How to open a store: step-by-step instructions

What you need to open a store

To open your own store, an idea is not enough. You need to make thorough preparations: choose the assortment, draw up documents, premises, buy commercial equipment, an accounting program, conclude contracts with suppliers, hire and train staff, design the store, and work out ways to attract attention.

What do you need to consider to open a store?

Checklist "Stages of preparing a store for opening"

• Choose a store idea.
• Identify potential buyers.
• Viznachity assortment of goods.
• Create a detailed business plan.
• Prepare and collect all the necessary legal documentation.
• Name the store.
• Choose the location of the outlet.
• Develop the design of the store's exterior and interior.
• Choose a room for the store.
• Procure trade equipment.
• Sign contracts with suppliers.
• Think over the volume and number of deliveries per week, month, and establish a system of goods accounting.
• Think about the interior design of the store and the layout of the goods.
• Hire staff.
• Train the staff.
• Design advertising campaigns, develop strategies for launching advertising in different places.
• Take care of installing a store security system.

Choosing a store idea

At the very beginning of planning, you need to ask the main question: does the buyer need the product you are going to sell? Assess the prospects, competitors in the chosen field, and the size of the store you plan to open. Think about the prospects for development. Now you have one store. Do you have plans to open several more in the future and create a retail network?

Identification of potential buyers

Analyzing your target audience, their hobbies, places of recreation and leisure will help you better understand potential customers and target them. Knowing your customer "by sight" will help you determine exactly what they like when they buy, where they can see ads, what they pay attention to, what design to choose for the store, what name, location, color, and how to choose the assortment. It's important to remember the main rule: you don't buy a product, you buy a solution to a problem.

Selecting the assortment

Depending on who your customer is, you need to offer them the right product. Aunt Lucy, 37, will not buy low-rise jeans, but her 17-year-old daughter will. Therefore, you need to carefully choose the assortment, study the idols of your target audience, what direct competitors sell, and whether they are in demand, what your customers would like to buy in your store.

Drawing up a detailed business plan

A detailed business plan will help you avoid additional expenses, loans, and debts. The more carefully everything is calculated, the fewer risks there will be when you start your store. Experienced businessmen advise to multiply the initial budget by 2, and then even if something goes wrong and additional expenses are required, you will be prepared. However, if the business plan provides for financial expenses for force majeure, you can budget without overestimating the amount of expenses.

Collection and processing of documents

Properly executed documentation is a guarantee that all processes in the store will be legitimate and you will not have any problems with regulatory authorities. To work legally, put your documents in order at the very beginning. All documents must be notarized and approved by the regulatory authorities. And since legal paperwork takes time, you need to start collecting all the documents two months before opening the store, and some of them six months in advance.

Choosing a store name

With a good name, the buyer will immediately understand what is being sold and for whom. The original name is quickly remembered and stands out among competitors. It is enough for a customer to visit your store once and they will remember it and recommend it to their friends. If you have difficulties choosing a name, you can ask potential customers on social media what name they would like to visit a store with.

Choosing a location

A good location will give the buyer answers to the following questions: is it easy to get to, drive up by car, walk from the nearest houses. You can also use the location to calculate whether people will come to your store from other neighborhoods of the city and who exactly will come.

Development of the design of the store's exterior and interior

The stylish exterior facade of the store and the interior design will attract the customer's attention and encourage them to make a quiet purchase. And moderately loud music, properly selected for your client, will help to comfortably walk around the store and buy goods. Design directly depends on the type of customer. Girls aged 15-22 will not come to a youth clothing store that is designed like a museum and has Chopin's music playing at the entrance. But their mothers and grandmothers will come. Girls will go to a place where it is bright, shiny, beautiful, with lots of light and where Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift will play.

Choosing a room

The layout of zones, rooms, and placement of display cases will give a visual picture of how the store will look like, whether the entire assortment will fit or whether there will be "bare walls". The selection of the premises will help to take into account such details as service rooms, entrances, exits, emergency exits, whether there is a parking lot near your store and whether the area around the store is well maintained. You should also take into account the state of the power grid, telephony, and Internet connection. Remember: the more well-groomed and comfortable the store looks, the more pleasant it will be for customers to come here.

Trading equipment

Depending on the type of store, it is necessary to choose the right trade equipment. Correctly selected devices will work smoothly and work in concert with the Torgsoft accounting program. The Torgsoft accounting program will automatically calculate sales, profit, and show warehouse balances.

Selection of suppliers

The right selection of suppliers will provide the store with quality goods delivered on time and at a reasonable price. You can save money, time, and increase the range of goods. If you plan to expand your store in the future, you will already know how different suppliers work and who to contact. Responsible companies will deliver the goods comfortably and quickly.

The number of deliveries of goods and the installation of a goods accounting system

When suppliers have been selected, you need to decide how many deliveries of goods there will be per week or per month. In what volume. At the initial stages, you can limit yourself to delivering a certain group of goods once a week if your store is small. But if the store is large, you can deliver goods 2-3 times a week. The same goes for the volume. How many units of goods and what kind of goods should be delivered at a time. It is not difficult to immediately calculate what will be in demand among customers and what will not. Before opening, it is better to stock up on the entire assortment a little bit. When sales begin, the accounting program will show what sells faster, what sells slower and calculate the volume, frequency of deliveries of goods to the outlet. The program for accounting for goods Torgsoft will help you to mark the goods before opening the store, post them, track deliveries, sales, and warehouse balances. In tandem with commercial equipment, Torgsoft will make warehouse accounting in the store easy and a person without an accounting education can deal with it.

Interior design and display of goods

Beautifully arranged and lit products will attract customers more than those in the corner and in dim light. The more convenient it is for the customer to take your product off the shelf, hanger, or display case and inspect it, the more positive emotions it will evoke. Check and see how conveniently and neatly the product is placed. Is there a "dump" and is the lighting good? This affects the customer and creates an impression of the store. If the customer likes the service and the placement of goods, he will come back to your convenient, comfortable store. If not, he will go to the place where he liked it better.

Selection of personnelу

A well-thought-out work schedule, the number of people in a shift, their experience, appearance and knowledge will help to avoid frequent dismissals. People will get used to the consultants, cashiers and administrators and will come to the store not only to make their next purchase, but also to communicate with people they like. You should not limit yourself to hiring "by acquaintance" and it is better to draw up the requirements that an employee must have in advance. Select people through personal interviews. You can immediately assess a person's appearance and manner of communication, check their knowledge, find out why they want to work for you, and what attracted their attention. Also think about who your staff will consist of. Who will work for you? An accountant, administrator, cashiers, salespeople, consultants, cleaner, security guard, secretary? Depending on the size of your business, you choose the staff. At first, you can get by with a small number of people. Expand your staff as needed. Call the applicant's former employer and find out why they were fired. Don't forget that a potential job applicant may embellish facts during an interview.

Staff training

A salesperson should know everything about the product. Training will increase the level of knowledge of your employees, they will be able to answer tricky questions and choose a product that will solve the customer's problem. Customers will be pleased when they can hear a clear answer to any question.

Launching an advertising campaign

Advertising in places where your customer is most likely to be will attract customers to your store. You need to advertise in the places where customers are most likely to be: shopping malls, markets, supermarkets, public transport, bus stops, shops, magazines, newspapers, radio and television, social media, the Internet. And in a form that your client will understand: a banner, a flyer, an advertisement in social media, a magazine or newspaper, on television or radio. You can try several methods at once, because it is difficult to calculate what will work best for your target audience.

Security system

The security system prevents theft attempts by employees and customers. Installing an alarm system will help to secure the premises. If a customer decides to rob the store, CCTV cameras will record it on video. The police will be able to use the video to make a sketch and detain the suspect. CCTV cameras will also record the fact of staff theft. From the recordings, the boss will be able to find out how it happened and when. Lattices on the windows will help protect the windows from burglary in the store when it is closed. Instead of bars on the windows, you can use solid iron blinds that will close the windows after the store is closed.

Documents for opening a store

Paperwork is a long and painstaking process, but without it, the store's operation will be illegal. To avoid this, you need to prepare the following documents:

• a certificate of state registration of a sole proprietorship;
• trade permit;
• taxpayer's certificate;
• a lease agreement for the premises;
• product certificates;
• a license to trade in alcohol, tobacco products, petroleum products, and medicines; no license is required to trade in clothing or building materials;
• a document of ownership of the premises;
• certificate of conformity - issued on the basis of the Act of commissioning of non-residential premises;
• CEC visnovok;
• conclusion of the fire service;
• certificate of suitability of the fire extinguisher;
• a document confirming that you have completed a fire safety course;
• certificates of fire alarm system suitability;
• fire alarm service agreement.

To prevent the collection of documents from turning into torture, ask your tax agent, lawyer, and local administration which package is required for your business.

The main criteria for finding a room

Before choosing a location for a store, you need to understand who will visit it. A luxury fur store in a residential area of the city will not bring the profit that was expected, and a sports store in the city center next to a large shopping center will be less remarkable and customers will rarely come here, because there is a larger selection in the shopping center.

The first stage of searching for premises

It is necessary to evaluate all possible options for the store premises. Consider the pros and cons of locating the store in different areas. See if there are buyers from your segment, what is the store's foot traffic, who is in the neighborhood. Consider a location in a shopping center. In order not to get into a shopping center with high rents but few visitors, find out how many people come to the mall every day, why, whether there is an anchor store, how popular it is, who your neighbors are in the outlets.

The second stage of searching for premises

Location plays a big role, and a store located in the wrong part of the city may not generate the desired profit. To prevent this from happening, you need to figure out which stores should be located in the city center, which ones should be in the pedestrian zone from the city center, and which ones should be in a residential area.

City center

In the city center, it is beneficial to place a popular product that will be attractive to both tourists and citizens. You need to calculate the financial risks, economic risks, and whether there will be a benefit from opening a store with your product in the city center. Shops with "special" goods are opening in the city center. It can be branded sportswear, jewelry, fur coats from Greece. Everything that speaks of exclusivity, high cost, status. You can also open a shopping center in the center with a colorful history: restore an ancient house, convert the premises into designer clothing boutiques and make themed cozy cafes. It will work and become one of the city center's "chips".

Intermediate zone from the city center to residential areas

Shopping centers, branches of retail chains, and stores for middle-income or slightly above-average customers are opening here. These include children's stores, fabric stores, clothing stores, mini-cafes, confectioneries, bookstores, travel agencies, cosmetics, watches, jewelry, optical stores, pharmacies, small hardware stores, fishing and hunting stores, gardening stores, flower shops, and veterinary kiosks.

Sleeping area

Large shopping centers are located here, where a buyer can buy everything at once: appliances, food, clothes; a place where the whole family can relax. Also, in a residential area, you can place shops with basic necessities.

The third stage of the premises search

When you have decided on the area, you need to assess the convenience of the place:

• How convenient it is for you and the sellers to get to the store.
• How close to the highway will the store be located, is there a comfortable access and parking.
• What is the population density.
• How many people cross the area near the store during the day and how many cars pass by.
• Who is your potential buyer: their income level, lifestyle, hobbies, needs.

Purchase of commercial equipment

A competent and optimal approach is to automate the store at once, install the Torgsoft accounting program and compatible commercial equipment: a label printer, a receipt printer, a scanner, a cash register, a cash box, and consumables for them. These devices, paired with Torgsoft, will help you accept goods, post them, take inventory, sell and re-account them.

Depending on what type of business you have and the size of your store, you need to choose the right retail equipment. You can read more about this in the article: "What commercial equipment to choose for a store".

Postachalniki

Before opening a store, it is important to find suppliers who will deliver goods on time, quickly and without delays. At this stage, you need to agree on everything at once, including purchase prices, discounted prices when opening a store, and the speed of delivery of goods on sales days. The Torgsoft accounting program will help you to keep correct records of deliveries and settlements with suppliers.

For more information on how to choose suppliers, what to look for, and how to check them, read How to Find a Supplier of Goods.

Formalization

Tasks for designers

When you have chosen the goods, location and premises, and signed contracts with suppliers, it's time to take care of the store's interior design, color and music. Talk to designers about who your potential customers are, what they should feel when they enter the store. Think about not only the color scheme, but also the location, height of the shelves, amenities, lighting, and mirrors.

Buying accessories

If you sell smartphones, do you have protective glass, cases, chargers, headphones? If you sell lingerie, can you buy bra straps, stockings, garter belts, pajamas in your store? Customers like it when they can buy everything in one store, without having to go to three boutiques to buy goods.

Workwear

Order working uniforms for sales floor employees that will match the store in color and style. For a fur coat store, white shirts, classic skirts or pants, a jacket, and classic shoes are suitable. For a store with youth clothing, jeans and T-shirts with the store's logo are suitable.

Harmony inside and out

Everything both outside and inside the store should be designed harmoniously and in a single style. If the overall design of the premises is made in the Scandinavian style, then the Japanese-style facade will not fit here.

Delivery of goods

When a supplier brings goods to the store and warehouse, the first thing to do is to post them. Read the barcodes of the goods with a scanner. Each unit of goods will be entered into the Torgsoft accounting program.
If there is no barcode from the supplier, the program will generate a unique barcode for each item. The program sends this barcode to be printed using a label printer. After that, you need to mark the goods and enter them into the Torgsoft accounting program using a scanner.

How to attract attention

To attract the attention of the buyer, you need to use advertising, sales promotion, and direct marketing.

Advertisement

Through advertising, you tell a large number of consumers about your store. Advertising is seen by many people. Marketers consider it the best way to get the word out about a store. Advertising will help:

• create the first positive opinion about the store;
• make the brand recognizable;
• attract new customers and create demand for the product;
• tell about the benefits of the product;
• Announce promotions and stimulate purchases.

Vidi advertisements for the store

• In the newspaper
• In the magazine
• On the Internet
• On the radio
• On TB
• External
• On transportation

Sales promotion

These are promotions, sales, and hot deals.
Advantages:

• to encourage you to make your first purchase;
• to encourage a second purchase;
• attract additional groups of customers;
• introduce a new product;
• liquidate damaged goods;
• increase the purchase volume / average check;
• increase the frequency of purchases;
• to ensure the popularity of the store through a promotion.

Disadvantages:

• a stable positive opinion of the store will not be formed;
• negative factors affecting everyday life are not compensated for;
• You can be in the red if you miscalculate the financial benefits and get too excited.

The main PR tools are:

• pressa;
• business partners;
• events for customers.

A well-thought-out work schedule, the number of people in a shift, their experience, appearance and knowledge will help to avoid frequent dismissals. People will get used to the consultants, cashiers and administrators and will come to the store not only to make their next purchase, but also to communicate with people they like. You should not limit yourself to hiring "by acquaintance" and it is better to draw up the requirements that an employee must have in advance.

Launching an online store

An online store allows you to sell 24/7, sell worldwide, and your products are seen by millions of people. You don’t have to pay for renting a space. Among the main costs of launching a site are: buying a domain and hosting once a year. In order not to waste time and a lot of money on developers, you can create an online store in 1 day using the “Torgsoft Online Market” option.

Torgsoft Online Market (TOM) — is a modern platform for creating an online store that fully integrates with the Torgsoft accounting software and allows entrepreneurs to sell products online immediately after launching the website. If you already have a product database in Torgsoft, connecting TOM takes one day and requires no extra effort: the catalog automatically synchronizes with your online store, and all data updates synchronously. 

Unlike standalone sites on builders, TOM is part of the unified Torgsoft ecosystem, created specifically for retail automation, making the launch of online sales fast, convenient, and profitable.