Operating research · US & Canada

Research section 01

Starting a venue

The capital fork, the startup ledger, the plans lenders read, and the cash mechanics of year one.

3 briefs · 3,800 words

Staff member moving a loaded chair cart through a working event venue

All briefs

Open any title for the full framework, assumptions, and worked math.

  1. 01 How to Start an Event Venue: The Operator's SequenceThe launch sequence from concept to first paid booking — plan, zoning, permits, buildout, insurance, staffing, pricing, calendar — ordered so the cheap mistakes happen before the expensive ones. 6 min
  2. 02 The Startup Ledger: Every Line You'll Write a Cheque ForA planning taxonomy of venue startup costs — initial versus recurring — plus the working-capital line many opening budgets miss. 5 min
  3. 03 The Event Venue Business Plan a Lender Will Actually ReadHow to write the plan for a mixed corporate-and-social venue: the standard sections, the utilization assumption that carries the whole document, and the downside case that makes it fundable. 5 min