Businesses cost the same whether you buy and existing house, or build a new one - see The PF Downtime Buildings page for the base prices - and remember that there will (almost certainly) be a Licence Fee to add to the cost.

However, well run businesses earn you money that contribute to your Living Expenses. Under these rules, you can't take those as cash, trying to work out regular cash payments is an administrative nightmare (Yep, I tried it, and it is hard work).

Every business comes with a staff of L1 commoners. They have the basic skills to operate a simple business, but larger businesses need knowledgeable, and properly trained, managers to make them run efficiently and earn a proper profit. While managers cost you money, they are good value in the long run. You can find descriptions of Managers and their wages on The managers page. Some businesses benefit by employing properly skilled staff. It costs money to recruit specialists, but the business earns more money, and it can be an inexpensive way to boost your income, you can find the cost and earnings figures at the bottom of the [[https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/downtime/rooms-and-teams/|Rooms & Buildings page. However, there is a caveat - You can only recruit Commoner-1 staff to work in villages, however, skilled staff will work for businesses located in towns or cities.

Note (That restriction is part GM game management, and part realistic, as towns were, historically, the home of the skilled crafters. Villages were very rural, agricultural places)

Small businesses can be built in any size of settlement, operate normally and return a full profit. They are Lock-up businesses, and staff live somewhere else in the town (includes village or city). Like other businesses, they are fully staffed with L1 commoners, with the minimum skills to keep the business running - they won't do anything special, but the business runs and makes a profit. There will be planning restrictions - the Pier needs navigable water, smelly or noisy businesses will be pushed into trade areas on the edge of the settlement - well away from anyone with money.

Small Business, especially those in villages, do not normally benefit from employing managers or skilled staff. Small businesses in Towns or Cities can benefit from employing skilled staff.

You need a town or a city to make Medium Businesses work properly, there just aren't enough people in a village to make them financially viable. Even worse, they all need managers to make them fully profitable.

Medium Businesses in a village - reduce earnings by 50% Medium Businesses without a Manger - reduce earnings by 50% Might benefit from employing skilled staff.

You need a city to make Large Businesses work properly, there just aren't enough people in towns or village to make them financially viable. Even worse, they all need managers to make them fully profitable.

• Large Businesses in a village - reduce earnings by 90%
• Large Businesses in a town - reduce earnings by 50%
• Large Businesses without a Manger - reduce earnings by 50%
• Large Businesses benefit from employing skilled staff.