Starting a small business!

[Fendi]

Dear all,

After lurking for sometime on this great site I thought I would register, and ask a couple of questions to you helpful folk. So here I begin. Myself and my partner are looking in to setting up a business. It will be selling food to the public (sort of snack/fast food) from our small premises (once we have found a suitable location). Won't go in to details of what we will be selling, but it is delicious and it isn't around at the moment, but as the English love to eat, I am sure it would be a huge hit. I am based in Cambridge so there are lots of people walking around who are hungry!!

Now... we have been doing research on what would be on the menu/prices etc/how much things would cost to make. Estimates on how many customers would come in, what would sell etc. We have also been looking around the sizes of property, and only need somewhere small to begin with. We have around £25k of our own money to invest at the moment, I am guessing most of this would go in to acquiring and doing up the premises.

My partner would work there full time, along with people we know already when they are needed. I too would work shifts depending on what is needed too along side my current job.

I better get to the point, what is the best way to get this under way? I know research is key, we have no experience running a business but we do in preparing the food we would be selling. I am not sure what times we would be allowed to open, could we be open from morning till late, does it cost more etc. I know we have a long way to go in finding out all of the information we need, but i believe the most important thing is knowing it would succeed, that and a lot of hard work.

Equipment needed would be minimal, and not that expensive for what we need, and i believe the costs of utilities not to be that high, but i could be wrong.

Could anyone who has had any experience or knowledge be kind enough to give us some pointers?

Many thanks.

[The Printed Bag Shop]

Hi there and welcome to the site. the first thing i would do in your position is to see a local business advisor you can deal with them free through the likes of business link and entrust they will point you in the right direction. They may even be able to offer you a grant to help get the business off the ground.

i wish you the best of luck in your new venture.

Craig Smith

Ps any chance of emailing me what it is you sell or a free sample(im very nosey lol)

[Joyous]

I’d agree with Craig about getting in touch with Businesslink to discuss your plans. There are also resources on the web worth looking into. Startups.co.uk produces a number of start up guides that might be helpful.

Regards

Joy

[BhimalHira&Associates]

Hi,

Just to get you looking in the right direction, here some points you can start looking at:

- You will need a food license, contact your local council about this.
- If its hot food your selling, the shop needs to have A3 planning permission.
- In the food sector, many people make the error of getting low-cost domestic equipment, try and get the industrial stuff suited for the job! A little more expensive but It will last longer and speed up the process.
- The advisor will tell you to write a business plan, within this do a research in existing/similar outlets in your area and find out their prices etc.

If you need help with the business plan or more ideas, please email me.

Hope this helps.