Where Is The Best Location?

[Kathy1]

Me and my husband is planning to build a small business. Just a food stall selling Isan food. Can you give a suggestion to where we can find a good location? We are thinking around the Ramkamhaeng-ABAC area. Or Serithai area. Any suggestion will be much appreciated. And one more thing, can you give us some advice in starting this kind of business. Thank you.

[Cuban]

> Any suggestion will be much appreciated.

Buy a secondhand stall and equipment.

> And one more thing, can you give us some advice in starting this kind of business. Thank you.

Good signage willhelp you.

If you are a farang I question your sanity.

[Kathy1]

> Any suggestion will be much appreciated.

Buy a secondhand stall and equipment.

> And one more thing, can you give us some advice in starting this kind of business. Thank you.

Good signage willhelp you.

If you are a farang I question your sanity.

Why did you say you question my sanity for planning this kind of business? Is it a bad idea? Can you suggest a much better business with a small capital?

[CWMcMurray]

> Any suggestion will be much appreciated.

Buy a secondhand stall and equipment.

> And one more thing, can you give us some advice in starting this kind of business. Thank you.

Good signage willhelp you.

If you are a farang I question your sanity.

Why did you say you question my sanity for planning this kind of business? Is it a bad idea? Can you suggest a much better business with a small capital?

I don't question your sanity... if the food is good and he is willing to work nearly everyday all day, he could do well. Not the buy a Benz and retire with millions kind of well, but the "steady little earner" kind of well, making as much as he could at an office job (or a little bit more).

There is a street that runs parallel with Ramkhamhang road with entrances to RAM and ABEC. Their are tons of small food stalls and the streets are packed with people every night.

_{Wanted to add one more point:}

If he is marketing to the college crowd he will most likely need to sell duringthe evenings... if you work days, you may not see much of him anymore. It may be a good idea to find a location with a lot of companies (factories even better) and hit the lunch crowd. It would be possible to make about the same and then he would have Sundays and other public holiday's off (allong with all of his customers).

[torrenova]

Japanese people will travel half way across Tokyo to eat ramen at some famous to them or their family stall which is the same as every other one to everyone else. Thai people will not, generally.

So how do you differentiate your product ? I say you cannot. The products are largely homogeneous.

Compete on price ? No way !

Location ? I doubt you can find a unique location.

Customer service ? Thais are largely ignorant of customer service. Once they have decided on a place, they go.

My missus was offered a stall in or near a school for sweet foods the Thais like. The rent was nothing, like Bt2000 a term or something. She thought it a great idea. When I went through a simple business plan detailing sales price, inward costs and the number of students and likely penetration and repeat business, the numbers just didn't stack up.

It failed because she does not have to do that to survive. She would prepare things in our house so no utilities costs (I'd pay !). She would use our truck for transportation rather than a 10 year old knackered motorbike with a bashed up side car. I could go on.

If that is all you can do or you earn nothing, then earning a couple of thousand baht a month is worthwhile. If a couple of thousand is nice but not needed (and you don't need it if you drive around in a million baht truck !) then the motivation is not there.

I have one idea which will work in certain locations, some details of which I am prepared to share with you if you want by PM. I won't publish them on the open board. Its not new, just a slant on an existing theme that is proving successful in Pattaya.

[Vato]

soi mahadthai, off of ramkamhaeng road at the FBT building intersection would be a good location...if you are into night work, sell stuff to the afterhours drunken club people...

a simple fried chicken stand after hours in the right location will clear 60k monthly.