Setting up Shop

Whether you are working from home or have your own shop as your business location, the fact is that your working hours are being spent in an environment that you can organize and decorate as you see fit! Of course, if you are trying to welcome customers, there should be a bit of science and study behind how you arrange and present your goods and wares. A friend of my just recently opened up a shop and I was shocked at how much is involved in a successful shop opening.  They ended up gutting and remodeling the entire space!

As passersby a store only has a few seconds to get our attention and convince us to take a peek inside, so more or less everything falls on the window or store front to get us in the door.

Here's a few enticing storefronts:

via Flickr

via Fabulously Broke

Want to feel like your shopping in a French flea market? (albeit a very $$$$ one), Anthropologie has your number!

via Apartment Therapy

A whimsical Hermes display
via the bwd.com
However, if you have a shop that is open to the public there are lots more things to take into consideration than purely decor or interior design issues. Here are a few things to think about:
When setting up shop you need to consider the location very carefully. You want as many potential shoppers as you can find so make sure you are easy to see and in a great walking path! Being tucked in an alley way might not be a great spot if you need to catch your shoppers eye.


via Pinterest

Parking is also a great advantage! Having dedicated spots for your clients makes it a more pleasant experience getting into your shop. In some places, like cities, there isn't parking available for many of the shops but there is local transportation! Make sure people can get to you - there have been many instances where I don't shop a certain spot because I know I won't be able to park.



via etsy.com

If your business is primarily online than it may be better off for you to find a cheaper space in the alley way where you can still be seen but don't need the foot traffic. 

Another thing to look for before finding your space is the local competition as well as your neighbors! You don't want to be competing with a larger store that sells similar items as you but you also do want to be near neighbors that don't fit in with your typical buyer!


via domestikatedlife.com

It's a good idea to find out what kind of clientele you have and figure out where they would go shopping! That's where you need be!

Sometimes it's better off to have the right kind of help when you are looking for that perfect space. Fenn Wright are specialists in finding retail premises in Suffolk and having that type of local knowledge an experience that they provide can really make a difference in finding the perfect space for your shop.


via Pinterest

Make sure you have room to grow! Your location can be a big part of the success of your business and changing your location can make it really hard on your customers as well as you! Think about the space and place where you'd want items to go. Then try to think about your space when you expand. If you have options for both, then the space might just be the perfect one!

this post is in partnership with fenwright.co.uk