Introduction to Running a Shop
Shops are one of the most common forms of small business, selling anything from food to clothing to electronic goods.
Although there are many different types of shop, there are several key areas of information you should be aware of that are important to them all.
“A good location is crucial to attracting customers.”
Location
One of the most important parts of a shop is the location. A good location is crucial to attracting customers, and can make a huge difference to the success of your shop.
There are four key things to look at when choosing a location for your shop:
Passing Trade – Is your shop in a location with lots of people passing by, and is it near other popular shops? If not, can you be sure of enough people finding your shop on a regular basis to make it successful?
Ease of Access – Is it easy for the right type of customers to get to your shop ? If there is currently no access for disabled customers, you may need to make changes to the premises under the Disability Discrimination Act; although you should get some government support for this.
Parking Requirements – If your business is not located closely to housing, you may need parking space to allow customers to get to you. Are there enough nearby parking spaces to allow the required number of customers, and are these shared with other shops? Competition – Are there other shops in the area that could be classed as competing with you on some products? There are two common ideas on shop competition; the first being that having several competitors means the area is taken; but the second being that several competitors mean there must be demand for the products!
Article Index
- Introduction
- Stock and Range Control in a Shop Business
- Buying Shop Stock and Setting Prices
- Advertising and Special Offers in a Shop Business
- Leaflets, Mail Shots and Identity in a Shop Business
- Using Employees in a Shop Business
- Training and Comission Selling for Shop Employees
- Accounts and Performance for a Shop Business
- Building and Employee Security in a Shop
- Chip and PIN Card Security in Your Shop
- Upgrading to Chip and PIN Card Security in Your Shop
- Summary and Useful Links for Starting and Running a Shop
- Related Articles
