Own business is the dream of almost every person. And today, aspiring entrepreneurs are often interested in the question of how to open a furniture store. After all, before invest, you need to find out how profitable such an enterprise can become and what success depends on.
Is it profitable to open a furniture store?
If you are interested in how to open a furniture store, you are probably thinking about whether such a business can really be profitable. Everyone needs furniture, be it a family moving to a new apartment, a boss opening an office or a new restaurant.
Therefore, of course, such an enterprise can become profitable. But, like in any other business, it requires careful calculation, analysis of the market and competitors, as well as attention to detail and creative, but sober thinking.
What documents will be needed?
A business plan for a furniture store should include the cost of registering an activity. To begin with, you will have to register with the tax service. The easiest way will be to obtain the status of an individual entrepreneur, on the other hand, if in the future you are going to expand your business, cooperate with large companies, it is better to register a limited liability company.
In order to sell furniture in the premises of your choice, you will need permission from some government agencies. In particular, it will be necessary to undergo a fire inspection and inspection of the labor protection service. All collected documents will need to be sent to the city council, where they will give you permission to trade.
There is another option - to issue a franchise. Today, there are many large companies that offer partnerships, a proven system of advertising promotion and, of course, support in everything. Working with a well-known brand according to the established scheme is much easier than starting a business from scratch. But here there are some drawbacks - you will have to carefully observe all the conditions of the contract.
We determine the market niche
Not sure where to start furniture business? First of all, you should think about who exactly you want to see as buyers. Of course, today there are many opportunities for business development.
Maybe you want to sell relatively cheap furniture that will attract customers of low and medium material wealth? Or will you offer premium products while serving wealthy people? If you have a large room and sufficient starting capital, then there will always be the opportunity to allocate a separate room for expensive high-quality furniture, while simultaneously selling cheaper goods.
There are other options - you can choose a narrow, but at the same time low-competitive niche. For example, you can offer furniture for offices, hospitals, pharmacies. Wicker garden furniture is becoming quite popular today, which is much cheaper. Or you can sell furniture made of glass, natural wood, any other material. In any case, before starting a business, it is worth examining the demand and, of course, the level of competition.
Where to rent a room?
The choice of premises for a store is an extremely important stage in the development of a business. Location matters. Where is the best place to place a furniture store? It is more advisable to rent a room in a busy place so that the store is always in full view of the city residents.
Thanks to a quality advertising campaign and positive feedback from customers, your business can become truly popular. But there are some requirements that are worth considering. Of course, the room must be connected to electricity and water.
Do not forget about the high-quality heating and ventilation system. In addition, there should be a wide, large entrance to the building, as trucks will often come to you. And do not forget that you will probably need a large warehouse, because not all furniture sets can be displayed in the store.
Room design
Knowing how to open a furniture store will not be successful if you do not pay attention to the nuances. For example, the design of the room is extremely important. After all, after all, you will be selling furniture, and therefore the atmosphere should be elegant and cozy.
So, for walls it is better to choose discreet pastel colors, decorate them with photographs with furniture samples. Take care of the lighting, as buyers should see what they are going to purchase. If your store has furniture of different styles, then you can group the goods on the basis of this.
How to sell furniture?
Of course, you will need to find furniture suppliers. Difficulties with this are unlikely to arise, as there are enough manufacturers today. Nevertheless, it is necessary to carefully monitor the quality of the delivered goods. Try to find the best value for money that would attract new customers.
Of course, for good sales, it’s not only the quality and decor of the store that matters. Sellers play a large role - you will have to hire 1-3 employees depending on the size of the enterprise. Strict requirements must be made for consultants.
For example, sociability and ease of communication are necessary qualities for any seller. In addition, employees must be well versed in the characteristics of a particular product, know the technical specifications, etc.
Ideally, you should arrange for home furniture delivery. It will also need additional staff who can assemble the products. The cost of this service may be included in the price of goods or paid separately.
Custom-made furniture
Yes, selling furniture can be a truly profitable venture. But what if the client needs some specific and rare thing? Or do you need custom-sized furniture? Or maybe the buyer wants to buy a table from a special kind of wood? In this case, your store either refuses to provide customers with a similar service, or orders the required products from the manufacturer.
On the other hand, you can make furniture yourself. So you can not only always please customers, but also create new, unique designs. Of course, in this case, additional costs will be required.
You will need to rent a room for the manufacture of furniture, hire experienced craftsmen, and also purchase the appropriate equipment. Can a furniture business become profitable? Where to find orders? Here, again, is important publicity and reputation. In this case, there are always orders.
Additional ways to make money
This question is interesting for everyone who is about to open a furniture store. Useful tips below. Remember, the range of services can always be expanded - for example, to sell trifles together with furniture, without which a cozy life in the house is simply impossible.
If a person buys a bed in your store, then it is quite possible that bed linen will come in handy. And along with a set of furniture for the kitchen, the buyer may well grab some beautiful souvenirs or kitchen towels. There are other opportunities for additional income.For example, you can hire a professional designer who will help clients select furniture or be able to create a unique interior in the opening office.
Advertising campaign
Advertising a furniture store is simply necessary if you plan to promote the business and increase the number of customers. For this, all methods are good. First you need to choose a beautiful and memorable name for a furniture company and, of course, order a sign. And in the city you can hang several catchy banners inviting you to visit your store.
Advertising on local television or radio will be useful. And you can always post ads to newspapers. In addition, from time to time it is possible to arrange for the distribution of flyers on the street, offering potential customers a discount if they come to the store with a leaflet.
To form a base of regular customers it will be useful from time to time to arrange various promotions. The discount system also works great. In addition, you can please the buyer with a gift. For example, when buying a bed, offer a bedding set as a bonus.
Selling furniture over the Internet
Along with the question of how to open a furniture store, you are most likely interested in how to increase the level of sales. Creating an online store is a great way to replenish your customer base. In fact, creating your own website is not so difficult.
You can do it yourself or hire a person who not only creates a similar resource, but also develops a unique design. Why do you need an online store? This is convenient, because in your free time, potential buyers will be able to safely explore your range of services, get acquainted with the assortment of goods, and also choose exactly what they need.
Here, on your site, they will be able to ask their questions. Of course, the availability of such a resource will increase the territory of your trade - for this you just need to agree with the delivery services and establish a payment system. Thus, you will have the opportunity to sell products not only in your city, but also outside it.
It is possible that when your store becomes popular, you will need to hire an administrator for the site, which will add a description of new products, agree on payment and deliveries, and, of course, answer visitors' questions.
