Getting out of bed after a wild night is the hardest part of being a nightclub owner, and you still have to be awake during some of the regular business hours to take care of the things that normally happen only during the daytime, such as ordering supplies, making bank deposits, and getting change from the bank.
As a nightclub owner, your primary duty will be to find trustworthy people to help you and then watch them very carefully to prevent stealing. Yes, you will find this very challenging since there are many ways people will steal from the club, and it is the owner’s job to catch them and replace them with, hopefully, a more honest person.
Fortunes have been made and lost in the nightclub business. A nightclub can be a simple place that caters to a niche target market, and it can be a multi-million dollar extravaganza in the heart of New York City or at the most popular hotel/casino in Las Vegas that caters to the rich and famous party-goers, such as the Palms and others.
In this business, your ideal customers will be individuals who have lots of money and do not mind spending it on a wild night out. A good number of these big spenders can make a club very profitable.
Attracting famous people is very essential because they attract others. In good night clubs, the owner gets to rub elbows with the entertainment elite. From booking the hottest young DJ for a Saturday night extravaganza to giving the newest supermodel her own private booth in the VIP section, the club manager gets a chance to meet people who others only get to read about in tabloids.
If all these and a lot more come together in your club – the music, location, décor, the right mix of people – it might well be a hit. And aside from being guaranteed, some well-run nightclubs are very profitable, raking in thousands every night from drink sales.
Pros and Cons of Owning a Night Club
There are different types of nightclubs and the characteristics of each will more or less be defined by the type of crowd the owner is able to attract based on the target market and the owner’s tastes.
Pros
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Total Creative License
If you are the creative type, then owning a Nightclub gives you the platform to explore something new every day. You can create trendy cocktails that will leave your patrons wanting more. Or set up a weekly promo that sets your nightclub apart from the rest.
One of the perks of owning a nightclub is that you call the shots (literally). You even get to come up with a name for your nightclub.
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Varying Lifestyle
For anyone that likes routine, being a nightclub owner is certainly not for you. If you love the networking side of owning a nightclub, and you enjoy the typical challenges that come with owning a nightclub, then you could be the perfect fit.
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Networking
If you enjoy networking, or you need to network, owning a nightclub can provide you with as much networking opportunities as you could ever want. That – the networking activities – can be for business as well as for pleasure.
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Profit margins
Profit margins on drinks in the U.S. are high, but particularly so on alcoholic beverages. You can expect to enjoy a profit margin of anything between 200 and 400 percent on the drinks that you offer. If you have ever considered opening your own place, owning a nightclub is typically quite a bit cheaper than owning a restaurant. Of course, this is dependent on the theme and size of your nightclub, and on its location.
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Working as your own boss
Just like any business, if you are the owner, there’s the advantage that you don’t have to answer to others when making business decisions (or other decisions). And, if you are creative, you have a free hand to become particularly creative as a nightclub owner/ operator. You can put together your own cocktails.
You can establish weekly promo deals to provide your nightclub with a further level of uniqueness. Creativeness doesn’t ever have to stop as a nightclub owner.
Cons
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No Time Off
The thing about owning a nightclub is that you are working when other people are off the clock. That means long nights and weekends…likely even coming in on your days off if there’s an emergency. Even big holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving may mean time behind the nightclub for you.
But look on the bright side of owning a nightclub during the holidays: You may be working, but those holiday parties and celebrations mean more money in your pocket.
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Start-up and management cost
There’s the rental to pay on your premises. There are staff salaries. There will very likely be a variety of unforeseen costs, too. Investing in a nightclub also comes with high start-up costs. Likely you’ll need to pay for equipment and for licensure.
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Drunken People Can Kill Your Buzz
Although it can be fun to help your guests let loose a little, it can easily cross the line from a good time to a liability. That is why it is so important that your nightclub tenders take regular training courses, like ServSafe Alcohol or the TIPS® Program.
In fact, most states require that you and your staff undergo safe serving training! Your staff will learn best practices to prevent over-pouring and recognize the signs when it is time to cut someone off. And always have a plan in place for handling a guest who’s definitely over-indulged.
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Success is not guaranteed
Just like any business investment, success is never guaranteed. However, chances are that wherever you are the competition is tough and the market is at least somewhat saturated. You have to have a unique selling point these days, or it is likely you’ll be out of business before you really get started.
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All That Red Tapes
Owning a nightclub means that you are in charge of showing your patrons a good time. But with that power come a lot of responsibilities.
Especially since massive amounts of alcohol go hand-in-hand with owning a nightclub that means there are many laws you need to know. It is up to you as the owner to know all the rules and regulations of serving adult beverages, from the local level to state to federal.
Not to mention, you must also follow the same health and food safety regulations as restaurants, even if you only offer a limited food menu.
Conclusion
Running a nightclub sounds like a job that is full of glitz and glamour. Instead of waiting behind the velvet rope, you are the person who owns it.
Howbeit, don’t forget that the work of nightclub owners can be quite daunting. Still, the job does offer a number of rewards. Nonetheless, after you have weighed the pros and cons of owning a Nightclub, it is time to decide if the title of nightclub owner is for you.
If you feel more inspired than discouraged by this list, it could be a sign that you are ready to be a nightclub owner. Best of luck!