Business Comparisons

A Pub lease compared to other retail opportunities

Of course, it takes time to build and develop a business that generates a healthy profit. That’s the challenge facing you when you start. Make a good profit and your business will succeed. If you’re just ticking over, it will be more like a hobby. And if you don’t make a profit, your business will ultimately fail.

In that sense, pubs are just like any other business. As the operator, you are there to make a profit. The type of pub that you choose to run will impact on how much profit you make

How do pubs compare to other retail businesses?

When you run a pub, you are a retailer – just like a shopkeeper. You will sell products: food and drink mainly. You will also be your own boss, deciding on the strategy your business will follow. Your decisions will impact the profitability of the pub.

As a publican, you will probably live on the premises. So your home and business will be under one roof - one clear cost-saving benefit of running a pub. You’ll be able to give up the daily commuting grind. Your working hours will be longer than those of the average high street business, but the rewards you enjoy can make up for this.

As with other businesses, you can choose to be a small single business or aspire to be a multiple operator or a large chain, branded or otherwise. Whatever you wish to achieve in business, running a pub gives you a great opportunity to make it happen, and a way to take control of your own destiny. The rest is up to you.

Running a pub can be great fun, profitable, and very rewarding for you and your family. It offers you a completely new way of life with many benefits. But it is a major step to take, and you should make sure you consider all the implications.

First, you will need a personal licence to sell alcohol. Instructions on how to get one and an application form are on British Institute of Innkeeping website. Your local authority will also have this information.

To apply for a personal licence, you’ll need a qualification that proves that you have a basic understanding of licensing law. The most widely available qualification is The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH), awarded by The British Institute of Innkeepers.