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The vision of a Lingerie/Cafe retail store. NOT A BAR

micki32micki32 subscriber Posts: 2
edited October 2006 in Business Planning
I know alcohol is alcohol.  Yes, I do know about the liquor licneses. I do know about the liability that comes with it.
Scenario:
Picture this you cgoing into a lingerie shop. Your trying to pick out the perfect outfit for you or your mate. You see the clothes hanging on a hanger or on a maniquinn . The hanger nor the mannequin doesnt show the true beauty of the outfit , and the sales person is no help. What is your next step?
To come to my store NOT A BAR.
Here is the scenario of what you will experience at my store.
All of a sudden you turn to your right and there you see a live model on stage with the exact same outfit that you were looking at. The model happens to be the same size as your mate. You get to see the details of the lingerie . You get to use your imagination as to how it would look on your mate. While doing this you get to snack on some hor d`oeurves  that is pleasing to the taste and an alcoholic or non alcoholic beverage of your choice while enjoying your shopping experience.
This is not a full  bar it`s a cafe that serve only specialty drinks. Specialty drinks that you and your mate will have when having a nice romantic evening together.
This is only setting the mood for what is yet to come. That is what lingerie is suppose to do. It is suppose to create a fantasy for you and your mate that you can  bring to life in the comforts of your home.
That is my vision for my store.
Please, instead of assuming what it actually is ask the questions that you have pertaining to what I am trying to accomplish so that I can answer your concerns. I want to make it a pleasant experience for couples. I by all means do not want to get mistaken for a gentlemens club, a stripe club, nor do I want people to think that they are coming to an under cover sex shop. It`s strictly professional. 
I welcome all critiques on what it is that I am doing because it`s the public who I will be serving . I want you to be pleased at the quality of my product as well as my professional customer service.

Comments

  • EricEric subscriber Posts: 8
    Micki,
    It sounds terribly expensive to operate. How many models do you plan on having on your stage? How are they getting paid? How much do you need to sell to break even, pay the electric bill (and others) and your liquor license? What about your food service qualification and the expense that goes with that?
    Really thinking now. What do you see as your cost to run this operation? I see it costing far too much. You need to tell us now why it won`t.
    I see at least 3 people running your store and I`m assuming that you are one of them the other two will need to be paid:

    1 at the register
    1 serving drinks......(and making hor d`oeurves)
    1 model working her tail off changing every 5 minutes.
    I`m being honest when I tell you that I don`t see a sustaining amount of sales with your concept. If you are charging for the liquor and the hor d`oeurves will people be less likely to purchase the goods? What about having greasy fingers all over your products? That`s a problem too. Pigs in a blanket and silk don`t mix too well.
    You need to get past the idea of your business and actually look at operating expenses that you will incur. Your vision will begin to see a lot of things that you may not have thought about. You have to let your mind visit the less positive aspects of your business so that you can address them before they become a problem.
    I`m interested in hearing how you intend to handle some of these issues. 
    ~Eric
  • micki32micki32 subscriber Posts: 2
    As far as how I am paying my models it will be between me and the models. Just like every job in America if you dont like the terms and the pay you dont have to work there. Because I have already did several shows based on this concept and got positive feed back on the concept. I am being realistic. I have let my mind visit the pros and the cons of it.
     
    Have you ever been to Target, or Wal-mart? They sell clothes, even lingerie and the have some type of cafe, or resturant. You eat there and then you go shopping and purchase goods. What`s the difference? You will be buying lingerie and yes purchansing food when or if you get hungry.
    You get an added bonus of being able to see the merchandise on a person oppose to seeing it on a mannequin, hangers, or on the wall.
    Have you ever watch a Victoria Secrets fashion show or a swimsuit competion on television? When watching either one or both did it make you want to go out and buy either the lingerie or the swimsuit because you like the way it look and you figured it would look good on your mate?
     
     There are a variety of hor de`ourves .By the way if your hor de`ourves consist of pigs in a blanket, then that says a lot for your romantic side.
     There will be restrooms. Being an adult if you have grease or food on your hands after you finish eating and you dont have enough respect for yourself and others to wash your hands before returning to shop than you need to take pre-school 101. Because there they teach children how to wash their hand before and after each meal and never to touch anything with food or grease on their hands.
    You never went to a bar and purchased , wine, champagne, or any type of alcoholic beverage at a resturant or store while shopping?
    The answers your seeking questions for people do everyday just under different venues.They buy lingerie, the eat, the drink alcohol whether it be everyday or on ocassions.  I am bringing the concept together under one roof in a professional retail setting.
    Dont get me wrong, I really appreciate those points that you are addressing. But with everything you do comes risks and this is a risk that I am willing to take. 
     micki322006-10-27 22:25:45
  • EricEric subscriber Posts: 8
    Micki,
    I think you have a great passion for your concept.  I`m only bringing up that you haven`t weighed the actual cost to run your business against the revenue.
    I`m not suggesting that you`ll be offering pigs in a blanket. That is entirely inconsequential.  I was raising the point that you are increasing your chances for  product loss if you combine food and fine evening wear. Please understand that this was just one little something you must account for in hopes that it would open your eyes to so many other little somethings that affect your bottom line. 
    You have to quit dreaming about your concept and start actually nailing down the costs. The actual costs. Not what you think and not what you hope.
    You really need to do that. Get a real business plan. Plug in your numbers.
    If you put your idea up here for review only hoping to get responses from people that agree with you then you`re short changing yourself. Nobody here wants to see you fail for any reason and it`s our duty as responsible individuals to be honest and use our best judgement.
    I haven`t said anything that wasn`t intended to assist you in some way, and nor is it my inention to cast judgement upon your character. I really do wish you well and hope that you can adjust your business to suit your vision and really become a success and grow.
    ~Eric
     
  • micki32micki32 subscriber Posts: 2
    Yes, I am very open to critiques.
    Most people take the critiques and use the information that was given while others chose to ignore the information. I chose to use the information that was given.
    Since I am still in the research stages of getting my business information , I took what you said .  I have researched my options and yes the cost was extremely high. By taken the critiques which were given , I have  taken a different approach to my concept..
    Yes, I will have a cafe, but  I will have the food catered starting out, therefore, cutting down the cost as well as helping me avoid some of the red tape in owning a resturant. Now that I have decided to take a different approach with this ,  I am in the process of getting the details worked out. Once I do, I will be sure to let you know how this will work out.
    I will have all shapes and all size models. My models will be 21 years old and up. I will not have just the super models modeling because I am not a super model. My sizes will range up to 4xl and so will my models. The lingerie that I will be selling will accent their inner beauty as well as their outer beauty.  My reponsibility is to make every person who purchase lingerie from me to feel comfortable as well as confident about the sensual apparel that they purchase.
    For the women I will be offering some of the following to name a few:
    I will be offering sexy cami with the sexy drawstring pants, as well as sexy drawstring short to match for those who perfer that oppose to the badydolls with thongs or the sexy teddies.  I will all so have the sexy sensual lingerie for those who feel confident in wearing it.
    For the men I will be offering some of the following to name a few:
    I will be offering the jersey knit pants with the drawstring waistband, along with the matching jersey knit shirts, micro fibre robes as well as the silk boxers, pants and robes.
    For the costume lingerie and the novelties, I will have that on my website and not in my stores. I want my customers to feel comfortable when coming into my store.
    This is why I chose to have the lingerie fashion shows so that we (including me) will be able to see the details of the actual merchandise on models of different SHAPES and SIZES so we can get an idea of what it  would look like on a person of our shape or size.
    I am not trying to offend any one with my comment nor am I not listening to what is being said. I am just trying to get my vision across to you the way it is in my head. I dont want people to get the wrong idea of what it is that I am trying to accomplish. I have total respect for me, therefore, making me have the utmost respect for my customers as well as my future employees.
    Yes this will be an upscale lingerie retail store catering to upscale customers. I was just giving an example of the type stores that serve food and clothing.
    Point taking as to the question of looking at this on the business end of things and not the emotional end. I am humble enough to apologize when I am in the wrong.
    I had asked a question on the start up cost of a business such as this. As far as the financial aspect of this , I am still researching for the answers.
    If any one can provide suggestions as well as critiques, I will gladly listen to them and see which best fits into what it is that I am trying to accomplish.
    Please continue to critique and offer suggestion though it looks like I am being defensive , I do take in account what is said . I then go back to the drawing board to see what it is that I can do better. I know that I will have to revisit my proposed plan and revise it several more times before I actually come up with the finished product.
    Thanks to you all for your suggestions and your critiques.
     
     micki322006-10-28 23:37:5
  • EricEric subscriber Posts: 8

    Yes, I am very open to critiques....................
    Yes, I will have a cafe, but  I will have the food catered starting out, therefore, cutting down the cost as well as helping me avoid some of the red tape in owning a resturant. Now that I have decided to take a different approach with this ,  I am in the process of getting the details worked out. Once I do, I will be sure to let you know how this will work out. ................
    I had asked a question on the start up cost of a business such as this. As far as the financial aspect of this , I am still researching for the answers.
    If any one can provide suggestions as well as critiques, I will gladly listen to them and see which best fits into what it is that I am trying to accomplish.
    Please continue to critique and offer suggestion though it looks like I am being defensive , I do take in account what is said . I then go back to the drawing board to see what it is that I can do better.
    Thanks to you all for your suggestions and your critiques.

    Micki,  
    You`re getting there. You`ve established your vision. Now it`s time to get detailed with a plan. Continue with your research. Actually "build" your business on paper first. If you are set on the concept, move on to the next logical step which will lead you to more decisions, and so on.
    Research the property scene. Sketch your shop. Get rough ballpark estimates from potential contractors and vendors. Estimate your starting inventory with reasonable accuracy. Talk to existing area businesses of roughly similar size, type, and operating hours to get just a feel for what your rent, utility, or property tax costs might be. Call or visit a qualified business insurance company to gauge what those needs will be. Don`t forget to factor in high decorating costs for your upscale establishment, maintanence, and your local mob (if applicable)   Just kidding......I hope!  
    This is a small starting checklist of things that require numbers from people that are outside of your vision. Don`t depend on what you think, hope or expect here.... Even if you think that you are figuring/guessing numbers way higher than you expect.
    I hope to see you back here soon with your next plan to move forward.
    My best to you,
    ~Eric
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