Ordinary people complain about the anti-tobacco law, which has created many problems for both consumers of tobacco products and their suppliers. Strict rules governing smoking in in public places and raising prices for cigarettes, force smokers to huddle discontentedly with cigarettes in yards and back streets and save cigarettes in a pack, and manufacturers to count losses.
But this is what makes an entrepreneur different from ordinary person who knows how to take advantage of any situation. If the state is seriously committed to tightening the rules in the field of tobacco smoking, then why not make a business out of an alternative to the usual way of satisfying nicotine addiction?
Increasingly popular with Russian consumer purchase electronic cigarettes. These devices are vaporizers that simulate the smoking process using a steam generator. When a person using an e-cigarette takes a puff, nichrome spiral, located inside the steam generator, heats up and converts the liquid with which the device is charged into steam. The process contains the taste of nicotine, smoke reminiscent of cigarettes, and a device that occupies the “smoker’s” hands. At the same time, electronic cigarettes cause much less harm to the health of the person who uses them and are absolutely harmless to others, so their use in public places is not prohibited by law.
In addition, electronic smoking simulators are in an effective way fighting addiction to real cigarettes. According to statistics, 75% of smokers who switched to these devices were able to significantly reduce their nicotine consumption, and 65% were able to quit smoking altogether.
The range of electronic smoking devices is very wide - they can take the form of regular cigarettes, cigars, pipes and even hookahs. In addition, electronic evaporators are available with different tastes, and if you wish, you can “smoke” mint, vanilla, chocolate, strawberries - in a word, almost everything your heart desires.
If you decide to open a point selling electronic cigarettes in your city, then you should start with market research (you can conduct it yourself or order it from a specialized agency). You need to find out who the main consumer is of this product in your city (usually 21 to 30 year olds with average income who want to quit smoking), what is the average retail price for key items, what brands and types of e-cigarettes are in greatest demand, in which area of the city the products are least represented, and other details necessary to write a business plan.
When choosing a location for a retail outlet, focus on two indicators - the approximate income of the population living in a particular area, and the presence of competing outlets. Many budding entrepreneurs seek to focus on central areas of cities, but competition in such places is much higher, as are rental rates. If you see that the niche for sales of electronic cigarettes in the center of your city has already been filled, then it makes sense to take a closer look at remote areas with developed infrastructure - the trend now is that there is active development of the urban periphery of megacities, the opening of shopping centers, consumer stores, etc. . An area with developed infrastructure is suitable for the implementation of your project.
To get started, it will be enough to rent a small retail space in one of the local stores - shopping malls are best suited for this purpose, since the traffic there is many times higher than in specialized stores. To operate a business, a small stationary display counter with an area of 3 square meters. Its monthly rent will cost an average of 10 thousand, but the exact price depends on many factors (region, district, rental policy of the owner of the space, etc.), so it is better to find out specific figures yourself by contacting landlords in the area you are interested in.
If your budget is limited and you cannot afford to risk the funds that you will invest in rent, then it makes sense to start with an online platform and sell goods through an online store. Then it will be necessary to create a website with a high-quality product catalog, which will have a form for online ordering of goods. Creating a simple “virtual business card” will cost you 10-15 thousand rubles, but you can make a website yourself using a free online designer. To promote your online store and increase impulse purchases, you will need to invest in contextual advertising.
Before opening a retail outlet, you must also register as a subject entrepreneurial activity. IN in this case An individual entrepreneur is most suitable - its registration will cost 800 rubles (payment of state duty) and will take an average of five days. In addition to the receipt of payment of the state duty to the future individual entrepreneur You will only need a passport, TIN and a standard application. The most convenient tax regime for individual entrepreneurs is the simplified taxation system (STS). It provides for the payment of 6% from the “income” object or 15% from the “income minus expenses” object.
As for additional licenses for the goods sold, they will not be needed - in Russian Federation electronic cigarettes are not subject to mandatory certification, and foreign certificates do not carry much weight.
As mentioned above, the range of products described is quite wide - from cheap “cigarettes” with a maintenance-free evaporator and a non-removable unit (the so-called “egoshki” to more advanced models where you can replace the battery, choose the taste of the liquid in the evaporator, etc. When choosing When deciding what exactly to order for your store, you can follow one of two vectors:
A wide range of inexpensive products is a basic option to start with. In this case, it is better to bet not on well-known companies, but on the representation of a large number of options in order to compete with already operating points.
Focus on advanced devices. If vaping (electronic smoking) is quite developed in your city, then inexpensive “cigarettes” are most likely already represented on the local market. In this case, it makes sense, after first familiarizing yourself with the results of marketing research, to satisfy the needs of more advanced users - those who prefer a higher class of goods. One of the owners of a business selling electronic cigarettes advises ordering branded products not from suppliers directly, but from resellers - the cost will not be much higher, but there is an opportunity to buy goods in small quantities (five to ten items each). Of course, there is a risk of purchasing counterfeit products - to minimize it, it is better to cooperate with resellers who already have a reputation as conscientious contractors and value it (for example, TenOne).
To order the first batch of goods you will need from 50 to 100 thousand rubles. The exact amount of initial investment in this section of launching a business project should again be assessed independently by making a list of what you are going to purchase and analyzing the range and prices of suppliers.
Ordering goods from Russian suppliers benefits the entrepreneur due to faster delivery times than from abroad (during the period during which one parcel arrives from China, you can make two or three purchases from Russian companies), and the absence of problems with customs services. However, entrepreneurs note that in addition to the advantages, compatriot suppliers also have significant disadvantages, such as: periodic delays in delivery times (the Chinese take this matter much more responsibly), a higher percentage of defective shipments of goods, changes in payment upon delivery, when the final price greatly exceeds agreed upon.
If you order goods from China (“AliExpress”, “FastTech.Com”, etc.), you will have to face other difficulties. Thus, branded suppliers work exclusively with MOQ (minimum order quantity), which means that the product famous brands It will not be possible to order in small quantities of several units. Therefore, mainly inexpensive low-segment items supplied by non-brand companies are imported from China - we do not have a minimum order size.
When ordering from abroad, you should consider which delivery service your potential supplier cooperates with - if it is DHL or another standard company, then there is a high risk that the ordered batch will be subject to customs clearance, which is fraught with additional costs and delays for the buyer delivery. Therefore, cooperation with a local logistics company will not be superfluous. Standard scheme Ordering goods from China is as follows: the buyer transfers money to the seller, the seller sends the goods to the warehouse, from where the shipment is delivered by air to Russia. Payment for the services of the logistics company is made after the fact, when the buyer has already received the goods.
As for the markup on the original price of the product, on average it is 45%. However, if you sell exclusive brands, being the only representative of the brand in your city, then the price can be doubled.
If you want to maximize the flow of customers, then it is necessary for the point to work seven days a week. Therefore, you will need two sales consultants who will work in shifts. Their responsibilities will include not only selling goods to customers, but also advising on products, as well as promoting them. The potential buyer must be properly informed about all the advantages of electronic cigarettes (environmental friendliness, the ability to quit smoking, a wide variety of flavors, etc.) - then the chance that he will become your consumer increases, even if he does not purchase the product immediately. Therefore, your employees must have good communication skills and the gift of persuasion.
The most appropriate system of remuneration for sales consultants is a salary plus a percentage of sales. The average salary is about 11 thousand rubles, but the exact figures depend on the region.
According to average estimates, the profitability of this business is about 37%. With an approximate number of customers of 5 people per day, the average daily revenue will be about 14,000 rubles. If the point operates seven days a week, then the income at this figure will be 420 thousand, and the profit minus monthly expenses (rent, advertising, wage employees, unforeseen expenses, etc.) will amount to about 157 thousand rubles. However, in order to more adequately assess the profitability of a business selling electronic cigarettes, we advise future entrepreneurs to independently estimate all one-time and monthly expense items, based on the prices of your city - this will require the Internet and one or two days of time for monitoring.
Typically, business people prefer to open a small store selling retail goods at the very beginning of their business. This is correct, since the risk of losing a large amount is minimized. This option is ideal for a good start. If you decide to open outlet, then you need:
How to open a retail outlet
Prices. How to set them correctly
The target audience (its specific capabilities) has a direct impact on prices. It is also necessary to take into account the specifics of your product. It can be elite or budget. If you are just starting your business, then it is better to keep the markup to a minimum. This will help attract buyers. But you need to immediately prepare yourself for the fact that at first you will only get back what you spent. But don’t think that a big markup will provide a good profit. In this case, sales will occur quite rarely.
It is important to choose an intermediate pricing option. You need to find out what level of markup on the goods you sell will be optimal. It is also worth analyzing the prices that are usually set in a particular region. It is also important to study the prices at which products are sold in the stores of your direct competitors. Make appropriate adjustments.
Working with clients
Principles of automating your sales
You need to have a clear idea of where your business is at the moment. Writing everything down in a notebook won't help you see the whole picture. Also, you will not be able to decide on the direction in which you need to move. Perfect option– trade automation. To do this, you need to choose the right accounting program that has all the functionality you need. There is no point in buying newfangled programs in stores. They are expensive and also require maintenance which can be detrimental to your business.
Today there are convenient systems allowing you to keep records online. They do not require installation. You will always be aware of everything that happens in the sales field. At the same time, you can relax, be on a business trip or do something else. “Big Bird” is a system in demand today. It was created as a regular application on the Internet. That is why no downloading or updating is required. System advantages:
You will clearly know the amount of profit and revenue received. You will know how profitable your company is. You will be aware of all sales dynamics, ongoing movements of goods and available balances, the status of all cash and non-cash funds. Expense and income transactions will become as transparent as possible.
If you prefer to automate your trade using Big Bird, you will have the opportunity to use printers and barcode scanners for convenient printing of labels and receipts. This will make it easier not only to record sales, but also to keep all records.
If you are a beginner entrepreneur, then using the system will be absolutely free for you. At the same time, the time is completely unlimited.
If you decide to open a retail outlet, be sure to take into account all the details. The success of your business depends on you.
Anything can happen in life. If a person suddenly loses his job, then there is no need to despair. Now there are many different ideas for starting your own business. For example, if you open a retail outlet in the market (even a small one), approaching this issue competently, this will give a person a permanent workplace and stable income for a long time. In other words, even if one has no experience in this field, it is still worth trying this one, in fact, interesting view activities. It's better to start small to reduce risks. After all, it’s never too late to expand your business.
Of course, for a business to start generating income, you must first think it through carefully and then invest a lot of work. The owners of successful businesses were also initially inexperienced and started with small trade, but patience, hard work and skill brought them fruit in the form of stability and prosperity. A huge advantage of running your own business is independence from your employer.
To open your own point, you need starting capital. If you don’t have one, you can take out a loan. But before you run headlong to the bank, you need to decide in which market the trading place will be located. Everyone knows that there are food, clothing, construction, automobile, mixed and other fairs.
After a market has been selected and, accordingly, an approximate category of goods (in a clothing market, for example, you cannot sell spare parts for cars), you need to study what is most in demand among the population. You also need to take a closer look at whether the traffic in the chosen location is good (the presence of a sufficient number of buyers), what goods are missing there, you need to study the prices and, using your intuition, decide what exactly will be sold in the planned store.
That is, in order not to burn out, it is necessary to do in-depth marketing research.
An important point is that it is located near the market and how popular the place is.
It is better to sell a product that a person is well versed in. If, for example, someone has a pharmaceutical education, then it is possible. Or the person has extensive experience in construction organization- Then the best option for him there will be an opening of a point exactly at construction market. A win-win option that does not require large expenses is a food outlet. That is, even if the market is new and has not yet gained popularity, there will still be no problems with the clientele. For example, if you open a mini-cafe, then the sellers themselves will eat there.
After carefully segmenting the market and deciding which product will be sold, you need to start looking wholesale suppliers, whose selling price is low, and the quality of the product is consistent high requirements. That is, using the Internet, newspaper advertisements or other methods, it will be necessary to study in detail many manufacturers, negotiate with them and look at samples of what they offer. Only after analyzing everything well can you make a final decision with whom to cooperate. In doing business, this moment is almost the most key factor influencing the success of the entire business.
Return to contents
So, regardless of what market is chosen and the product that will be sold, there is a basic set of rules that any aspiring businessman needs to know. After making the final decision, you need to contact the market administration and find out the conditions regarding the rental of the premises. It should be noted that in each market they may differ from each other, especially when it comes to rental prices. At the first stage, you can take not the entire room, but, for example, half of the pavilion.
Then you will need to officially register your business. For retail the most profitable is the UTII, or patent system. Until the matter gets worse, it’s best to initial stage, don't hire a large number of sellers, since it will be difficult to pay salaries at first. Therefore, one assistant will be enough. Working on your own can save you money to pay your taxes.
Naturally, important point is to design a point in such a way that it matches its format. Availability of various advertising banners, booklets, business cards, a varied assortment of the store, promotions and bonuses - all this will attract the buyer. He tends to return to places where he was treated with care. The product must be stored in dry and ventilated areas, otherwise it may become damp and moldy - this will definitely scare away the buyer.
The profitability of a store will be different for each individual case. But approximate calculations can be made. For example, for large goods, experts advise marking up no more than 20-30% of the purchase price. You can bet 100% on smaller items. The payback will depend on how much is paid for renting the premises, on the product itself, since it may be of such a format that in some seasons its sales increase, and in others they may fall. And also from others no less important factors. On average, a small retail outlet pays for itself in approximately one year, and a larger one in two years.
The idea of opening a small grocery store often comes up as an idea profitable business V small town. Indeed, even a small grocery store can become a source of stable income.Not so long ago, in order to make money from trading, small investments, unsuitable premises and unobtrusive service were enough. Nowadays the retail industry is very competitive, so the approach to organizing the work of a store must be serious.
Opening a grocery store in a residential building is not always easy. If the high-rise building does not have special retail space, then to do this you will have to buy a couple of apartments and convert them into non-residential premises. It may turn out challenging task, because you will have to make a separate entrance, agree with the meeting of residents on the use of common property (facade, roof, basement), obtain permission for redevelopment, etc. In some cases, renting space for a store will be the best option.
Choosing premises for a store is one of key issues, with the solution of which you need to begin the implementation of your idea. But that's not all. In our instructions, you will learn about other important factors for retail that directly affect your entrepreneurial success. So, let's open a grocery store.
Are you planning to open your own business? Don’t forget about the current account - it will simplify doing business, paying taxes and insurance premiums. Moreover, now many banks offer profitable terms for opening and maintaining a current account. You can view the offers here.
If you want to learn how to open a grocery store, then our step-by-step instructions will help you with this. Where to begin? Marketers are confident that for the success of retail trade, the most important thing will be the choice of location and assortment of the store, so the first point of our step by step instructions It will be just a choice of location.
Video: "How to open a grocery store from scratch?"
Small business can be started with small retail store. In this case, the risk of bankruptcy is minimal, and this starting option will be the most optimal.
And this article will help answer questions about how to open a retail outlet from scratch, where to open it, how to choose the right range of goods sold, how to organize pricing policy and keep records correctly.
To begin with, the amount is determined starting capital and the selection of products sold is carried out. A search is made for suppliers whose conditions are favorable and convenient for those opening office work. At the first stage, it is recommended to select related product groups.
When opening a retail outlet in public places - in a market or in a shopping center, registration of an individual entrepreneur will be required.
Moreover, it is important optimal choice system by which taxes will be paid to the state. The most common tax system is the simplified tax system. 
The selection of the location where the retail outlet will be located is carried out very carefully. Competitors' stores should not be located in close proximity to the opening outlet.
Having decided on the location, you can agree on the cost and rental conditions. When concluding a lease agreement, you should pay attention to the possibility of early termination.
Acquisition commercial equipment for creating appearance and store design will greatly affect the loyalty and trust of potential customers.
Hiring a seller is mandatory so that the businessman has time to deal with other organizational issues. The friendliness of the seller and his good guidance in the assortment will affect the success of the retail trade and its profitability.
The cost of the proposed product should be thought out depending on the capabilities target audience– will it be a budget product, designed for a large part of the population, or an elite one.
