Buying a cafe whilst pregnant

[Sausageroll7]

My partner and I are looking at buying a small cafe. Its currently not too profitable due to vendor personal circumstances but with some hard graft and creative ideas i think we can make it successful. We'll never be rich but we both work in the industry and feel ready for our own challenge, the sticking point, im 3 months pregnant. Would it be crazy to go into this now? Or is there never a good time? It's our first child, so I dont want to be naive, however at 34 I have experienced my close friends go through the steep learning curve of parenthood so i have a vague idea.
Has anyone taken on a cafe during pregnancy? Any advice would be greatfully received.
Thanks in advance

 

[Mark T Jones]

Only you can answer this question. There are highly successful business women who have raised four or more children, others who have dropped out of business on the birth of number one

It’s a mixture of personality and circumstances

Beyond that, don’t fall for the excuses. You are buying a failed business - it shoul£ be viewed and priced as such

 

[Scalloway]

I guess the main thing that comes to mind is childcare. A former colleague of mine runs a guest house with his partner. They looked after his partner's grandchild. It was fine while it was a baby and could sit in a high chair smiling at the guests while they served breakfasts but it got to be a problem when the child got mobile.

What I would suggest having an area where the child is secure, eg an office where one of you works on admin with the child while the other works in the café. Otherwise either you pay for childcare or stay at home with the child.

 

[Ally Maxwell]

Although I've owned a café, I've never been pregnant

What I would say is that owning/running a café is harder work than most people think. If you're trying to rebuild a struggling business, It's important that you spend as little of your money paying staff as possible. Take that into account when making your decision.

 

[Mr D]

Lots of businesses can be improved by hard graft and creative ideas. But which ideas and where to graft?
You may find that a business that isn't so successful now is still problematic after you buy it. Mortgage rate for example goes up - will people spend so much in the café?
You will be out of the café a day or two this year, can your partner run everything? Or perhaps use employees too?
There can be limits on cafes, have seen multiple ones close down over the years after struggling on a year or two. Simply not enough paying customers spending enough money.

 

[Sausageroll7]

Thank-you everyone for your input, ive crunched and crunched the numbers and i think its just a bit too much of a risk atm. In a relatively small village with 3 other cafes, im not sure the market is sustainable enough for me to risk all my cash! There'll be other opportunities im sure. Thanks again. Appreciate all your advice.

 

[NewGardenStyle]

its just a bit too much of a risk atm

Good, you've saved yourself a load of stress, lots of working hours earning minimum wage or less and of course your capital. You can always go back to the idea at a later date; these types of businesses come up for sale all the time.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Good luck with the baby or babies

 

[Ally Maxwell]

Thank-you everyone for your input, ive crunched and crunched the numbers and i think its just a bit too much of a risk atm. In a relatively small village with 3 other cafes, im not sure the market is sustainable enough for me to risk all my cash! There'll be other opportunities im sure. Thanks again. Appreciate all your advice.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is look at a proposition like this without multiplying the potential income by your enthusiasm and desire to do it

Think you've probably made the right decision.

 

[Sausageroll7]

Yeah, one must remember not to let the heart rule the head, especially with added pregnancy hormones! There will indeed be other businesses similar or better to go for in the future I'm sure.
Thanks again everyone, great site, really helpful advice.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Yeah, one must remember not to let the heart rule the head, especially with added pregnancy hormones! There will indeed be other businesses similar or better to go for in the future I'm sure.
Thanks again everyone, great site, really helpful advice.

Yip. One thing is certain, there will never be a shortage of cafes for sale