Help Needed If Possible

[tiny1]

You will have to excuse my ignorance on this forum but my knowledge of this subject is limited.

I with one other person own and run a tied public house on the south coast of England.
My business partner has no interest in the place and seems determined to run it into the ground.
I have tried to communicate with them over the past 2 years but to no avail,
with me left to run nearly everything we have struck financial difficulty.
Have you any ideas to help with the advertising and ideas to keep my business which has massive potential above water.

Sorry for the despondant first post but I feel like I have hit rock bottom.

 

[Rob Holmes]

Hi Tiny1,

Interesting first post <smile>

I am sure there are members who will be only too happy to help in whatever way they can.

Try to identify your main problem and have a search on the forums to see if the questions already been asked/answered. If it hasn't then simply open a thread in the correct area of the forum and we'll do our best to help!

Chin up!

Rob

 

[Jayne]

Hi Tiny1,

Could you not talk your partner into selling his partnership to another party, someone who would help with the business I know what rock bottom feels like and got through it, keep at it, something always comes along to lift your spirits.

Oh and welcome to the forum

Jayne

 

[easy]

Hi Tiny1 - welcome to the forum.

I've been involved with a struggling pub before and winter is the toughest time. All I can suggest is the obvious really - regular events, good food and real ale.

Quiz nights, darts/pool teams, live music and food theme nights all seem popular - but they have to be regular and dont give up just because nobody turns upt for the first few weeks.

Special offers such as "2-4-1 Candlelit Dinner this Friday" etc. Curry night goes down well too. Sunday carvery is popular once it gets a name for itself.

Marketing is very important - get a reasonable printer and a Dahle paper trimmer, and you can produce your own flyers cheaply. Try to get out atleast once a month and put something through the locals doors. And maybe the local shops will put up posters with a Whats On this month" theme. Much more effective than newspaper advertising - and much cheaper.

And get rid of that business partner of yours - one bad egg can drag the whole thing down!

Good luck.

 

[JK_du_Toit]

I am going to give you some famous words...
"Never give up. Never, Never give up. Never, Never, Never Give Up."

If the company has potential, it will work if you want it to. Offer to buy your partner out and sell 49% out, or, if you can, buy him out, employ a manager who works solely on SMALL basic and a % of TO... That should get the manager started as well as giving you area to breathe, step out a bit and work "on" your business in stead of "in" your business.

If you own a ship and you paddle with the crew in the bottom, who is going to steer the ship to where you want it to go...? From the sound of it you are a go getter, you should be out there getting new clients and doing marketing and doing yourself some good! Your business should be a pleasure, not a chore.

Hope this helped...

 

[Jayne]

I am going to give you some famous words...
"Never give up. Never, Never give up. Never, Never, Never Give Up."

If the company has potential, it will work if you want it to. Offer to buy your partner out and sell 49% out, or, if you can, buy him out, employ a manager who works solely on SMALL basic and a % of TO... That should get the manager started as well as giving you area to breathe, step out a bit and work "on" your business in stead of "in" your business.

If you own a ship and you paddle with the crew in the bottom, who is going to steer the ship to where you want it to go...? From the sound of it you are a go getter, you should be out there getting new clients and doing marketing and doing yourself some good! Your business should be a pleasure, not a chore.

Hope this helped...

You were doing really well, until the bottom bit...nothing wrong with getting your hand dirty and mucking in with the crew (as you put it), i've been doing it for 12 yrs and has done me no harm. Plus you get to see first hand what your staff are up to! You can still do the business side too, just got to learn how to juggle (and do without sleep) :lol:

Another good saying...Pride comes before a fall

Jayne

 

[Mark Pocock]

Here's what I would do:

start making your own database.

Collect your customers names addresses and email names. along with their ( and their family) birthday dates.
Bribe them with the chance of winning a free meal when they join your list. Every fortnight or what ever you'll pull a name from your database of a lucky winner.

Pretty soon you could have a large amount of names.

Eat so many times in my pub (say 5) and the sixth meal is free. time limit it.

Before a birthday comes up you send them a letter with an irresistable offer for a meal. Backed by a money back guarantee.

A lot of people celebrate birthdays with groups of family and friends. Offer group discounts.

Also go after all the loacl sports clubs who don't ahve the facilities to offer food after matches. eg squash, badminton, tennis, etc.

Also hit your local business owners for lunchtime.
Eat so many times and free meal on the house.

Keep building your list and market to them over and over again.

Always give your reason why they can have a good deal.

make sense?

 

[tiny1]

Thank you so much, I didnt realise that these forums were such friendly places.

The things that have been mentioned are things that I have tried to action over the past months.

Pool/Darts teams we have.
Real ale we have.
Food: Now this is where we hit a Brick wall.

My partner thinks that running a business involves lock ins and late starts with other staff working hours that he could comfortably cover.

I have inquired about buying him out but cannot produce the money.
I spend 40 hours a week behind the Bar and a further 24 hours doing the behind the scenes work (Balancing books, staff problems finance worries etc.).
My business partner does a grand total of 24 hours behind the bar and the food trade that he promised to turn around when we first took over the business has ground to a painful halt.

Im at my wits end, and by the day any idea that I come up with is quickly stamped out.

This will go bad,and short of him helping out more (about 25 hours more)
my hard earned business will fail.

Thank you so much for your flyer ideas Im frantically canvassing the streets with my flyers between posts and the Bank manager calling.

Thanks for listening.
Tiny1

 

[JK_du_Toit]

Said like a true marketeer! Every sale starts with a list...Rule 1-0-1.
Sounds like Marc Pocock works for us...!

Agree with Mark, even if you want to give something away, you always have to give a reason.

 

[MorethanWords]

I don't know if this is a good idea or not really, but it may help.

What about outsourcing your catering for a while - i don't know where you'd start really. What I basically thought was if you let someone run their catering business from your premises for little money, but in exchange they supply pub grub for you? Don't know how feasible this is - only ever worked as a barmaid whilst at uni so my knowledge of this field is basic. Better the other side of the bar!

Anyway, another idea, although don't know again if it would work: A pub near me recently closed down for a week, chucked some paint around, put up some new curtains and gave it a new name. Suddenly it is THE place to go.

Not saying change the name, but maybe close for a few days or a week (if you can afford to), get some new curtains in ikea and do a bit of a changing rooms job, then flyer like mad for 'the relaunch of the year'.

P.S. Don't know what to do about the dodgy business partner - is there anyone you know who may be willing to buy half his share and tell him he's out on his ear (aside from the cash)?

 

[tiny1]

im painting after the pub closes to save cash because I cant afford to close the place to try and revamp it.
It sickens me to think of this place (and me ) going under because it has so much potential.
I used to have boundless enthusiasm but this is draining me.

 

[MorethanWords]

Will the other dude not even help you paint? You really need to do something about this.

It's exactly why my dad told me never to go into a business partnership... But that doesn't help you.

You really need to sit this person down and spell out exactly what's going wrong. Is there no one who can help you buy your partner out?

 

[Jayne]

Hi,

Maybe you should seek some legal advice, a good solicitor may know a way of helping you get your partner out of the business..most solicitors give 30 mins free advice.

Jayne

 

[easy]

Can you explain the meaning of a tied public house.

Does it mean that you and your partner own the freehold but are obliged to use one drinks supplier. Or do you rent the pub, or just have a management agreement?

Forgive my ignorance on these matters.

 

[tiny1]

Your nearly right, the pub is tied in the respect that we pay a rent to the brewery and we have to get our beer and cask ales from their suppliers but the upkeep and maintenance etc is our responsibility.

 

[MichaelG]

You might need to do some market research - start by visiting a few of the successful locals and take along a notepad - write down everything they do well and talk to people to find out why they go there.

We need to know a little more about the local people - so give us a profile.

If you have lots of businesses near you - how about have a set business lunch menu.

Have you tried PR? getting into the local papers. Think of something that local people are passionate about and get your pub involved.

Who you have a local football team? if yes - get behind them - if your pub is big enough - set aside a sports viewing TV area.

If you have a lot of families with kids living in the area - set-up a play area.

 

[tiny1]

Thats the thing; great advice, and so much appreciated but I have discussed all of these ideas with my business partner and I am actioning these ideas with friends who are trying to help me but its not happening.

I literally have nothing left and am fighting to keep the place open and afloat I have no Money to play with.

He is determined to run it into the ground.

 

[MichaelG]

Tiny1,

You need to give us a little bit more info.

What are the local people like?
What are they passionate about?
What have you tried?
What have you got in your pub?
etc ...

What I get so far is this:
You have a lazy partner; You have no money; And your business is about to close.

 

[tiny1]

The locals are very set in their ways but good people who try to help out when needed for events etc.
The big screen is a feature that we have installed recently and that seemed to have worked with the regulars, but I am as we speak trying to action some advertising on a shoestring budget for the football matches.
We have darts and pool teams and live music twice a week and a karaoke night, and im trying various nights to encourage customers.
I think that the only way to save the business is to cut staff costs by reducing their hours and my business partner doing thet hours but he refuses that aswell.
We have a pool table, dart board, juke box and reasonable size eating area.

 

[tiny1]

On paper the place sounds brilliant and has such potential.