Setting up a successful pop-up shop does require being diligent and taking care of essential tasks. Ideally, you want to get started on these ASAP if you want to open a pop-up shop this holiday season.
1. Create a Business Plan and Budget
Your business plan should outline what it is you want to accomplish with your pop-up shop. List out specific goals and objectives and how you intend to reach these. You will also need to create a budget to know how much you have to invest in your seasonal retail store. Your budget should also include the design costs for creating the perfect shop.
2. Find the Right Space
You want to find a location that offers heavy customer traffic. Think about your target customer and where they are most likely to do their holiday shopping. For example, if you sell cookbooks, a good location for a pop-up store would be outside of a cookware store or inside a grocery store.
3. Take Care of Business Legal Requirements
Before you can open for business, there are several legal requirements to complete. For instance, if your pop-up shop is in San Diego, you will need a City of San Diego business license, a seller’s permit for San Diego, a California tax-id number, and so on. To secure these as quickly as possible, it is highly recommended to enlist assistance from a qualified business filling service like FastFilings.
4. Recruit and Hire Seasonal Staff
If you need to hire employees to help run your pop-up shop, make sure to start recruiting them now. If you wait until the last minute, other retailers will have already hired experienced staff. When conducting interviews, make sure potential employees fit your business model, strategy, and ideals. You want energetic and motivated employees who will promote your business like it was their own.
5. Promote and Market Your Pop-Up Shop
Even before you open your doors, start promoting your seasonal shop. Make the announcement on social media and your website. Another great way to promote your shop is to set up free business listings on Google My Business, Yelp, etc. When your shop is ready to open, host a grand-opening celebration.
6. Get a Reliable POS System
If you already have a POS system you use for your e-commerce store, you may be all set. If not, you will want one that can track sales and inventories as well as notify you when you need to reorder products from your suppliers. There are even apps that you can purchase that work with tablet devices and which only require a few additional pieces of hardware to accept debit and credit card payments.
7. Make Your Pop-Up Shop and Experience
Think about the décor of the shop, what furniture you need to rent, color schemes, and other aspects that can make your store a unique experience for customers. For example, if you sell toys and games, you may want to design your space like Santa’s Workshop or use oversized furniture and create a “child’s playroom.”
By using these 7 tips for setting up your holiday pop-up shop, you are sure to have a great holiday selling-season, grow your business, and attract new customers.
For assistance with different business filings in California, Los Angeles, and San Diego for your pop-up shop, please feel free to get started using our easy online application form at FastFilings or contact us if you have further questions.