Your idea.s

rossdavey2

So I have been putting together a buisness plan for a B+M of my very own. I am looking to open with a year and a half God willing.

Apart from great customer service and a great cigar selection what would you guys think should be in the store?

So I have a few firm ideas, but I would love to hear what you guys would like to see in a B+M.

bigharpoon

Good luck with your business idea, I hope it goes well for you. As far as what I'd like to see in a B&M besides a great selection and service is an outdoor area (both open and an area under a roof for shade or when it's raining), an area with a tv for the big game(s), an area away from the tv for when I don't want to watch tv or be near one, and a good selection of whiskey and scotch and tequila. That about covers it.

wwhwang

How's about a basket of samplers in the walk-in? Not with a bunch of no-name 50 cent stick cigars from God knows where (like a lot of B&Ms have), but with decent to good cigars. Not only that, hopefully, you might be able to hold an event with a certain brand name.

rossdavey2

Here is my plan so far

Nice sitting area with TV and all the normal stuff, another quite sitting area with out TV more for talking and just unwinding, closed off sitting area with TV Xbox and the like that can be rented or used by anyone when not booked, good sized humi with lockers for rent, coffee and snack food stuff.

The future plans are to have out door area and small bar with drinks and micro brew ales and beers. Not trying to get everything done at the start because to much debt won't help.
I like the sampler idea like a grad bag.

If membership got you a locker in the humi, free coffee, a stick or 2 a month and a 10% discount on sticks and 20% on boxes how much would you be willing to pay for that? is $40 a month too much?

phobicsquirrel

Good luck and good luck getting a loan.

wwhwang

The xbox might be a nice touch. Coffee will be a really good thing, especially for pairing with cigars. I love pairing coffee or mocha with Man O' Wars and chocolate milk with CAO Brazilia.

As far as membership goes, I'd suggest starting the fees pretty low until your shop builds up a bit of rep. Once you're well established, 30 to 40 bucks a month is good. However, if there's not that many diehard cigar smokers in your area, there's really no point to having a membership to a B&M.

Just try not to end up like those horrible B&M owners that forbid newbies from using the lounge.

Dunno about the locker idea, but the free stick with discounts will be a great idea. I'd also suggest researching location above all else. If you set up shop in a state that will bleed you dry in taxes, it's not worth it *COUGH* New York.

phobicsquirrel

rossdavey2:

Here is my plan so far

Nice sitting area with TV and all the normal stuff, another quite sitting area with out TV more for talking and just unwinding, closed off sitting area with TV Xbox and the like that can be rented or used by anyone when not booked, good sized humi with lockers for rent, coffee and snack food stuff.

The future plans are to have out door area and small bar with drinks and micro brew ales and beers. Not trying to get everything done at the start because to much debt won't help.
I like the sampler idea like a grad bag.

If membership got you a locker in the humi, free coffee, a stick or 2 a month and a 10% discount on sticks and 20% on boxes how much would you be willing to pay for that? is $40 a month too much?

membership fees piss me off, though your idea seems better than most. though 40 bucks a month is something I wouldn't pay as even with your great idea of the box discount online shops can usually beat it. it all depends on who your customers are. some around my shop go there and hang out all the time and if you get a lot of people like that then I'm sure your idea would work well.

xmacro

eh, I'd say instead of an xbox get a Wii, due to the relative easy in playing Wii games (no button combos to memorize - just pick up and play). Other than that, I'd recommend copying Ccom - some nice DD's or five-pack samplers would be great - like offering a sampler at a little discount, so it's cheaper to buy a sampler than to buy the indiv sticks.

Something to help get newbies into the hobby would also be great, like offering some books that explain cigars, from the growing to the rolling - y'know, kinda have a library of sorts to read about cigars or even non-cigar stuff.

You could also host an events, maybe something where you lay out a whole bunch of 5-pack samplers, a bunch of people come in, and buy, and then trade amongst themselves - so a guy wants to get rid of one or two sticks in it for something another guy bought, and they can trade (after they both buy the 5-pack from you, of course)

stephen_hannibal

hmmmm yeah ditch the membership fee. I say do locker rentals, and a points program type thing that's free to everyone. They get a dated card that you punch once per purchase after 10 purchases you get a free stick.

xmacro

Almost forgot - remember that you're not gonna be able to compete with online retailers. Since you can't beat them on price, you gotta sell your customer an experience, something they can't get online. Methinks if you can open a place and foster an atmosphere that comes anywhere near the helpfulness and comradery on these forums, you'll be able to pull customers in and keep them.

This means combatting the snobbery that is so prevalent on so many forums, where people argue over cigars not based on what they taste or what they like, but on which brand is best and they compare how much they pay as a pissing contest (yeah, I'm resentful of the attitudes in my local B&M's/some online forums)

phobicsquirrel

xmacro:

Almost forgot - remember that you're not gonna be able to compete with online retailers. Since you can't beat them on price, you gotta sell your customer an experience, something they can't get online. Methinks if you can open a place and foster an atmosphere that comes anywhere near the helpfulness and comradery on these forums, you'll be able to pull customers in and keep them.

This means combatting the snobbery that is so prevalent on so many forums, where people argue over cigars not based on what they taste or what they like, but on which brand is best and they compare how much they pay as a pissing contest (yeah, I'm resentful of the attitudes in my local B&M's/some online forums)

yeah true. btw I paid more for my cao lx 2 than YOU , HA! ... :::yeah I know I got screwed but hey it cost me MORE:::: lol

kuzi16

as strange as it sounds... windows. make sure there are windows.

GadwinDuil

kuzi16:

as strange as it sounds... windows. make sure there are windows.

omfg +1000

I can't tell you how effing annoyed I get when I'm at a B&M and my eyes have to adjust like crazy either coming in or going out, because I feel like I'm smoking in a freaking cave!

xmacro

phobicsquirrel:

yeah true. btw I paid more for my cao lx 2 than YOU , HA! ... :::yeah I know I got screwed but hey it cost me MORE:::: lol

It's not even that; the first B&M I went into, a bunch of guys (owner and a few friends) were sitting around and I asked a fwe questions - from their short responses and general lack of friendliness, I got the message that I wasn't too welcome unless I was a regular. Then the owner tries to sell me a $9 cigar that was house rolled (more profit in house rolled cigars than brand-names). Meh, anyway, anytime I go back there, it's to sit in the lounge chairs and watch a sports game, and I always bring 2-3 of my own cigars to smoke (I take the bands off first, so they look just like his house-rolled cigars). What can I say? The guy was, and still is, an ass unless you're a regular and there's no way I'm gonna buy a house cigar for $9 every time I go in there (seriously, the guy has 5 feet of arturo fuentes/acids, and 20 feet of his own house stuff - almost no selection)

Just don't be a snob to newbies and don't screw your customers - some try a cigar and never get into it, while others try it, love it, and get really into it. You just never know if that one guy you pissed off is gonna turn into a new herfer or not

cabinetmaker

Deep inventories, good coffee, sexy girls to work the counter. Also have a good pipe and pipe tobacco selection, as well as a knowledgeable pipe person.

rossdavey2

Just to clear a point. the rental/membership thing was the same thing for the lockers. It will be open to everyone. I'm not into that club members only. The punch card does sound like a good idea instead of the membership. Maybe a $20 rental for the locker with the free cigars and store wide discount and a punch card thing as well. Like buy 6 get one free sorta thing.

rwheelwright

a special section for cigar.com forum members! :- )

ljl

Saw somebody else post about cigar books etc. What about a small library? Obviously the borrowers would have to be local, but if it keeps them coming back...

As a part of your service plan, 2 things: Have an event for new merch. Let your members get a great deal on the new product as soon as it hits the shelf. If they find a favorite, it sells itself. Entice with freebies at purchase amounts. 50$ gets you X, 100 gets you y, 150 gets you Z. Had a buddy that let people pick like 50 gets you ten in merch...people seemed to love it.

Personal suggestion is to start off with people that you really know working for you. A couple bad experiences are going to be hard to overcome. Otherwise that special section for CCom forum members does sound cool.

xmacro

oh oh! How about a "Newbies Night" where you teach new herfers how to smoke a cigar? You could have a glass of water with a straw, tell them to suck up the water, spit it out into a sink and then tell them that's how you smoke a cigar, so the new guys can enjoy a cigar without turning green?

Later you could expand it into teaching them how to taste cigars, like in Kuzi's profile, for a flat fee, you could line up 2-3 cigars, and each cigar would be the type to have a dominant flavor, and you could have a glass of each dominant flavor so they could compare.

Eg - Say you line up 3 cigars, one of which is Verdadero Organic, which has a dominantly raisin flavor. Upon providing a verdadero to each person, you also provide them a glass of raisins and invite them to smoke the cigar, and taste the raisins, thereby teaching them to recognize the taste of raisins in a cigar.

You could repeat this with the other 1 or two cigars, but instead have those cigars have a dominant taste and provide the people with a sampler of something to compare (eg - another cigar could have a dominant chocolate flavor, so you provide the people with a bar of chocolate to eat along with the cigar so the can compare and learn to recognize the flavor or chocolate.)

You could go on for awhile with this sort of event. Whenever someone new shows up, you can just recycle the old flavors/cigars, and you can use new cigars/new flavors to continue educating older members

Russ55

Scotch. Rum. Tequila. Bourbon. And good coffee.

Krieg

How are the ordinances down in Griffen? I know up here in Cartersville, the local B&M can't serve liquor products without having 10 or 15% of their income come from food...which is stupid in my book. One thing I think I would like to see is a nice attitude in the place with customers. All too often, I walk into Tobacco World (marietta) and soon as I walk through the door I feel like a out of town cowboy just walking into a saloon for the first time, with everyone staring at you, and not talking to you or offering help...just because I not a "Regular". This is the only reason why I keep going back to my cigar bar and not Tobacco World.

illinoisgolf99

Krieg:

How are the ordinances down in Griffen? I know up here in Cartersville, the local B&M can't serve liquor products without having 10 or 15% of their income come from food...which is stupid in my book. One thing I think I would like to see is a nice attitude in the place with customers. All too often, I walk into Tobacco World (marietta) and soon as I walk through the door I feel like a out of town cowboy just walking into a saloon for the first time, with everyone staring at you, and not talking to you or offering help...just because I not a "Regular". This is the only reason why I keep going back to my cigar bar and not Tobacco World.

Krieg brings up a great point.. all too often people dont feel welcome when they walk into a business, B&M or otherwise. Make it all about the customer, as someone said earlier, you have to give them an experience in order to compete with the online retailers.

Everythings pretty much been said, what I want to emphasize is the above and beyond attitude that I would love to see in a B&M store. The one back home is great, the owner goes out of his way to ask people what they want to try and if enough people agree he will order a few boxes. He lets people know what he's got coming in and any upcoming events that will be held. It's a great B&M and they are always busy.

What makes CCom so great is its amazing customer service, if you can duplicate that in any way and give your customers a great place to come smoke cigars and relax, the customers will keep coming back.

I hope to open a B&M of my own one day, let me know how this goes for you, I'd love any advice you can offer once you get it up and running.

zeebra

About what size of a shop are you looking to get? What size of a walk in? Where is your location, as in a upscale neighborhood, or a middle class...

Definitely get a girl in there that looks good, no matter how old or young your crowd is, make sure you get a girl in there. Especially if you are able to serve drinks. I know serving alcohol is tricky and can get expensive for a license, but liquor is a good money maker.

Make your customers feel welcome, bottom line. You need them more then they need you. I've ran and am running 2 business right now and thats the #1 thing, customer service.

Oh, when you are ready, I can hook you up with a credit card terminal or POS system for you business. We have the lowest rates offered nationwide. PM me if you have any questions about the business or any terminals. Hopefully I can contact ccom and give them a visit and show them I can save em hundreds, if not thousands a month on fees.

Best of luck!!!

wwhwang

Like everyone says...customer service is key to gaining and retaining loyal customers. You could have a palace with all sorts of beautiful girls working there and huge entertainment systems and libraries, but if you treat your customers like retarded children, they'll all flock elsewhere.

cabinetmaker

I'd do $300/year on the lockers.

Matty_M

OOOO exciting, As an architect I agree with kuzi16 100% nothing worse than smoking in cave to me there is a strong connection between smoiking a stogie and the outdoors. I think you got some great ideas here to really get a good start on a solid bussiness plan. Just a few points: -natural light -great ventilation -you could host parties, people could rent out the shop for a few hours (great w/ liquor Lic.) -Plenty of seating (myself, I would perfer my own seat and not having to squeeze up next to someone in some loveseat so they can ash all over me.) -Fire place inside, fire pit outside. -If you dont have a kitchen, have BBQ's and invite peolpe threw a mailing list. Need any design advice PM me. you just might have the best store with all this creativity and knowlage here.

bandyt09

I know this may sound a little crazy but with the mentions of the Xbox and Wii, why not a checkers table and a table with a set of dominos (lots of these in Cuba). My local B&M has both along with a card table. He has a nice smoking lounge with 6 - 8 leather chairs and 2 leather sofas and a big screen TV which make the place great for enjoying a cigar. He doesn't "sell" liquor but allows, you as a patron, to BYOB and also has some mixers, i.e. soda available on a honor system. Punch cards, in my retail experience (I owned a sporstcard store), are hard to control because someone always has to take advantage, why not a customer database where you track the purchases and can keep more of a control on things. It's pretty simple to do, a slip of paper with name, address, email etc......... Also do a good bit of customer appreciation with give aways, a free drawing night, "raffle tickets' etc. MHO..............

sirfoster83

Get in good with the vendors!

Ashton paid for the out door smoking area at the B&M in my home town. The concrete is poured and dyed to look like Ashtons cigars and they put up a huge Ashton Terrace sign. It's beautiful!!!

The people at Ashton are awesome guys, at leasst the ones I talked with.