Not every one of us lives in a big city with a million people. Many start-up entrepreneurs puzzle over what to trade in a small city. The question is really not easy, especially when you consider that opening your own, albeit small, business is a serious and risky step. Let's talk about which product or service is better to sell in a small town or urban-type settlement. There are many interesting nuances and pitfalls.
Small Business Benefits
We can say with confidence that there are not only minuses, but also big pluses that will play into the hands of any entrepreneur. One of them is the lack of much competition. Of course, this does not mean that it does not exist at all, but to start a business and develop it will be somewhat easier. Especially if you offer something that is no longer there. First you need to analyze the market and understand what is offered more and what is less. It will not be difficult to do this, since the city is small, and the number of entrepreneurs can be counted on the fingers.
You can open your own small grocery store or cafe. In addition, there are many other, no less profitable solutions that will be very popular among city residents. An important role is played by quality service, which many in the outback have not heard of. Imagine you have a lock manufacturing and installation company. So, if you do your job quickly, efficiently and effectively, then soon rumors will spread about you and there will be no end to customers. That is why it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of what to trade in a small city. But let's look at some of the most effective solutions, each of which is likely to be popular.
What do not have to do?
In the first stages it is very important not to make a mistake that will reduce all efforts to nothing. Oddly enough, novice entrepreneurs quite often make the wrong decisions. To prevent this from happening to you, you need to remember what you do not need to do when starting a business in a small city. By the way, this applies only to those places where a small population. So, in a large metropolis, the same product or service can bring you huge profits.
First, do not start with a highly specialized business. An example is the sale of any one type of equipment. The fact is that modern trade with a narrow specialization, especially in a small town, will not bring the proper result. This is due to low demand, so if several clients come to you for a shift, it will already be good. Secondly, do not start a business that requires a large number of highly qualified employees. Why? Everything is simple: there are very few such people in the province. Most of the brainy specialists travel to big cities, where the development prospects are higher than in the wilderness. Do not forget that it makes no sense to offer customers super-expensive products. For example, computers for 100,000 rubles or more may be sold, but during this time you will have time to sell a lot more PCs for 30,000 rubles and get a significant profit. This factor is due to low wages in the outback.
We open a toy store
This is a rather promising direction. As a rule, in small cities there is one, at most, two similar institutions, so you can not be afraid of high competition. Currently, children's supermarkets are extremely popular, where there is almost everything for children of different ages. But in our case, a small store is enough. First of all, register yourself as a private entrepreneur. Best if it is an LLC. The highlight is choosing the right supplier. The fact is that children's toys should be not only high-quality and interesting, but also safe. This is due to the fact that children love to taste them.
If the toy store is small, then at first you can be a seller, an accountant, and even a cleaner yourself. All this will allow you to save money on wages and pay off much faster. Take care of the assortment. You must have toys of different sizes, colors. Sometimes it makes sense to divide them into categories, for example: for boys, for girls, for children under 3 years old, from 3 to 5 years old, etc. If with all this you competently create an internal atmosphere and interior, then you will have a lot of customers. In just six months, you will more than pay back the costs and you can gradually expand and eventually build a small children's supermarket. But do not forget that modern trade requires a lot of effort. It makes sense to give good advertising, for example, write a small ad about opening a store in a local newspaper and do posting at poles and stops.
Why not sell products?
Of course, here in any case you will face competition. However, not everything is as bad as it might seem at first glance. The fact is that it is not at all necessary to try something new, you can quite successfully implement what is already there. The number of grocery stores in your city is in any case large, but this does not mean at all that your particular point will not be popular. Nevertheless, the template version will not suit us either, so you need to carefully think through everything. First, select the location where your grocery store will be located. As practice shows, if we are talking about a small town, you need to choose the place where there are many houses and there is no such point nearby. The fact is that quite often people living in remote neighborhoods need 10-15 minutes to go to the nearest grocery store.
Secondly, you need to carefully draw up an assortment map. It’s easy to guess that this is a list of products you are selling. It is important to consider the terrain. So, if the grocery store is in close proximity to a kindergarten or school, then there should be juices, sweets and much more that children love. But if you are engaged in trade near multi-storey buildings, then do not forget to purchase a decent amount of bread, and alcohol, for example, beer, will also be nice to leave. By the way, it will be interesting to talk a little about the latter.
Beer trade: pros and cons
According to statistics, the sale of alcoholic beverages almost always brings a good income. Another question is, will all this be bought in a small town? Of course it will be. The point here is rather what and at what price you will sell. If you have several types of draft beer at your average market price, then you will always have a queue. In addition, it is advisable to sell beer in bottles, both glass and plastic. The presence of various soft drinks will only play into your hands. Do not forget about such a popular product as vodka, wine, champagne, etc.
It is worth paying your attention to the fact that opening will be somewhat more difficult. This is due to the fact that you need to obtain a license. In practice, stores where there is not only beer but also goods for it are very popular. It can be pigtail cheese, ram, smoked fish, nuts, crackers, chips and much more. So buyers do not need to go to another store. As for the location, it should be removed from kindergartens, schools and other educational institutions, as well as hospitals, etc. In any case, the beer trade brings a good income. Over time, you can expand the range.
Is it worth it to sell household appliances?
If we consider the main business ideas in the village, then we can not say about the store, where buyers can find large and small household appliances. Of course, here everything is somewhat more complicated than with the grocery point. You are mistaken if you think that in small towns they don’t buy microwaves, slow cookers and other kitchen utensils. All this is acquired, and very good. All that is required of you is to show yourself at first. If the first 10-20 clients leave dissatisfied, then you will completely lose the credit of trust and it is unlikely that you will be able to restore it in the near future. What to do in this case? Now everything will be said.
The surest way to success is to conclude an agreement with a large company manufacturing and selling household appliances. You, as a partner, will receive a percentage of the profits, and all deliveries will be completely free. All that is required of you is to convince the company that sales will go up. For this, a home appliance store should be of interest to buyers. To call it, you can give good and competent advertising, set discounts for regular customers, hold regular contests and much more.
Becoming a Pioneer
There is a high probability that in your city there is still not a single representative office of a large company. If there is, then only a few, and this still does not mean anything. For example, it could be a Samsung, LG, etc. household appliance store. It can be clothes - “Adidas”, “Reebok”, etc. In simple words, start a franchise business, but choose your partner wisely, since not everything will be in demand. For example, selling Nikon or Canon professional cameras is unlikely to be successful. If they buy several devices in a week or a month, then this will be good. But trade in clothes or shoes can bring very good money.
The essence of such a business is that a contract is drawn up with certain conditions that you, as well as the other party, must fulfill. An example is sales. If you exceed the norm, then you are entitled to a premium; if you have not sold it, then interest is held. Please note that at the initial stage you will receive good financial support from the partner company. Nevertheless, the cost of renting the premises, staff salaries, as well as taxes will have to pay yourself, so be prepared for this.
We offer services to the public
But this is quite an interesting direction that does not require large investments. The bottom line is that you can act as an intermediary or directly performer. A striking example of this is the execution of dispatch work. For example, a person needs to install a newly purchased washbasin. He calls you, and for a small fee you find a good, but at the same time relatively inexpensive specialist. However, you should understand that trade in services does not endure slowdowns. If the client wants the work to be done on Sunday, also on holiday, then so be it.
Another simple and inexpensive way is to make a photocopy and engage in typing. All this will bring good money, but first analyze the market. Find out if such an offer will be in demand. According to statistics, trade in services can pay off in the first month, provided that you invested in this business.
Some more ideas
As you can see, you have a wide choice of what to trade in a small city. This may be the sale of beer or products, a combination option is also possible. You can offer the population of the city replenishment of the account with a minimum commission, etc. Another good idea is to open a kindergarten. True, this will be a very costly task, but it can be said with confidence that with 100% probability this company will pay off in the shortest possible time. True, you should not expect large amounts of money in the first months of work.
The thing is that all parents will check where they are giving their child. You must have all the necessary licenses in your hands. The room should be warm and attractive. According to statistics, today this kind of business in an urban-type settlement, although it can be called rather a full-fledged and responsible work, is quite popular. The reason for this is the usual shortage of kindergartens, as they often close more often than open. And parents have work, during which the child must be left for someone.
Conclusion
That, in principle, is all that can be said about how to trade in a small town. The selection is quite large. But you must be guided not only by the financial capabilities and needs of the population, but also by your own interests. First of all, your business should be pleasant to you. Only a business performed with all responsibility brings a good income.
If you have opened a small store, the first time you yourself can be a seller there, which will allow you to save a lot. But over time, expand your boundaries, hire a friendly and friendly staff. Agree, come to the grocery store, where everything is always fresh, and the prices are not overpriced, and the seller is also friendly, much more pleasant than a eatery with weekly bread and high prices. All this happens because such an occupation causes more problems for the owner, that’s why the business is not going on. Trading nevertheless requires respect for the buyer. Always ask yourself the question: "Will I eat such bread or such sausage?" If you do everything right, it is unlikely that you will have at least some problems with customers. In small cities, there is always a situation where a lot of people come to one store and not many to another. You can be sure that all this happens for a reason.