Opening a new shop presents a risk, but rewards are there if you work hard

Vincent Page, of Antiques on High, celebrates one year in business. Picture: Antiques on High (Image: Archant)

While much speculation appears to surround the two empty shops in Fore Street, rumours are abound as to what they are likely to be.

When the pandemic first hit and the whole country was sent into a state of a complete film like status, I for one noticed that some business owners who had, prior to the lockdown been rather vocal about their roaring success, were the first ones to be claiming financial suicide as we were told to shut up shop and go home for what was then an indefinite period, which to me provided an interesting take on how successful they really were, and the same rather insecure mindset can be seen in every town up and down the country.

Now that we have all had a harsh dose of reality served upon us, those same people who are, shall we say, of a different attitude.

Every town has them, certain streets whereby in years gone by if you owned a shop in those streets, you just assumed your financial situation was secured and thus if you owned the freehold and collected your rent every quarter much the same was the attitude. With successful year following successful year, many people thought it was their God given right to live to a certain standard, take holidays in the appropriate far-off places drive the appropriate cars and so on, but when the pandemic hit you could say, to use a colloquial term, it sorted the men from the boys and suddenly we all had to think outside the box in order to keep our businesses afloat and many are still doing so whilst some sulk because they cant earn what they use to.

When the two empty shops in Fore Street became available, they were taken very quickly and it will be pleasing to see them open again and let’s all hope they survive, opening a business in any climate is always a risk, but if you know what you’re doing, then you get out what you put in.