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Saving Money When Launching Your First Retail Business

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Whether you’re setting up a new restaurant, a shop or other kind of retail business – the costs involved to get you off the ground can be significant. It isn’t as simple as buying stock and selling it on, as you’ll know – a lot more goes into it than that. While some of the costs of launching your business are inevitable, there are ways that you can save money.

Get your retail business off to a great start with the following advice for saving money on your start-up costs.

Look for second-hand furniture

If you’re kitting out your space with a whole load of brand new furniture, the cost is soon going to add up. Meanwhile, there are plenty of great ways to save money on furniture that will help you furnish your premises without breaking the bank. Some places might even have free furniture that you can use, even if it is just beginning to get you started. Buying second-hand, upscaling older furniture and accepting freebies are ways to save money while also helping the environment by cutting waste.

Do comparisons

It’s easy to go with the first option you find regarding items like your PoS (point of sale) system, online shopping cart applications, etc. It’s understandable to want to tick some things off your list quickly so that you can focus on more important decisions. However, using a tool like Comparisun, you can find the cheapest and most effective system for what you’re looking for, helping you make savings you might not have even thought was possible. Comparison shopping is a good way to save money on everything from energy suppliers to insurers, so it pays to shop around if it helps you save money.

Staff appropriately

Staffing can be one of your biggest expenses when setting up a business, but if you miscalculate how many bodies are needed, you could end up paying out more than what you’re bringing in. It’s better to start with a smaller number of employees and build it up as you need it to cope with demand. Spend time working on a suitable rota that ensures your business is well-staffed but doesn’t have anybody standing around like a spare part.

Lease your tech

While you might want to run out to buy the latest and greatest technology for your business, buying everything outright will soon make a dent in your start-up capital. The question of whether to lease or buy your tech equipment depends on your individual circumstances, but leasing is definitely worth considering to cut your costs in the short-term. When you lease technology, you’re leasing something that will only go down in value, and you’ll be able to replace your items every two years or so. Leasing can also be a great short-term option if you’re not sure what technology you actually need, so this can be a good way to bridge the gap while you get yourself set up.

Make the most of free marketing tools

Marketing your business today is a completely different story from how it would have been 50 years ago. Thanks to digital marketing, businesses no longer need to spend hefty marketing budgets on TV spots and radio advertising to make a splash. You can take advantage of marketing ideas with little or zero budget to help you spread the word about your business. Social media makes this easier than ever, and you can achieve great things once you learn how to connect with your business.

Make the most of influencers

Influencer marketing has become one of the hottest marketing tools for businesses. While you might think it is something that’s just for big brands, the truth is that the smallest local businesses can also use influencer marketing to their advantage. Working with people who have a large social media following or influence in your local area can help spread the word quickly. It’s worth doing some research to find some appropriate influencers to help you launch your business – not all influencer collaborations have to be paid in cash, so there might be other things you can do, such as offer free services or discounts to help get them on board.

Design your own website

Designing your own website is a great way for you to save money. But what if you’re not an expert web designer or any kind of web designer? That doesn’t matter. There are some great website building tools available to you to create a great looking website that will catch attention and make your business look the part. It’s easy to get started, and you’ll save yourself a lot of money compared to hiring an agency or a freelancer who could charge you a hefty fee for your web page.

Go green

A greener business is very au fait at the moment, with consumers putting a strong focus on using brands that display greener practices. Making your business greener will save on expenses such as electricity and heating, giving you lower bills from the outset. Meanwhile, there are ways that you can reduce your packaging costs that also include greener practices to make your business much more ethical. Having greener policies in place from the beginning sends a great message to customers and gives you a talking point.

Review your outgoings regularly

Business costs can vary, so even if you think you’re benefiting from the maximum savings now, in a few months, things might change again. Review your expenses regularly to see if there’s any room to save money or cut costs altogether. This is good business practice and will help you become a much savvier business owner.

Setting up your first business is a challenge, and you’ll no doubt learn a lot on the way. Cutting your costs from the outset will help you become a responsible business owner that stands the best chance of success with their venture. How will you cut your new business start-up costs?

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