore the law and see why it’s binding. You can check out the following site for more information on getting your Texas liquor permit. Getting one, and maintaining it, is going to take a little work, and a lot of money.
If minors are found in your bar, or the cops sting you with some stuck-up kid in his teens who looks older, you could be shut down, lose your liquor license, or worse. These things tend to leak to the press; especially in small towns where not much goes on. This is bad Public Relations.
Property, And The Long Run
As with any business where property is involved, you’ll need to keep up the premises. This is especially true as concerns a bar or tavern. Liquor will get spilled everywhere. Don’t have carpet floors; that’s just asking for nastiness. Mop the tile, linoleum, brick, mortar, or cement floor you decide on. You want something that doesn’t retain fluid, and is easy to clean.
Entertainment can draw in more customers, but it can also drive some away if they don’t like your choices. The same is true if you make your club centered around sporting events, or dancing. Remember that the clientele drive profit, and accordingly your potentiality. You want to give them what they want within reason, but strike a balance between doing that and filling a local niche.
Running a bar can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a nightmare. The bottom line is, if you keep your head about you, this can be a good way to make a secure living over the long run.