How to start a business from scratch in a small town: current ideas

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What kind of business can you start from scratch in a small town? This topic is quite relevant today among residents who want to create their own small business in a city with a small population. A small town involves a settlement in which the number of inhabitants does not exceed 30,000 people. Therefore, in order to be in a small town, you need to know all the positive and negative sides, the main subtleties of doing business in a sparsely populated area.

Benefits of doing business in a small town

Negative moments affecting the opening of a business in a small town

The main disadvantage for implementing a business idea in a small town is a small flow of buyers, which, of course, depends on the population. Compared to a big city, for example, the flow of people in a store located in a small city in the center will be much less than the flow of people in the same store located in a regular area of a big city.
Another significant disadvantage is that in a small town people have very small salaries, respectively, they are not able to purchase many goods, even if they have a desire.
One of the main disadvantages is the huge competition in a small area. The city is small, and everyone wants to earn money. And in a small town, non-residents often set up their own business, for example, large entrepreneurs who have developed their own chain of stores.
Lack of qualified workers. This is due to the fact that an experienced and competent specialist will not work in a small town for little money, since it is possible to find a job in a big city for a decent wage.

What business is better to open in a small town

Where to begin? Business ideas that can be implemented in a small town:

advertising agency;
renting out real estate;
private transport;
Internet business;
small printing house;
baths (in a small town, almost no one promotes such business ideas);
organization of celebrations;
organization of tourist tours, if the area is historical, has architectural monuments, various museums, etc.;
food delivery and other business ideas.

Own store in a small town

If you have a certain capital, you can open your own shop, beauty salon, photo studio, confectionery in a small town. You can implement other business ideas, depending on the direction in which you want to start your business. For example, how to open your store from scratch, where should you start?

Opening a small store from scratch

You need to start with registration with the business control authorities. Before you open your business in a small town, it is recommended to register as an individual entrepreneur. Immediately it is worth deciding on entrepreneurial activity (OKVD).

Next, you need to decide which tax system to work with. What will be taxed? If you plan to open a small store, it is recommended to work with UTII (single imputed income tax). In this case, deductions depend on the area. You can use the simplified taxation system - STS, pay 6 percent of the total profit, or 15 percent of the difference between profits and expenses. The store has an area of more than 150 squares, then the individual entrepreneur does not fit the UTII taxation system.

Taxes must be paid on time, otherwise the state will impose a good fine. When paying on time, it is possible to write off fixed contributions from the tax, which for an entrepreneur amount to about 2,000 rubles / month.

You need to open an individual current account in the bank (an individual entrepreneur can work without it). Studying the market in a small town in the chosen direction of doing business: analysis of pricing policy (you can order price lists with prices from several stores to your email address, introducing yourself as a representative of some organization).

Starting from scratch is recommended only with verified suppliers with positive reviews, as there are many companies that work irresponsibly. For example, they can deliver goods with a significant time delay or even send goods by mistake to another city.

Starting a current account

It is necessary to make a purchase of equipment for the store, design the interior design of the trading floor, and purchase the necessary goods. When choosing a UTII taxation system, there is no need for a cash register, it is enough to purchase a check machine (CPM), the price of which starts at 3,500 rubles.

When using other taxation systems, a cash register must be installed in the store, which has a fiscal memory:

cost of spacecraft - from 17,000 rubles;
the cost of a hologram is 2,000 rubles. (must be purchased annually);
monthly service - 500–1,000 rubles.

The format of showcases is selected for a specific category of goods.

Based on the analysis carried out on the market, a place is selected for a store in a small town. The point of sale should be located in the area of the city where there are no competitors at all, or where there are most of them. Example: to create your own small business selling electrical equipment, there is no better idea than opening a retail outlet in a large building materials store that already has several competitors. In this situation, there will be less advertising costs, plus in such a store there are already regular customers who will definitely pay attention to your product.

Signing a lease agreement, in which it is desirable to make a division of the total leased area into a trading floor, a warehouse. This will help you save money on taxes in the future. The tax under the UTII system depends on the area of the trading floor. By renting a room, you can install equipment, import goods. If before the store was founded, any services were provided in the same field of activity, then you should not refuse them. It is recommended to continue to provide them. And in the store you can hire a seller whose salary in a small town is not so big. That is, on the provision of services, you can earn much more than trading on your own in your store in order to save on the seller.

Before handing over the goods to the hired seller, it is recommended to make an inventory of them. Control should be exercised so that the hired worker (it doesn’t matter if it’s a stranger or an acquaintance, even a relative) does not have a desire to pull off any scam behind your back, for example, not to pass the goods through the cash register, just steal. Any business from scratch requires strict control, otherwise a good income simply cannot be seen.

To know about the store

Advertising is the main tool for promoting any business, including trade. No matter how high quality and most affordable the product is, if no one knows about it, there will be no sales accordingly. There are many ways to advertise, it is recommended to use all of them if possible.

For example: you provide services for the installation/repair of plumbing equipment and have your own store selling this product. You can, in parallel with the provision of services, start offering customers to purchase the necessary plumbing items in your store. At the end of work, you can also leave business cards, booklets with goods that can be bought in your store, a list of services provided. In a small town in this way, information about your existence will spread very quickly.

You can make cards for 5, 10 percent discounts on the purchase of goods, distribute them to customers.

Having opened your store, you can call all your competitors who provide similar services in the city. They can become your regular customers, bringing the bulk of the profits. To link such customers to your store, it is recommended to make a permanent card for them with a 10 percent discount. As a result, they will purchase the necessary material only in your store.

Business Promotion Strategy

I have my own store, a regular clientele, and a stable income. How to increase it? To do this, you need to move to the next level of entrepreneurial activity. Where to begin?

To bring the business to a new, more profitable level, it is necessary, but it is not worth closing the IP, the store can be registered on it.

In an LLC, it is necessary to open activities for the services provided, work performed, and goods sold.

For all categories of goods, services, a commercial offer is prepared and delivered to budget organizations (in the workflow, one hundred percent had to intersect with them). Such organizations are looking for suppliers themselves. They are able to make purchases for 500,000 rubles. It is necessary to distribute commercial proposals to all budgetary organizations. Over time, they themselves will come to you and make a purchase for half a million.

The only disadvantage of working with state employees is that they often have problems with financing, they ask for deferred payments. That is, payment can sometimes be expected for several months.

In your region, you must take part in tenders in your business area. The state makes all purchases through them. Here, of course, there is quite a lot of competition, but sales exceed 500,000 rubles.