It was interesting reading this thread as it is very easy to tell employers from employee's in the responses. As a self employed business owner the cold hard facts are this. Mark ups on whatever you sell must cover your costs. This includes everything from insurance to wages to tax's and rent or lease or mortgage fees. Anybody who has their own business and shop will tell you that the tax's are horrible, wages are a pain and lost leaders really don't exist. If you see a shop advertising an oil change for $19.95+tax there is always a clause saying "most vehicles" and what exceptions there are to the sale. They don't lose money but they certainly have an opportunity to make money with add on sales. This is the basis for the so called lost leader effect. So if you see a sale on salt or equipment or livestock, there is usually a theory or gimmick behind the reason for the sale. It's the same for tv's stereo's etc. When someone shows me an add for Instant ocean salt for say $39.95 a bucket and the second one free then I say "Sign me up for 20 pails" but I have found that prices whether they are in LFS's or electronics are usually pretty consistent during the year, sales come and go all year round and for the most part whether its a Boxing day sale or Pre Christmas sale or Labour day sale or My wife is nagging me sale, the prices are all usually pretty good. It's whether you can be patient for the right deal to come along that can be the biggest factor. Eg. If you were in a LFS and say a particular fish or coral that you really wanted and the price was $100.00. would you gamble and say I am going to wait a couple of weeks for boxing day to get the fish for $70-$80 dollars. Most people won't and will buy that day at full pop. Here is the plain fact about business, mine or anybody else's. We are in business to make money, when someone can convince my employee's to work for free and the government to stop taxing me and for anything I want to be free, then you can whine about inflated prices. If anybody can find the words "NON PROFIT" anywhere in my signage or business cards I will gladly give jobs away for nothing.
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