ForumsStarting a Business

I would like to try and get it open before the summer so that all the kids with free summers can come and get into it. I know there is alot of work to do and that might be too soon, but we are quite flexible.
I have never heard of SCORE, can you give me more information or some way to learn about it? I will wiki it after this session.
Yes, we have tried to be as thorough and detailed as possible in our plan, we aren't done yet though. I'm looking here and a few other places for advice and help, to make sure we're doing things well as well as getting opinions from experts and other novices alike. We both think outside of the box, and in overlapping ways, but we are man enough to admit when there are better ideas than ours. Hahaha.

I'm sure you've estimated the revenue you can bring in each month -- and based on your post, I'm sure you understand the difference between your investment costs (how much you'll spend before you can even open for business) and your operating costs (how much you'll spend on wages, supplies, utilities, insurance, etc. each month to run the business). Now that you're developing a plan, use these figures to make a monthly cash flow projection that shows (starting now) month-by-month how much money you expect to spend, and how much you expect to take in after you open. (A SCORE counselor can probably help there.)

Once you have those cash flow projections, look at every major investment and operating component independently, and see what happens to your costs, revenues, and profits if you scale something up or down -- in other words, how does a smaller building versus a larger building change the picture? How would having two additional by-the-hour computers or two less affect your costs and revenues? How would opening an hour earlier or an hour later impact your customers, your staff, and so on.

Too many "novices" find a storefront, open the doors, and then start trying to find the right mix of all those variables on the fly (and they wonder why they're not making money). You can avoid a lot of the trial-and-error if you think of it as a game -- simulate your new business on paper or in a spreadsheet, and "play" with every element that might cost or make you money. Then you'll know how to spend as little as possible to make as much as you can.

Best wishes on your new endeavor!