Opening Record Store


Looking for advice from my fellow audiogoners...I have the potential to move into a store front that is already being operated as a record store (lps only) and become the new shop proprieter/owner. The owner has offered me the space (rediculously cheap rent) in a good area of town. He has had his store for about 5 years now and has a steady customer base. He will be taking all of his inventory and record storage bins that were in the store.He has a web site set up already and signs out front indicating the name of the shop...I plan on rebranding the shop with name change and interior upgrades. It is not a large space maybe 800-1000 square feet. I have a rather large inventory of my own so my up front investment of vinyl would be minimal. The owner wants me to buy him out..basically give cash in return for his customer base and the potential to get my hands on pretty good collections. I am trying to come up with a fair valuation of something like this and I am looking for advice..What do you think something like this is worth? Thank you in advance.
fromunda

Showing 1 response by asvjerry

One abreviated word:

Don't.

You're going to compete with SalvArmy/Habitat sifters looking for THAT and happy to waste your time.  You'll spend most of your time listening to what You've bought to sort the trash from the 'ehh, OK's'.  

If it's not a 'labor of love' and a means to burn through $ you need to do so with, or perhaps running into the rare audiophile that admires your version of plucky insanity, don't...

Do you know how to run a business?  A real, honest-to-Whomever, retail business?  Incidentally, in a real niche market?  Hot for now, but...?

Suggestion:  Take a clue from the wizened ones here, blow off the B&M shop, and go online 1st.  Cheaper, you can stay home, work @ your 'leisure', and build/rebuild your/a market....

Get notoriuse....we have.  It's taken 13 years and rolling.

I don't sell audio 'anything'.

If that changes, I'd head online.  First.

(...and offer a 'Lifetime Warranty!'  As in, Mine. *LOL*)

Good luck, anyhow.  You'll need a lot of it..... ;)