Stop crippling new business

In November you printed a letter from me in which I expressed my displeasure with leasing pub companies which don't ensure that their new lessees can make their businesses break even - at least - by ensuring that rent and/or gross profit available from the beer sales are appropriate.

I asked: "Are there any pub landlord companies out there which can prove they don't put people in this position?" None have come forward, which speaks for itself.

Last week I came across a major high street bank that is selling ancillary services to pub leaseholders. These are effectively insurance schemes on HR management, and largely are far more expensive than other approaches.

Again, they are just trying to make easy profits, with no care at all about whether the pub leaseholder will be able to afford the service. I spoke to one sales person responsible, and he just said that it wasn't his problem once the chap had signed.

And now the real issue: it was all based on a three-year minimum term, and couldn't be cancelled before all the payments had been paid.

We desperately need to protect budding entrepreneurs from these bad practices.

David J Hunter
Managing consultant, Bowden Group, Marlow-on-Thames, Buckinghamshire

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