How to open a point in a shopping center. How to open a store in a mall: a step-by-step plan. What business to open in a shopping center

Opening a trading island is an attractive idea for a small business. This is an economical type of retail that does not require high initial investments. One of the less risky options is franchising.

In search of an economical yet convenient and functional place to sell, many entrepreneurs turn their attention to an island in a shopping center. This interest is quite understandable: if there are not enough funds to open a store in a separate room, then an excellent opportunity to start a business without significant start-up investments is the installation of an easy modular design in the central part of the hall, in a gallery or aisle of a shopping center, where there are most visitors. However, practice shows that this type of retail has its own characteristics that should be taken into account by those who are thinking about opening it.

Pros and cons of islets

Like any business, the trading islands have their merits and demerits, which future owners should be aware of in advance.

Pros:

Compactness (on average from 2 to 15 sq. M.), Which allows you not to overpay for rent
The possibility of selling a wide range of both food and non-food products and services. Here are just a few of them: ice cream, sweets, gadgets, perfumes and cosmetics, express manicure (nail bar), accessories, coffee, leather goods, watch repair, express payments, pawnshop, jewelry, etc.
Convenient location in "walk-through" places of supermarkets
Ease of assembly and disassembly, mobility (with a wheelbase)

Minuses:

Lack of storage facilities, fitting rooms (which narrows the range of goods for sale)
Limited display space (with miscalculations in determining the demand for products, there is an excess of unclaimed items)
Strict standards for the type of commercial structures, which are often introduced by the landlord.

To minimize risks and unplanned investments when opening a trade on the island, you need to carefully study the rental conditions, analyze the traffic of the selected point and the presence of the target audience for your type of goods and services.

Seat selection

When designing large stores or mixed-use centers, as a rule, the layout of the free space already takes into account the presence of shopping islands. During the commissioning of an object, their number may change, but insignificantly. On the one hand, this allows future tenants to look in advance on the best places to open their own "point", on the other hand, it becomes necessary to take into account the interests of the landlord, who often puts forward requirements for the owners of the islands to work in accordance with the general concept of the center.

An important criterion for choosing a location for a trading island is the traffic indicator (see Fig. 1)

But it would be a mistake to make a choice, guided only by the popularity of the shopping center. It has been noticed that in the most “walk-through” supermarkets, islands representing recognizable brands with big names: brand names of watches, ice cream, cosmetics, jewelry are more successful. If next to them there is even an original, but "not familiar" manufacturer, the visitors of the shopping center begin to "banner blindness". It is difficult to influence it without special marketing gimmicks that require additional costs.

In addition, the more "serious" the lessor, the more conditions he has. For example, the Arena shopping and entertainment complex (Voronezh) requires that the islands do not exceed a height of 160 cm, be transparent and equipped with internal lighting, so as not to disturb the perception of visitors to the main shopping galleries.

Representatives of centers with " famous names»Often wish to receive a colorful booklet from a retailer with detailed description the commercial island and its many images in the interior of the hall. This is an additional expense: design bureaus estimate such an order at 60-70 thousand rubles.

That is why experienced entrepreneurs advise beginners to "start" in less pretentious and large trade enterprises, while choosing places with high traffic, but with a minimum set of counter-conditions of the lessor. This will allow you to show your maximum imagination in window decoration, product presentation, etc. And you will compete with neighboring kiosks mainly due to the originality of the idea and the profitable presentation of your product.

Which product should you choose?

One of the first questions for a future retailer is: what to trade on the trading floor on the islands? What to prefer: edible products or non-food items? Who to bet on: a consumer-oriented public or a discerning buyer of an exclusive?

Trade Practice. Shop Equipment "in 2014 published the forecast of the retail market up to 2016 (see Fig. 2)

As you can see, the markets for food and non-food products are almost the same in dynamics: economic difficulties recent years make themselves felt. Let's consider examples of successful projects from the TOP - 25 most profitable franchises of 2015 according to forbes.ru.

Cocktails Tea Funny Point

The original food brand for pedestrian areas. Based on the Taiwan-invented bubble tee, which contains tea, milk, syrup and jelly balls with juice inside.

Advantages:

the trading island takes up little space - about 4 m²
royalties in the amount of 4% of the proceeds are paid from the second year of operation
start-up capital (about 0.8 million rubles) can be obtained from Rosbank under the Successful Start program
the design of the trading island and the placement of equipment was developed by the franchisor and successfully implemented in large shopping and entertainment centers, which helps to avoid additional agreements with lessors.

Designer T-shirts Provocation

Many visitors to the largest supermarkets remembered the bright showcases of the islands of the Provocation brand, where you can buy T-shirts with hooligan prints. The owner of the shops and the creator of the franchise Hasmik Gevorkyan recalls that this successful idea was "thrown" by a buyer. She opened her first store in Kursk, and now represents the brand's products in large Moscow malls, another 91 points are the result of a partnership with a franchisee.

Estimated amount of initial investment- 0.55 million rubles.
Profit: 3.57 million rubles.

Car device for "advanced" buyers

Those who plan to open trading islands in the sales areas draw their business ideas from successful projects. This is exactly what the business of Nizhny Novgorod entrepreneurs S. Seregin and M. Vakhrushev can be considered. In 2009, they began to sell automotive electronics: navigators, video recorders, radar detectors and accessories - under the Avtodevice brand.

It is one of the most profitable franchises today, according to Forbes. The cost of the initial investment is 0.9 million rubles, the profit is 2.1 million rubles. Avtodevice's offer for franchisees is interesting because the lump-sum fee is minimal - only 39,000 rubles, and there is no royalty.

Summary: the main rule when choosing a product for sale in the format of a trading island is targeting the target audience. For success, not only the idea is important, but also a well-implemented concept, an attractive window design, taking into account popular and slow-moving positions, and a clear promotion strategy. All these requirements are met by franchises that have already established themselves as a profitable business. By using them, you can minimize possible risks.

What to consider when opening a trading island?

Before starting your own business, take advantage of expert advice to help you avoid annoying mistakes:

When choosing a place to rent, do not limit yourself to the simplest decisions ("acquaintance", "closer to home", "the largest store", etc.), arrange a small "tender" for landlords, indicating your wishes on the Internet. Better to choose from several sentences - less likely to miss
Study the audience of the mall! Where there is a public who comes to buy food or furniture, gadgets are unlikely to be in demand.
Do not expect that the business will start working without your participation: at least for the first time, you will have to control the hired sellers. Consider the factor of travel time to the store and back. For example, the owners of the Madrobots shopping island in the MEGA Belaya Dacha shopping center in Moscow calculated that it took them 4 hours a day.
Be extremely careful when choosing an island contractor! Study the reviews about it on the forums, get “live” recommendations, read the contract and project documentation in advance. You must be sure that the delivery and start-up time of the finished module will be met and that the supplier will not lose interest in you if you notice a design defect and ask him to fix it.
By approaching the organization of your business with due attention, you will get a competitive business that brings you satisfaction and profit.

In today's competitive environment, sellers of goods are looking for new opportunities that would allow them to sell goods with the greatest success. An island in a shopping center will require the least investment. This is a small point available to potential buyers from four sides.

This link will be useful to those who decided to open their own island. When manufacturing commercial equipment, the requirements of the shopping center and the characteristics of the goods sold will be taken into account.

Pros and cons

The commercial islands have a small area, it rarely exceeds 10 m². This has its advantages:

The compactness allows you to save on rent.
On such an island, you can sell a wide variety of products, from food products to electronics. The islands can also be used to provide various types of services.
A small trading island can be placed in places with high traffic.
Commercial equipment can be easily assembled and, if necessary, disassembled and transported to a new location.

But the small size of the outlet also has its drawbacks. These include the impossibility of arranging a fitting room and the lack of storage facilities.

Product selection

When deciding which commodity is best to trade on the island, it is necessary to assess its location.

If your outlet is located near a department with a large household appliances, then buyers may be interested in an inexpensive product, which can be purchased without much thought about buying.

Also popular in this place will be a tray with tea and coffee. The pedestrian zone is popular for cocktail minibars, tents with unusual sweets and outlets offering delicious snacks on the go.

The island can be a good place to sell makeup and other beauty products. In such places, batteries, headphones and various accessories for phones are well sold.

Islets are successful in shopping centers, where they provide gift wrapping services, as well as sell balloons and other festive paraphernalia.

The success of a business depends on several factors. If you have opened an island, then you need to constantly monitor sales. Slow positions need to be changed, since a small display space does not allow displaying a large number of goods.

Targeting the target audience will allow you to very quickly get the first profit with a minimum investment.

Conducting trainings with psychological maps. 35 atmospheric trainings. Turnkey training. Everything you need to open your own Psychological Salon.

Legal aspects, equipment selection, assortment formation, room requirements, production processes, sales. Complete financial calculations.

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Your easy start in the beauty industry!

No lump-sum fees and royalties! "White & Smile" is in the TOP-7 of the most profitable franchises according to Forbes! We already have 390 partners! Will you be next?

Trend of 2020. Intelligent entertainment business. Minimum investment. No additional fees or charges. Turnkey training.

Shopping centers are pulsating points on the body of the city. A lot of people flock to the shopping center for goods and entertainment. The entrepreneur actively uses such human traffic. How to use a small space for a business with the greatest benefit is read in the article.

Flower island

A flower shop is a great idea for an entrepreneur looking to have a creative and profitable business. Despite the season and economic crises, flowers will always find their buyer, and a markup of 100-300% promises the prospects of a decent income. A large area is not required to open a flower boutique - 8 - 12 sq. m, which will house the "island", equipped with everything you need. Although the workspace is quite small, you can attract a buyer by placing additional products and services: postcards, wrapping paper (and a gift wrapping service), ribbons and balloons are great additions to your business.

A guide to starting a flower business on an islet in a shopping center

Thai ice cream

The Russian ice cream market is actively developing: according to statistics, at the beginning of 2018 the market volume amounted to more than 350 thousand tons, which is 72 billion rubles in value. For every Russian there is about 7 kg of ice cream eaten per year. More than half of our compatriots are regular consumers of this dessert. That is why entrepreneurs strive to diversify their offer and increase their assortment. “Fried Ice Cream” is a great way to offer the consumer a huge choice without forcing them to make large expenditures. However, Thai ice cream is a specific catering establishment, so when choosing a place, be sure to check if there are any competitors nearby. For a specific format of the establishment, proximity to analogs is not allowed - naturally, this can negatively affect sales.

House of board games

Although the Russian market board games still quite young, but in the last five years it has been developing very rapidly. According to Discovery Research Group, the market for board games is about 7.6 billion rubles. Such a business will be an excellent solution when you need to present a large amount of goods in a small space: games are packed in colorful boxes that will already attract the attention of the buyer. Another advantage will be that "board games" are targeted at any age category of the consumer: not only children, but also any adult will gladly buy such entertainment for themselves.

Stickershop

Stickershop is a store of vinyl stickers, stickers and other accessories popular among young people and teenagers. These products are sold at a high mark-up, and you can start a creative and promising business without a lot of entrepreneurial experience. The point of sale should be located in a place with high traffic, in a place where the maximum concentration of your target audience will be. To open a sticker shop, a large area is not required - 5 square meters will be enough. m, which will house the "island". This format allows you to attract more visitors and present your product favorably.

Sticker shop: is it possible to make money on stickers

Fresh bar

The healthy lifestyle trend continues to grow. And the trade in freshly squeezed drinks not only perfectly matches it, but also requires little space for the implementation of a business idea. To place a fresh bar, you will need a retail space of only 5 sq. M. The business for the production and sale of drinks based on fresh juices is distinguished by high profitability - from 80%. The minimum markup for a product is about 200-300% (300% for fresh juices and less for other drinks based on them).

Own business: opening a fresh bar

Smoothie bar business plan

The island of beauty: cosmetics and perfumery

Selling cosmetics and perfumery can be a lucrative business. Every year the beauty industry develops and becomes popularized, new cosmetic products appear - all this contributes to the fact that the demand for cosmetics and perfumery is growing. According to opinion polls, women are ready to spend 15% of their income on cosmetics every month. As for trade margins, they usually amount to 20-50% for cosmetic products, and 50-100% for perfumery. In addition to the cosmetics and perfumes themselves, you can sell various accessories - this will increase your profits. You can diversify the assortment with jewelry, glasses, cosmetic bags, hair accessories and more. Of course, at the same time it is necessary to choose a place that would satisfy all the needs and would not go beyond the "island".

Your own business: how to open a cosmetics and perfumery store from scratch

Kono pizza

Pizza is considered to be a favorite dish all over the world. Every minute in Russia alone, 400 slices of pizza are eaten. And without calculating profitability, it is clear that opening your own pizzeria is promising and profitable. For an island in a shopping center, the format of a movie-pizza will suit you: this format was invented by Italians when they rolled pizza into a cone and began to sell it in convenient packaging. This is how pizza began to look like regular fast food. For it, you will need a very small area and 300 - 400 thousand rubles of initial investment.

Phone accessories

Today, the smartphone accessories market is a cash vein. A wide target audience (men and women aged 14 to 45 with a mobile phone or smartphone), the cheap purchase price of the product and its demand will give you the prospect for a large income.

Business plan for the sale of mobile accessories on the "islet"

Ready-made ideas for your business

The waffle business is trending today: the fast food market is growing, and its waffle segment is only gaining popularity. Modest investments for catering - an average of 600 thousand rubles - will pay off within 6 months. Opening an island with Hong Kong waffles is a simple business that even a budding entrepreneur can handle. The construction for two sellers will occupy an area of about 8 sq.m., which is very convenient and suits the “island in a shopping center” format.

Your own business: how to open your own Hong Kong waffle outlet

Tea island

Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. It ranks second in terms of the volume of liquids we drink after clean drinking water... The demand for tea is constantly increasing, including in our country. The minimum investment at the initial stage of work (this includes renting an island, repairing it, purchasing equipment and packaging) will be from 200 thousand rubles. Such a business will bring you not only income, but the potential for creativity and cultivation of taste.

Own business: how to open a tea shop

Jewelry Island

Selling jewelry has an image of a beautiful and profitable business that attracts with its high margins and high profit prospects. However, opening your own salon on your own is not as easy as it seems. The jewelry business has a very high entry threshold, and there is serious competition in the market. Without proper experience, getting on your feet, building a client base, a sonorous name and reaching profitability can be quite problematic. All this can be purchased by starting cooperation on the franchise of a well-known company.

Islet with sweets

Not a single sweet tooth can resist the bright showcase of the island, where bright appetizing lollipops, marmalade and chocolates will be presented different types... Such a business will be popular only if you offer your customers unique products that cannot be found on the shelves of ordinary supermarkets. It can be imported sweets with unusual tastes, or a wide selection of gummy candies. different forms... You only need 3-5 sq. m. to implement such a business idea. The main thing is that the presentation of sweets is bright, tempting and attractive.

Ready-made ideas for your business

Island-format children's art studios An island is no less popular, where you can organize an area for children's leisure. You will need an area of 5-7 sq. m., on which you can arrange several tables and chairs, a board on which you can attach photographs, draw and write additional information, several cabinets where the necessary inventory will be placed, etc. The advantage of such a business is that the costs of it is relatively small. You do not need to constantly purchase a new assortment of goods, but only occasionally replenish stocks of tools for creativity. The main thing is to find an experienced qualified employee to work with children. The advertising of your island will be children's laughter and enthusiastic guys who are happy to do an interesting job. Read about how to properly plan such a business in our article.

Business plan of the island format children's art studio (in the shopping center)

Island with jewelry

Jewelry and accessories are in demand at any time of the year. And the small size of the sold product allows you to place a large amount of assortment in a relatively small space. The most important thing is to buy fashionable, up-to-date jewelry, which will definitely be in demand. With sufficient traffic, such an island will definitely bring a solid profit and inexpensive purchase prices will suit even a beginner who has just embarked on the path of entrepreneurship. And our article with a detailed business plan for such an island in the shopping center will help him.

Island format jewelry store business plan

5827 people are studying this business today.

For 30 days, this business was interested in 746,926 times.

What do they sell on the islets?

The islands can be roughly divided into two types: located in a business center and a shopping center. The types of services and goods that you will offer, in one way or another, depend on the type of center. Below we will describe in more detail what business centers and shopping centers are, their classes and types.

What kind of business better fit if you are considering the option with BC:

Coffee shop, bakery and pastry shop

Printing services, fast photo printing and press sale

Sale of batteries, small household goods

Tobacco kiosk, hookah accessories and e-liquids

For Shopping center the list is much longer. Try to focus on the sale of goods that are not in the hypermarket inside the shopping center or the assortment of which is very narrow there:

Fresh juices (freshly squeezed juices)

Decorative or craft sweets: chocolates, cakes, candies, etc.

Coffee to go

Wallets, belts, bags and hats

Accessories for smartphones and tablets

Perfumery

Fan attributes (football, hockey, etc.)

Watches, knives, flashlights

Jewelry and bijouterie

Postcards, gifts, gift wrapping

Print on T-shirts, mugs and instant photo prints

Souvenirs (if the shopping center is near the train station or in the tourist area)

Pet goods (not every shopping center has a full-fledged pet store, but even if there is one, then remember that you need to buy food by weight or a treat for your pet, a person may already at the exit when he sees your island)

Tobacco, cigarettes and everything for a hookah

Electronic cigarettes and accessories

A separate item can be highlighted cosmetology services:

Express manicure

Massage chairs

Express haircut

Extension of eyebrows and eyelashes

But for such islands there will be few basic showcases, separate mirrors, lighting, armchairs will be needed, which means that more initial investments are needed. But the accompanying sale of cosmetics will be a big plus, which will significantly increase revenue.

Buying a ready-made island

It can be either a full business or a lease assignment. A good option for a start, but in any case, you will either overpay for a working point (compared to opening from scratch), or buy it cheaper, but this point can go bankrupt already with you. Also, unpleasant situations can arise when the lease of a point is assigned to you. For example, you want to open a take-away coffee shop in the foyer of a business center, where there is already a coffee maker that gives you its established audience. It looks tempting, but in reality it may turn out that they give you their place, and literally a week later they open a new island next to you, and this audience returns to them. To avoid this, write everything down in the purchase agreement and in the lease terms, if possible.

Islet by franchise

A good option for retail or food service outlets. Requires a little more initial investment, but you get:

famous brand, recognition;

reliable supplier;

ready-made business plan;

help in starting a business.

You can read more about opening a franchise business using a cafe as an example in our separate section.

What kind of business centers are there?

This information will come in handy when you look at rental advertisements or when working with real estate agencies. All business centers are divided into three classes: A, B and C. Not so long ago, more types B + and C + began to appear in the descriptions, when landlords want to emphasize the improved characteristics of their center. There is also category D, which is common only in small towns (population around 100,000). Such business centers offer potential tenants only "walls": no infrastructure, major repairs are needed, the famous corridor-office layout, which is extremely inconvenient for many tenants.

Most often, there is simply no place for an island as a point of sale, although for a certain type of business the audience of such centers is quite suitable. For example, you can sell newspapers, small household goods, batteries and similar goods there.

What is the difference between the classes of business centers?

1. Class A business centers:

usually located in the central part of the city;

have a convenient entrance, guarded parking (one parking space per 100 square meters of office space) and a separate underground parking;

there must be a public transport stop nearby;

repair according to international standards;

centralized air conditioning and ventilation system;

reliable round-the-clock security;

designed for top companies in a city or country.

2. Class B business centers:

most often located around the city center near metro stations;

the presence of an open guarded parking;

high-quality interior decoration;

good repair;

communications in full;

individual air conditioning;

designed for medium and small businesses.

3. Class C business centers:

located in residential areas or far from the main thoroughfares of the city;

finishing is a cosmetic repair carried out by the owner of the building or the tenants themselves;

scattered communications;

unguarded parking;

low rental prices, as a rule, are of interest only to small firms.

What kind of shopping centers are there?

Shopping centers differ in concept and specialization.

Universal shopping centers. They offer the widest possible range of goods and services. Ideal for different types of islands, the main thing is to study competitors and traffic in order to correctly calculate the payback and feasibility of opening a new outlet.

Specialized shopping centers. Engage the audience through a wide range of products in a specific category. This narrow focus may pose some risk. Choosing the type of business, what to sell or what services to provide, you need only with a focus on the specialization of the shopping center. Most often, such centers are formed on the basis of chain stores of electronics or building materials - this is a popular phenomenon for cities in regions with a population of 300,000 to 1,000,000 people.

Such shopping centers can be designed for both ordinary buyers (retail) and professionals, which means that in any case there will be traffic here, which gives additional stability to the business.

Fashion Centers where clothes, shoes and accessories are sold. Their plus is that they are located in the central part of the city and provide targeted traffic even with small areas. In large fashion centers, assortment is important: the more different boutiques, the more diverse the audience.

TRK(shopping and entertainment complexes) - almost the same as universal shopping centers, only a large lease area falls on places for leisure, entertainment, sports and recreation, including active ones.

How to find a place?

Here's our quick plan of action to film the isle in the mall:

Make a list of the most popular shopping malls (as an option - in descending order of traffic in order to start searching in less popular malls at the end). Priority is to find a good place in a popular center.

Bypass the selected shopping centers, looking out for not only free, but also occupied places suitable for your type of business, with good visibility of signs, shop windows and stable traffic. The best places are near the entrances, but they are usually more expensive.

As you go around, you need to find out the contacts of the administration.

You need to find out the rental price. Some owners or managers may want to arrange a personal meeting and call to the office for a conversation. Often such issues are resolved individually, depending on the area of the future island and the lease term.

Decide which point you need: "wet" or "dry" (with or without running water). For example, if you are planning to open the cup, this is a very important point. Imported water is expensive and is constantly in short supply. It is needed not only for drinks, but also for washing dishes, appliances and equipment. Any occupied places can really be "killed" by offering a higher rent, the main thing is to understand how profitable it is. It is possible that the lease term under the contract at the occupied location is already coming to an end, and with the help of a minimum increase in the fee, you can collect it.

On average, the market has a minimum rental period of 6 months. Few of the landlords will agree to a shorter period, so it will not work to "try" the business and understand whether it works in this place. Be sure to keep this in mind when drawing up your business plan.

Equipment - new or used?

To be honest, it is very difficult to find a fully working and modern version on the used island equipment market. In addition, you will have to re-assemble it, and it is not a fact that it will look as good as you imagined looking at the photo in the ad. In addition, you need to select showcases for your product group, purchase volume and assortment. One of the most popular designs for shopping islands is rectangular showcases with high corner elements (cabinets, shelves). If you are considering buying used items, then choose counters with a large number of height-adjustable shelves. So it will be much easier for you to adapt showcases to the desired product.

Not any ready-made island pavilion will fit the rental conditions at the chosen location. Be sure to select designs for the requirements and general norms of a business center or fuel dispenser.

How much does it cost to open an island in a shopping center

What do you need and what costs await you when you open an island in a shopping center:

Rent an island in the shopping center. The average area of a point is 10 square meters, then there is a calculation from the price per square meter: if for Moscow it is from 6,000 to 10,000 rubles. (Kiev - from 2000 to 4000 UAH), then in large regional cities these figures will be at least 2-3 times lower.

Staff. The outlet must work while the shopping center is working, and this is 30 work shifts 12 hours a month (working hours - from 10:00 to 22:00). You need at least 2 people who will receive from 500 to 1000 rubles. (200-400 UAH) per shift. Then everything is calculated individually.

Tax... For Ukraine, this will be 5% of the turnover with a single tax plus monthly ERUs, for Russia - taxes from the payroll, UTII or a percentage of the turnover under the simplified system.

Office or warehouse. The goods need to be stored somewhere, because all products will not be sold at once and together. First, you will realize that you are selling faster and more, the rest of the product will freeze, and overall sales will drop.

This does not mean that you need to keep only the most popular items, you just need to buy more of them and bring them up as needed, and stocks should be stored in the warehouse. The requirements for such premises depend on the type of product: the same premises will not work for chocolate and jewelry. In addition, when suppliers bring goods in, they need to be capitalized, appraised, tagged, delivered, etc.

A small warehouse or just an office (which is much more common) within walking distance from the point of sale is ideal. You can, of course, do everything at home, but this is rather a temporary solution.

Accounting system. It is needed to process deliveries, add new items, compile reports for the tax office, maintain cash shifts, take inventory, print fiscal receipts, etc. It is best to consider inexpensive so that you can at any time see how sales are going at your point , and control the entire workflow.

Bookkeeping... Perhaps the best option is to outsource it: find the right person through colleagues, acquaintances, or trust an agency. For small turnovers of a small business, this will be enough, and you do not have to delve into and waste your time. When starting a project, expect about 5,000 rubles. or 2500 UAH per month.

Don't be afraid to start your own business. Alternatively, think and take a closer look at what you miss in the mall where you spend the most time. Perhaps your first business is just around the corner.

There are good and bad ones. While successful stories inspire, unsuccessful ones tend not to be very attractive. But it is from bad experience that the most important lessons can be learned. We believe that negative experiences are also experiences. Therefore, the magazine IQ Review opens a series of articles on "how not to do business" with this story. It is like a thousand other stories. The difference is that it is replete with details that a stranger will not tell you about. We give the floor to the heroine, who will tell the whole truth. Read and learn.

How I opened the candy island in the mall

If you live in a small town with a population of no more than 250 thousand, then the problem of consumer choice is not acute - for the simple reason that there is simply no such choice. The shops of local shopkeepers, which have not seen renovation and renovation since the collapse of the Soviet Union, offer us the same type of goods and Chinese consumer goods at inflated prices. The rebuilt shopping centers also do not pull the city to a new level, because they are made in the image and likeness of the same shops with the same assortment, but in large sizes.

Searching for an idea for a business in a small town

I live in one of these cities in the suburbs of Rostov-on-Don. My decision to start my own business came by chance. My name is Anna, I am 27 years old, I am a mother on maternity leave, and I had no business experience. None of my family and my husband's family have ever been involved in business, we are all ordinary workers.

And already here, at the stage of the conception of the idea, I faced the first difficulties. At the initial stage, support is more important than ever - someone or something that gives strength and inspiration. Ideally, this is a person who has already achieved some success in the chosen field and is able to give the right advice. It can be both a person from the environment and a stranger from the online space. As a last resort, you can find a like-minded person from among friends or relatives.

I had to do without it. The idea was new within my city, and this is what gave me confidence and hope for the success of my enterprise.

Franchise "Tasty Help"

An offer to buy a franchise of the Vkusnaya Pomoshch brand popped up in the form of contextual advertising. I was hooked on the name, numbers and payback percentages.

The company promised a 100-200% mark-up on its product and a payback in 3 months at a cost of only 100 thousand rubles. When I went to the site, a light bulb in my subconscious came on.

These were sweets, but not just sweets, but European sweets, sealed in 50, 150 and 250 ml jars with stickers on which they flaunted beautiful wishes... The general concept of the brand is a jar of candy instead of pills as a cure for sadness. In addition to sweets, the assortment included 90s gum, fortune cookies and ready-made gift sets. On the promo page, it all looked spectacular, bright, in the photo - examples of successful points. I had a desire to give my city a similar island of joy, to give people the opportunity to acquire something similar.

Pros and cons of the franchise

I gave up the idea of buying a franchise, especially since the company provided the opportunity to purchase goods in bulk. And there were fewer pluses than minuses. At a cost of 250 thousand rubles, the franchise only gave me the right to a 3% discount on the order and the mythical "support of managers", as well as the status of "official representative", which, nevertheless, did not allow me to be the only representative in my city. Also, I was deprived of the right to trade in other goods at my discretion, and for my own money I drove myself under close supervision, which I considered a huge disadvantage.

Sweet shop business plan

Sweet shop

Start-up capital for opening a retail outlet

I had no money. But there was a credit card with a limit of 120 thousand rubles. I thought that this should be enough.

The promised mark-up, however, was not found. With the retail price of a large jar of 290 rubles, the purchase price was 162 rubles. That is, the markup is 80%, in ruble terms - 128 rubles per unit sold. For gum and smaller jars, the markup ranged from 50 to 60%.

I found a rather successful, in my opinion, place in a shopping center, in which Detsky Mir, Letual and TsentrObuv were anchor tenants. Price for 1 sq. meter was 5 thousand rubles, and the total cost of 3 sq. m. - 15 thousand per month.

Payback period calculation

According to my calculations, with an average daily income of 1 thousand rubles, I will recoup my costs in 8-10 months. That was my whole business plan at the time. And it was this mistake that caused all the subsequent problems. I did not take into account the important factors that are the foundation and the first building blocks of a successful project.

I placed an order for 100 thousand rubles. The order was dominated by individual jars, some gum, a box of Petushka candies. I paid at the bank with a transfer from a card, which automatically added 4% of the commission to my debt, and this is no less than 4 thousand rubles. Delivery by a transport company added another 2 thousand rubles to the initial costs.

After searching for a place and signing an agreement, I came across the concept of "deposit". This meant that I needed to pay two months in advance - the first and the last under the contract, in other words, to make a security deposit. My 15 thousand turned into 30. I had to add from the family budget.

The next step was ordering shop windows. They cost 30 thousand. I borrowed this money from a friend. Little things in the form of an individual entrepreneur, a consumer's corner, a chair, an office, devastated my already meager budget by about another 4 thousand.

Thus, the opening of a small outlet with sweets cost 170 thousand rubles. This significantly increased the payback period compared to the initial calculations. But it was too late to retreat.

Business in numbers: sales, revenue, profit

The point began its work on June 1, 2014. At the initial stage, I decided to trade on my own, without hiring sellers, in order to study demand and "paint a portrait" of a potential buyer. I must say that the product really aroused great interest.

What is in demand and gives turnover

To my great surprise, the products of the 90s were in the greatest demand - Love is, Turbo chewing gum, Yuppi and Zuko instant juices, they bought a lot of candies for children.

The attitude towards "Tasty Help" was very wary, but it aroused constant interest. Every second had to explain that these are not dietary supplements, not medicines, not food for fish. When a person realized that it was candy, the question arose about the high price. Indeed, at a price of 290 rubles per 250 grams, the price per kilogram exceeded 1,100 rubles. In response to this, I argued that these sweets are unusual, exclusively of European production. The emphasis was on gift packaging and unusual wishes, which made sweets both an independent present and a pleasant addition to a gift.

As a result of all the twists and turns, revenue for the first month amounted to 70 thousand, which more than doubled my expectations. My joy knew no bounds.

During this difficult first month, I made such disappointing conclusions.:

For a successful startup, activities that are familiar to most consumers are still more preferable. You just need to make it a little better. And if the products are in great demand, then there will always be demand, even with minimal promotion.
It is preferable to develop new types of business only if you have a stock of finances, a lot of free time and experience working as an advertiser, or at least a suspended language.

Expansion of the assortment of the outlet

After paying the rent for July, deciding to make up for the heavily depleted stock of goods, I ordered something that disappeared from the shelves almost immediately - Petushka gum and candy. I got regular customers who asked me to add to the products of the 90s the well-known at that time “Dr. Pepper ". I found suppliers of a real American drink, and made an order for about 20 thousand. After all the costs of repaying the loan, there were 25 thousand left, of which I contributed 17, as I decided to pamper myself with new things and several trips to the restaurant.

The second month of work brought 60 thousand rubles in revenue. The running positions ended, the slow ones hung with a dead weight. Of course, I wanted some sales, so I ordered jars of "Vkusnaya Pomoshch", "Yuppi" and chewing gum in the amount of about 30 thousand. Ordered "Dr. Pepper ”sold out, but taking into account the small mark-up (30 rubles) and the cost of delivery, the real benefit was practically zero. At the beginning of the second month, I advertised a vacancy for a salesperson, as I felt elementary fatigue from work for a month without days off from 10.00 to 21.00. With a 2/2 schedule, the seller's salary "ate up" 8 thousand of revenue. Of course, I also did not take this into account in the initial calculations of costs.

The second month led to the following conclusions:

Starting any business that involves the use of the labor of employees, it is necessary to acquire basic knowledge in the field of personnel management. I tried to give preference to girls aged 25-30 with work experience. But this did not save me from unpleasant situations associated with incompetence and banal irresponsibility.
Poor people are more difficult to manage. The desire to save money on wages leads in most cases to a decrease in the salesperson's efficiency and the desire to “sit out hours”.

In the third month, sales were also going well, but at the end of the month they slipped to 50 thousand. It would seem that in these three months it was possible to pay off the debt or at least significantly reduce it. Indeed, half of the debt has been paid. But the shelves were empty again. In addition, September has come, sales have fallen. I rushed about between the desire to give up everything, to find another place (which we have in the city there are not so many) or to go all-in. The thoughts of the approaching New Year were relentlessly pursued, which meant a large purchase.

Holiday sweets sales

Hopes for a holiday beloved by everyone justified themselves. I bought a lot of New Year's sweets for about 40 thousand, they looked very beautiful, elegant, festive. I made sets, tried to work more myself, did not trust the sellers. Absolutely everything was sold out during December. The revenue on December 31 was very encouraging - 12 thousand. The windows were completely empty. What I invested in this purchase was returned to me. But no more.

After the New Year holidays, inspired by the pre-New Year sales, I suggested that the February and March holidays should also bring in good profits. But then I already miscalculated. The next pre-holiday purchase practically did not interest the buyers. The holidays were over, the shelves were packed with goods, people no longer had money. The amount of daily earnings ranged from 50 to 500 rubles, which could not even cover rent and salary.

As a result, my debt to the bank not only did not decrease, but even increased. The total bank debt amounted to 140 thousand, which also included interest - about 4 thousand rubles for each month. I also did not pay the debt to my friend. The invested 170 thousand remained unpaid. At the end of April, I closed the point.

What conclusions did I draw during the operation of the outlet and, mainly, after its closure?

The capital invested in the equipment and the initial filling of the store will never return. These are investments that need to be included in the business plan, without taking into account the return.
A business plan is the main springboard to a successful project.
In addition to offline sales, it is imperative to conduct online trading in parallel. It can be a page on social networks, a simple one-page page, or a full-fledged website. For many people, buying on the Internet is preferable, when you can think for a few days, again returning to the product you like.
You must learn to delegate work. It is impossible to be an ideological inspirer, seller, loader, and at the same time become a successful entrepreneur. And this certainly applies to the young mother.
You should never follow the advice of people who do not know anything about business in general and about yours in particular. Apart from confusion and confusion in thoughts, this will lead nowhere.
You should not get hung up on your project, even if it is the first and only one. It is necessary to be able to leave on time from the familiar rented place, not forgetting about the possibility of scaling, if funds allow.
The main thing is belief in oneself, without it any, even the most promising, undertaking will fail.