How to Run a Business in Kentucky Roleplay

Terminology & Key Concepts

New to running a business? Here's a plain-English breakdown of terms used throughout this guide.

1. Before You Open

Running a business on KRP requires upfront investment. Here is the minimum cost to open:

Tip: A Tier 2 loan from the ATM ($2,000, ~$1.97/day interest) can cover startup costs. Short Builder-level work covers daily loan interest.

2. Submitting Your Business Application

All businesses require admin approval before opening.

1. Go to kentuckyroleplay.com/applications
2. Submit a Business Application with the following information:
   • Character name (in-game)
   • Business name and type (General Store, Bar, Mechanic, etc.)
   • Requested location on the map (address or description)
   • Brief business concept - what you sell, who your customers are, how you'll stock it
   • Co-owners / employees (optional) - other players who will have shop access
3. Wait for admin approval. Admins will:
   • Issue your Business License document (keep this on your character)
   • Assign you a rentable property (or confirm your chosen location)
   • Set your weekly rent rate
4. Once approved, pay the $100 Business License fee at the ATM or to an admin in-person (RP)

Note: Operating a legal shop without a Business License is against server rules and may result in admin shutdown of your store.

3. Renting Your Property

Property rental is managed through the Roleplay Properties mod.

How It Works

• Admins configure rentable properties on the map (doors are tagged with rental data)
• When you start a rent, you pay the upfront cost and receive a key to the property
• All doors and windows in the rented section are automatically locked to your key
• You can spawn shared keys for employees/co-owners

Rent Tiers

Eviction Rules

• 1 week late: You receive a warning
• 2 weeks late: The system automatically evicts you - your locks are cleared, your key stops working, and items left in the property may be accessible to others
• Always keep enough in your Business Account to cover rent

4. Setting Up Your Shop

The Shop Ledger converts any container in the game world into a working player shop.

Getting a Shop Ledger

The crafted version is effectively free if you acquire the components while out and about, making it a smart money-saver at startup.

Converting a Container to a Shop

1. Have the Shop Ledger in your main inventory
2. Find or place a container in your rented property (crates, shelves, counters, lockers - anything with a container works)
3. Right-click the container → "Convert To Store"
4. The ledger is consumed and the container is now your shop
5. You can have multiple shop containers in the same location - each operates independently

Important: Only convert containers inside your rented/owned building. You cannot move a shop container once created.

Locking Your Shop When Closed

Right-click your shop container → "Lock Container" to prevent customers from browsing (and buying) while you are not present to manage stock. Unlock it when you're open for business.

5. Managing Your Shop

Right-click your shop container and select "Edit Store" (owners and co-owners only).

Setting Sell Prices

• Find the item in the list (items physically in the container appear automatically)
• Enter a positive dollar amount - this is what customers pay you
• Example: Enter 5.00 on Canned Beans → customers pay $5.00 each
• Set price to 0 to remove an item from the listing
• Out-of-stock items stay listed as ghost listings - prices are saved even with no stock, so customers can see what you carry even when you're sold out
• Currency items cannot be listed - you cannot sell cash in a shop

Setting Buy Orders (Buying From Customers)

Buy orders let you purchase items from players - useful for a fishing market, mining exchange, or any business that sources from player gatherers.

• In Edit Store -> click "BUY ORDER" and select the item
• Enter a negative dollar amount - this is what you pay the customer
• Example: Enter -3.50 on Salmon -> you pay the player $3.50 when they sell to you
• You must have enough cash inside the shop container to fund buy orders - the money comes directly out of the container, not your wallet or bank

Managing Access

• Add co-owners via Edit Store -> Manage Access -> enter their username
• Co-owners are useful for employees who restock and manage pricing while you're offline. Only give co-owner access to another person you trust
• Transfer Ownership: Edit Store → Transfer - hands the shop to another player; useful for selling a business

6. Stocking Your Business

Your two main sources for inventory are Logi (Central Warehouse) and direct player sourcing. The golden rule:

Player Sell Price  <  Your Buy Order Price  <  Logi Price  <  Your Shop Price

To briefly explain, sell items marked up above logi prices, buy items from players below logi prices, but buying said items should be more than what a player is selling items for at their own store. This keeps your sourcing costs below what you sell at, and keeps player suppliers coming to you instead of Logi.

Logi (Central Warehouse)

The admin-operated Central Warehouse is your guaranteed supply source. It stocks most essentials, tools, materials, and some items on a limited basis.

• Pros: Always available, consistent prices, wide selection
• Cons: More expensive than player-sourced goods, limited stock on rare items, may close during certain RP hours
• Best for: Common goods you need reliably (canned food, tools, seeds, ammo)

Player Sourcing (Buy Orders)

Setting buy orders lets farmers, miners, fishermen, and loggers supply you directly. This is almost always cheaper than Logi and builds economic relationships in the server.

• Pros: Lower acquisition cost -> better margin, encourages player economy
• Cons: Not always available, supply can be inconsistent
• Best for: Fresh produce, fish, refined metals, raw materials, logs/planks, and crafted items (coming soon[tm])

Example: Salmon at Logi costs $7.00. A fisherman will sell to your buy order for $3.50. You sell at $6.00 - you earn $2.50/fish from Logi stock, or $2.50–$4.50/fish from player-sourced stock (better margin, same price to customer).

Always price your buy orders below Logi's buy price (if available) so you remain the most attractive buyer on the server.

7. Recommended Markup Guide

All markups are relative to your acquisition cost (what you paid - either Logi price or your buy order payout).

By Business Type

Mechanic Service Rates

Mechanic tip: Steady customers earn you $25–$50/hr - competitive with or better than most passive jobs.

General Store - Canned Goods

"Pay Suppliers" is the price you set in your shop that players earn when they sell goods directly to your container. Leave this blank if you stock exclusively from Logi.

Fishing Market

This business runs almost entirely on player supply. Logi cost is shown as a reference - buying from Logi leaves little margin.

Player-sourced fish gives 2–3x the margin vs. stocking from Logi.

Mining Exchange

The Central Warehouse also buys refined metals from miners. To attract miners to sell to you instead, your payout should match or slightly beat what Logi offers them. Your profit comes from selling to customers above what you paid.

Rule of thumb: Pay miners about half the number of your sell price. They still earn more than the passive job chain, and you profit on every piece that passes through.

Restaurant - Burger Example

9. Business Banking & Finances

Business Bank Account

Open via the ATM -> Banking -> Open Business Account.

Keeping Your Shop Funded

• Cash for buy orders must be physically inside the shop container - not in your bank account
• Keep a float of $50–$200 in the container depending on how active your buy orders are
• Use your Business Account for bulk Logi purchases and rent payments
• Track revenue: Check your ATM transaction history regularly

Rent Management

• Rent is automatically billed by the server on a cycle
• Ensure your account balance never drops below 2 weeks of rent
• Set a personal reminder - there is no in-game notification until you're already late
• If you'll be offline for an extended period, pre-pay rent by keeping a larger balance

10. Required Permits & Documents by Business Type

Always carry your documents in your wallet. Law enforcement and admins may request to see them.

Documents are issued by the government (admin) at the clerk's office in-RP or via the ATM/website application process. Keep originals on your character; actual co-owners should have copies.

11. Profitability Targets & Break-Even

Daily Revenue Scenarios (4-hour session)

Avg Ticket - the average amount one customer spends per visit (Revenue ÷ Customers).

COGS (50%) - Cost of Goods Sold; the direct costs to produce what was sold (ingredients, supplies, etc.). At 50% it means for every $1 of revenue, $0.50 goes to product cost, leaving $0.50 as gross profit.

Break-Even (Commercial Rent at $100/week)

• You need ~$15/day minimum profit to cover rent alone
• With a 30% margin on a $15 average ticket, you need ~3–4 customers per day just to pay rent
• Add personal income goals on top of that

Is My Business Worth Running?

A business is worth running when your $/hr exceeds what you'd earn doing passive jobs (~$13–26/hr). On a normal to busy day, most shops comfortably exceed this. On slow days, passive jobs may be more efficient - which is why:

• Location matters - high-traffic areas justify higher rent
• Buy orders are your edge - player-sourced stock drastically improves margins
• Unique stock wins - selling things Logi doesn't stock (cooked food, mixed drinks, player-refined metals) means no direct price competition

12. Rules & Admin Notes

• Do not operate a legal business without a Business License - admins may seize the shop container and evict from the property
• Set fair prices - price gouging critical items (food, water, medicine) during server events may result in admin-set price caps
• Guns require ATF documentation - record each sale with an ATF Form 4473; failure to do so may result in your firearms license being revoked
• Buy orders must be funded - an unfunded buy order is a broken promise in RP; keep cash in your container
• Respect RP hours - if the server has designated "business hours" or admin events, participate or close up accordingly
• Staff/employees must be added as co-owners in the shop system - do not leave containers unlocked and unattended expecting staff to manage them
• Changing ownership - use the in-game Transfer Ownership function; do not attempt workarounds

Questions? Contact admin staff in the Discord or open a support ticket at https://kentuckyroleplay.com/support.

This guide covers mechanics as of April 2026. Economy values and requirements may be adjusted - check the KRP Discord for the latest admin announcements.