My Business, Hello all.

[Jayne]

Hi,
I have been in business for 12 yrs. Baker Dozen in Knottingley, W.Yorkshire. We have a sandwich shop/cafe/bakery and have been trying to sell it for 2 yrs now (5 Offers and no sale yet). I have tried everything I can think of to sell it, but no luck yet. It is a very good business, lots of trade and I cannot understand why it hasn't sold. I want to do a different business, something not to do with food. I have started with asthma, due to the flour in the bakery. If anyone has any ideas on how to sell it, please let me know. (estate agents are rubbish)

Best Wishes

jayne

[mumper]

Hi Jayne,

only a thought but maybe an online auction would generate some interest.

[Rob Holmes]

Hi Jayne,

Did you get feedback or reasons from the estate agents as to why the business did not sell?

Also were they actually estate agents or business agents?

Rob

[Pilfo]

I would keep fairly quiet about your reasons for selling the business, due to prolonged exposure to the flour, as it may put prospective buyers off.

Pilfo

[Jayne]

Hi,
Thank You for your comments! I am still with Ernest Wilson estate agents, cannot get out of my contract without paying loads of money. We have had lots of reasons from them why it hasn't sold yet. Mainly they say people are afraid of the size of the place and they don't believe us when we tell them that it isn't that hard to manage.
And I will not say any more on the asthma, I see what you mean (Thanks).

[Julie]

What about Daltons Weekly magazine? They advertise businesses for sale, and it would reach people outside your local area. Just a thought...

They have a website: http://www.daltonsbusiness.com/ where you could find out more.

I agree about not mentioning why you are giving up, too! The asthma won't happen to everyone and it's a real negative...

Julie

[Ravenfire]

Hi Jayne and welcome to the site.

Good luck with trying to sell your property. I know when I sold my house I didnt have to pay for viewings (as per your other thread) but not sure about commercial premises.

Toni

[Jon eyeconomy.co.uk]

I guess you are allowed to sell the premises privately so why not get a one page pic and details up on the internet and buy some google adwords or keywords on uk.overture.com?

If your estate agent has a webpage with your property on it, you could even use that page and negotiate with them a lower fee percentage as you would effectively be doing their job for them.

We have worked with a number of estate agents and they have done very well out of using keyword Pay Per Click search advertising.

When I sold my house a few years ago I negotiated 1% off their house sale fee of 2% and bought soem of my own advertising. I reasoned with them that I would be using my own money to send peopel to their site and effectively advertising their branches on teh back of trying to sell my property.

I don't think it helped to sell it to the buyer at the time, but it saved me a few grand in fees and I only forked out a couple of hundred on Internet Advertising in reality.

Best wishes and good luck.

[Jayne]

I have had my shop in Daltons Weekly, have it on all the free advertising web sites and fee papers, also using my free aol web page.
I have just run out of ideas. I'm not too good using my internet yet, just learning. Don't understand buying names, hosting and domain names, haven't got a clue. I have only just got a computer in January, still have lots to learn.

I will try to get down my fees with the Estate agents though, Thanks

Jayne

[Julie]

Have you contacted your local Chamber of Commerce or FSB to see if there is anyone in your area who can advise you? Your Chamber should be able to help, I would have thought. It all sounds very frustrating for you.

Julie

[Jayne]

Thanks Julie,

Didn't think of that, I'll give them a ring


Best Wishes

Jayne

[bitsnstuff]

Hello Jayne,

This is a belated welcome as I haven't been on for a couple of days and you appear to have settled in nicely. :lol:

Hope to see you around.

Kate.

[Jayne]

Hi,

I've notice everyone plugging their business on here. I do not have a web site, but you will find my shop at -

Bakers Dozen (Bakery/shop/cafe)
8 Racca Green,
Knottingley,
W.Yorkshire

So if you are passing, we make home made bread, pasties, sticky cream buns, bacon butties, all sandwiches and to top it all we have beautiful topless girls to serve you (Only Joking!). :D

Thanks

Jayne

[kyber]

Hi Jayne,

It must be very frustrating waiting so long to sell.

Do you have a link to the sales details on your estate agent's website for us to look at. I know a couple of people "up North" who have a few such outlets and might consider investing in more.

I just found their website, http://www.ernest-wilson.co.uk/index_main.htm but when I clicked on "Bakers" there were no matches!! I looked under Sandwich Bars and found something in West Yorkshire, ref MAL104099 ... would that be you? If it is, then I am not surprised that you have had limited interest as the presentation of information about your business on the site is very poor. In total it is as follows: SANDWICH BAR, CONFECTIONERS & CAFE, West Yorkshire. A superb highly profitable concern operated in sensible hours over 6 days. Taking £2,600/£3,000 weekly - worked in sensible hours. Open plan sales shop with outsales dept, cafe seating 24 comfortably, fully equipped kitchen with an abundance of hi tech commercial equipment. Spacious 3 bedroom accommodation. VIEWING HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Stock approx £1,500 That's it. Anything else, you need to get in touch.

Stuart

[Jayne]

Hi,

Don't know what a link is. But my Email is jaynercky@aol.com. My Estate agents are crap, so I can send all the details you want. That is my shop you found, we are open to offers.

The first person who was going to buy it was sent from them, he wanted us to sell it without the estate agents knowing (very fishy).

The second was a young man, he took copies of our accounts he got from Ernest Wilson's and tried to get a new jaguar on tick, we found out because the dealer had ok'd the car sale, but contacted us to check on some details.

Then a couple wanting to turn it into an indian, but found somewhere in leeds.

Next a nice couple from Jersey, I thought it was really sold then. But bank wouldn't lend them the money.

Then one of these commercial property people who wanted it all for £120,00. (Having a laugh mate!)

So you see why I'm fed up.

Best Wishes

jayne

[Jayne]

Didn't know if the price was on the Estate agent's web, But its Freehold £179,950 ono. They put it in the sandwich section because they said Bakeries don't attract people to look.

Bye

Jayne


P.S Read your profile and I love camping too. Man of taste!

[kyber]

Yes, that's the price on the Estate Agent's website.

What I meant by "a link" is the text (or picture) that you click on when you are on a web page to get to another web page. So, if you click on THIS LINK (http://www.ernest-wilson.demon.co.uk/Catalogue/sb.htm) you will find that another browser window opens and shows you the Estate Agent page with your shop on it.

I shall pass on the details. Is there anything else you care to share? Information about the type of location, the situation of the premises, the space & layout etc (not that the layout cannot be changed within reason of course).

Stuart

[Jayne]

Hi Kyber,

Sent you a PM but not sure it worked. So i'll tell you a bit about my shop. If you email I'll send some photos. jaynercky@aol.com

My shop is in a Knottingley, classed as a village, but it's not really (too big), it has good regular customer, passing trade (on the way to Doc's, school and cannal walk) and is near lots of industrial units, two mins up road and you are in country side. It's a working class town, lot's of greedy work men :D .

The shop is double fronted, is large, has a bakery in the back, shop area, cafe and Kitchen, two staff/public toilets. All fully equiped. Has A3 planning up until 9pm.

The flat upstairs has 3 beds, living room, Kitchen, new bathroom with power shower cubicle. Radiators, new gas boiler. Certificates for gas and elc. New carpets. Ready to rent out. (we were going to rent it, but the couple from Jersey wanted to live above and they only pulled out about a month since) We have 6 P/T staff, plus me and my husband. Opens at 6am M-F, M,T,Th,Fr - 3pm closes. Wed -2.30pm. Sat - 2pm. Cannot think of anything else at the moment, so i'll catch you later.

Thanks

Jayne

[kyber]

Jayne, I have PM'd you. Thanks.

Stuart

[Jayne]

Hi,

Sent you a PM, hope I did it right this time, if not THANK YOU :D

Best Wishes

Jayne

[Twokids]

Blimey Jayne - you've been through the mill with buyers - that bloke who tried to use you to get a Jag really took the biscuit!

Hope that things get better.

Jim

[Jayne]

Thanks love,

You get use to it after a while! I was a bit gob smacked with the Jaguar thing, I thought I'd seen it all in business until then :lol: (Balls of elephants some people)

Jayne