What is this business he wants you to open for him? If his millionaire friends do it all the time why isnt he asking them? Is this a real life friend you have known forever or some internet “friend”? If your name is on any paperwork at all you have liability.

I have never had to fire anyone for financial reasons but I have fired people for performance, work issues. I never felt bad because they were given warning, i tried to help them. But at the end of the day they always know they are bound to be fired. So whoever you have to let go, if its because of something they did then dont feel bad about it. They did it to themselves. Not you

You say you have steady foot traffic without a website. What is the demographic of a majority of those people? I am going to assume older 55+? The older demographic is use to going to the hardware store to find stuff. The younger demographic wants to go online and make sure you have it instock and the price.

You need a website with live inventory tracking, that you will need to pay someone to design. If you just have some cheap website that says your hours and phone number people will just find a hardware store that has a good website.