The problem seems to be that most people have no understanding of what is involved in running a high street shop, or any other business for that matter. No understanding of the cost of borrowing money, taxes, business rates, insurance, utilities, and all the rest. If we are to prosper as a nation our education system needs to address this.
I owned and ran a hardware and DIY shop, not so different from a model shop, for ten years. When a lad came to work for me I would tell him that he should never go in the pub next door and mention figures. Suppose we took £360 one day, that did not mean that I had £360 to stick in my back pocket. I would then show him a couple of simple sums:
Takings 360
Less VAT 60
300
Cost to restock (50% GP) 150
150
Overheads 40
110
His wages £50
My wages £60
But on a bad day, and there plenty of them after 2008, we might take only £180 - do the sums yourself. And we were trying to compete with people working from their garages, and in China where the government is reputed to cover the seller's postage costs.