Ponderations

[Sa'ar Chasm]

This crossed my mind a while ago, and I've just now remembered it again, so I'm going to share it.

Throughout the run of DS9, much is made of how good a businessman Quark is, especially compared to Rom. Yet...is he really that great a businessman? Consider the economics of his bar. First off, he's got a sweet deal going with the management. In one episode, Sisko or Kira threaten to make him pay back rent, implying that up until this point he hadn't been paying rent. I imagine the same agreement applies to the power consumption of his replicators, from where most of his stock and probably all of his furnishings and glassware come from as well. For the first part of the series, he pays his employees the standard Ferengi wages of Practically Nothing, so labour costs aren't that high. Add to all that, his bar sits comfortably at the mouth of the wormhole, the busiest port of call on the Federation's most important trade route (until the war, at least), having all sorts of sidelines and private deals thrown at him. Under those circumstances, he should be making money hand over grubby little fist, but he's usually depicted as up to his lobes in debt. I could probably turn a profit with that bar, and I have no business acumen whatsoever.

Thoughts, corrections, alternate viewpoints?

[Nate the Great]

Uh, I have a problem with the "most of his stock" point. Scotty, Picard, Guinan, and others have insinuated that although synthehol and other replicator drinks pretend to be quantifiably identical to the real thing, there is a distinct differance for those who consider themselves to be true connoseurs (totally muffed that spelling, I know). Hence, Quark must have a certain part of his stock be honest-to-goodness REAL alcoholic beverages. These things don't come from nowhere.

[Sa'ar Chasm]

OK, some quantity of his stock is non-replicated - there were always bottles on the shelves. However, being a Ferengi, he probably charged more for a glass than he paid for a bottle. Is it even possible to lose money selling high-quality booze?

[Nate the Great]

Probably Ferengi tax laws are so complicated that they deliberately gouge the citizens.

[Celeste]

I think it's all the Ferengi Tax laws keeping him poor. Just think, every time you pray, or use the elevators, or even have a seat in a chair you need to pay a small fee.

[Nate the Great]

I'm suddenly reminded of that old Ferengi custom that I admire so much.

Host: This is my house...
Guest: As are all the things in it.

Or words to that effect.