Red Box Dvd Rentals (Can I get a movie please?)

The other day my daughter wanted to rent a movie so I decided to drive over to the local Red Box Vending machine at the local Walmart. I was short on time and figured blockbuster would take to long. We walk into Walmart and there is two people in line. The first lady is casually browsing each movie title and flipping through the pages.....and flipping through the pages....and flipping through the pages. Ok what ever happened to common courtesy, you see that there are at least two other customers waiting to use the machine and yet you feel the need to take your very sweet time just browsing. After (and i kid you not) ten minutes of browsing she chooses her movie, reaches in her wallet to get her credit card and oooooops realizes she left it at home! ARE YOU KIDDING ME????????

Next in line....this time it's an older gentlemen simply looking to return his movie. He enters the DVD box into the machine, waits 15 seconds or so and whooops out it comes. So he looks at the dvd, makes sure the label is facing the correct direction and re-enters the dvd. Another 15 seconds and whoooops again, out comes the DVD. At this point I am ready to scream but I keep my composure, ask the gentleman if I can help, I examine the dvd and everything is correct. Once again we together now attempt to re-insert the DVD. Ahhhh success, wait a minute, nope it spits it out again. At this point it has been close to 20 minutes of standing in front of this machine, I had enough. My daughter and I left and went to block buster.

Red Box DVD -- is it a cheap and easy way to rent your favorite movie? Well cheap yes, but it goes back to the saying of you get what you pay for. From now on unless I am already at Walmart and there is no one online at the Red Box I will rent my dvds elsewhere.

So now the One million dollar question: Great business idea or a soon to be failure? You decide and let me know. I look forward to your comments...

Hamburger Mary Coming to Ybor (Tampa)

Here is some fairly new information regarding the opening of a new franchise in Ybor.

"ABOUT US"There's Something About..."It all started in San Francisco back in 1972, where our casual style "family dining" concept was born. Now there are several Hamburger Mary's restaurants across the U.S., with plans to expand even further. So what makes Mary's so special?Hamburger Mary's franchises are "open-air bar and grilles for open-minded people," where guests enjoy a flamboyant dining experience. Everyone is welcome at Hamburger Mary's, but our concept is unique in that we are the ONLY national franchise actively marketing to the gay community.When you walk into a Hamburger Mary's it's like walking into Mary's home, where you will be greeted with a warm smile and friendly (if somewhat saucy) service. Each restaurant may be unique in its eclectic décor, but they all provide the friendliest service and highest quality food.Nothing beats a Hamburger Mary's burger, always made-to-order with an assortment of fun toppings on a bakery-fresh bun (For the health-conscious, we offer turkey burgers and veggie patties as an alternative). But there's more to Mary's than hamburgers... We offer a full menu including our famous homemade chili, soups made daily, a variety of salads, appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and desserts (featuring deep-fried Twinkies and "Mary Tyler S'Mores!").� There's even a special menu for Mary's "Little Lambs" under 10 years.Mary believes in the old adage "you are what you eat." Therefore, we serve only the freshest meats, chicken and vegetables. No salads will be served unless they are garden fresh, and all our burgers are made-to-order. We also use no trans-fats in our frying oils, where available.Hamburger Mary's restaurants are open for lunch and dinner, with a full-service bar serving up delicious cocktails and the best Bloody Mary! Most locations have a patio and offer late-night entertainment such as karaoke, bingo and drag shows. Mary is also big on supporting local charities, so each location does its part to give back to the community."

Foreign Investors - What are they buying?

Interestingly enough the answer to this question from my experience is quite intriguing. I have had more calls and emails lately regarding foreign investors looking to purchase bars and night clubs. The reasoning behind this seems to be that people believe that when times are good people will drink and when times are bad people will drink more. Honestly I cannot argue either way. We have sold several bars over the past several months and they all seem to be doing very well with no real dip in sales.

From my conversations that I have had with these new bar owners, they all seem to be in agreement that this is one of the best investments they have made. They all state that the learning curve has been minimal and as long as they continue to work the business and introduce themselves to their customers; everyone seems to be happy.

I congratulate all of these new business owners and wish them the best in their new endeavors.

Area of Concern (Not Business Related)

Due to the fact that we live in Florida and this is hurricane season I felt the need to post. It appears to me as well as many GFS models that the wave that has just emerged off of the African coast may very well turn into something worth keeping an eye on. Most models indicate that by Sunday this very tropical low may very well be our first major hurricane of the season.

Investor Looking To Purchase Established Website Business

I am currently working with a client who is looking to acquire a fully established and profitable website business. He is open to anything internet related. If you are interested in selling yours or know someone who is please let me know as soon as possible.

Questions Regarding Selling Your Business

This post is an open forum to help answer questions from business owners thinking about selling their business. Please feel free to be open and ask any questions you see fit pertaining to your business. If you would like a confidential consultation please feel free to contact me directly.

New Businesses For Sale

Just listed in Tampa Florida...Incredible/Trendy/Hip/Exciting are the words I can only use to describe this night club we just listed for sale. This is a must see for someone looking to purchase an already fully established night club. Full staff in place, been around for many years, extremely profitable, option to purchase real estate, this is truly a must see!