 Poster: A snowHead
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This may not be the most appropriate place so if the mods want to move it then all well and good.
Spotted this in the Independent today (link from company website). Anybody fancy running a business connected with skiing?
http://www.turnerbutler.co.uk/memo.asp?id=AB108%20&i=2
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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stanton, beat me too it 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We have lots of ski shops near where I live in Holland. Problem I found talking to the employees & owners is that they never get to go skiing (maybe one short break) as they have to be at the store 7 days a week during the peak time (Winter) 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I was in till i saw they sell blades.... how does one restore an already tarnished reputation ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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hsdee, issue a public apology.
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Not a great time to start in a business that is so dependant on discretionary income IMO.
Someone I know is taking up a gardening franchise as his current job was outsourced to India.
Again not a great time to start in that line of work. Selling the franchises is probably a better bet.
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Location Sevenoaks, Kent
Asking Price £ 295,000
Confidentially offered for sale
Not very confidential if it can be identified so readily.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Why would you call a ski shop a name that sounds like a chandlers?
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| Latchigo wrote: |
Not a great time to start in a business that is so dependant on discretionary income IMO.
Someone I know is taking up a gardening franchise as his current job was outsourced to India.
Again not a great time to start in that line of work. Selling the franchises is probably a better bet. |
yup.. could be a barren couple of seasons (in sking of course in gardening a barren 8 seasons)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| parlor wrote: |
| Why would you call a ski shop a name that sounds like a chandlers? |
Because it used to be a chandlers when it started out and only branched out into skiing later
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Latchigo wrote: |
| Not a great time to start in a business that is so dependant on discretionary income IMO. |
Think the turnover will be down this season as many folk will make do with last seasons gear !
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Well I'll be.................. 
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You know it makes sense.
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It is a nice shop, and always quite busy when I have been in it. But really quite small and cramped. I wonder if revenues have been hit by Snow & Rock Chertsey which is about 20 minutes round the M25. It is not exactly central either.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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There is quite a big ski shop next to Forest Hill station. I spotted it when meeting friends a few weeks ago. Not exactly prime territory for a ski shop - but what do I know.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| eng_ch wrote: |
| parlor wrote: |
| Why would you call a ski shop a name that sounds like a chandlers? |
Because it used to be a chandlers when it started out and only branched out into skiing later |
Ahhhhhhh.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Did they also have branches in Chatham and Canterbury, which seem not to be included? I would have thought S&R Chertsey has been open too many years to affect recent sales. Any present and future problems more likely related to internet competition.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Latchigo wrote: |
| There is quite a big ski shop next to Forest Hill station. I spotted it when meeting friends a few weeks ago. Not exactly prime territory for a ski shop - but what do I know. |
This is the one in Forest Hill... http://www.finches-ski.co.uk/index.htm
I'm not sure why they're there but they seem to have a well known online shop - I've heard them recommended before.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hmm - Must admit I've never really "got" UK local ski shops, ususally its obvious the owners or staff don't get to do much skiing and therefore are less then convincing when talking about equipment or just regurgitate blurb from brochures. Plus rents etc are so high that they always appear reluctant to price competitively. Those that do it well seem to pick non highstreet locations and build significant internet offerings.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I bought boots for myself and mrs horizon from Finches...also mounted bindings a couple of times. Good prices. The idea was to support local shops not the large chains.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| Hmm - Must admit I've never really "got" UK local ski shops, ususally its obvious the owners or staff don't get to do much skiing and therefore are less then convincing when talking about equipment or just regurgitate blurb from brochures. |
I've usually found that the local ski shops offer far more knowledgeable staff than the big chains, usually because they're family-run affairs where the family are very interested in and hence do know a lot about skiing. Think the Wallwork family at Rivington Ski or the the Bartlett family at Ski Bartlett.
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hsdee, Suprised that for someone with little to say on many subjects you should try and tarnish someones good name!! I do not have any relationship with the company for sale but do think it rude to besmerch a character while not putting your own public name to same!
If you had bad service from them fine, name and shame them but use the correct forum and use your own name so that both sides can have redress! Cowardice like bullying should not go unmentioned or unpunished!
Apologies to anyone I may have offended.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Roy Hockley, I read it as a joke at the expense of bladers and blading rather than tarnishing a business reputation.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| Hmm - Must admit I've never really "got" UK local ski shops, ususally its obvious the owners or staff don't get to do much skiing and therefore are less then convincing when talking about equipment or just regurgitate blurb from brochures. Plus rents etc are so high that they always appear reluctant to price competitively. Those that do it well seem to pick non highstreet locations and build significant internet offerings. |
Captive audience, perhaps?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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abc, Not really that captive - If I'm in the UK do I drive 20 miles to my nearest ski shop that might have what I need or wait til I'm on holiday when there will probably be a number of shops that have what I need (at quite possibly a cheaper price) or buy it online?
I don't doubt that there are very good ones like Bartletts and Finches but I've been in some terrible ones where skis have been monobrand, poor range of boots, snowboards offbrand completely, el cheapo goggles & gloves and michelin man clothing - aimed at the schools market presumably.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Roy Hockley wrote: |
hsdee, Suprised that for someone with little to say on many subjects you should try and tarnish someones good name!! I do not have any relationship with the company for sale but do think it rude to besmerch a character while not putting your own public name to same!
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You might think about going back and re-reading what he wrote, since he did no such thing.
He made a slightly heavy handed joke about snowblades, and selling them wrecking reputations.
Nor do I see much point in your attacking him for not using his "own name". You might not have noticed, but those of us who do use our full name are well outnumbered on here by people using pseudonyms or shortened names.
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Turnover strikes me as a little low to be doing good deals with suppliers - but maybe a retailer who actually knows what he is talking about will correct me on that.
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You know it makes sense.
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At first glance, it looks like a solid business, but the valuation might need tweaking in the current recessionary climate.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Whitegold, solid looking would be the kind of year-round margins Top Shop etc get where they are quadrupling (or more) the buy-in price. Those guys still break even at 70% off. Trouble for a ski shop is seasonality (they have to make their money in a 4-5 month window), poor margins on hard goods and stock only turns-over once... then, at the end of season, it is sold off at below cost to make way for next years new stuff. In short, there are probably major cash-flow issues you can't see in those figures.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Latchigo, I hope so.  's dont need those type of comments!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| stoatsbrother wrote: |
| I wonder if revenues have been hit by Snow & Rock Chertsey which is about 20 minutes round the M25. |
Which M25 is that?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The new government legislation states that on the base of all ski blades the following statement must be made in writing "warning the possession of these ridiculous short skis will seriously damage your street cred". 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Nickster, well I guess if Gordon says they're uncool then they're uncool 
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laundryman,
I don't think I could get to Chertsey from Sevenoaks in that time
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JT, teleport machine
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The record for the circumnavigation of the M25 (approx 120 miles) is believed to be 52 minutes so Chertsey to Sevenoaks can't be more than 10 minutes (in a Ferrari Enzo)
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The RAC route planner says it's 37.69 miles from door to door, 33.74 miles of which is on the M25. The Chertsey end is dual carriageway for all except the last half mile, but I'm not sure what the 2.5 miles is like at the Sevenoaks end. You'd probably spend 4 mins doing that though (if you're lucky with traffic lights), and another minute or so at the Chertesy end (one traffic light between M25 and S&R), so that would require the remaining 34.5 miles to be done in 15 mins, i.e. 138mph. Sounds doable, but possibly not during shop opening hours. Or reading it as 20 mins just on the motorway, that's 101.22mph. Definitely possible - you just may not have a licence for the next trip.
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