How to open a store

Engaging in trading activities is a tempting idea for many aspiring entrepreneurs. At the beginning of the road, there is a reason to try yourself in outbound trading or sales on the scale of a small trading place. Opening your own store is the next step.

Instruction manual

1

First, soberly assess your financial capabilities. Opening a store is a costly process. The purchase of your own premises or rent, the purchase of goods, the selection of personnel, taxes, marketing and advertising - all this will require significant investments.

2

If you do not have cash, think over and calculate how much it will cost to attract credit resources (registration of a target loan for the development of a trading business).

3

A preliminary marketing analysis of the market situation in your chosen trading area is very important. Evaluate the sales prospects of your product by examining the market, the state of the competitive environment. Focus on those potential customers who will give stable sales of goods with a minimum margin. Remember: sometimes it is more profitable to work with customers at the limit of profitability than not to have a constant cash flow.

4

Think about the future range of your products. In their line should be the so-called. high-margin goods, but their quantity should be limited by the level of demand. In the future you will have to regularly adjust the assortment, monitoring the market situation.

5

Considering the issue of trade margins, use these recommendations:

a) set the maximum upper and lower mark-ups on the goods;

b) in the selected range, determine the margin depending on demand;

c) set prices for the most popular goods lower than those of competitors;

d) offer special discounts to regular customers;

e) provide bonuses for wholesale buyers.

6

An important point is the selection of personnel. The services of a recruiting agency, the invitation of acquaintances, the involvement of specialists in the announcement - there are many options. An indispensable rule: accept people with a probationary period. This will save you from problems with the dismissal of "ballast" even for good reason. According to the Labor Code, for example, it is difficult to dismiss a permanent employee (especially a single woman raising minor children).

7

Do not forget that both the opening of the store and its work in the future should be supported by advertising and PR. For these purposes, it may take from 5 to 35% of the total costs. If you do not rely on your own competencies in this area, hire a professional store to promote your store.

8

Please note that successful sales in your store from day one will depend on the quality of the goods. The golden rule: "Do not sell what you would not buy yourself." Take care of mutually beneficial cooperation with reliable suppliers in advance.

9

When planning to open a store, be sure to study all tax systems that can be used in organizing trading activities. Perhaps you will be engaged in both exit trading and online trading. Information about the upcoming tax burden needs to be analyzed in advance.

10

If when renting a retail space you are at a loss to determine whether it will be a full-fledged store or only a trading place, refer to the Tax Code. In Art. 346.27 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation the main features of the store as an object of trade are given. Among them - the presence of utility, administrative and household premises, as well as premises where the goods will be received, stored and prepared for sale.