Shop owners

[Duke Fame]

Duke Fame, I've just realised your original post was about rents and I'm prataling on about rates!!

Rents are my issue, Given the rough business model I'm working to, it can break even on sales of around £90,000 with a rent of £5,000. Sales of £110,000 at £10,000. Given the rents being asked by the agents (closer to £10k) , I don't think break even is possible when I was analysing the footfall last week.

[Marple Business Forum]

Duke Fame, I've just realised your original post was about rents and I'm prataling on about rates!!

[Duke Fame]

The army and navy shop in stockport told me he pays   over twenty thousand pounds in rates ... and  said it costs him 500 pounds per week before he even opens his front door and  has sold anything ... he is at the very end of underbank and said that 40  businesses had shut down in underbank in 12 months  .........

The underbank area has been an almightly c*** up. Part was earmarked a regeneration area and it became even more expensive to do business.

The business rates don't seem as bad in Marple our current shop but the rents being asked do seem very high. There does seem to be quite a lot of empty premises on hte precinct & Stockport road but the rents (estate agent ticket price at least) seem to be around the £8-9k. To achieve this I'd have to achieve 50% extra sales than the current unit which is unlikely.

Thanks for the offer Paul, I shall pop in and discuss a few things when I get a mo.

[Rachael]

The army and navy shop in stockport told me he pays   over twenty thousand pounds in rates ... and  said it costs him 500 pounds per week before he even opens his front door and  has sold anything ... he is at the very end of underbank and said that 40  businesses had shut down in underbank in 12 months  .........

[Marple Business Forum]

It's always nice to hear of new independent business people interested in opening up in Marple.

The business rates in Marple are slightly higher than you would find in some other District Centres but that is because of the strength of Marple's shopping centre.  I believe Marple has the lowest unit vancancy rate of all the Stockport District Centres.

The £9,000 sounds like the Rateable Value.  There is a multiplier that gives the amount you'd actually pay (off the top of my head i think it's something like 0.419).   Also, depending on the size of your operation you may qualify for Small Business Rate Releif.  Having said that, as your expanding your empire you're probably already aware of this.

I don't want to post to much on a public forum incase I accidentally give away some confidential information but if you'd like to discuss 'business in marple' please feel free to drop into my shop (Paul Howard, 50 Market Street) or drop me an e-mail (marketing@marpletraders.co.uk).

[Duke Fame]

I've been on the lookout for a small shop possible in Marple to expend the empire into. The rents seem way out of proportion to the footfall. Without divulging any secrets, does the area really justify £9,000 for what is a very small shop on the precinct?

I was thinking that this sort of shop should justify around £5k given the footfall.

Any experience?