Today it is impossible to imagine life without clerical details. These products are in demand everywhere and by everyone, from preschool children to retirees. That is why the business in office supplies brings a good and stable income, without requiring significant initial investments.
Target segment
Potential customers are all segments of the population. For clarity, you can divide all customers into groups:
- Parents of preschoolers.
- Schoolchildren and their parents.
- Students.
- Enterprises and offices.
- Other.
The main customers who make the most of purchases are the first three groups. Demand for the products they need remains stably high and almost unchanged. The largest income falls at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn, and from September to June is estimated as average. The business of office supplies cannot be called risky, since people will regularly buy office supplies - as long as there are educational institutions and office work.
Form of activity
Choosing the legal form of activity, it is more advisable to register as an individual entrepreneur. It will not take much time and save money.
In the event that a business is created by partners, it is worth setting up an LLC - such a measure is necessary to protect the interests of each co-founder. In order to choose the most suitable taxation regime, you can consult with representatives of the relevant authorities.
To start the activity, it is necessary to obtain a sanitary and epidemiological report and permission from the fire inspection. The cash register must be registered in the tax. Each employee must submit a certificate stating that a medical examination has been completed.
How to choose a location?
The assortment and good location of the future store is the first thing you should pay attention to when drawing up a business plan. Stationery needs to be acquired as much as to ensure the target segment. As for accommodation, it is worth remembering that a potential buyer will not go in a crowded transport for a pen or notebook, so you need to choose busy places with high traffic. It’s great when supermarkets and shopping centers are located in the immediate vicinity.
If the building is multi-story, you should prefer the first floor - so the number of potential buyers will increase.
For starters, you can stop your choice on a room with a small area of not more than 8 meters. This is enough to arrange the products, and after receiving a stable income it makes sense to increase the business at office supplies, adding new groups of goods and expanding the territory.
When choosing a room, you need to consider where the warehouse will be located. If there is a separate room with an area of about 3 meters - this is wonderful. Otherwise, you can build a partition, hiding the auxiliary territory.
There is one important nuance: the room should not be wet, paper products deteriorate from it.
Necessary equipment
The next important item is trade equipment for stationery stores. At a minimum, you will need a display cabinet and a product rack. The shape and dimensions of the latter can be different: you can install one continuous rack on the entire wall or divide it into several small cabinets. If necessary, installation of shelves and nets is possible.
All these structures and their attachments must be of high quality, be durable and reliable, so that they do not collapse under the weight of the goods.
You can install beautiful hanging shelves in the center of the trading floor by placing a globe or original gift baskets on them. This will attract the attention of buyers.
Range
What products need to be purchased? It all depends on the specialization that the office supply business will have. Since it is very unprofitable for a novice entrepreneur to cover all groups of potential buyers, it makes sense to direct efforts to satisfy the needs of so far one group.
Do not save on quality when purchasing the cheapest product. It is more advisable to stick to the middle: to sell solid things at affordable prices. In this case, more likely to attract buyers who will become regular customers.
No need to stock up on large quantities of similar goods, this requires large investments. On sale should be seasonal goods for schoolchildren and students, literature, calendars and gift souvenirs. For starters, this will be enough.
How to choose suppliers?
It is most advantageous to purchase goods from wholesale suppliers. You can do this over the Internet or over the phone to save time and money. Before you decide on a particular outlet, you need to carefully study all working conditions, the proposed product and compare prices. It is worth asking about the terms of delivery, clarifying whether there are necessary certificates. Only after a complete analysis of all the data can we begin to cooperate with a specific supplier.
Staff
Recruiting is a very important point; no business plan is complete without this item. Office supplies can be decomposed so that customers can choose the right products on their own. But in any case, you need a cashier and a sales assistant who will monitor the order and provide customers with the necessary information.
The display of goods must meet certain requirements. When selecting employees, it is worth taking an interest in their knowledge and level of competence. Communicability, sociability, self-confidence and accuracy are of no small importance.
Before the start of the school year, additional staff may be required, as the number of customers will increase significantly. These expenses should be included in the expense items in advance.
Advertising campaign
Almost any business needs advertising support. This business is no exception. It is worth ordering a bright sign that will attract the attention of potential buyers. Flyers, business cards and flyers are also quite effective tools.
It is possible to coincide the action with the opening of the outlet or arrange a raffle of gifts, customers love such events. Properly conducted stationery store advertising is a reliable tool for increasing sales.
Sample calculations
The period for which the store will pay off is approximately 1 year, and the profitability indicator is 15-30%. But before you get a net profit, you need to make investments:
- Registration is about $ 2,000.
- Room rental - from $ 20,000.
- Equipment - from 7,000 dollars.
- Purchase of goods - 10-15 000 dollars.
- Salary to staff - 1 000-2 000 dollars.
The payroll is about 40-60%, so the net profit in the first month will be approximately $ 5,000.
