Month: November 2020

Defining The Concept of Your Sports Store

Posted on | by Leta Simmons

Once the market research of your sports store has been carried out, you will have to rely on the data collected to define its commercial positioning.

You will need to decide on the type of point of sale you want to open:

  • What products will we find there? For which activities?
  • Will you target occasional athletes or those with intensive practice?
  • With which brands?
  • Will you offer additional services such as maintenance and repair?
  • What will differentiate you from the competition?

You can opt for a general store, or one dedicated to sportswear, or even a sports store specializing in a single discipline such as running for example.

This choice will depend in part on the type of stores already established near yours: if there are already 3 general stores, you may want to opt for a specialized store in order to stand out from the competition and make your place easier. in the local market.

You can of course also take over an existing sports store, although this option is probably more rare.

Open a sports store: independent or franchise?

One of the questions that you will also have to ask yourself when choosing the concept is that of opening an independent or franchised sports store.

Before deciding on one or the other structure, keep in mind that membership in a group of brands makes it possible to offer the major brands negotiated by purchasing centers and to benefit from recognition. immediate brand. Opening your sports franchise store is therefore the option that seems the easiest.

Finding a local for your sports store

The location of your sports store is extremely important.

Ideally, you want to find a location with good traffic, such as a downtown shopping area or a shopping center. However, it is not always easy to find premises large and cheap enough to set up a sports shop.

The alternative is to move to a more remote area. This cheaper option may be viable if you opt for a specialty sports store, but it is riskier for a general store.

For example, if you are the only skate shop within 30km around, chances are that fans of the sport will make the effort to come to you. On the other hand, if you are yet another sports shoe store, it may be more complicated to attract customers.

What legal structure to create a sports store?

After you have done your market research, defined a concept and found the premises for your future sports store, you will need to consider the legal status of your business.

The choice of the legal form should not be taken lightly because it will depend in particular on: the method of taxation of the company, the social regime of the directors, the administrative formalities to be accomplished, and the conditions under which decisions will be taken. within the company (this is called governance).

You will therefore have to choose a legal status adapted to your project, in particular the amount of capital committed and the number of partners.

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Opening A Stationery Store: The Guide To Get Started

Posted on | by Leta Simmons

Stationery shops remain an essential place. Every month, every year, schoolchildren and businesses need quality materials to work.

Are you passionate about this sector? Would you like to set up a stationery store, but you don’t know where to start? Do not go further. This article was designed to answer your questions. In the following lines, we will review each of the major steps to take to open a stationery store.

Opening a franchised stationery: probably less risky

Given the economic situation in the stationery market, you may want to position yourself in the niche of franchised stationery.

Becoming a franchisee has a cost (entry fee and annual fee), and is accompanied by a certain loss of freedom (particularly in terms of the product catalog). However, it also has many benefits that help reduce the risk of your plan to open a stationery store.

In fact, by being a franchisee, you benefit in particular:

  • brand recognition of the network you join
  • a concept that has proven itself, and therefore a priori more easily profitable
  • tariffs negotiated by the network’s purchasing center with suppliers
  • support and help with the marketing part

There are some big names in stationery in France who are looking for franchise entrepreneurs, such as Agora Presse or Maison de la Presse.

You can also join other, more specialized networks, such as Bureau Vallée or Office Dépôt. These large networks are often linked with administrations or professional companies, which ensures them a clientele.

If, despite the difficulties of independent businesses, you prefer the charm of traditional small stationery, you will need to find a concept that sets you apart.

Many customers appreciate this type of establishment for its “human” side. The stationery is indeed a place where you can leaf through, discuss with the seller, ask for advice on a book … It is not something that you can find in a supermarket.

You can thus seek to play on this characteristic specific to local businesses.

On the other hand, small paper mills are diversifying more and more to face competition. In addition to the sale of office supplies, which form the basis of the business, some also offer other services such as photocopying, the sale of books or newspapers.

Where to install your stationery?

The choice of your commercial space will be essential in putting together your stationery business plan.

A location in the city center has become practically essential to create or take over a stationery intended to satisfy local customers.

However, you can also target shopping areas, especially if there is no competition there: the presence of adjacent shops will help improve your attractiveness and visibility.

Finally you can choose to settle near a school or a university which can constitute points in which the demand naturally strong.

Besides the location, you will need a room with enough space to store your stock. Also remember that it will be larger during key periods such as back to school, for example.

What legal form to open your own stationery?

Choosing the legal status of your business is the next step in setting up your stationery.

This is not a trivial choice, because a lot of elements will flow from it. This is the case with the manager’s liability vis-à-vis the debts of the company, for example. 

The choice of your status will also influence the method of taxation and the manager’s social regime.…