Why Do You Want To Run A Pub?So you have decided that you would like to run a pub. What is it that appeals to you? Have you got a burning desire to be your own boss, or work with your partner? Could the thought of socialising with customers and making new friends give you a buzz, or the idea of making money in an environment you enjoy, be what appeals to you?
Whatever your reasons, it is useful to understand what is motivating you. You need to be sure that running a pub is going to satisfy your needs. Ultimately, your motivation is going to play a big part in your success. Motivation will be the difference between driving the business to success or giving up at the first sign of difficulty.
If you have a partner, it is vitally important that you both share the vision. Thinking things through and discussing your plans are a key part of the process. This will ensure that you are well prepared and have a strong foundation on which to build your business. Working towards your dream jointly is also exciting and fun, and will stand you in good stead when working together.
Your Goals, Ambitions And Values
What are your personal goals and ambitions, and what do you value in life? Will running a pub be in harmony with these? If your aim in life is to play for Manchester United, then maybe running a pub will get in the way of your ambitions! Similarly, if you value peace and tranquillity above anything else, running a busy pub seven days a week is not the place to find these. It is essential to be clear about what you and your partner feel are the important things in your lives, and what you want to retain as part of your lifestyle.
You may find it helpful to list your personal goals, ambitions and values and prioritise them. What would you be willing to give up or delay until sometime in the future? What could you not live without? Then take some time to look at each of these and see how running a pub will affect them. You may find that running a pub contributes towards many of your ambitions and is in perfect harmony with your values. It may be that you are willing to make sacrifices, and that’s OK, as long as you have given these a good deal of consideration before going ahead. It is better to anticipate things, than have them come as a shock to you later.
Your Skills And Experience
What do you do well? What are you skilled at? What kinds of work have you been involved in? Hopefully, you will find that a number of your skills can be used to run your own pub. These are often called ‘transferable skills’ – you can transfer them to other types of work. Examples of these would be your customer-service skills gained during your time as a shop assistant or your administration skills gained while working in the office. Both of these can prove useful in running your own pub. Again, it is worth listing your skills for the following reasons:
- It highlights your skills when applying for a pub.
- You can feature them in your business plan.
- It will identify any skills that you lack and need to gain.
- You can use them to plan your pub responsibilities.
It is essential that you gain some experience of running a pub before taking the plunge. Fortunately, there are often lots of opportunities to work behind a bar. As well as bar jobs, many licensees welcome showing you the ropes in exchange for a few hours of unpaid assistance. Get as much experience of bar work or running a pub as you can. Practical, hands-on experience is the best way of gaining and improving your skills. It is also the only real way of finding out whether you may be suited to a life in the pub trade.