Things You Need To Think About When Opening A Retail Business

Julie Starr • Jan 05, 2022



Starting a new business is always a demanding undertaking, regardless of the industry in which you are involved. Before you can even think of opening your doors and launching your business, you must first select the appropriate site, refine your product line, and assemble a dedicated team of employees who have received proper training and are ready to work. It is frequently the small things that are the most significant and that will assist you to reach perfection, even if there are several other things to complete and keep track of.

In order to successfully open your brand new retail business, you should keep the following points in mind.

Take great care in selecting your location.

Spend some time inspecting the place from which you are considering opening a retail store before signing a leasing agreement with the property owner. As a result, you will have a better understanding of the quantity of foot traffic that comes into your store, the times of day when it is busiest, traffic concerns, how the surrounding stores are doing, lighting and accessibility issues, and so forth. Would-be business owners, understandably, become enamored with a location but fail to thoroughly explore some of the more minor details associated with it. It is possible that spending some time at the location will reveal some difficulties that you will be able to discuss with the owner or that will prompt you to continue your quest.

Consider your business’s brand identity.

When it comes to brand recognition , your company’s logo is critical, and you should incorporate it into your customers’ shopping experience. It contributes to the development of a relationship between your customers and your store. In times when no one is talking about you, your logo should be the one that represents you. One or more of the most effective places to show the logo are staff uniforms, receipts, price tags, shopping and bags and containers, and other marketing materials.

Organize your store layout

The design of your store’s layout has the power to create or break your company’s success. Shoplifting and property damage can be avoided if your store is organized in an effective and attractive manner. Your customers will be inspired to spend more money than they may have intended when they first entered the establishment if it is well laid out.  Make sure your signage is legible and consider using multiple types of signage to attract customers. 

In order to have an idea of what works and what does not when it comes to the design of your store, it is beneficial to go to a rival’s store and observe how its layout is set up. Consider sustainable marketing efforts in-store and online. Educating your client base on your responsible use of store resources including energy use, packaging, and sourcing can be an added value to both the business and its clients. 

Make plans for challenging days in advance.

Everything runs well when your products are flying off the shelves and your customers are all pleasant and easy to work with. Things will continue to run smoothly on other days as well. Another day may bring in a few customers, while another may bring in a large number of people who are having troubles.  There will also be days where you have huge numbers of refunds and make little or no profit, especially if you are one of the high risk merchant accounts . Make sure that you have plans in place for these situations. 

 

 

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.
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