DonMeixner offers sound advice.

A few years ago, having been made redundant from the printing industry, my wife and I decided to have a go at the pub game.

As we knew little about the licensed trade we thought it best to get some training. We took a job with one of the large brewing companies which, at that time, ran most of the pubs in the UK.

Now I could make this a long posting relating a lot of incidents that happened to us. I will keep it short and say that if you run a pub properly it will take up your life in a way that you can only guess at form your current day job.

You will work harder than you ever have in your life before you could get up at 6:30 to let they delivery in and not get to bed till midnight. You have to manage and motivate your staff and you also have to manage the clients. You can't get too friendly with your clients, the buggers will try to take advantage. You will learn a variety of new skills, stock control and order, accountancy, first aid, you name it. It can be, simultaneously, the most satisfying and the most frustrating job in the world.

Be careful which pub you buy, make sure it is one you can ave a good chance of turning into the sort of establishment you want to run.

I do other things now but publicans have my admiration.

regards and good luck

Chris