So you want to be a bar owner, huh?

There are a few things one has to have in order to own and operate a successful bar.

First and foremost, testicles.

Meaning that you have to be willing to face conflict, fire people and be assertive.

If you can't?

You have no business owning a bar.

If you can not pay your employees?

You probably shouldn't be paying out $200-400 a night for your entertainment.

If the bar is in a small town and you've been fucking your employees over consistently for the last few years?

Stop denying it and trying to make excuses.

Stop for a moment and realize that you have a certain responsibility to your employees.

There's not a whole hell of a lot of job security in bartending, but wondering from day to day whether I will be able to feed my kids takes a toll on our owner/employee relationship.

You can not continue to play games with peoples' lives and not expect any repercussions. Again, with the small town thing.

People will eventually realize that you are not good people, and they certainly won't want to frequent your establishment.

Once you have lost the respect of your employees as well as your patrons? You're pretty much screwed.

Do NOT get all fucked up in your own bar.

You can't complain about an unpaid $35.00 tab when you are running a $700 tab in your own bar.

Then?

If you do get all fucked up?

Do NOT alienate your guests.

Idiot.

Do NOT stand in the middle of the street and yell "FUCK YOU" to the bar next door.

You look like a lunatic.

If you can't afford to buy liquor and beer and meet your payroll?

You are doing something wrong.

Continuing to do it wrong, over and over, doesn't make any fucking sense.

Maybe, just maybe, you should suck it up and admit that you are clueless.

Maybe you are in way over your head and it's no one's fault but your own.

If you want to know why business has been declining so rapidly, and you aren't seeing any profit, despite your bartender, entertainment and atmosphere changes?

The problem, quite obviously, is you.