business good but could be better

[Fish Finder]

Hi There

 

Just a few lines to let any interested parties know that we had a good start to the new business we set up earlier this year on the Broads.

 

For those of you who have visited us both private owner and holiday boater alike we hope you enjoyed your time in our village and made some great memories.

 

My wife and I would like to say a BIG thankyou to all those who patronised our shop we hope you bagged up on the fish that seem to be throwing themselves at anglers this year.

 

Our business relies exclusively on the 17 moorings that are ajacent to our premisis and of the boat traffic most is from holiday makers we get no footfall from passing road users as we are down a small lane off the main road so we rely on the moorings bringing as many boats as possible in .

 

Recently however our business and some others in the village have been suffering through the actions of some private boat clubs who decide to moor up fand just sit there sunning themselves . they plant their chairs on the jetty and sit there all day not using the shops or facilities but eqwually denying the moorings to those holiday craft who we rely on to get us through the winter. What is even more questionable is that when the mooring officerarrives they do not even have the decency to get their hands in their pockets to pay the tiny £3 mooring fee that goes to support the moorings themselves. these selfish people (and its the same boats on a weekly basis week in week out) could moor anywhere on the broads if its not their intention to spend any money but instead they prefer to deny others a livelihood. by taking up crucial mooring space to top up their already overdone tans.

 

Fact. when a boat club came in this weekend our takings were down 50% on the norm for that day of the week as they pitched chairs and tables and didnt move from the moorings  they had to be asked to moor a dinghy on their bow as they had taken up an entire space with one of their tenders. whilst  i counted over 40 hire craft that day  come up and have to turn round due to there being no mooring spaces.

 

Before anyone gets up in arms about my points above  bear in mind  these forums are the first place people moan at when the facilities they enjoy go under due to lack of patronage. and for those of you who say " I pay my Broads authority licence so i can go anywhere i choose. " Yes you can but show a bit of common decency.  I also own a cruiser  a 32 footer so i probablly pay more toll than all the 27 footers or so that belong to these clubs. but when i moor at a facility , i have the decency to patronise the facilities  and once i have what i came for i slip and proceed to a mooring which does not impinge on any business. I mean boating is about getting away from it all . Right?

 

Bottom line is  we welcome any craft here and will continue to do so but  spare a thought for the livelihoods of people who are after all there for your benefit whether you need them now or in the future. 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Fish Finder,

Sorry you did not leave your name on the post.

I am sorry to hear of your plight, Womak Staithe is a very busy place and I have had problems finding a place to moor when we have gone there at times. Do you offer any of the mooring places that used to belong to the boat hire company?

I also assume that the boat club members move off of the moorings when the overnight mooring fee is collected? The local volunteers that collect the fee have a lot to put with I am sure but have they thought of collecting a lunchtime/afternoon fee, it need not be large but it may help out the situation.

Regards

Alan

[Hylander]

Well you have not said so will ask.    Where are your moorings please?     We are down South and are always more than willing to pay for a mooring overnight.

[Fish Finder]

Hi Guys 

 

Sorry my name is Dave  we run the tackle shop on Womack Staithe  yes Alan youre correct  as soon as the time to pay the mooring fee is due they turn the engines on and away they go . Unfortunately i dont offer any mooring space as its not mine  i only have the pump out bay the old DRL moorings where Darren ran his hire fleet from are now a private marina again so no pleasure craft are able to moor there either.

 

One craft that came in the other day (LADY FISHCAKE) the owner actually told a boat hire user who was attempting to moor up his day boat that he "couldnt park there as he needed to get in   and that day boat should moor up on my pump out berth  just so he could get his boat moored there for the weekend   the arrogant man ! and theyre NEVER  AWAY FROM THIS STAITHE . though to be fair they at least cough up the mooring fee when asked . theyre here again tonight but they had to moor out as the quay is full tonight ...(such a shame).

 

Our thoughts took us down a similar path to you regarding multiple fee collection times  I think its a brilliant idea however, i am told that this was put to the staithe trustees in the past and ruled out because (and I quote ). "We dont need the additional money". Pehaps the staithe should in that case become a business if it has enough money and cease being the registered Charity that it is . Either way I would like to see a more accountable set of Staithe trustees that have the village and its business's at heart  along with more transparency of the waiting list and current tennancy of the parish moorings to validate that no person living outside the parish has their boat moored in the private slots which i have been told happens..

 

regards

 

Dave

[Guest]

You have my sympathy Dave.

 

Womack has always been a very difficult place to run a business, with very few lasting more than a year or two. The boatyard and shop has changed hands so many times.

 

The very short "high season", coupled with the  high business  rents and quite isolated location.

 

People see it in high Summer and think it's a Gold Mine, not knowing how dead it gets around there for so much of the year.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Strowager,

 

As you say it has always been an issue as I see it from when we first started on the Broads in 2001. I have talked to a number of people who have had the shop and the boatyard.

 

Most people who have had the shop have been very enthusiastic but as you say the season is short and the winters long, an added complication is that the shop can not be used as a café, my understanding there was a problem with the lease regarding this.

 

During the season there is loads of cars that come down to the staithe to look at the boats moored or just come down to feed the ducks.

 

It is a pity that mooring on the islands there is no access to the staithe other than by tender.

 

Regards

Alan

[Guest]

I'm not sure the main problem for the businesses is lack of moorings.

 

In just ten years, there's been two gift shops, a craft shop, two chandlers, and even a model railway shop.

 

I've discussed it with some of the previous business tenants, and they found that most of the passing trade were "tyre kickers".  

 

Loads of people visiting the shops, but not buying much, compared with places like Roys and Lathams.

 

It's the same thing at Ludham Bridge, and that's on the main A1062 road.

 

There's been a steady succession of businesses there since Robert Paul sold the boatyard to Jason and let the other side of the road as separate units.

 

Like so many Broadland Pubs, trade dwindles away to nothing for more than half the year.

[Hockham Admiral]

I really feel for you on this one, Dave (and welcome aboard from us).

[Dan]

.... I've discussed it with some of the previous business tenants, and they found that most of the passing trade were "tyre kickers".  

 

Loads of people visiting the shops, but not buying much, compared with places like Roys and Lathams...

 

Whenever I read/hear these sort of statements it always suprises me that people have blamed the potential customers for not buying rather than considered whether they are just not being run brilliantly or towards their maximum potential or offering what their customers would actually like to buy?

[trambo]

Hi Dave, Agree there is an acute shortage of mooring at Womack. The demise of the boatyard to visiting craft has only accentuated this as I noticed this year. Always use the excellent butchers and general store in the village but sorry I'm not an angler. I did look for your pump out quay but I'm sure it was occupied by small craft and could do with better signage to let people know it exists.

 

Fred

[Guest]

Whenever I read/hear these sort of statements it always suprises me that people have blamed the potential customers for not buying rather than considered whether they are just not being run brilliantly or towards their maximum potential or offering what their customers would actually like to buy?

 

It's quite possible it's not their fault at all Dan.

 

Even with brilliant marketing, the huge difference in size of premises means they can only offer a greatly reduced choice, and may be hard pressed to compete price wise, with a fraction of the turnover.

[Fish Finder]

I'm not sure the main problem for the businesses is lack of moorings.

 

In just ten years, there's been two gift shops, a craft shop, two chandlers, and even a model railway shop.

 

I've discussed it with some of the previous business tenants, and they found that most of the passing trade were "tyre kickers".  

 

Loads of people visiting the shops, but not buying much, compared with places like Roys and Lathams.

 

It's the same thing at Ludham Bridge, and that's on the main A1062 road.

 

There's been a steady succession of businesses there since Robert Paul sold the boatyard to Jason and let the other side of the road as separate units.

 

Like so many Broadland Pubs, trade dwindles away to nothing for more than half the year.

true some of the tyre kickers are in evidence but then they wouldnt buy from roys or lathams either. in the 12 weeks since we have been open i have only had to tell 2 customers that i didnt stock what they were looking for  and of those items they wanted  i have not been asked for them again. as they were high priced items. I have purposely steered away from low turnover stock and focussed on fast turnover items,  terminal tackle , bait and quality budget rods that i selected carefully in order to maximise turnover. the shop is small so space is at a premium and as such we dont sell larger less required items by design. i believe our stock range is just about bang on target. ... the problem lies in the fact that the moorings should be changing craft 2-3 times a day and when these fleets of commodore wannabes turn up it destroys the trade and they arent taking up the slack

 

They would soon moan if i parked my car and trailer outside their drives all day so they couldnt get out to work to earn a living ....same breed of cat.

 

Regards

Dave

[mbird]

But surely the point is that it is a parish staithe and therefore public moorings aren't they? I agree that if people use moorings infront of a pub, then they should certainly use that pub's facilities. However, the moorings at Womack are not part of your frontage, and indeed totally separated from your plot by the dinghy dyke. The shop you occupy was built there to take advantage of the staithe, not the staithe put there to service the building.

 

Whilst can I fully sympathise with your frustrations, there is nothing stopping boaters spending 24 hours at a parish mooring (as long as they pay their fee of course), and I am sure the thought that they may be stopping potential customers coming into your shop by doing so doesn't even register.

 

It is no different to when this very forum held their birthday meet on Womack Staithe 4 years ago and basically took over the entire moorings, had a massive BBQ and a great day. True, there wasn't a shop other than Darren's small offerings there then, but even if there had been, I'm sure the consideration it could be hitting trade would not have been one that the meet organisers (of which I was one) would even have thought about.

[Guest]

With all due respect and sympathy Dave, Mark is quite correct in stating that the Public Staithe is primarily for the benefit of visiting craft, whatever their reason for arriving there.

 

I can't help thinking that the number of potential Angling equipment customers is going to be quite limited at somewhere like Womack, even if it could be restricted to a fast turnover of just hire boats. 

 

I'd estimate that fewer than one in ten seem to be interested in fishing.

[littlesprite]

I don't think Dave is actually moaning about people who pay a mooring fee and stay for 24hrs, it sounds like he is complaining about people who don't pay and yet stay for long periods.

Last week I stayed at Sutton Staithe for 24hrs, there was a boat moored when I arrived (on the power point) and still there when I left (he had apparently been there for 3 days.

[mbird]

Fair enough point, but it is still a parish staithe and therefore people are entitled to come and go as they please. It is a bit wrong to disappear before the mooring fees are collected, but many people pop out for the day and then head back to their moorings in the evening, and I believe the mooring fee is for overnight. It's never been any different at Womack as it's such a popular place, and if you are lucky enough to find a mooring, many people stay. Just because they are not interested in purchasing angling gear, doesn't mean they have any less right to do so.

[laffingfish]

I will be coming down on Saturday the 14th & will be popping in on the way to the boatyard to get a few maggots. Every little helps i hope. Yes its a shame that some people dont think of the big picture & the impact they may be having on small struggling businesses in these turbulent times. Im sure you are not the only shop/pub these people impact on in the village. When ever i come down to Womack there always seem a steady stream of boats & plenty go straight back down the river & i guess quite a few do as no spaces available

[Matt]

Is mooring limited to 24hrs at Womack? I confess to staying two nights once but I did pay for both nights.....

[Brian]

Its a problem , i used Salhouse Broad Car park one evening last week, a great little car park with toilets.

Its not a Pay and display, there is a steel box that welcomes a £1 contribution for parking, which i gladly deposited.

I would say i was in the minority who did this.

 

Folk are funny about small change, If folk knew where the money was going and what it for i think they would give

[MBA Marine]

Lady Fishcake lives in Horning, everytime I see it i cannot help commenting in my head about what a stupid name it is!!

Im sorry for your woes.

[seaboater]

I have to say that I'm entirely with Mark on this one. If they're moored legitimately, then it's legitimate - end of story. I feel some sympathy for anyone running a business, but it seems more that the business is simply in the wrong place to achieve adequate footfall.

[seaboater]

And to say that someone's boat name is stupid is surely a bit over the top!

[Lucky]

I think the important part here, as you said is " Unfortunately I don't offer any mooring space as its not mine"  and the fact that you are off a beaten track. If you where in a high street with passing footfall then I would expect your rent for the property to be a lot more of course but passing trade much higher too.

 

Naming people and boats that have not effectively done anything wrong but caused you a personal (or business) grievance is simply not right.. If you owned the moorings then you are quite within your rights to request them to move.

 

Also, making statements like the following is not doing your business any good regardless of your personal feelings:-

 

.....and just sit there sunning themselves 

.....these selfish people

.....they prefer to deny others a livelihood

.....their already overdone tans.

.....so i probably pay more toll than all the 27 footers

.....I mean boating is about getting away from it all . Right?

..... these fleets of commodore wannabes

 

I guess what I am saying is that it is a public staithe and you decided to open a shop there - why should people behave any differently now you are there (and totally within their rights) from before ?

[Fish Finder]

With all due respect and sympathy Dave, Mark is quite correct in stating that the Public Staithe is primarily for the benefit of visiting craft, whatever their reason for arriving there.

 

I can't help thinking that the number of potential Angling equipment customers is going to be quite limited at somewhere like Womack, even if it could be restricted to a fast turnover of just hire boats. 

 

I'd estimate that fewer than one in ten seem to be interested in fishing.

I take with your point , however as i already stated i also pay my broads tolls and moorings  but when i go out  if i want to go to a mooring with facilities  i pay the fee and use the facilities /shops/pub  then im out of there  these people could go anywhere on the broads and sit and sun themselves. and as you said it probably doesnt even register that theyre hitting business .. oh and by the way its not just tackle we provide here we hire pedal craft , rowing boats and offer a pump out service so its all those aspects of the trade thats being hit   . when we dont have these boat clubs up here we do around 200-300 pounds a day when theyre here we barely make 60.

[Fish Finder]

 

I think the important part here, as you said is " Unfortunately I don't offer any mooring space as its not mine"  and the fact that you are off a beaten track. If you where in a high street with passing footfall then I would expect your rent for the property to be a lot more of course but passing trade much higher too.

 

 

Naming people and boats that have not effectively done anything wrong but caused you a personal (or business) grievance is simply not right.. If you owned the moorings then you are quite within your rights to request them to move.

 

 

Also, making statements like the following is not doing your business any good regardless of your personal feelings:-

 

 

.....and just sit there sunning themselves 

 

.....these selfish people

 

.....they prefer to deny others a livelihood

 

.....their already overdone tans.

 

.....so i probably pay more toll than all the 27 footers

 

.....I mean boating is about getting away from it all . Right?

 

..... these fleets of commodore wannabes

 

 

I guess what I am saying is that it is a public staithe and you decided to open a shop there - why should people behave any differently now you are there (and totally within their rights) from before ?

 

well ive always said what i feel  being pc is not what i am about . i tell it the way i see it . as i said earlier this place is the first to see the gripes when some facility or other closes due to lack of business. but when someone states a few facts  they are out of order.  i see the figures at the end of the day theyre affecting my business and i have a right to point it out. its a free world  the same as youre free to disagree with me. and as for not doing my business any good  its hardly damaging it if theyre not bothering to use it in the first place.

 

regards