Assuming you have a bar along one or more walls then you will need stools. It may seem like Sexy Trouwjurken an obvious point but before you install the bar make sure you can get stools which match it heightwise.
So far as choosing tables and chairs is concerned it really depends on the image you want to present. You might like the idea of a Bohemian-style caf area with an artistic or original image. If so, you will be well advised to go to a second-hand furniture shop or your nearest auctions and pick up a selection of old pieces of furniture there. They might be a bit of a hotch-potch but they will exude character and individuality.
However, don forget your responsibility to the public. sturdy with no sticking out nails or screws. If a customer catches her expensive dress on a nail you won be flavour of the month.
The other problem is that if you need to replace a couple of chairs you will find it harder to get good matches.
If you decide to buy new there is a large range of furniture available which is aimed at the catering industry generally: pubs, clubs, hotels, sandwich bars, cafes, etc. The obvious advantage is that they are specifically built for hard use, and if you need to replace them you can do so with identical pieces.
One other tip: try to find room for a (wonderfully named) poser table. This is a free-standing weighted pole with one or two circular surfaces absolutely ideal for putting in a window or small area of dead space. It has always been a source of disappointment to me that we have never found a suitable space for one.
When it comes to floor covermgs you really are in the same boat as any of the major high street stores; you must get good quality commercial products. Anything other than this will look tatty in no time. You will have hundreds of people traipsing over your floor in foul weather and fair. To get some ideas for your shop take a wander down your high street and see what the big stores use.
One tip: get smell plastic covers to put on the ends of stool and chair legs to protect your floor coverings. If you buy new furniture your supplier will probably be able to provide these to you for a minimal extra charge.
Air conditioning or extractor?
You might think that air conditioning is a bit over the top for a small independent operation. But you will be surprised by the amount heat generated by a few refrigerated units. For a large part of the year this is not a problem indeed it Trouwjurken nl an advantage because it helps to warm the place up, especially in the morning. In summer, however, when you open up in the morning, you will be hit by the kind of blast of warm air you get when you step off a plane in Mallorca in July.
If you have no means of cooling the shop the staff will complain with justification. Working in this kind of heat is not pleasant.
You can buy a fan or two but all they do is re-cycle the air already in the shop. Admittedly summer doesn last all that long in Britain and before you know where you are the staff will be asking for a heater. But do you really want to put up with two or three months of excessive heat Korte Avondjurken in the shop?
You can install an air-conditioning system. It the most effective solution. But it expensive and quite complicated since you need to have a means of piping air to the exterior of the building. Whether you can install a system or not really depends on the nature of your particular unit and you will need expert advice. You can also hire an air conditioning unit on a weekly basis. However, it is very expensive. We recently got a quote for our second shop (which is about 850 sq. ft [78m2]) of for a month.
The simplest method of getting rid of the heat generated by refrigerated units is to install an extractor in the front window. It sucks the warm air out leaving the shop pleasantly cool. It is not very cheap. We had one installed in our first shop a small unit of about 300 sq. ft (28m2) which cost a little under including VAT. It was miraculously effective. Not only that but you can reverse the extractor so that in winter it operates to keep the warm air in the shop. In addition, the shop is cooler so the fridges don have to work so hard and this reduces your electricity bills.
For a moderately-sized unit I think this is the best solution. BUT you must take professional advice. If you simply buy one and get an electrician to fit it you might get the wrong size for your shop and it will only be partially effective. Get a professional to toll you what you need, and then if it doesn work effectively you have someone to complain to.
Using spreadsheets you can enter details of money in, money out and VAT. This information can then be analysed and printed off for use by your accountants when preparing your accounts at the end of the year. The information is all stored so, for instance, it is easy for you to check back on the previous year figures.
It is also possible to have a connection between your till and your computer (which may well be in your house) enabling them to to each other. This means that when you go home after work the information about the day take is already stored in the computer ready for you to work on. The company which supplies your till can give you information on this.
With a modem (which allows your computer to be connected to the phone network) or a cable connection, you can enter into the astonishing world of the Internet and e-mail. This will enable you to surf the net for ideas and information about sandwiches/coffee/equipment and so on from all over the world. You could set up your own web site as part of an expansion programme. A lot of people now encourage customers to e-mail orders in the morning which can then be collected at lunchtime.
If you are not computer literate this might all seem a bit daunting. However, the good news is that you don need to understand how computers work to be able to use them to the benefit of your business. Do you really understand how a telephone or a video machine works?
There are lots of inexpensive computer courses advertised in the press. Go on one of these, but also get a book out of the library and go in for a bit of trial and error. Surprise yourself.
Of course if you have (or have access to) teenagers you should get them to explain it all to you just ask them to speak slowly!
Obviously there are costs associated with computers, but they all tax deductible and the advantages, financial and otherwise, for your business are simply incalculable.
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