If you could buy a business, which one would you buy?

[NJmaverick]

What would you do?

[Flaxbee]

1. Hmm. I'd like to have a flower shop / bookstore / art gallery / lingerie shop

all rolled into one :)

Maybe it'd be recession proof! Toss in there a coffee shop that could serve cocktails after 5pm, and it'd be a hell of a lot of fun.

Honestly, though, if I could be successful with a flower shop / bookstore, I'd be a happy woman.

[Glenda]

4. I'd go to your flower shop / bookstore

:thumbsup:

Let me know when it opens :)

I've bought a lot of flowers in this recession. People are spending less on going out and more on staying in. i wonder how flower sales are doing?

[NJmaverick]

26. Sounds like a nice place

What would you call it?

[Flaxbee]

39. "Blooming Books"?

Just right off the top of my head.

"Flowers and Lace" (if I had the lingerie part of the store, too)

Not sure, but it's fun to brainstorm over something like that...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Exxon-Mobil.

[XemaSab]

3. Either a casino or a whorehouse

:D

[704wipes]

19. I was in a pretty empty Harrahs at Tunica, MS in May

don't think you should buy a casino in Mississippi, maybe Vegas would be better?
location, location, location

[XemaSab]

22. Anywhere in California seems to make good bank

:shrug:

[NJmaverick]

27. Which is your fist choice?

[Turbineguy]

5. The the repub health care plan goes through

I'll buy a cemetery and crematorium (just to cover all the bases).

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. There is a small house that was built in 1859 that has been converted

to really nice little restaurant. I would buy it and serve organic dishes made from locally grown produce and livestock.

[NJmaverick]

28. Got a picture of the house?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

33. ~

A recipe from the 1859 Café

[Moondog]

38. I was at a place a few weeks ago that looks just like this one.

I've been (unsuccessfully) on the lookout for "the right" piece of RE in either eastern TN or western NC for a while now. I make the occasional trip up there, and was in NC a few weeks back. An old friend and his wife took me to dinner to a place that they know. I don't remember the name, and I'm not absolutely certain that this is the same place, but if it is I can see why you like it.

[_dynamicdems]

7. It would have to be a combination of a book store, pub and coffee shop. n/t

[AwakeAtLast]

8. Mr. AAL and I want to put a Bojangles in IN

http://www.bojangles.com/

They have the best chicken! Blows KFC away, IMO.

I have warned my hubby that I will probably gain 500 lbs. if it happens. ;)

Every time we travel east, we must find a Bojangles. :9

[Callalily]

9. Scuba diving shop in the Caribbean n/t

[NJmaverick]

29. I always thought that would be one of those dream jobs

No stress in a garden spot of the world.

[Xipe Totec]

10. A Casino in Vegas n/t

[lildreamer316]

11. A tanning salon at my local plaza.

It's not that I'm such a huge fanatic of tanning salons,although I did used to work in one( like anything else, use in moderation). I did the research about the local area and it would be an idea business for the space, and I know how to run it.

[sarge43]

12. Book store, plant nursery, art gallery, or gourmet food store. n/t

[Swede]

15. A bookstore/music store would be right up my alley.

That would be a great way to make a living.

[sarge43]

17. A reading area -- comfy chairs, coffee bar, potted plants,

classical, swing and cool jazz, new age music on the sound system and for sale.

Never make any money (lucky to break even), but civilized.

[Swede]

18. Pay the bills,some beer money.

What more can a guy hope for?

[sarge43]

21. Came in without any money; intend to leave the same way.

No point in complicating your life.

[Crazy Dave]

13. Pizza parlor

:9

[auntAgonist]

14. Tim Horton's Donuts.

:)

:donut: :donut: :donut:

[UrbScotty]

16. Wal-Mart. Then I'd fire the management and change the way they do business.

[Bennyboy]

20. I'd start a non profit (that is what I am doing)

that was art and music related. It is called the Joyful Sound Foundation. We teach people to play WITH drums. In Schools, youth centers,alzheimers facilities, team building events etc.

This is the second non profit I have done and when you do things FOR people, rather than yourself, it makes you feel incredible. With the first one, it was a bit more work thatn I could afford at the time, but this one is not like that.

[NJmaverick]

30. That sounds terrific

good for you, I think there is few things more noble than non-profit ventures.

[Kali]

42. that sounds really nice

how do the Alzheimer's folks do?

[Bennyboy]

43. It is funny...

But the couple of times I have done it there (as a free trial thing)they did okay. We are talking a total lockdown alzheimer's facility. I bring in the drums and other percussion instruments, and they all pick their favorites. I play some music on the stereo to get the bet going and start to play along. I talk over that and encourage them to bang around and they can do it. It is like math and the beat is almost instinctive. So they can hang on it, not something they have to think about or remeber but more like the most basic thing in the world. They get into a groove. Of sorts.

But it is never more than beating on them, it is a continual first lesson. Other than 4/4 times, they never get more complex than that. The second time they all picked a different instrument to play. I imagine they would pick another favorite the next time...

But it was a great demo and a lot of people at Eskaton were there, so we are now talking about adding it to the Eskaton activites program and the fees etc....

One of the great mental health things seniors can do is play music. I really want to get this going (eskaton again) in the older but not losing it population. Studies show that music is the one great prevention and therapies there are for the aged and aging. I know for me the drums saved my life. I tired pills, pot and everything else to deal with my depression but once I got some instruments, that all went away. Just bang on the drum all day....

[Kali]

47. there have been some interesting articles in the science lit lately

on music and brain function.

I was curious if the staff noticed any lasting effects for them. Not memory function necessarily, but maybe mood/emotion as you indicated. Two times might not be enough to show, but that would be interesting to know/study.

[Bennyboy]

48. Can you link some of those stories, papers etc?

I ahve ssome of them, but if you have more it would be greatly appreciated. I know there is a PBS special on this too, but I can't seem ot find it.

And study is something we have talked about with this program. But that is up to them. I'm the guy with the drums....

For now we (I) am still setting this thing up and am aiming for january to start doing it full time. First I gotta raise funds to et the deal up from a Gov't perspective, buy more insturments (I did the demo with mine and my friends and a couple of loaners) get some of the musicians who are goig to be involved off tour, apply for grants etc.

[Kali]

50. oh crap, I was afraid you might ask

:rofl: I read stuff and toss it, but I will keep an eye out. If you are following the subject you probably know more than me, anyway.

[Bennyboy]

53. Like Sammy Davis Jr.?

Keep an eye out! (really old joke).

[Parche]

23. delta airlines

they are positioned to become a super airline
and i would make it super profitable

[csziggy]

24. At this stage in life - a needlework shop with all kinds of neat specialties fibers

lovely designs, beautiful painted canvasses and just great stuff.

I was thinking about that earlier today, actually. Even if the economy picks back up, I really am not physically capable of running a horse breeding and boarding business any longer. I love doing needlework and have studied a number of different techniques, done my own original designs, exhibited at the national level and won prizes. AND there are no shops in my town dedicated to needlework supplies - in fact no shops within 50-100 miles, except a small bead shop that carries a few needlework supplies as a side line.

The down side is coming up with the funds to buy stock, finding a location to lease, competing with online needlework sources or having to open my own online store while also trying to run a brick and mortar business. And of course, having to be in the store every single day to sell stuff. I'm not sure I am ready to do that!

We had a retail store in the early 80's that was breaking even with employees who were ripping us off. When we had it audited, the advice was to either close it or have no employees and work it ourselves six days a week. Once we broke down the numbers, we came out ahead to close it since the take home from the shop would have been a minimal income.

Needlework shops have a history of being part time "hobby" businesses, open only certain days a week and run out of someone's house. Problem is, we're too far out of town to do that, and leasing a store front for a part time business does not make sense.

So while I daydream about it, I probably will never do it, especially at my age!

[Brigid]

25. A newspaper.

I would turn it into a radical underground periodical, ala the '60's. This town needs one. :)

[NJmaverick]

31. What about the internet? How would your paper address that?

[Brigid]

36. My paper would be on the internet too.

NUVO, an alternative newsweekly in Indianapolis, is free on the streets, and is on the internet too. Apparently their advertising supports them. Some of their personal ads are hilarious! :)

http://www.nuvo.net/

[datasuspect]

32. a gun/liquor/pornography superstore.

[Brigid]

34. A redneck paradise!

:rofl:

[datasuspect]

35. and methamphetamine precursors!

don't forget the methamphetamine precursors!

[dysfunctional press]

37. microsoft.

dismantle it.

[Mopar151]

40. A road course in New England

A lot like Lime Rock or VIR. Not a giant grandstand sort of place, but a good club racing/school track. Campground, track/camp store, sell fuel, good concession stand (with it's own sweet corn field!), meeting/rec hall/clubhouse, maybe a golf course (like Thompson, CT - share facilities, helps with cash flow). Mow the place with sheep....

[cleveramerican]

41. Hot Dog Stand

some busy corner or at a beach

Years ago I wanted to work in one of those drive-up film booths.
They didn't hire me.

[madrchsod]

44. a bar or a restaurant

[Mopar151]

59. See post 40....

You want the clubhouse/concession stand biz at my track? 3-5 days/wk, 7 mo/yr, travel in the winter.

[I Have A Dream]

45. Fox News. I'd turn it into a real news organization. nt

[Rabrrrrrr]

46. Snowmobile store in Honolulu

That is, I'd like to be so rich, I could buy into a business that will never have customers, and therefore I could just close up shop every day and take a holiday.

[KamaAina]

52. No snowmobilers, but we do have snowboarders

it does snow on the Big Island summits, and occasionally on Maui's Haleakala. When it does, cell phones and texters throughout the archipelago are buzzing, as everyone needs to get down there before it melts.

The rest of the year, they settle for Colorado.

[madinmaryland]

49. News Corp. And then I would shut it right the fuck down.

No more Fox Noise, Murdoch Street Journel, etc.

[NJmaverick]

56. Why not hire Jon Stewart and Stephan Colbert to run things

that would be a lot more fun... watching heads explode:evilgrin:

[Kali]

51. Sometimes I think I might like to do a small private tour/travel thing

but I have actually participated in the kind of trip I am thinking of and more than likely I would just kill the people who paid to go so meh, I'll stick to driving occasionally and leave the organizing/babysitting to others with better people skills.

[Sisaruus]

54. An independent bookstore or publishing company

The question didn't state I also needed to make a living at said business.

[quakerboy]

55. Federal Reserve

What could possibly be a better deal.. You pay Dollar bills for the right to print dollar bills.

[mzteris]

57. bookstore/coffeeshop

preferably at the beach or some other resort community.

[Moondog]

58. There is a bookstore in Portland, OR called Powell's Books.

The best bookstore in the US of A. I'd buy that one. And I wouldn't change a thing.

[fizzgig]

61. that would be so cool

i love powell's

[Moondog]

62. It really is a treasure.

[Ikonoklast]

60. A brew pub.

The local one that I patronize on a regular basis is teh awsum.


http://www.thebrewkettle.com/