another cycle shop closure: Bicycle co. Staines

[lumos2000]

apparently bike sale are outdoing car sales in Europe at the moment, greedy councils are shooting themselves in the foot over business rates

 

[NeilM]

greedy councils are shooting themselves in the foot over business rates

I never have been able to figure this one out, surely something per month from an occupied shop is better than nothing per month from an empty one.

 

[fatandforty]

greedy councils are shooting themselves in the foot over business rates

I never have been able to figure this one out, surely something per month from an occupied shop is better than nothing per month from an empty one.

Unfortunately it's everything per month whatever.

 

[Rampage]

greedy councils are shooting themselves in the foot over business rates

I never have been able to figure this one out, surely something per month from an occupied shop is better than nothing per month from an empty one.

Unfortunately local Council's don't think like this, besides you get free business rates for small business at the moment, saving you perhaps £500 p/a. Council tax for me (small shop, quite spacey with two stories upstairs) was £1300. Quite a small bill relatively.
As an example gas and electricity bills were double that in a year, each. Rent was 10x, and VAT was 15x higher than council tax.
Council Tax and Business Rates really aren't that much in the grand scheme.

I think registered charity's get free council tax etc on empty shops? But not sure.

I gave up my business because it wasn't worth it anymore (not bike related). All the big companies that you deal with are having a hard time so they take it out on their customers, which is the small business's.
British Gas were phoning me three times a day about an outstanding bill that hadn't been paid because THEY cancelled the direct debit. I was told to wait until the next payment was due and they would take the money, but that didn't stop the constant phone calls and threatening letters about debt collectors / cancelling my supply etc.
For a small business I was taking £1k in cards payments a week, the charge for this from Elavon the Merchant Services provider (recommended by my bank, Santander) was £50 a month. Unfortunately the salesman who came to my house, purposely lied and told me I'd be paying £20 / month after explaining that I had been very ill and couldn't read the contract. Just cancelled with them and they want more money for collecting the card terminal. Also, despite giving them my new address they insist on sending bills to the previous address, it is their policy to only send bills to the address I had when I was their customer, they can't even email me the bill apparently. So whenever I go to the previous address to collect mail, I find I had 1 week to pay their bill and then they would be contacting debt collectors. Oh well, too late!

Santander my bank, lost two consecutive VAT payments, so I had HMRC threatening to send Bailiffs to my business. Months later it turned out that Santander's computer had automatically removed the reference number from my payments, no idea why. So that was several months of stress until that was found.

Glad I got out while I was still making a (small) profit with no massive debts to pay

Anyway, back to topic. I blame the big companies greed for the demise of the small business's. The council certainly don't help, but I don't think they're the worst by a long way.

 

[NeilM]

I blame the big companies greed for the demise of the small business's.

Hmmm, that sounds too farmiliar, same thing happens in the construction industry with the big boys wiping out their sub-contractors... and then moaning that they can't find subbies. :facepalm:

 

[cce]

The "bike shop" in its traditional role, selling high-end bongo to the likes of us is in an inherent decline.

We all know what we are looking for, and how to fit and fix it. We buy online, we mend at home.

The commuter market is growing though. They have no interest in fixing their own bike, they throw it into a shop when it has a puncture. This is where the bike shop business needs to focus itself to survive

 

[legrandefromage]

this shop blamed rent and rates at some £55k a year x2

I'm still toying with the idea of a bike shop, we have the premises, insurance and very low rent paid up already.