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Imagine an octogonal retail building. The center is open save a small snack bar in the center with small conference tables around it. One or two small areas are reserved with a TV and VCR. Each of the display rooms comprise the exterior sections – all with glass walls facing the open center area. And, each of those rooms are designed to accomodate a plumbing showroom, lighting/electrical showroom, carpeting, cabinetry with tops, window/door, paint/wallpaper, ceramic tile/hardwood and a roofing showroom – or some combination of the above.
The building has 2-3 attractively designed warehouses, perhaps at the back and side(s).
The building and land is owned by a separate “holding corporation” (HC) and this HC is owned in turn by the owners of the businesses contained. Each business pays rent plus a percentage or fraction there of to the HC. The HC maintains the snack bar, created strictly for snacks and drinks for the clients within. The HC also maintains the grounds and landscaping, etc. It also provides a receptionist or two who fields all calls and directs them to the appropriate member companies. For conformity, ease of use and sales, all companies contained, operate in more or less standard procedures, standardized forms, etc., and as such have a vested interest in each other to refer, use and work together. As such, each company can also cross train field staff with staff members desiring so, enhancing, or dimishing our labor shortage. The sections with the TV and VCR can be used for sales tapes, and/or to service kids and keep them occupied while their parents/grandparents are “shopping.”
Without going into particular nuances, but just generally, is this concept viable, and if viable, can this concept be duplicated in different areas of large cities, eventually within a state and nationally, and possibly via an existing trade association, new association,or a completely new venture into our industry?
Do the positives and benefits of, and to, each owner outweigh the negatives? And will this concept enhance the working relationships between otherwise sometimes adversaries (GC vs. Subs & Subs vs. Subs) within our industry by teaching each owner’s the problems, needs and nuances of the others, and perhaps actually include each’s bottom line while saving each time, typical frustrations, sales time, etc?
Replies
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Imagine an octogonal retail building. The center is open save a small snack bar in the center with small conference tables around it. One or two small areas are reserved with a TV and VCR. Each of the display rooms comprise the exterior sections - all with glass walls facing the open center area. And, each of those rooms are designed to accomodate a plumbing showroom, lighting/electrical showroom, carpeting, cabinetry with tops, window/door, paint/wallpaper, ceramic tile/hardwood and a roofing showroom - or some combination of the above.
The building has 2-3 attractively designed warehouses, perhaps at the back and side(s).
The building and land is owned by a separate "holding corporation" (HC) and this HC is owned in turn by the owners of the businesses contained. Each business pays rent plus a percentage or fraction there of to the HC. The HC maintains the snack bar, created strictly for snacks and drinks for the clients within. The HC also maintains the grounds and landscaping, etc. It also provides a receptionist or two who fields all calls and directs them to the appropriate member companies. For conformity, ease of use and sales, all companies contained, operate in more or less standard procedures, standardized forms, etc., and as such have a vested interest in each other to refer, use and work together. As such, each company can also cross train field staff with staff members desiring so, enhancing, or dimishing our labor shortage. The sections with the TV and VCR can be used for sales tapes, and/or to service kids and keep them occupied while their parents/grandparents are "shopping."
Without going into particular nuances, but just generally, is this concept viable, and if viable, can this concept be duplicated in different areas of large cities, eventually within a state and nationally, and possibly via an existing trade association, new association,or a completely new venture into our industry?
Do the positives and benefits of, and to, each owner outweigh the negatives? And will this concept enhance the working relationships between otherwise sometimes adversaries (GC vs. Subs & Subs vs. Subs) within our industry by teaching each owner's the problems, needs and nuances of the others, and perhaps actually include each's bottom line while saving each time, typical frustrations, sales time, etc?