Opening second location in 6 months any advice
- Thread starter n3rdism
- Start date
RichmondTech
Member
- Reaction score
- 6
- Location
- Richmond, VA
I guess you would take the things that worked the best in your first location and apply it to your second location. Take the mistakes you've learned from your first location and make sure you don't do them in your second location.
I guess another way to look at it is say you had to open a location on the other side of the country. What would you need to do? Start making a list and have at it.
Good luck and congrats at expanding!
I guess another way to look at it is say you had to open a location on the other side of the country. What would you need to do? Start making a list and have at it.
Good luck and congrats at expanding!
Knightsman
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 32
why so fast? Are you that profitable in 6 months that you can cover the expenses of your 2nd shop for a year? or 6 months?
RichmondTech
Member
- Reaction score
- 6
- Location
- Richmond, VA
Either you know this person or are assuming that they just opened their first location. I don't know this person so I was going with the assumption that they've had their first location for awhile. If they did just open their first location and it's busy busy busy then maybe it is time to expand.
PCSupportGlasgow
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 56
- Location
- Scotland, UK
your strategy will really depend on how close to each other the two locations are going to be.
by that i mean same city just different parts, other side of country, etc
by that i mean same city just different parts, other side of country, etc
Knightsman
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 32
ooooooooo...........Totally read that wrong
I read opening your second location in 6 months. Like literally you opened your store recently and 6 months later your opening your 2nd.
I read opening your second location in 6 months. Like literally you opened your store recently and 6 months later your opening your 2nd.
budsandbytes
Member
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Farmington, MN
My lessons learned on #2, which I will hopefully apply better to #3.
1. Don't duplicate the entire business. Figure out which location is the main office, and which is the branch. Make sure the branch has what it needs to do business (tools, etc.) and none of the extra stuff. You shouldn't need much in the way of office supplies at the branch.
2. Figure out the phones ahead of time. Our second store is in a different area code, so we wanted a second incoming phone # in that area code. It has not been worthwhile. Customers calling for status checks, directions, hours, etc. seem to have this uncanny ability to find the phone number for the other store.
I am in the process of having to convert everything over to VOIP with a automated attendant to route the calls properly. I fully expect that 10% of customers will just hang up when they discover the change, and I imagine a good portion of them will still find a way to confuse the system into sending their call to the wrong store.
3. Come up with a plan for customers that refuse to talk to an employee, because they liked the looks of the owner the first time they were in. When you do, please call me and let me know how you did it. I would love to be able to keep some of the customers, but I don't have the time to deal with the ones who refuse to let us do any triage.
4. Don't be so close that location #2 siphons off too many customers.
5. Don't be so far that location #2 is in an area where you have no customers or reputation.
6. Don't be so far that you are unable to effectively manage both locations.
1. Don't duplicate the entire business. Figure out which location is the main office, and which is the branch. Make sure the branch has what it needs to do business (tools, etc.) and none of the extra stuff. You shouldn't need much in the way of office supplies at the branch.
2. Figure out the phones ahead of time. Our second store is in a different area code, so we wanted a second incoming phone # in that area code. It has not been worthwhile. Customers calling for status checks, directions, hours, etc. seem to have this uncanny ability to find the phone number for the other store.
I am in the process of having to convert everything over to VOIP with a automated attendant to route the calls properly. I fully expect that 10% of customers will just hang up when they discover the change, and I imagine a good portion of them will still find a way to confuse the system into sending their call to the wrong store.
3. Come up with a plan for customers that refuse to talk to an employee, because they liked the looks of the owner the first time they were in. When you do, please call me and let me know how you did it. I would love to be able to keep some of the customers, but I don't have the time to deal with the ones who refuse to let us do any triage.
4. Don't be so close that location #2 siphons off too many customers.
5. Don't be so far that location #2 is in an area where you have no customers or reputation.
6. Don't be so far that you are unable to effectively manage both locations.
Mr.Mike
Active Member
- Reaction score
- 14
- Location
- San Diego Area
It would be an interesting search to see if there is a formula that addresses these three issues. Something along the lines of Geographic/Economic studies and theories.
16k_zx81
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
- 54
- Location
- South Australia
Judging from their website, cxurrently they are only working from one location.
http://www.n3rdism.com.au/contact
http://www.n3rdism.com.au/contact
- Reaction score
- 1,558
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
You might enjoy this. I interviewed @callthatgirl and talked about the 3 shops she owned at one point: https://www.technibble.com/podcast-...ss-danger-expanding-quickly-lisa-hendrickson/
