Starting a business takes a lot of work. Starting a brick and mortar business can be even more work. When you go into E-commerce, you are starting a venture with less risk.
You don’t have to worry about signing a commercial lease agreement that you’ll be tied into, you don’t have to worry about signing up for energy bills, internet bills and other overheads that can have long terms. You don’t have to hire staff from the get-go to monitor the storefront and assist customers.
But there is still a place for brick and mortar stores when it comes to selling a host of products and services and, if you have confidence in your product or services, you may be considering getting your store up, running and open. Here are some of the basics you’ll need to put in place!
Choosing the Right Premises
First and foremost, you need to make sure that you choose the right premises for your business. There are going to be a number to browse on the market and you’re going to have to take time to consider which will best suit your needs and budget. Location tends to be one of the most important factors.
Will your store be easily accessible? Unless you’re a big name brand, chances are, people are unlikely to go particularly out of their way to visit your store. High streets and other areas with good footfall can be good. This can also secure you quality staff, as work will be more accessible for them.
A POS
“POS” stands for “point of sale”. It will be the part of your store where customers will make payments and where your actual profit will be generated. The most common form of POS is a fixed POS, usually taking the form of a till point or cash register. There will be a fixture in place where all of your POS tech and equipment will sit, such as your till.
You can also get a credit card terminal from this site. It’s generally best to get a card terminal that accepts contactless payments, such as contactless card and apple pay. This will maximise the number of people who are able to easily shop with you. You could also have a portable POS, usually on a tablet, where you can bring the till to customers and allow them to pay wherever they are in the store.
A Website
Sure, you may be focussing on running a brick and mortar store over E-commerce, but you’re still going to need a website and social media for your new business. Having a website will allow customers to access important information about your brick and mortar store, such as its address, what its opening hours are and contact details should they want to ask a question before they head in. It also allows them to browse your products before visiting, so they can get exactly what they want when they walk through the doors.
These are just a few essentials for your brick and mortar store, but they are really important to implement. Hopefully, some of the information above should help to get your store up and running!