Hello everyone! I have been interested in opening up my own shop for a while now, and I have a pretty good idea of what I want in it. Hookahs, pipes, tobaccos, incense, tapestry's, candles, tarot cards, beads, ect., you get the picture. Anyway, as of now I am young, so I wouldn't want to open it up just yet, unless I found a partner who was older so my shop would be taken more seriously. I can come up with the money, but I would like to know how much you guys think the overall cost would be (not for the products, but for the shop and its layout itself), and what steps I would have to take to do this. I realize it depends on what I chose, but I am just asking for a ballpark figure from someone who may have had some experience, or even has a friend who told them about their experience. If I have to get a degree in order to pursue this, I will do it, but I don't think it's necessary, I'm not really the school spirit type. If this is something I try to do in the next two to three years (I will be 22-23) do you think they would allow me to rent a building, or do you think I would be brushed off. What kind of permits would I need concerning fire codes and building codes and the likes. And would I need some special permit/license for having tobacco products in my store, and how would I go about getting permission to have certain brand of products, and large quantities. Basically, if any of you own your own business, please tell me how you did it and what all you had to do, it would be greatly appreciated. Please excuse any naivety in this post, but thats why I am asking questions, so I know what I'm getting into and I can prepare myself. I know it will take work, but thats why I'm starting off shaping my plan now so it will be easier for me later in life. Thanks in advance, loves eace:
It depends on your state and local laws mostly, so you're going to have to ask a local for help. Local attitudes need to be examined as well. If its a redneck area, you can expect lots of attention from the law. There's a guy here that sell pipes and glass bongs from his van parked in a flea market zone along the highway. It funny to see the old tourists stopped there to check out his colorful "flower vases". The old ladies must get quite a shock to find out what they really are. x
Yeah my area does have a lot of rednecks, but a city in the next state over (which is about 30 mins away) is cool with it, they have an ok head shop right in the downtown area, which is around where I would try to open mine. I KNOOOOW cops will be all over me, it's pretty crazy sometimes but as long as I keep an eye open and keep everything nice and legal I'll be alright Unfortunately I have family members who are pretty familiar with the law (and not in a good way) and they can give me plenty of help on that issue. Thank you for responding by the way, I thought it was going to be a dead post!
The flower vase thing is funny lol. I was thinking that I would fill a bong with flowers and put it on the front counter, kind of my ode to Grandma's Boy lol
had a friend that ran a 'head shop'. Make sure there's no mention of drugs on the premises, as that's what kept her from getting shut down several times. I can honestly tell you, open a new age shop, with some 'heady stuff' as a sideline, rather than opening a straightup headshop. that way you can tell the law 'nah, it's just a supplies shop for alternate religions, I just sell a few (this part is important) 'TOBACCO SUPPLIES AND ACCESSORIES'. You have no control on what's done with them after they leave the store, but you sell them for tobacco, and you have nothing to do with drugs whatsoever. (at least stealth it, and don't have your stash hanging around the store) Because, depending on what state you're in (I'm in texas) I've seen store owners arrested, and since every piece of glass was technically still 'theirs' until sale, they were charged with 400-500 counts of paraphinalia. be very very careful, hun, you're too pretty to wind up in jail for something that ridiculous. Yeah, we need head shops, but we need smart owners too.
Yeah I was thinking I wouldn't have a full on head shop, because besides obvious reasons, it would bore me to be selling the same thing. And I would never never EVER have any weed in my shop, around my shop, in my car, on the way to work, or leaving work. I probably wouldn't even smoke anytime when I would be in my shop. The part you said about alternative religions is great advice. Number one, I love learning about different religions, and I really do love having little trinkets and such representing them, since I don't consider myself any particular religion anyway, and number two, someone would feel like a dick if they came in trying to accuse me of having paraphernalia and I explained that those kinds of pipes were used in Mayan religious ceremonies back in the day, and they can find the information in the book that is right next to the pipes lol.
talk to the owner of your local mall but make sure hes okay with it being a headshop, this one headshop in my mall got shutdown when the owner of the mall finally went all the way inside past all the gratefull dead clothing to the back wall that displayed the paraphenalia
yeah I would have to be able to convince them they were tobaccos pipes, because i live in a pretty small town and one person could say it was for some crazy shit and i would get shut down quick
