There are plenty of ways to earn a living these days. Many of them involve using or working with the Internet in some way. But traditional businesses are still thriving in today’s modern world. Indeed, the rise of the independent entrepreneur also contributes to our annual GDP.
One idea to make a living and offer a better service than the national chains is to set up a hardware store. OK, so that might seem like an unlikely enterprise for you to get involved with following your graduation. Still, the benefits far outweigh the cons.
Here are some reasons why opening a hardware store in your town will doubtless become the best idea you’ve ever had!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Consumers crave personal attention
Have you ever noticed that, when you walk into a well-known hardware store chain, you seem to become invisible to its workers? There are plenty of times where the home DIYer needs some help to buy the right tools or materials for a particular job.
Except that, when you need that help, there is seldom a staff member in sight to assist you! One of the unique selling points of independent hardware stores is the people that run them. They are usually folks with lots of experience. And often come from building or engineering backgrounds.
When people visit a hardware store and seek help from employees, they expect to speak to an expert. What they don’t want is someone to ignore them, lie to them or appear rude and arrogant.
You can capitalize on the failings of the larger chains by offering a personal service to your customers. Of course, you won’t know about everything. But even in those cases, the fact that you’re interested and want to find out will put you in a good light with them!
You can mix things up a little
One of the common purchases made from a hardware store is paint. People love redecorating their homes. It’s something we can all do regardless of the weather or even the time of day! The only downside to painting is we don’t often find the colors we want.
But if you have a poly mixing tank at your hardware store, you can offer your customers a wide range of bespoke paint colors!
You can offer local deliveries
Sometimes customers might want to buy some timber or tools from you, but don’t have the means to bring them home. One thing you can do that will set you apart from your larger competitors is offer a local delivery service.
It’s up to you whether you offer the service for free or charge a small fee for your troubles. If you can solve your customer’s transport problems, your store will be the one they go to for their future hardware needs.
You can undercut your bigger competitors
My final point about the benefits of setting up a hardware store is pricing. It’s no secret that larger chains have big overheads to pay. That’s why they make a big markup on their stock. Because you’re a smaller independent firm, you can afford to undercut them and still make a profit.
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