What would be the best expat servicing business to start in Basel??

Canadiangal · #1 29.12.2010, 20:52

So I was all set to buy a pre-existing franchise business - negotiations are heading the way of the wind and now I am an entrepreneur-expat in Basel armed with a GmbH.

This is a serious question -What business or service do expats in Basel really need? Of course, I have some ideas myself, but I would love to get some input or a reality check. Any ideas would be tremendously appreciated.

Thanks!

10:30 · #2 29.12.2010, 21:05

Please make a really cool café that serves decent beer, is not too fancy, is not some cookie-cutter British pub, is not too loud, is not dead silent, has low ceilings, is laid back, has a tiny menu of simple affordable tasty things to eat, has wood tables, different kinds of chairs, is not named something ending in -bar (Unsichtbar, Baragraph, Wünderbar,

), has affordable beer, has borderline bad art on the walls, has a borrowable chess set, has odd serving staff and is generally a place where people would like to spend their leisure time.

Set up such a café and I will make it my second residence.

jrspet · #3 29.12.2010, 21:07

KFC franchise ?

nickatbasel · #4 29.12.2010, 21:08

A combined brown sugar merchants and salary advice company
Cheers,
Nick

Mowvich · #5 29.12.2010, 21:10

	Quote:	jrspet
	KFC franchise ?

+1

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Swisstobe · #6 29.12.2010, 21:11

Whole Foods!

Canadiangal · #7 29.12.2010, 22:20

That's a good idea

	Quote:	Swisstobe
	Whole Foods!

Downerbuzz · #8 29.12.2010, 22:26

	Quote:	10:30
	Please make a really cool café that serves decent beer, is not too fancy, is not some cookie-cutter British pub, is not too loud, is not dead silent, has low ceilings, is laid back, has a tiny menu of simple affordable tasty things to eat, has wood tables, different kinds of chairs, is not named something ending in -bar (Unsichtbar, Baragraph, Wünderbar, ), has affordable beer, has borderline bad art on the walls, has a borrowable chess set, has odd serving staff and is generally a place where people would like to spend their leisure time. Set up such a café and I will make it my second residence.

have you never been to the Roter Engel?

Canadiangal · #9 29.12.2010, 22:30

I like the idea - apparently here you need to do quite an extensive restaurant management course to be able to own a restaurant / place where they serve warm food (or hire someone who has done such a course to manage the facility).

It's interesting, in going through the exercise of almost purchasing this franchise I realized that it could be great for expat families, but when you start thinking about it, a Basel expat wish list could get quite long.

A comfortable feeling, reasonably priced restaurant or cafe would certainly be high on the list. Thanks!

	Quote:	10:30
	Please make a really cool café that serves decent beer, is not too fancy, is not some cookie-cutter British pub, is not too loud, is not dead silent, has low ceilings, is laid back, has a tiny menu of simple affordable tasty things to eat, has wood tables, different kinds of chairs, is not named something ending in -bar (Unsichtbar, Baragraph, Wünderbar, ), has affordable beer, has borderline bad art on the walls, has a borrowable chess set, has odd serving staff and is generally a place where people would like to spend their leisure time. Set up such a café and I will make it my second residence.

grumpygrapefruit · #10 29.12.2010, 22:42

Why an expat focused business? Expats are a tiny minority and notoriously fickle. Start a business that will have customers of all nationalities as customers (including Swiss) and you will have a much bigger chance of success.

marton · #11 29.12.2010, 23:06

	Quote:	grumpygrapefruit
	Why an expat focused business? Expats are a tiny minority and notoriously fickle. Start a business that will have customers of all nationalities as customers (including Swiss) and you will have a much bigger chance of success.

two related businesses; Brothel situated over a 5 minute car wash

10:30 · #12 29.12.2010, 23:53

	Quote:	Downerbuzz
	have you never been to the Roter Engel?

No, wait. Have you never been to the Roter Engel?

I said this:

	Quote:
	Please make a really cool café that serves decent beer, is not too fancy, is not some cookie-cutter British pub, is not too loud, is not dead silent, has low ceilings, is laid back, has a tiny menu of simple affordable tasty things to eat, has wood tables, different kinds of chairs, is not named something ending in -bar (Unsichtbar, Baragraph, Wünderbar, ), has affordable beer, has borderline bad art on the walls, has a borrowable chess set, has odd serving staff and is generally a place where people would like to spend their leisure time.

That said, Roter Engel is the best café that I've found in six years of living here. But I still prefer to invite friends for a beer in my kitchen rather than going out.

Phil_MCR · #13 30.12.2010, 00:11

	Quote:	grumpygrapefruit
	Why an expat focused business? Expats are a tiny minority and notoriously fickle. Start a business that will have customers of all nationalities as customers (including Swiss) and you will have a much bigger chance of success.

as gg has managed to successfully sell british cheese to the swiss, my suggestion would be to emulate him and try to sell british made watches the swiss!

biff · #14 30.12.2010, 00:22

	Quote:	10:30
	Please make a really cool café that serves decent beer, is not too fancy, is not some cookie-cutter British pub, is not too loud, is not dead silent, has low ceilings, is laid back, has a tiny menu of simple affordable tasty things to eat, has wood tables, different kinds of chairs, is not named something ending in -bar (Unsichtbar, Baragraph, Wünderbar, ), has affordable beer, has borderline bad art on the walls, has a borrowable chess set, has odd serving staff and is generally a place where people would like to spend their leisure time. Set up such a café and I will make it my second residence.

Like Bohemian Bagle in Prague? Oh yes. Add a few English language newspapers and chocolate chip biscuits and I will be there.

biff · #15 30.12.2010, 00:26

	Quote:	10:30
	No, wait. Have you never been to the Roter Engel? I said this: That said, Roter Engel is the best café that I've found in six years of living here. But I still prefer to invite friends for a beer in my kitchen rather than going out.

Where is this place? I have never heard it mentioned .

CheesyKiwi · #16 30.12.2010, 07:24

flu jab center?

C *cough* K

Canadiangal · #17 30.12.2010, 09:34

It's simply a matter of having a better understanding of the expat market. After 4 years of living here, I am still not quite sure what makes the Swiss tick. ;-)

Of course, I would be happy to have anyone from anywhere come in and share their hard-earned money with me - I just would pick something that would be of (hopefully) obvious interest to the expat community and then work on bringing in the locals.

	Quote:	grumpygrapefruit
	Why an expat focused business? Expats are a tiny minority and notoriously fickle. Start a business that will have customers of all nationalities as customers (including Swiss) and you will have a much bigger chance of success.

Canadiangal · #18 30.12.2010, 09:38

	Quote:	biff
	Like Bohemian Bagle in Prague? Oh yes. Add a few English language newspapers and chocolate chip biscuits and I will be there.

Actually, I wonder if there wouldn't be any interest in some form of Expat Times, English-language, 20-minuten-type publication. Another thing I discovered is that it is not particularly easy to advertise to the expat community.

portsmouth68 · #19 30.12.2010, 10:07

	Quote:	Canadiangal
	It's simply a matter of having a better understanding of the expat market. After 4 years of living here, I am still not quite sure what makes the Swiss tick. ;-)

You may think that you understand the expat market better than you actually do but either way are you sure that there is a sufficient customer base of expats to make a viable business.

Restaurant - 180 expat covers a night
Shop - 100 expat customers a day

Unless you are establishing a high value / low customer base business (relocation services or something similar) rather than a retail opportunity, I would recommend you go with mike's advice and appeal to the widest audience as possible.

Setting up any business is difficult but you are suggesting setting up a business where you only want to access 15% (not too sure what the expat percentage is but even this I would suggest is too high) of the customer base available.

HollidayG · #20 30.12.2010, 10:40

	Quote:	portsmouth68
	You may think that you understand the expat market better than you actually do but either way are you sure that there is a sufficient customer base of expats to make a viable business. Restaurant - 180 expat covers a night Shop - 100 expat customers a day Unless you are establishing a high value / low customer base business (relocation services or something similar) rather than a retail opportunity, I would recommend you go with mike's advice and appeal to the widest audience as possible. Setting up any business is difficult but you are suggesting setting up a business where you only want to access 15% (not too sure what the expat percentage is but even this I would suggest is too high) of the customer base available.

Are you moving to Dubai or already there? I just spent basically
the last 6 months there and in Abu Dhabi.