From Nursing to Flipping Burgers...

Smitho3

Smitho3

Smitho3

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So my wife has an opportunity to take on a relatively high turnover, fixed location burger van business which will pay on average £1000 a month after tax. She currently gets paid between £1400 and £1800 a month as a Staff nurse but has aspired to run her own business for some time. Although flipping burgers is not ideal, it is lower hours and will give her the opportunity during the late afternoon and evenings to focus on building up her Cupcake business to a level that could someday allow her to open her own cupcake shop.

What do you guys think?

Keep a safe and secure well paid job with future prospects or

Take a risk, and work hard to build up a two sided business

I ask because I am completely neutral on this one as I can see the benefits and potential for the business but also enjoy the security that comes from her current vocation.
 
This doesnt seem particularly prudent. £1k a year after tax is barely more than you'd earn working full time for minimum wage, and time to develop a cupcake shop? A cupcake shop? The biggest reduction in descretional spending for decades and she thinks the world needs a cupcake shop?
 
I would say it depends on your financial situation. If you can afford for her to try this out, then go for it, whereas if it's going to cause a struggle, I would say it's possibly not worth going for it.

If it's something she wants to do and you'll be okay with uncertainty of her wages, give it a shot, If she's qualified to be a nurse, I'd imagine she'd be able to get back in to a nursing job easily enough if it doesn't work out.
 
I would do the buRger thing at weekends if possible.

Start with carboots, rugby/football matches.

The best van I ever ever saw was near a club in the middle of nowhere.

3am we left and too see a burger van was just epic.

A Saturday night and Friday night. Could maybe be as much as a weeks takings.

Just putting it on the table.
 
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Why not to be honest, if you cost it out properly with a business plan and it looks viable then go for it.

Also is it literally flipping burgers that are bought in or is there preparation required? She might be unpleasantly surprised to find the amount of hours that proper preparation and clean-up take on top of the 'for-sale' hours.

As has been said, if she's qualified as a nurse then regaining employment won't be disastrously difficult if it all goes pear-shaped, just be prepared to lose a lot of money on the venture if it goes wrong!
 
Rich_L said:
Why not to be honest, if you cost it out properly with a business plan and it looks viable then go for it.
Click to expand...

A business that only averages £1k a bunch after tax doesn't 'look viable' to me. A bad month, and there will be plenty, could see you earning less than a crew member at McDonalds!

Businesses for sale are always worth being cautious over. If they were an easy cash cow why are they for sale..
 
Yeah, stick with NHS. It's public sector so they have their various job perks. Nurses are band 5 I believe, the same wage as 2nd/3rd line tech. In this current climate, I think most people would cherish that.
 
Definitely stick to nursing.

If she could potentially earn more than she current does, then it may have been worth the risk. But running the risk and guaranteeing a loss in salary is pretty bad...
 
Nursing all the way.. I wouldn't give up a career choice like that for a burger van.

The fact it is lower hours is not the issue.
It's the fact I'm not actually sure a "cupcake shop" sounds like a viable business plan.
 
I'd say go for her own businesses.

the coalition are going to smash public sector services - it's not that nice an environment to work in now, let alone in a few years time.

I wouldn't even consider working in the public sector in this day and age.
 
[TW]Fox;19479944 said:
and time to develop a cupcake shop? A cupcake shop? The biggest reduction in descretional spending for decades and she thinks the world needs a cupcake shop?
Click to expand...


It's becoming big business, be it from a shop location or home. Also there are now businesses popping up surrounding cupcake making, like custom cup cake boxes for parties and all sorts.
 
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