Got Some Space And Lost For Ideas, 1st Time

[barrella]

Hi all

I have been scratching my head on this for a while and well why not throw it out to the great readers of this forum.

Through the future wife and family etc I have the opportunity of using a small unit (it is not a stand alone). It's in an amazing location in Bangkok probably in one of the most biggest foot fall roads/areas for male tourists in Bangkok. To describe it, it's a small'ish unit, 1 level that is road facing and ground floor. If it was an office it could fit about 10 desks.

There are a few restrictions with what it can and can not be used for. It can not be used as a Bar, Restaurant or 7'11 for example.

So dose anyone have any ideas?

A friend of mine said an estate agency renting out places for medium and long term contracts but as far as I was aware the property industry here is in a bad way (just as I bought my 2nd house on Bangkok). Travel agency forget it, I do not know anything about it and I have been told it's a nightmare anyway. Internet cafe, no there are a few around that area as it is. Please no coffee shop idea's. I have been racking my brain for ages I have some cash to throw at it and from what I understand I can have it for about 5 years rent free, no key money, no questions, maybe longer if I am a good boy.

Normally I am a smart'y pants when it comes to ideas and I already have few self start up's under my belt in Thailand that are all doing well, but this new thing, I am brain dead on .

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chang_paarp]

Having eliminated bars, restaurants and minimarts you only have taylor shops left for that part of the world. Other specialist retail is an option, but knowledge of the particular market niche help to make it profitable.

You could try a coffee shop, call it Coffee Planet, or make sandwiches and call the place after a rail system. Is Tube available? Put partitions in to make 2 or 3 rooms and rent them by the hour. Sound proofing would be important here. Or even put a number of desks in and make serviced offices, companies need a real address to deal with different authorities. Receptionist, and phone lines would help.

As it is at street level you can rent out the space out the front to the general hawker class. If they are there and not paying rent get a fire hose and clean the pavement regularly until the do pay rent.

Good luck.

[VocalNeal]

One would assume that the male tourists only walk past at certain hours. Who walks past during business hours?

Stick a Thai sign in the window "Retail Space for rent" and see who comes with what products.

High-end lingere?

[barrella]

I am glad to see that I am not going daft then .

I think you can all understand what the pro's and con's are here.

The main pro is I will not be paying rent so I could copy another local idea and sell at a lower price point and thus keep the same margin and be more competitively priced compared to the local competitors.

The major con's here are the restrictions.

Even though I did not want to go near this idea maybe a coffee shop.

But thanks for the input still not giving in yet.

Also super smart idea put a sign out in Thai with " retail space for rent" and see what comes in

[canadiangirl]

mexican food!

clothes that fit western women!

a mcdonalds that serves breakfast?

a thai gf that will love you forever and ever and never ask for money? :-P

um...dunno...pick anything that expats complain about not being able to find in bkk?

given your euphemistic "male tourist" intensive location...um...a VD clinic?

[blizzard]

vd clinic not good idea as most who participate know to use condoms.

[ThaiPauly]

Cards, balloons, fancy dress......

[barrella]

clothes that fit western women!

My farthers friend that moved here after I arrived started a shop with his wife doing this. It was closed shortly after opening due to no customers, maybe marketing, maybe not the best idea for LOS but thanks anyway. This is more the type of thing I would feel happy with, something that's a little differant.

Thanks anyway all

Still not given in yet.

Edited December 5, 2007 by barrella

[blizzard]

big size thai gurls wear big size t shirts. your friend didnt do proper research.........

[barrella]

Not my friend, it was my fathers friend.

Note, his idea and the words of the good poster named "canadiangirl" was "clothes that fit WESTERN women!"

So no need for research on Thai women but thanks for the positive input.

Still not given in yet.

[klikster]

Not my friend, it was my fathers friend.

Note, his idea and the words of the good poster named "canadiangirl" was "clothes that fit WESTERN women!"

So no need for research on Thai women but thanks for the positive input.

Still not given in yet.

Quite a number of years ago .. back during my '60's YUPPIE days .. I worked in industrial sales .. and lived in a semi-fancy high-rise apartment. The top floor housed a large spacious cocktail area furnished with sofas, easy chairs and the occasional table & chairs .. and a "Men's Grill", which was very popular for business lunches. On Tuesdays or Thursdays they had a lingeire fashion show that lasted for about 2 hours. It was very well done .. no panties and bra, but quite a number of teddys and sexy nightgowns .. and the event was very well attended.

Only my best customers got invited for lunch on those days. No one ever turned down an invitation.

Perhaps monetize a similar presentation with a cover charge, overpriced coffe or wine; and charge modeling fees for a photo studio at one end.

Edited December 14, 2007 by klikster

[torrenova]

Marriage bureau for sad westerners who want a mail order bride. Get some Thai girl to find out what the others charge to host your details and then beat them at their own game. Even better, use any contacts you have abroad to move past the sad old dustmen to those who are sick of western women but don't want to go to Thailand to pay hookers for sex. Up market perhaps ?

[chownah]

Liquor store specialising in imported liquor, beer, and wine.

[klikster]

I don't know what you did with this .. but had a thought and dug it out.

How about a "Big & Tall" clothing store. Oversize shoes (carry a few sizes in stock that you had made at a local mfg), large size shirts, trousers, underwear.

[bkkblueeyes]

I don't know what you did with this .. but had a thought and dug it out.

How about a "Big & Tall" clothing store. Oversize shoes (carry a few sizes in stock that you had made at a local mfg), large size shirts, trousers, underwear.

If it was me.

I would turn it in to a money exchange

Mind you I’m sure the are obstacles’ to over come in getting one started.

But that’s what I would do.

And about 5 computer on the internet as well

Add a Printer . Buy A good digital camera to take Passport Photos and Snapshots

All good for some extra Cash to add on.

You need a business partner give me A PM!!!

[Cuban]

....in Bangkok probably in one of the most biggest foot fall roads/areas for male tourists in Bangkok...

So this implies that there are a fair number of 'single' local ladies in the area as well?

To get best value from the floor space it would be best to catch both ends* of the passing trade, and if there is demand (pending bar opening hours) open for as long as people are passing the shop.

[* I mean both farang men and local ladies.]

I assume that there is little space for stock and if people are passing enroute for a night out or on the way home shopping is probably not on their task list. So you should probably be looking at providing a service.

From looking at a few other successful businesses around me I like the idea of dual use, the shop that fixes motorbikes during the day switching to selling custom mobile phones afterdark, a random example.

So a service that caters to farang men going out at night would be 30-60 minutes massage to relax them and get them in the mood with a beer in a cool and calm enviroment with gentle quite music. Also addressing the dire hair situation that many older single male tourists suffer from would be having in-house hair dressing. Employ the idea that the guys going out are interesting in spending money on their entertainment - making them feel better by a good hair cut and manicure would be a winner, IMHO.

By having a few (!) of the passing ladies pulled in by promotional rates would draw in some of the SWMs as well, the problem would be to avoid making the place look or smell like every other hairdressers. (Would need to limit the hairdressing services offered.) Resolving the comb-over nightmare would be a service to mankind in itself, as part of a make over process keep it simple, identify the customers colors and finish with a complementary spray of aftershave that is popular with the local ladies, the compliment that they get after leaving is the hook that gets repeat and word of mouth custom.

To rope in any tourist in any business the key is signage in the tourists own langauge, then once inside staff that either speak English, Dutch, French etc OR have access to simple translation charts. Thais loose a lot of business by not even attempting to communicate - setting up a menu in a few langauges is not hard.