Starting my own Tobacco Lounge

[VivaRepublica]

I'm planning on starting my own Tobacco Lounge in the Ohio area. I was wondering if there are any tobacconists on these forums, if they could give me some advice on starting out. You can PM me if you don't want it on this thread. I'm particularly interested in:

How long have you been in business?
What made you start?
Did you have capital when you started or do you have a loan?
How many cigars do you usually sell on a weekly/bi-weekly basis?
How long did it take you to start earning a profit from your sales?
Any other advice you can give outside of my questions?

It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could lend a hand. I'm still forming a business plan right now. Thanks!

I purchased my store about three years ago. I was always a cigar smoker but my business travels to the Dominican Republic lit a fire for me to really get involved.

I did have capital and I relied heavily on my AMEX for stock. We sell about $10k a week. We were profitable in the first four months because the existing business had a lot of brand identity in the market.

I would be more than willing to answer any questions you might have either via PM or phone.

Jason
Viva Republica