A few things I got wrong opening venues. And learnt the hard way.

I've opened venues and made mistakes that cost me time, money and sleep.

Not small mistakes. The kind that keep you up at three in the morning wondering how you made such a f#$king risky decision.

Nobody sat me down before I signed. I didn't ask for help. I was too proud, too excited, and too convinced I had it figured out.

I didn't. So here's what I know now.

The numbers need to work before anything else.

Not the hopeful version. The worst case version.

I planned my fit-out down to the last detail and blew my budget in the first week of construction. Fire compliance I assumed was fine. An exhaust system I thought was working. Electricians I had no idea would cost what they did.

Things I assumed would sort themselves out. They didn't.

So before you fall in love with the space, run the numbers on what happens if the first three months are slower than expected. Because they probably will be. And if the numbers only work when you're packed, they don't work.

You've planned the fit-out. Have you planned the runway?

Working capital and fit-out cost are two completely different conversations. Most people only have one of them.

How long can you survive if revenue doesn't hit forecast in month one, two, or three? If you don't know that number off the top of your head, you're not ready to sign anything.

Wrong location. Wrong customer. Wrong business.

I've backed the right concept into the wrong location. Beautiful venue. No customers.

It sounds obvious when you say it like that. It wasn't obvious at the time.

The right concept in the wrong place will still fail. So before you commit, ask yourself honestly who actually lives, works and spends in that area. Does your price point match their reality right now? Not the customer you're picturing. The one who's actually there.

What I'd tell anyone thinking about opening a venue.

Reach out to someone who's been through it before you sign anything. Not after things get hard. Before.

The passion and excitement are real and they matter. But they can also be the thing that clouds your judgement at exactly the wrong moment. I know because that's exactly what happened to me.

I've learnt some painful lessons opening venues. You don't have to learn them the same way.

If you're thinking about opening a venue and want to talk through where you're at before you commit, get in touch. My DMs are open and so is my inbox.