Many communities do not have adequate resources for art and craft supplies, which makes this niche ideal. When you are looking for a good location for your business, there are several considerations to give you the best opportunity at success.
Follow Your Demographic
Whenever possible, you will want to find a location that matches your demographic. For example, if you sell fine art supplies, one of the best places will be nearby a college that offers an art degree. College students who need supplies for their art classes will likely stop by your store to purchase their supplies and they will appreciate the opportunity to view supplies in-person instead of buying online. Any store with art supplies will have a significant advantage when it comes to marketing. At the beginning of each semester, they might offer a special discount for college students when they show their ID or bring their course syllabus.
Consider Big Box Competitors
If there are big-box competitors in the art and craft supply niche, you will need to consider how they will affect your business. Many smaller businesses automatically want to avoid locations where a big box store is a direct competitor, but this can work in your favor. Part of competing against larger stores will be the supplies you offer. If the big box art supply store does not offer certain brands of acrylic paint or individual sheets of high-quality paper, you should offer these items to compete. Fortunately, artists and crafters are well-aware of the benefits of purchasing high-quality supplies. Many larger stores frequently have supplies that are student-grade and not the best quality. You can use this as an opportunity to fill a void for high-quality supplies in the area.
Be Seen
Another challenge for smaller stores is they are often nestled in obscure locations. Whenever possible, you want your business located in an area where you will be seen. If you are located on a major roadway, depending on the road, this can be an advantage or disadvantage. Some roads are extremely busy and motorists find it is difficult to turn into a parking lot or they easily miss stores because there are no large signs. If the only location you can find is quiet and obscure, you will need to work harder with your signage and promoting your location online. Even if you do not sell items online, having a website with good directions to your store will help you rank for location-based searches for supplies.
There are many factors that will affect the right area for your business location. Not only does location affect the success of your business, but it can also affect how well you can market yourself.
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