Viability of the Business - Part 1

Well, the abundance of sandwich bars countrywide shows that on a basic level, the concept of opening and running a shop is viable. There are plenty of independents as well as chains, so its not like the big boys have the market sewn up either. The question isn’t , is the business viable ? but rather , is it viable in your area ?

Carrying out the research

The first thing to do is get a feel for the sandwich trade. The best way to accomplish this is by visiting as many shops as possible, and spending some time in each. Don’t make it blatantly obvious that you are there as an observer, be as discreet as possible. Visit independents as well as the chains, you can learn a lot from both. It’s a good idea to take notes, relying just on memory can be difficult.

Get a feel for the atmosphere, are the staff happy ? Does the boss look haggard and worn out ? Are the customers being served quickly ? Or do they seem aggravated ? Is the order placing and payment system efficient, or are people tripping over one another ?

Can you see obvious areas for improvement ? These questions and many more will need answering before you can build up an accurate picture of a business, other points to consider should be :

• The menu that each shop offers, and the prices.
• The attitude and manner of the staff.
• How many people employed in the public eye ?
• Make a note of the equipment on display, is it clean and presentable, try and judge the age of it.
• What about the floors, walls and ceilings, any ideas on the construction or layout that you could use ?
• The general décor, is it smart and clean, or drab and worn ?
• Have any of the independents managed to achieve a corporate professional look ?
• What about the packaging, is it embossed with the shop’s logo, does the business even have a logo ? what’s the labeling like ?
• Is the quality of the food acceptable, how generous are the portions ?
• How do the prices differ between similar shops ?
• What is the average order consist of, is it just sandwiches or is there a good variety ?
• How busy does it get, are afternoons quiet, or is there still trade ?
• Can you see areas for improvement in the shops you visit ?
• How many display fridges in the public view, and what are they selling?
• Are any of the shops offering something special, not generally available at a competitors business ?
• How many people order and leave compared to those who eat at a table ?
• What is the customer profile, office workers, shoppers etc ?

As you carry out your research, no doubt other thoughts will occur to you in addition to those mentioned above, just remember to take notes that you can refer back to !

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