any insights...

[nhab]

Hello all, currently I have an LLC registered as a holdings and management co. under which I have set up a couple DBA's. Currently I am working on my next project... A hookah lounge. (anyone got any name ideas? would rather stay away from the obvious "Hookah Something" names and try to go with something more subtle.) Hopefully I can make some scrape off this hookah lounge and start a nice size cigar lounge out here... Any let the record show, I am not a hookah fan, but I want to learn the ins and outs of retail tobacco laws in Hawaii and try something new. I would rather jump straight into the cigar arena, but I need some more experience and capitol before I am willing to stake that amount of initial start up cost. I am working off a pretty good business model, and I believe I will have a decent audience for this venue. I am very familiar with the SBA site, so before anyone screams look at their site, trust me, I do... daily.

If anyone else has any insight or ideas, let em' flow...

Hope everyone has had a fruitful week. I am off to smoke. (a cigar)

[badwhale]

Hula Hookah
Hookahlapadingdong
Hookahlicious
Hang 5 Hookah?

sorry

[nhab]

Hookahlapadingdong


sorry

This made my day. Thank you! haha

[CoventryCat86]

Hula Hookah
Hookahlapadingdong
Hookahlicious
Hang 5 Hookah?

sorry

This for THIS ONE AGAIN

Hey nhab, come to Hartford, CT and buy my local shop:

LINK TO ORIGINAL THREAD

Jim is retiring and closing the shop BUT he is accepting offers from anyone who is interested in buying the business.

[nhab]

I would love to buy an existing shop! But I am never moving away from my warm beaches and girls in bikinis 365 days out of the year...

Does anyone have any recommendations for Point of sale options, or inventory control? These are new areas to me. I have been looking at the intuit solution, anyone have experience with this?

[nhab]

Bueller?

[logan37]

Why waste your time with a Hookah lounge? Learn more about cigars and the cigar business laws, save money for it and open a cigar shop. You should learn ALL the laws and regulationg before you even attempt to open any type of establishment be it tobacco or anything else. Not doing this research prior will only lead to disaster or at least, large fines...

Also you said that you don't care for smoking hookah so why bother investing so much of your time and money into something you don't like.

If you must open a Hookah lounge first I think you should name it, "My Other Business is a Cigar Lounge"

[Mizicke5273]

Seems Hookah is the rage these days. Hell, even my town is getting a Hookah lounge.

[nhab]

Why waste your time with a Hookah lounge? Learn more about cigars and the cigar business laws, save money for it and open a cigar shop. You should learn ALL the laws and regulationg before you even attempt to open any type of establishment be it tobacco or anything else. Not doing this research prior will only lead to disaster or at least, large fines...

Also you said that you don't care for smoking hookah so why bother investing so much of your time and money into something you don't like.

If you must open a Hookah lounge first I think you should name it, "My Other Business is a Cigar Lounge"

Yes, all very valid points. I never see any endeavor in life where there is potential to gain knowledge a waste of time. I have been mulling this over for quite some time now, and the biggest reason being a push with the hookah lounge is simply money. Not the best way to phrase that, but.... Money is the single greatest factor. With a cigar lounge I am looking at a very substantial initial investment. With very specific trade fixtures that can not be recouped should the business fail... The hookah lounge can be opened with a fraction of the cost of the cigar lounge, also the customer base is much larger with the hookah lounge. Using some break even models I have created based off of what I believe to be a fair market assessment, the hookah lounge would pay for itself nearly three times before the cigar lounge even turns a profit.

Also, I am becoming very familiar with the retail tobacco sales laws here, and I am simply using a much lower cost alternative to establish a successful tobacco business, while learning more about retail sales, marketing, and service. In the cigar business, and this is simply an opinion, the customers you will rely on for a majority of sales would be turned away from some newb who didn't have his shit together.... Where as if I piss off a 19 yr old college student, I might only loose a small portion of potential sales... The learning curve for cigar sales is to me, a much steeper one.

This is also a way to establish my name as a credible business owner in the retail market. Which will help financing and marketing a future cigar lounge much easier...

So does this mean I can count you in as a potential customer?

[badwhale]

Yes, all very valid points. I never see any endeavor in life where there is potential to gain knowledge a waste of time. I have been mulling this over for quite some time now, and the biggest reason being a push with the hookah lounge is simply money. Not the best way to phrase that, but.... Money is the single greatest factor. With a cigar lounge I am looking at a very substantial initial investment. With very specific trade fixtures that can not be recouped should the business fail... The hookah lounge can be opened with a fraction of the cost of the cigar lounge, also the customer base is much larger with the hookah lounge. Using some break even models I have created based off of what I believe to be a fair market assessment, the hookah lounge would pay for itself nearly three times before the cigar lounge even turns a profit.

Also, I am becoming very familiar with the retail tobacco sales laws here, and I am simply using a much lower cost alternative to establish a successful tobacco business, while learning more about retail sales, marketing, and service. In the cigar business, and this is simply an opinion, the customers you will rely on for a majority of sales would be turned away from some newb who didn't have his shit together.... Where as if I piss off a 19 yr old college student, I might only loose a small portion of potential sales... The learning curve for cigar sales is to me, a much steeper one.

This is also a way to establish my name as a credible business owner in the retail market. Which will help financing and marketing a future cigar lounge much easier...

So does this mean I can count you in as a potential customer?

If you pay travel & lodging, I'm there!

[nhab]

If you pay travel & lodging, I'm there!

I was wondering when I would get this... badwhale I will gift you all 5 of my flier miles to get you started

[logan37]

Yes, all very valid points. I never see any endeavor in life where there is potential to gain knowledge a waste of time. I have been mulling this over for quite some time now, and the biggest reason being a push with the hookah lounge is simply money. Not the best way to phrase that, but.... Money is the single greatest factor. With a cigar lounge I am looking at a very substantial initial investment. With very specific trade fixtures that can not be recouped should the business fail... The hookah lounge can be opened with a fraction of the cost of the cigar lounge, also the customer base is much larger with the hookah lounge. Using some break even models I have created based off of what I believe to be a fair market assessment, the hookah lounge would pay for itself nearly three times before the cigar lounge even turns a profit.

Also, I am becoming very familiar with the retail tobacco sales laws here, and I am simply using a much lower cost alternative to establish a successful tobacco business, while learning more about retail sales, marketing, and service. In the cigar business, and this is simply an opinion, the customers you will rely on for a majority of sales would be turned away from some newb who didn't have his shit together.... Where as if I piss off a 19 yr old college student, I might only loose a small portion of potential sales... The learning curve for cigar sales is to me, a much steeper one.

This is also a way to establish my name as a credible business owner in the retail market. Which will help financing and marketing a future cigar lounge much easier...

So does this mean I can count you in as a potential customer?

That makes some sense to me. When the cigar lounge opens I'll find an excuse to leave all this "wonderful" snow.

And Will I believe that last question was directed at me. Since I'm a generous guy, I'll share 2.5 of nhabs miles with you.

[nhab]

That makes some sense to me. When the cigar lounge opens I'll find an excuse to leave all this "wonderful" snow.

And Will I believe that last question was directed at me. Since I'm a generous guy, I'll share 2.5 of nhabs miles with you.

Haha I do not miss that cold, you are braver men than I!

And I am extending an open invitation to the CS gang, When the hookah lounge opens you may all come "smoke a bowl" on the house. And in the event I get a cigar lounge up and running in a few years time, all CS members will have a free stick on me.

Still no good name ideas? So far, badwhale is in the lead with Hookahlapadingdong... Which I hope doesn't win!

[cinda]

Somewhere.....where it's always 5 o'clock


The Grass Skirt

[b.read]

Hookahlapadingdong ftw!

[nhab]

Anyone hear of or use either imonggo or authorize.net? Or the two linked together?

[Furious373]

Sorry to bump a thread that hasn't had a post in a month, but I wanted to get my business name to you nhab. Ready for this..........


Puff This


Whatcha think?