Right now, the majority of startups tend to be based online. This is completely understandable. Setting up a business can be expensive, with elements such as product development, brand development, market research, product testing and more factored in. When you operate online, you don’t have to pay the costs of commercial rent, overheads such as bills or the costs of furnishing a store. However, there is still a market for brick and mortar stores and having a tangible store could still make you some serious money. Of course, if you’re setting up a real store, you’re going to have some work on your hands. Here are a few suggestions of essentials you need to invest in if you’re going to run a face to face retail business right now.
A POS
POS stands for “point of sale”. It is the area of your store where customers will make payments. This will generally be the till point, where you should have a cash register. However, you can always consider having a mobile POS, which will allow staff to travel around the store taking payments. This is convenient for both staff and customers and can prevent queuing if you have a particularly busy store. There are plenty of benefits of a mobile card reader that make it more than worth the investment. Most stores have a POS these days as cash becomes less common, even a second-hand shop would, so be sure to research thrift store POS if that applies to you.
Clear Opening Hours
Sure, you can have your opening hours online, but you should consider displaying your opening hours clearly in your storefront window as well. This will make it easier for passers by to determine whether your store is open or not and how long they’ll need to wait to visit if they are passing by at the moment. Invest in branded signage to help with this.
COVID Supplies
While vaccines are being rolled out around the world and the pandemic may be seeming to come to an end, you still need to consider coronavirus and COVID-19 when setting up shop. Being as COVID-safe and compliant as possible can help people to feel comfortable in your store and can also help to protect you and your staff too. There are a number of COVID supplies you should invest in.
- Perspex barriers – having barriers in place where people could engage in face to face conversation is a good idea. The most obvious place to insert a perspex barrier is your till, between your member of staff and the customer.
- Hand sanitiser – hand sanitiser should be readily available around your store. The most convenient option is wall mounted dispensers, which can be easily refilled when they empty out.
- Floor stickers – floor stickers can help to implement a one-way system around your store, or could be placed in areas where people would otherwise gather, showing social distancing distances. For example, at the till point or near toilets.
These are just a few suggestions to get the ball rolling. Hopefully, some of the information will prove useful to you as a business owner, helping to get your store up and running and to help you make as much profit as possible!
Image Credits: Kaique Rocha
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