JkL steps out of his new HQ into the bright LA sun. He looks alert and excited. You can almost here the song he's singing to himself as he approaches the nearest soap box.

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me... and I'm feelin' good.

Ladies and Gentlemen! A moment of your time if I may?

PoisonousJelly has done me the incredible honour of allowing me to set up under him here in sunny Los Angeles, his two instructions to me were simple. Don't let him down, and sort out the business district.

As some of you may have heard, yesterday there were a series of  unexplained explosions in the LA business district last night in which almost every business was destroyed. I know, tragic, isn't it?

From the ashes we shall rise. Like a phoenix, only not so colourful, or so pretty, or bird-like. Anyway, rise we shall. What with this being a fresh start for our business district, we are setting in place some new rules.

If you wish to start a business in LA, it will cost you an initial fee of $50,000, then $10,000 per week for the duration of your business; alternatively, you can pay a one time, up-front fee of $500,000, which will cover you for life. Fees are payable to me, JkL.

Next, your business must be just that, a business, with a clearly visible price list on entry. There should be an entry fee of $1000 for all businesses, payable immediately on entry.

Beyond that, we don't care what you charge your customers, an espresso for $500, or $5,000 makes no odds to us... but you are expected to ensure that your customers do pay these prices by bank transfer at the time of entry and ordering. (Note: if you are trying to charge $1,000,000 for a beer, you're unlikely to get many customers.)

Every business owner has the power to bar people from their businesses; we expect you to bar anyone who comes in without paying... that's just good business sense.

Likewise, we may from time to time ask you to bar a potential patron for persistently not paying in other businesses; this is for your own protection as well as theirs, and unless you'd like your business firebombed, we expect you to comply with any request of this kind.

As we see it, people are regularly coming into LA, strolling round the business district and stopping in everywhere just to see who is there. All this action in our business district without PJ making a cent from it! Well, is just didn't seem right to us, so we're aiming to set that straight.

Thanks for your time, any questions?

Rory applauds JkL before tipping his fedora in his direction.

A fantastic and intuitive idea to increase cash flow and earnings within the city of LA. It will be interesting to see how this idea develops and also how people react to it. I wish you all the luck in the city of LA.

That's a Smashing way to increase your business.

Floyd sits the bottle down

Well I'll be damned! That's a damn good idea sonny.  Afterall, these are businesses and people create businesses to make money off of them.  You want a burger?  Charge them for a burger.  You wanted to see the finest whores in LA? Well hell, charge them to get in your shake joint.

Good thinking sonny! I think I may even open me one myself.

Floyd picks his bottle back up.

I like it JkL. But I'm a little wary about setting up my front shop along that San Andreas fault. Personally I think that's what caused all the old businesses to collapse. Scientists are already saying that by the year 1930 that faultline is going to give and all of LA is going to sink into the Pacific. And trust me those scientists are never wrong

Good luck nonetheless! It's a great idea and I hope you generate some nice revenue.

Drexl, if you are interested, I'm offering earthquake insurance to all those who set up in LA.  The initial cost is $5000 and if you lose your business in an earthquake, the policy pays the princely sum of $4000.

I have a question. Say I open up a business in LA paying the necessary fees to you.

What if I'm not interested in charging my friends. Also, how will you control that I am actually collecting money? Will you just have somebody come in from time to time and "see" right in the business if they are paying (ie: RP payment only)? Also, the fact that you are so interested in me charging my customers, does that mean that you expect a cut from the revenue of my business?

Next, your business must be just that, a business, with a clearly visible price list on entry. There should be an entry fee of $1000 for all businesses, payable immediately on entry.

Beyond that, we don't care what you charge your customers, an espresso for $500, or $5,000 makes no odds to us... but you are expected to ensure that your customers do pay these prices by bank transfer at the time of entry and ordering. (Note: if you are trying to charge $1,000,000 for a beer, you're unlikely to get many customers.)

This confuses me slightly. Any time my forefathers have started a business, not very often admittedly, it's been nothing more than a front for illegal activities.

Hoopi looks around, checking for the presence of any feds...

You know, a facade. It might look like a cafe where you can get a quick espresso or a beer....but I don't actually sell the blasted things. I'm a criminal not a waiter you see. If started charging 'customers' for their 'coffee', I'd end up with no customers as they flocked to other businesses where there are no such charges.

Still, I wish you the best in your venture.

CrazyNine,  the idea is to run your business as a proper business. People are expected to pay for the goods and services you provide. We will be randomly "popping in" to see how each business is doing.

We do not expect a cut of your profits, for the time being. We just expect the business owner to make the required payment each week, or the one off payment.

By all means, hand out "freebies" to your friends.

While the same thought has always been in my mind; why do people say "i will have a coffee" and never pay for it, my thoughts are that;

why should i visit a bar in LA when i can go to NY or any city for that matter and still have the same fun but without the cost?

I commend you for setting this up and i watch with increased interest and hoping this takes off for you and the city of LA

Blue, thank you. You've hit the nail on the head. For us in LA it felt wrong that there was activity in our city that the boss wasn't getting a piece of. Furthermore, activity which was providing a benefit to people by increasing their awareness of where other mafiosi like to spend their time. Info like that is worth something.

There will be those who don't like this idea on principle, or just because there's an actual cost involved, and they are welcome to that point of view, and can simply opt-out by not coming to LA's business district. I hate pickpocketing, so I don't do it... voting with your feet really is the easiest way.

The prices have been held purposely low in the hope that it will not deter too many people from visiting while still adding the real business aspect to it... they may, of course, go up in the future.

As his plane lands in Los Angeles he sees the pillars of smoke drifting into the sky along the downtown shop area. It was a thick smoke it appeared many blocks were a blaze.

Jkl and PJ I wish you guys luck in the successful running of a business district and hope that it flourishes.  This is something that I have not seen before but think it will add a true sense of business to the shops of LA. The only shameful thing is all the ash in the air... isn't there enough pollution in LA without burning stores?

Coughs from the ashes in the air and gets off his plane and walks out of LAX to an awaiting cab.

(Okay,so we will actually charging our customers an entry fee instead of just Roleplay money?)

So,if the above question is answered with a yes,I love the idea. Not to make money,(but it would make the district a bit more realistic)and then at,what,every Friday(??) we send all of the profits to PJ's  bank account?

And I have a second question. Are all of the already-opened business to start paying taxes? Must we pay the 50,000 to set up,as well?

Jasmine listens carefully thinking to herself

This is a fantastic idea! I think this could and will work very well!