Closing the shop while on well earned holiday - as it is cheaper !!??

[herewegoagain.]

Hello

I was wondering if I could have some opinions and thoughts on the following situation...?

I am taking a well earned two week holiday for the first time since starting in business 4 years ago...

My one shop (where I work) only earns me a small wage - suits me fine - I treat it as an office with a shop front (I mainly do my seperate online business from there!)- its not Alan Sugar ! -

The other shop is staffed and self-sufficient - and quite profitable !! (luckily!)

If I have to pay a member of staff to cover my holiday it would be cheaper to close for the two weeks as the full time wage for this period would exceed the takings...and of course there would be no money left over to replace the sold stock...

If I close do I lose the risk of losing my customers? I have loyal customer base... (well as loyal as anyone these days!) - I feel guilty about taking a holiday, but it is 'work to live - not live to work!

Thoughts anyone? should I just open on the Friday/Saturday?

 

[10032012]

Sounds like you may need to consider closing that one shop and focusing on the other one. If 2 weeks (holiday) is going to take you under... the same could happen if there was any business interruptions from matters typically beyond your control (fire, flood, structural damage etc) or even something as simple as the water/gas board digging up the road and discouraging customers (or where there is no access at all).

 

[herewegoagain.]

Well it wouldn't take me under, its just working with such small figures it is damage limitation really - the rent on the shop is really low, and I use it mainly to sell online (no room at home unfortunately!) - it is also a 'shop window' for my products - so it is win win - when I do it on my own - but I feel guilty about 'switching off' for a couple of weeks !!

 

[10032012]

Well it wouldn't take me under, its just working with such small figures it is damage limitation really - the rent on the shop is really low, and I use it mainly to sell online (no room at home unfortunately!) - it is also a 'shop window' for my products - so it is win win - when I do it on my own - but I feel guilty about 'switching off' for a couple of weeks !!

Ah ha! You can have a holiday... I would suggest sticking a notice on the door so people understand, but this said... if crime is bad there, it might be raided by thugs.

 

[S-Marketing]

We phoned the Chinese in town the other week as i fancied a takeaway. All we got was an answerphone saying they are closed for a month due to a family holiday. I still fancied a takeaway so just called somewhere else. I actually liked the new place, so now they are saved in my phone as 'the chinese', having replaced the holiday makers.

Guess it depends how loyal your customers will be.

 

[Talay]

We phoned the Chinese in town the other week as i fancied a takeaway. All we got was an answerphone saying they are closed for a month due to a family holiday. I still fancied a takeaway so just called somewhere else. I actually liked the new place, so now they are saved in my phone as 'the chinese', having replaced the holiday makers.

Guess it depends how loyal your customers will be.

But when they make one dish tasting awful or screw up an order, you'll be back at the original and you'll never stray, having looked around and doubly convinced yourself that the others were eventually much worse.

Perhaps

 

[tony84]

Are there any "busy" periods?
Can you have someone in there say 10-2 or whenever is busiest?

 

[Talay]

Funnily enough, I was or perhaps still am toying with the idea of closing one business for a month in the school summer holidays.

The idea started from the increased cost of almost permanently covering for random staff holiday requests throughout the year. So I thought about restaurants in Europe taking a month off and then to the factory fortnight in manufacturing and lastly but perhaps more relevant to the OP, the lower demand for our services when the kids were out of school.

I might suggest it as an idea for 2013, closing for a couple of weeks at Xmas and New Year and then again for a couple of weeks at least in August. Working on 20 days from 28 net of bank holidays, I have 4 weeks to play with.

 

[BustersDogs]

I shut down for a month in January last year while I went to India - all my customers were there when I got back except one, but she didn't really need a dog walker anyway because she was only out for 4 hours so was usually home before the dog was! The break demonstrated she could manage without me, but for one day a week it wasn't a big loss.

I suppose it depends on what you sell in your shop, what type of customers you have and whether they can get what you sell somewhere else locally. Have you thought of having just a week?

I've got my first holiday for 2 years coming up (India was training and in no way was it anywhere near as enjoyable as a holiday ) but I'm only taking 4 days off, and I've got staff covering!

 

[Posilan]

Are the shops fairly near each other? Do you have more then one member of staff at the other shop you could transfer over for the holiday - or alternately put a notice in the window directing people to the other store whilst it's closed?

Steve

 

[vvaannmmaann]

Dog walking training now outsourced to India?

 

[Richie N]

Don't think it's a good idea to close at all, customers expect the shop to be open and you do risk losing customers.
Is it worth it for the sake of spending a few extra quid rather than losing maybe a lot more.

 

[Pap_sak]

It's a tough one, and a situation that I will be in next year as well. Double whammy on the money front as not are you paying for the holiday you are also loosing sales!

Obviously try take the holiday over the quietest period and the quietest week
Try take a coupe of small breaks rather than long holiday, for me a week would be the longest I would take off, even then I would try combine it with a few public holidays.

I am think a small 3/4 day cruise might be the way to go for me as they leave less than an hours drive from me I rekon I could take 4 days off and relax for the full 4 days.

 

[10032012]

It's a tough one, and a situation that I will be in next year as well. Double whammy on the money front as not are you paying for the holiday you are also loosing sales!

Obviously try take the holiday over the quietest period and the quietest week
Try take a coupe of small breaks rather than long holiday, for me a week would be the longest I would take off, even then I would try combine it with a few public holidays.

I am think a small 3/4 day cruise might be the way to go for me as they leave less than an hours drive from me I rekon I could take 4 days off and relax for the full 4 days.

I read that as a 3 quarter day cruise... and cruise being a small road trip lol

 

[herewegoagain.]

Are there any "busy" periods?
Can you have someone in there say 10-2 or whenever is busiest?

I was thinking of that, but I am verging on covering the shop on the Fri and Sat - -it is amazing feeling guilty about taking a holiday !

 

[herewegoagain.]

Are the shops fairly near each other? Do you have more then one member of staff at the other shop you could transfer over for the holiday - or alternately put a notice in the window directing people to the other store whilst it's closed?

Steve

it is a great idea but the shops are an hour an a half away !! - long story !

 

[herewegoagain.]

Don't think it's a good idea to close at all, customers expect the shop to be open and you do risk losing customers.
Is it worth it for the sake of spending a few extra quid rather than losing maybe a lot more.

I agree, in an ideal world I would love it open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, but the reality is it is cheaper to close while I am away because paying a full time member of staff for the two weeks would cost more than the takings would be - it is far more than a few extra quid....unfortunately

It is the same scenario, if I have a hospital outpatient appointment... should my health suffer because I would need medical care - as the shop would be closed for half a day and some poor soul would have to go without their £1 bag of sweets...

I bet the customer wouldnt think of me in hospital.... - when they bought the sweets in Tesco !! if you see what I mean -

The older I get it is certainly getting to the point of work to live, not live to work,.......

 

[John_]

Have to close my shop for a month next month. The missus having a baby, 2 girls going on their honeymoon (to be fair, they both got married in march and been holding out for this shut), others just need holiday. As much as I like the shop to be open but there are time when it is just beyond your control. Desperate to keep customers I am now offering deals like 4 courses treatments for the price of 3, which make it dirt cheap. There will always be a risk of loosing customers having such closure, especially after 4 hard years the business starting to do well, but what can you do.

 

[herewegoagain.]

Have to close my shop for a month next month. The missus having a baby, 2 girls going on their honeymoon (to be fair, they both got married in march and been holding out for this shut), others just need holiday. As much as I like the shop to be open but there are time when it is just beyond your control. Desperate to keep customers I am now offering deals like 4 courses treatments for the price of 3, which make it dirt cheap. There will always be a risk of loosing customers having such closure, especially after 4 hard years the business starting to do well, but what can you do.

Cheers John, it is awful feeling guilty wanting a holiday after 4 years - the general public/customers dont care, they would only complain when the shopkeeper 'drops'! LOL

 

[John_]

"Work live longer than you" a Chinese proverb I think

 

[Blue Steel]

Is there a gap in the market here

Providing small business / self managed shops with staff, keeping the doors open ect.

Many years ago I did a paid favour for a mate, he worked as self empolyed owner driver / multi drop courier for a large parcel company.

I did all his deliveries for 2 weeks, just shadowed him for 2 days prior, agree it's a simpler task.
He still honoured his contract with them and still made a small return even after fuel and my wages.

Trust always an issue, possibly could work small scale within networking or local groups.

OP, could the shop keeper next door watch yours and you return the favour in the future.

 

[herewegoagain.]

Hello Blue Steel, great idea but the 'gentleman' next door ( I use the word loosely!) I wouldnt trust with my photocopying! - decidedly dodgy character!! LOL