A year ago, we bought over a Post Office in the Scottish Highlands. To date it has gone well enough albeit we will never be millionaires.

There are likely government changes down the line that will reduce or income from the Post Office though. At the moment, the Scottish government is offering significant grants to allow Post Offices to diversify and therefore remain viable where there is a risk.

Our set up is that we have a "retail" section that sells all the things that you would expect to find in a Post Office - stationery / greetings cards / toys general buts and bobs. This area has grown quite foe us in the year we have been here and is probably doing as well as we could hope. We also have ancillary services like taking Kleeneze orders and taking in Dry cleaning for a nearby dry cleaners.

With the grant available, we could convert the adjoining room (currently part of out house but we have plenty rooms) into another business area - space about 20 foot square. I would rule out extending the current lines as I believe that we wouldn't get a return.

Our village has a population of about 1000 - a large proportion are elderly. Within a 50 mile radius we have quite a few similar villages. We have plenty by way of convenience food, florists, tea rooms and an estate agency. Due to the economic climate, the locals are quite prudent. We have a decent tourist population during the summer months. Our shop is on a busy main road which links the top of Scotland to the rest and we do have lot of passing trade.

I think that we need to consider some type of business that would attract customers from beyond our village alone - or to provide a service that many of them would use. We don't have any specialised skills that would allow us to provide a service that requires in depth knowledge.

I don't suppose I will have provided all the info you might need to make a suggestion but if you have a question or suggestion, fire away.

Thanks in advance

Sounds like you need to whore yourself to the tourist dollar unless you can see a glaring need for something for the locals (what do you have to go to the next big town for??). Cafe or selling more tourist tat?

You'll also get some locals eating/drinking and some extra tourists attracted in by the cafe (/souvenirs) buying your existing stock.

Ask the locals if they would like you to sell anything else? If they are old maybe those motorised Buggy-things could be an idea?

Opening a cafe would be a perfect option due to location and I really like the concept but we have a coffee shop / tea room right across the road.

Why not let the space out to another business/office. Steady monthly income via rent.

Is there a Newsagent in your Village ? Or are you doing that already ?

There are a few with motorised buggies but the cost of them would put them out the reach of almost all the older folk.


keep them coming though

You could sell 2nd hand Buggies. Must be loads of families looking to flog them off after Gran/Grandad pop their clogs.

Did think about that Adrian but there are spare buildings already if anyone was needing one. There is a newsagent's down the road who and I don't fancy getting up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning to compete with him

Generally - I feel that competing with an existing business in the village would be difficult commercially and could be seen as a bad thing by the locals.

Before anyone suggests it, I think that I could probably offer a good line in golf products but same argument as above. I certainly don't want to hack anyone off at the golf club - especially the Pro.

There are 4 people in the village that I know of who have them and none of these have popped yet

How about doing it in conjunction with the Golf Club ? They supply the stock, so no financial outlay for you. with profits split between the two of you ?

How about an internet cafe ?

Ok, so perhaps not the cafe but internet facilities ?

There will be tourists looking to make bookings etc in the summer months. Just need a computer, printer and put a sign outside saying "internt faciities" here. Not much of an outlay. Plus someone may buy a snack whilst surfing the net.

This is something that could have merit along with something else.

Some ideas that we have generated so far on our own are
- laundrette with heel bar / ket cutting facilities - could cobble the internet cafe as part of that.
- Baby shop. There is probably a gap of 60 mile radius without a proper baby shop (prams / cots and the like)
- Fireplace shop. Real out of the box thinking there but same radius applies and about 5 years ago when we wanted a fireplace, there were at least 5 different shops in the city where we lived.

Really appreciate all the input to date.

How many people buy fireplaces?

The baby shop is an idea, if there are enough of breeding age.

Not too sure how the Tea Shop would like the Internet Cafe idea; and I assume the Village is close knit and might pi55 off the locals.

This was my thought too - 3G connection is terrible in remote areas,not sure about your area but I often find myself on holiday running around with my phone in the air looking for reception.

In the winter you could run classes for the local community and library type services?

Do you have land? How about a nursery?

If you have a lot of storage space how about flooring and tiles - get the right supplier and the markup is huge.

Yeah the fireplace was a bit left field Baby shop stays on the list at the moment. Agreed about the cafe part - would be internet "station" although the coffee shop closes at 3pm so there is some scope.

Internet facility definitely an option.

There is currently a strong provision from the local council of learning classes but they might be pulled with the cuts. Not sure how many of the locals would pay though. Potential though.

Liking the tiles / flooring option. Will need to think a bit about existing provision and space constraints but with the grant that we could apply for, there is scope to redesign the existing and new area.

Nursery - I am guessing kids rather than gardening (of which I know nothing). Problem is that most young mums here don't work. There is an old building close by which would make a great play area for kids but there are legal issues with the building.

Hi, Andy,
I don't know exactly where you are - somewhere north of Brora? Or on the A96?

I was touring up to Orkney via Helmsdale a couple of years back and internet availability would often decide where I'd stop for food or drink.

If the (food) cafe aspect is too intense then what about speciality ice cream? I know there's a very good independent ice cream maker and shop in Brora and there must be others around who could supply you? Initial outlay would be quite low - a few tables and chairs/bar and stools, chest freezers, stock, sundae dishes, napkins and a scoop. Throw in free wi-fi for 'eat in' customers.

You could do normal cones, sugar cones, go for nostalgia with wafers and 'raspberry' syrup, speciality sundaes with local soft fruits & berries and silly Scottish names (like 'The Braveheart' for a cream-laden, cardiac-inducing saturated fat-a-thon or 'The Nessie' for a few dollops served in typical monster form). Perhaps a company could even make you a 'signature dish', for instance, the Cross of St. Andrew in blueberry and vanilla ice cream (or Drambuie if that worked).
A wide variety of toppings would be good - chocolate syrup and powder, maple syrup, crushed roasted hazelnuts and/or almonds, 100s & 1000s, crushed Dime bars might be fantastic! If the idea appeals take a look on line at Italian ice cream shops and see what they usually offer - I reckon they're (currently ) the best.

I think that if you get a good product to begin with you could make a name for yourself with a stylish Scottish 'gelataria' and actually attract custom to your village. I bet the mark up can be pretty good, too, especially with the recession boosting home tourism - and global warming!

I was thinking garden nursery but like your nursery idea better - softplay areas can be a real puller for people especially when its poor weather.

Regulation is a nightmare for nurseries. I'd steer clear personally. Problem with flooring and tiling is working capital. OK you don't have to hold stock for everything but need to have a good range of display items. Your available space doesn't seem big enough to me and I doubt you'd shift the volumes to get good pricing and fulfilment deals.

Internet sounds like a good idea, esp if you could do 'biddy classes'. Not sure how much cash there would be in it, but would be a useful way of getting footfall.

Presume you already sell tourist tat?

Seen a bit of a rise in 'old fashioned sweet shops' lately. You have to have a big range of old favourites, but appeals to young and old (plus middle aged nostalgia for Bon Bon's and Herbal tablets). You could also sell them on e-bay (which would also make you a bit of money from postage?).

I've got Mobility products in the back of my mind as an idea that would fit the local demographic. Don't know how you could make that work though - would have to partner with a mobility reseller I suspect. Might be worth it as a left field thing to investigate though.

Bit hard to say without knowing the area though.

Dump the kids in a playpen, adults get their cyber fix then they all meet up for speciality ice cream. Sorted.

That would be Capaldis which is across the road It's been bought over by a Bakers and they do Ice Cream (it really is very good) and all the usual bakers products. They have the "fast food" part nailed. Pity because as you say, there is scope to develop that angle and I know that plenty tourists & travellers plan a stop in Brora as it's halfway between Inverness and both Thurso and Wick.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

Thanks for all the suggestion thus far. I really appreciate everyone's input.

My first thought was a big sign saying that you sell 'local produce' or 'local crafts' - eg something organic, or something Scottish, that you can claim is 'of the region' - mainly foods (fruit? crusty breads? whisky? shortbread? etc) and perhaps also 'crafts' (pottery? glass? wood carvings? sporrans?. .). Through-travellers and tourists tend to stop for something they think is different/ethnic/local etc. I would, anyway.

PS the ice cream idea above is good - could be part of this.

That's exactly who I had in mind - Capaldi's! I stop for a double scoop whenever I pass.

Ok, well, if they've got that covered ..... I do like the old-fashioned sweet shop idea - it can also run as a web business (see Sugarboy).
What about scouring Scotland for a 'Best of ....' food range? Granted, many tourists will have come passed the House of Bruer, but they might have run out of smoked salmon by the time they reach you?

I'm suggesting your selling prize-winning products from the country. Charlie Barley's in Stornoway make the best black pudding I've ever tasted. Simon MacDonald of Glenuig, Moidart, is a really decent man making fantastic smoked produce - or check out local estates if they have a smokehouse. Then there is the Moniak Castle range of sauces & pickles, Orkney cheeses, etc., etc. Like the sweets, this could be ecommerce, too.

A complete tangent, but with the salmon rivers near you what about tackle and countrywear? I know there's a tackle shop in Helmsdale and there used to be one in Dingwall, but there may be a niche where you are?
One option would be to concentrate on 'essentials' - a selection of flies (maybe bought off a local ghillie?), a few dozen well-priced lines and reels, a selection of cheap but serviceable second hand salmon and trout rods and a few new from eBay (I saw some fantastic bargains yesterday and would be happy to advise). Add some wet weather gear and Jungle Formula and you're set. Fill up any extra shelf space with sweeties!

On the Continent Butterfly Houses are all the rage. Minimum outlay and very little upkeep. They attract School Trips and all the kids are given different coloured hats as different species are attracted to different colours and the kids love it when they land on them. Tourist love them as well and after their walk through you could offer them tea and refreshments if you have enough room left for a small sitting area. A right little gold mine in the summer.

Depending on how much space you have this should give you a rough idea of what you are looking at, you can reduce the size to suit whatever area you have available.

http://www.bridgegreenhouses.co.uk/p_ch ... llery.html

An aquarium ? Full of fish and sea creatures typically found in Scottish waters but perhaps rarely seen by tourists ?
There's a successful one in Anglesey called the Anglesey Sea Zoo which you could visit for ideas and maybe start-up advice
http://www.angleseyseazoo.co.uk/photos.html
They have a bistro,but if you don't want to go down that route,the cafe owners in your village would thank you for the resultant extra business.
School trips would no doubt be drawn if you're offering something unusual. Do you have space to run a small butterfly farm as well as an added attraction ?

n.b if you click on Consultancy,you'll see they offer 1 hour's free advice on making a retail outlet work,and specialise in building fish tanks - it could prove a good investment to engage their services as you lack the experience they have. You could include the cost of this in your grant application.

How about a themed cafe ie the staff could all dress up in Scottish traditional garb and serve traditional Scottish fare.

another idea how about a cafe with a wacky warehouse, all the mums take little ones to play in wackywarehouse and buy tea,drinks,cakes while chatting in cafe part as little tots play.

If you are near to rivers, maybe a fishing shop for tackle, rods etc.

is the area scenic, do you get lots of walkers, bikers if yes a shop to cater for hiking or biking needs maybe

I hadn't really thought about this but I am warming to the idea ...... this is going on the list.



As above Flyman. I am going to steer clear of the the fishing angle at the moment. Helmsdale is too close I think and the majority of local fishing visitors tend to fish in Helmsdale I think. Oh and I know the owner of the Helmsdale tackle shop through golf It might be worth a corner in the future (and I will retain your suggestions) but probably wouldn't make enough of a difference on it's own. Really starting to like the "Best of" idea.



I will have a look but at first thought it might require more space than we have. I will be planning to redesign what we have but I am guessing the area will be 35 feet by 30 feet or thereabouts but thanks for taking the time Pa.



Possibly the same problem as above but I will give it more thought - Thanks grob



Thanks Achilles. The cafe / kids play area idea has been discussed and is further down the list. There is a building close by which would be good but I hear that there are big issues with access, drainage and vandals. I like the idea but it's just incorporating it that's the challenge.

Just a further thanks to all who have contributed to this. Obviously it's really important to us. In the truest traditions of brainstorming I didn't think I would consider creating a touristy thing but I am now.

Probably the most likely contenders at the moment are (in no particular order).

1) Laundrette (aimed at local businesses, resident tourists, caravaners and some locals).
2) Flooring supplier (aimed at 60 mile radius if we could create the space).
3) Specialised "Best of" Scotland store (aimed at tourists and passing travellers).

but there is still time for any other thoughts or suggestions.

Just a further thought on the 'Best of' idea - hampers!
Summer picnic selections or Christmas presents for eTrade might sell well.

Also, if you have wall space why not consider selling local artists'/photographers' work on commission?

How about a amusement arcade/cafe. If you have a caravan site nearby, I imagine you will get plenty of youngsters holidaying with parents and if the weather is anything like Wales, 60% of the time it will be raining etc.