* Calculations use average data for Russia

400 000 ₽

Minimum starting capital

1.5 years

Payback

13 %

Profitability

About 30% of the corporate segment of the market is occupied by small companies, and no more than 45 of them have a turnover of more than two million dollars a year. Thus, even under the condition of fairly high competition and the existence of large players in the market, newcomers have every chance to take their place in the market (even if initially small, but with the prospect of further development and expansion).

The assortment of most stationery stores includes products of both foreign and domestic production. The quality of imported goods often turns out to be higher than Russian ones, but the situation is gradually changing. Manufacturers (first of all, white paper products) are switching to modern equipment, developing new designs, and using high-quality raw materials.

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In the structure of imported stationery, the share of products from Southeast Asian countries is increasing, the design of which is often not inferior to European stationery, and prices are often lower. Additional advantages include a wide range and frequent change of the model range.

For this reason, in some product groups, the share of Asian products can reach up to 50%. However, from the point of view of Russian consumers, a product of Asian origin should be “cheap”, even if it is not inferior in quality to European or domestic products. For this reason, many large and medium-sized wholesale companies that sell stationery often order products in Asian countries under their own brands.

Profitability of opening a stationery store

The annual capacity of the Russian office goods market is up to 2.5 billion dollars. This segment is considered the most promising, along with the office for schoolchildren. The growth of the stationery industry, which is up to 45% per year, is mainly due to an increase in the supply of stationery for the office.

The following companies are represented in the stationery market: manufacturers, distributors or importers of certain brands, wholesalers or companies that resell branded products, companies specializing in corporate customer service, retail stores and large chain stores. The market leaders in terms of working capital are Komus, Regent, Ekort, Office Premier, ProBureau, Pharm, Bureaucrat, Chancellor.

So, your stationery store can be focused on a wide target audience (parents of preschoolers and schoolchildren, schoolchildren themselves, students and other buyers) or have a narrower specialization (goods for creativity, for school, for the office, etc.). As mentioned above, office supplies account for more than 60% of total office supplies sales.

Profit in this segment is much higher than in the school segment, which attracts the attention of start-up entrepreneurs. However, it should be borne in mind that when working with office products, the format of an online store with a service for delivering goods to the office is more suitable. We are considering the option of opening a regular stationery store, where products for schoolchildren, preschool children, students and the widest audience will prevail. The bulk of purchases falls on the first two groups of buyers.

Stationery is classified as a general consumer goods. The demand for such products does not depend much on the season, as well as on the economic situation in the country, because even despite various economic crises, children continue to go to educational institutions and they need pens, notebooks, textbook covers, art supplies, etc. Although completely However, it is not worth excluding the influence of the seasonality factor on sales. Thus, the greatest demand is observed in the period from July to September, when parents begin to buy office supplies for the school. From October to July, the income of the stationery store is relatively stable (with some decline between May and July).

How to register a stationery store correctly

To open a stationery store, you need to register as an individual entrepreneur, which will be easier and cheaper than registering a limited liability company. However, if you plan to do business with a partner or several partners, and also intend to engage in wholesale trade, it is recommended to register an LLC.

The type of activity of your company according to OKVED refers to "Retail trade in stationery and stationery" (52.47.3). No special documents are required to open a stationery store. The standard list of required documentation that you will need to obtain includes a Sanitary and Epidemiological Conclusion (issued by the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision) and a Fire Safety Certificate (issued by the Fire Inspectorate). Also, if you have a cash register, you will need to register it at the regional office of the Tax Inspectorate. In addition, from January 1, 2012, it is necessary that each of your employees have a medical examination certificate.

Decide on the location of the stationery store

Your stationery store should be located in a high traffic area. Many entrepreneurs are sure that the optimal location for such a store is the city center. In fact, this option is just the least preferable, because, most likely, the competition here will be much higher, as well as the cost of rent. But a busy bedroom community is more suitable, especially if you open your store near the mall, grocery stores, hardware stores, children's toys, etc.

You can also rent an area in the shopping and entertainment center itself, but there are a number of nuances here. Stationery is a small item, but its layout requires a considerable area (you need to lay out everything that is in your assortment, and so that buyers can see it). On the other hand, the smaller the item, the higher the likelihood of theft. If an ordinary store can be equipped with anti-theft systems, then it will be more difficult and expensive to do it in a small area. The best place to open a stationery store is on the ground floor of a multi-storey building on one of the busy streets. A prominent sign in itself will serve as an excellent advertisement.

The minimum area for opening a stationery store is about 6 square meters. meters. Keep in mind that the smaller the area, the more difficult it is for your store visitors to navigate the assortment due to too dense display of goods in the windows. In addition, on the territory of your store there should be a room for a warehouse where stocks of goods will be stored. It can be quite small, as stationery products are mostly compact in storage. As a last resort, it is possible to separate part of the retail space for a utility room, but this option is the least preferable. Keep humidity levels low in your back office and on the sales floor, otherwise your paper products will deteriorate quickly.

What is included in the assortment of a profitable stationery store

The range of a standard stationery store includes writing instruments, PP and PVC products (folders), cardboard folders, paper and cardboard products, glue and proofreaders, plastic folders, corners, horizontal trays, bookends, ring binders , adhesive notes, stationery items (paper clips, buttons, etc.), staplers, notepads, notebooks, desk sets and other accessories, staplers, folders, adhesive tapes, scissors, etc. Value-added products are in the greatest demand. As such, quality, attractive design and functionality can act.

Consumers prefer multi-purpose products (such as pencils with rubber bands, staplers with anti-staplers, marker pens, corrector pens, etc.). They are willing to buy them even if the price of a functional item is not much different from the price of the same items sold separately. Of great importance are the color and design of stationery.

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Children of preschool and school age, as well as students, prefer stationery in bright colors with eye-catching pictures. The adult audience is more restrained in their preferences, but modern design is of great importance for them. You should not buy exclusively cheap goods, hoping to attract as many buyers as possible. Modern consumers are becoming more and more picky and demanding about the quality of goods. However, expensive products also run the risk of stale on your shelves.

It is best to bet on goods of an average price category - high-quality and beautiful. For example, when choosing between cheap 12-sheet notebooks with green covers and more expensive notebooks with colored thin cardboard covers, give preference to the latter.

It will still be more profitable to buy cheap notebooks in various super- and hypermarkets, which can afford, thanks to a diverse assortment, to put a lower margin on some products and / or buy them from manufacturers at better wholesale prices. You don’t have such an opportunity yet, so it’s better to offer a wider selection of goods of the middle price category (3-4 varieties of the same type). You may not be able to compete with the big chain stores, but it is imperative that your prices do not differ significantly from those of direct competitors.

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Even with a difference of 5-10 rubles per item, potential buyers may prefer another store. In addition, keep in mind that on the eve of school, parents buy the necessary stationery in large quantities, and saving five rubles on one item can eventually turn into a significant amount.

Stationery store sales and marketing

Experts advise constantly changing the display of goods. This will create a sense of greater choice and make it easier for you to find what you're looking for. Seasonal items that are most in demand in a particular season (usually school items) are laid out in the most conspicuous place. At the end of the season, part of the unsold goods is returned to the warehouse, and part is sold almost at the purchase price. Do not be greedy and hide it until the next season. Some products will simply lose their relevance (for example, calendars, diaries for a certain year, notebooks with this year's idols on the covers, etc.), and some after a long storage will no longer look like a new product.

If possible, try to expand the range of your store. You can include, in addition to stationery, educational and children's books, souvenirs and gift products, small toys, stickers, calendars, bookmarks, etc. All this will help increase profits (although you will have to invest a little more).

Smaller stationery stores tend to purchase products from wholesale companies. Choose 2-3 suppliers who offer goods at the lowest prices and with working conditions that suit you. Find out the terms of delivery in advance, even if the company is located in your city. In most cases, it will be more convenient if you do not drive for the goods, but the supplier brings them to you. Of course, it is much more profitable to purchase goods directly from the manufacturer, but most likely the minimum lot size will be too high, and the cost of delivery from another region may even "eat" all the benefits of purchasing directly.

To place the goods, you will need special trade equipment, which includes showcases, racks, stands with hinged elements (shelves, nets, hangers, etc.). Some of the equipment can be made independently. You can also buy used equipment to save money. Separate racks will also be required for the warehouse, otherwise neither you nor your sellers will find the right product there.

It is also quite possible to make these racks with your own hands or purchase ready-made ones, including in non-specialized stores (for example, such as Ikea). Do not forget about a sign with the name of your store, posters or window stickers, if it is not possible to make a beautiful showcase, pillar, where you will post ads about the store's assortment, ongoing promotions and discounts.

Stationery store financial calculations

To work in a small store, two salespeople are enough to work every other day. However, if the sale is not supposed to be in the “behind the counter” format, then a cashier and 1-2 sales assistants will be required to keep order, answer customer questions, replenish stocks of goods on the shelves, and arrange them. Also, more support staff will be needed before the school year starts, otherwise your two salespeople may not be able to keep up with the increased number of buyers.

To open a small stationery store, you will need from 400-450 thousand rubles. This amount includes rent, the purchase of the first batch of office supplies, and minimum shop equipment. However, there will be additional expense items - ordering and installation of signs, advertising, wages to sellers at least for the first three months of work. The margin on stationery reaches 200% for cheap products and 50-70% for more expensive products. Payback periods are from 1.5 years.

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Neither schoolchildren, nor students, nor mothers of preschool children, nor persons responsible for supplying large enterprises can do without regular trips for stationery. Rulers and pencil cases, pencils and felt-tip pens, pens, folders, diaries, notebooks and notepads - all these little things, firstly, are simply necessary, and secondly, they run out regularly, and therefore the need for them is constant. What does this mean for the enterprising person? That it's time to think about how to open a stationery store.

Company registration

This business can be started as a sole trader. However, if there are two or more owners, or you plan not to be limited to one outlet, but to open several branches over time, you need to register an LLC.

The optimal taxation system for such a store is UTII, but if retail trade in your region does not fall under the “imputation”, you should give preference to the simplified tax system “income minus expenses”.

Your OKVED activity code will be 52.47.3 - retail trade in stationery and stationery.

To work legally, you will need to buy a cash register and register it with the Federal Tax Service without fail. To obtain a trade permit, special permits are required, which are issued by the sanitary and epidemiological supervision and fire inspection.

Choice of premises for the store

When it comes to a stationery store, its location plays one of the leading roles in the success of the future business. The shop should be located in a prominent place with high traffic. Some of the best places to locate a retail outlet include:

• in close proximity to large grocery stores and supermarkets: they have a large, and most importantly, stable attendance, and many of their visitors will also come for stationery;
• in shopping centers, it is better - close to children's goods or to shops that are often visited by women, because it is mothers who most often buy pencils, notebooks and felt-tip pens for children;
• next to schools, kindergartens, universities and other educational institutions, in this case, students or their parents will become the main buyers.
• in the center of business life, next to the offices of various organizations. If your main customers are firms and institutions, this should be reflected in the assortment - it will be different from the "children's" one.

The size of the premises for the store can be from very small to quite impressive - it depends on the financial capabilities of the owner and the tasks that are set for the enterprise. You can organize a small shop for 5-6 square meters. meters, but an area of ​​​​20-50 square meters will be more suitable for these purposes. meters.

Store setup

It is not at all necessary to make expensive repairs, especially at the initial stage: a stationery store does not need a stylish luxurious interior. Everything can be simple and neat - that's enough. Make a colorful and noticeable sign, purchase the necessary equipment - and the room will be ready to receive visitors.

To present the goods in a favorable light, you will need glass-topped showcases (if the room is small - at least one), be sure to have racks, in a small store they are located behind the seller, in a larger store - around the entire perimeter of the room. You may also need glazed display shelves, where expensive products will be displayed.

Staff

Recruiting staff for a stationery store will not be difficult: the requirements that apply to sellers are standard: they must be attentive and friendly. So, for a small store, 1-2 cashier-sellers, an accountant, a merchandiser are needed (unless, of course, the owner himself deals with supply issues). If a larger store is opened, with a large sales area, one cannot do without 1-2 sales assistants. In addition, the store must have a cleaning lady.

Where to buy and how to choose a product

Finding a good supplier is another important step towards the success of your business. For small shops, wholesale depots become the way out. Fortunately, today, in order to choose the right product, there is no need to travel around the neighborhood: everything can be ordered using the Internet. At the same time, you will have the opportunity to compare the conditions offered by different suppliers and the prices in different online catalogs. Wholesale companies usually sell goods with delivery, so it is very convenient to cooperate with them.

It is cheaper to purchase goods directly from manufacturers, but in this case you need to be ready to organize the delivery yourself. How much more profitable it will be as a result, you need to calculate on specific examples and then make a decision.

Demand for these products is usually stable throughout the year, with one exception - on the eve of September 1st. At this time, more stationery is generally required, and in particular, notebooks, covers, pencil cases; you can offer customers a seasonal product - school bags. The rest of the time the assortment will be approximately the same.

In order for the store to flourish, the goods must be of high quality - this is an axiom. The same is true for office supplies. Now the products of domestic manufacturers are in great demand, it is believed that their quality-price ratio is optimal.

However, you can “dilute” the patriotic assortment with inexpensive Chinese or expensive European goods, depending on which customer you are targeting. If most of your visitors are schoolchildren and their parents, inexpensive products are a must. But organizations and enterprises may need something more representative.

Financial costs and income from the store

When compiling a business plan for a stationery store, you need to take into account all the necessary costs, as well as leave a small financial reserve (at least 10-15% of the total) - for advertising and unforeseen costs that may arise.

The opening cost estimate will be something like this:

• registration of an enterprise and obtaining permits - 10-15 thousand rubles;
• rent of premises - from 8 to 30 thousand rubles per month;
• cosmetic repairs of the premises - 50-80 thousand rubles;
• purchase of equipment - from 25 to 80 thousand rubles;
• purchase of goods for the store - from 100 to 400 thousand rubles;
• salary for employees - 30-90 thousand rubles a month.

So, depending on how big the store you plan to open, you need to have 220-800 thousand rubles.

Calculating what the income from the enterprise will be is somewhat more difficult than figuring out how much it costs to open a stationery store: what matters here is how briskly the trade will go, and this in turn depends on how well the store is located and what is its pricing policy.

In order for the store to pay off faster, it is better to open it in July - on the eve of the September hype. With a successful combination of circumstances, a new business pays off in six months to a year.

collapse

The stationery shop is the most profitable greenfield business in the city. Students, schoolchildren, organizations make up the main contingent of consumers. Every business needs an office. A successful solution would be to open a retail space at an educational institution. Therefore, many are seriously thinking about how to open a stationery store from scratch and get the maximum profit. Stationery buyers are represented by several groups:

• Parents of preschoolers;
• Primary school students with parents;
• High school students, students;
• Organizations.

The main criteria for a successful business

Competent entrepreneurs, when deciding to open a business in the office, compare the ratio of necessary costs with possible profit in advance. They calculate profitability, study demand, look for interesting goods for customers. The business of selling office supplies by all the rules requires considerable investment. To start a business from scratch, you need to correctly draw up paperwork. In particular, the stationery store needs to choose the right type of property.

The best option is to open a sole proprietorship.

The region plays an important role in registration - you need to make sure that the documentation corresponds to the single tax on imputed income. The retail business is eligible for this tax, which means there are fewer problems. In another case, you can open a business with a fifteen percent tax rate. Many entrepreneurs are wondering how to start trading and not get problems with the state. bodies. To open a stationery store, you need to obtain a number of permits:

• Sanitary and epidemiological conclusion;
• Fire Safety Compliance Certificate;
• Registration of a cash register, permission to use it.

After completing the necessary paperwork, you should begin to study the demand market and only then open your own business from scratch.

Basic stationery

The entrepreneur must carefully study the market. The interaction of supply and demand will help to establish a store. More often, high quality products have more popularity, despite the high price. It is better to purchase a range of trusted companies, providing the buyer with certain guarantees. Functional items are in high demand: a marker pen, an eraser keychain, notepads with sticky notes and much more. The design of the product, the color scheme is also important - parents of the primary school link prefer dark shades of products.

It is necessary to update the assortment of the store more often - new items attract the attention of customers and bring serious revenue.

Possible problems are not ruled out. In the store, there may be simple products - due to the unattractiveness of the goods or colors. Advertising will be the solution to the problem (discounts or promotions on products can achieve the desired results from scratch). The following types of stationery are distinguished:

• General purpose products: notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers;
• Assortment for office purposes: paper for printers of different thicknesses and colors, folders for documentation, proofreaders, staplers, adhesive tapes;
• Gift Baskets;
• Printer accessories - cartridges, ink for printers.

Such a business involves an important aspect - the choice of a supplier. The best option would be to purchase goods at wholesale bases. The order is made via the Internet and the company itself delivers the goods within the time period specified by the customer. It is safer to purchase from the manufacturer, but you will have to spend money on shipping the goods yourself.

functional view

It is available to open from scratch two types of stationery store, depending on financial capital:

1. Self-service - the device is most acceptable to customers, it lies in the convenient possibilities of open showcases. It is available to directly approach, touch, get acquainted with the goods. For an entrepreneur, such a regime will cost a lot of investments: spacious shelves for goods and the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room must meet the requirements.
2. The counter routine is a less open type of trade, not as convenient for customers, but more economical for the entrepreneur. The store does not require many display cases compared to the previous view.

After renting the premises, it is required to furnish the stationery shop from scratch. Particular attention should be paid to showcases and shelves. Furniture for the store must be safe, because most of the future consumers are children. Warehouse shelving should be chosen with open shelves and higher than in the trading floor - to accommodate the entire range of products. A sign for a store should be bright and attractive to customers. It is necessary to choose a pleasant combination of colors.

Proper business location

It is important to open a profitable trading platform in the right place - this is an open place with high traffic. The stationery business will require you to decide on the target audience. These are schoolchildren, students, office workers, parents of kids. Establishing a convenient stationery store from scratch in a good area means organizing a profitable business. The building must meet certain requirements: the presence of 2 premises (shop, warehouse), accessibility and conspicuous location, aesthetic appearance.

Starting capital for trading

An outlet with a decent assortment of stationery products is not a cheap business. The average value of starting finance for opening a stationery store is estimated at 1,000,000 rubles. The amount will be spent on renting the premises, salaries to sellers, purchasing products from scratch and advertising. Leasing a territory for a store with a size of 50 square meters will cost 50,000 rubles per month, the salary of a sales representative is 20-25 thousand. It will take about 700 thousand to purchase stationery from scratch, taking into account a diverse selection of products.

Key Personnel

You need to decide on the number of sellers - it is better to hire several active and attentive shift workers, especially, the scheme is justified with a high flow of customers. You will also need:

1. A merchandiser responsible for regulating the supply of office supplies, studying the availability of an assortment in a store, and getting to know new products on the market.
2. A cleaning lady is the key to successful trading.
3. A security guard is on duty at night or in control during the day.
4. An entrepreneur himself or a hired specialist can become an accountant.

Business advertising and payback

There are more and more advertising options every year. The main promotion that gives recognition to the business will be a sign and logo. After creating a sign, it is necessary to print flyers, distributing them in the area where it is decided to engage in trade. Recently, acquaintance with everything new via the Internet has become popular. Starting a business based on stationery is a highly profitable business - a stable income can be obtained in twelve months. The margin for simple goods is about 200%, and for more expensive ones about 100%. When setting prices, it is better to familiarize yourself with the offers of competitors in advance.

In addition to retail buyers, you should prepare for bulk orders of stationery from organizations or make a supply offer yourself. The stationery store is a fast-growing business with no seasonality. The main turnover occurs in the summer - preparations are underway for the start of the school season. As long as there is education and "paper" work, the demand will not disappear and opening a stationery point will be a profitable investment.

How to open a stationery store if the start-up capital is not too large. This type of business remains in demand in large metropolitan areas, so a small investment is required to start. The main focus is on meeting requirements.

Choice of legal form and documentation

The sale of stationery does not require specific strict measures for the entrepreneur, but it is recommended to register the enterprise. This will prevent the occurrence of problematic situations with the authorities. We choose the form of doing business as an individual entrepreneur - this type of business does not involve much hassle. The documents:

• Passport and TIN.
• Application for the opening of IP.
• Lease (purchase) agreement for premises.
• Permission from SES.
• Certificate of payment of state duty.

There are several types of tax systems:

• UTII is a mandatory tax to which all private entrepreneurs are subject.
• USN - the tax system provides for further cooperation with legal entities. This will provide guarantees for the purchase of goods from major suppliers. Working with legal entities provides for payment for goods by bank transfer; such a system is not provided for UTII.

Important: tax records are kept separately - USN (an application is submitted within a month), UTII is organized up to 5 days from the date of registration of the lease of the premises.

Location and premises

From scratch, you should open a stationery store in a good place. This will ensure an efficient client flow. Optimal options:

• Close to supermarkets or food. These stores have stable attendance, so customers will be able to visit your outlet.
• Close to schools, kindergartens, educational institutions. The main stream of clients is formed from students and their parents.
• Locations near offices. These institutions are often in need of office supplies, so profits will be constant. The only point is that you need to make sure that the goods correspond to the direction of the offices.
• Renting premises in business centers (preferably near a store selling children's goods).

The area of ​​the premises will vary from 10 to 20 square meters. m. - this is enough to run a stationery store.

Important: the traffic of people near your store will provide a stable and effective income on a monthly basis.

Store setup

When opening a store from scratch, you should not create a chic and exclusive interior. The initial stage of activity in this direction includes accuracy and cleanliness. The stationery store is not a boutique selling branded clothes, it is enough to equip the premises in a classic style. A sign with the name is required, this detail should not be too cumbersome. Equipment to be purchased (rented):

• Metal shelving. This is a place to display goods. Here the buyer must see the office, and quickly navigate the products. Accessibility is the main criterion for shelving.
• Glass counter and counter for the cashier. The entrepreneur arranges a place for sellers.
• The cash register is designed to issue checks and keep records of the store's finances.

When choosing equipment for a retail outlet, you should pay attention to quality. This will prevent premature breakdowns of equipment and furniture sets. Interior parts should be purchased from trusted representatives with extensive experience and a good reputation.

Suppliers and assortment

Cooperation with suppliers is perhaps the only point that needs to be taken seriously. There are many representatives of the office, the main thing here is not to make a mistake in choosing:

• Reviews of clients of companies.
• Product quality.
• Possibility of long-term cooperation.
• Return of defective goods.

Found a supplier, organize the assortment. The right selection of goods is a step towards business success. Categories of stationery: pencils, pens, notebooks, rulers, files, staplers, folders. Technical accessories for universities and colleges - tubes, compasses, sheets in various formats. Diversify the range of souvenirs, posters, flash drives. The approach to the formation of goods for the outlet is based on the right decisions. Your products should be suitable for office and educational use. It would be useful to file diplomas, photocopy and print documents from removable media.

Tip: A small stationery store can be completed with coffee machines and refill terminals. This will increase profits, and make your store convenient for ordinary customers who come in just to look at the goods.

Staff

A small office selling point of sale provides for the search for personnel. It is almost impossible to run this type of business on your own, additional resources are always needed. Hiring an employee can be done through recruitment agencies or the Internet. The normal functioning of the store is achieved by:

• Sales consultants.
• Accountant.
• Security guard.
• Cleaning woman.
• Courier (organization of delivery of stationery in large volumes). A diversified business will ensure stable profits.

The work schedule is made floating, it is desirable to introduce additional motivation for consultants. It could be bonuses or a percentage of sales.

Important: when hiring employees for the store, you should pay attention to sociability and neatness. Customers will be pleased to communicate with a polite and cultured seller.

stationery store promotion

• A unique name that will attract customers at first sight.
• Publication of advertisements on the Internet.
• Distribution of leaflets.
• Offer discount cards for large purchases.
• Implementation of non-cash payments by customers.
• Providing a convenient service.
• The presence of a catalog with goods.

You can lure customers in various ways, the main thing is not to be imposed. This will scare the buyer. Successful advertising will provide a stationery store with regular customers.

Finance

Organizing a business involves counting costs. Beginners are wondering where to get the initial capital? Several answers:

• Loan processing.
• Participation in government programs to support individual entrepreneurs.
• Attracting investors.

Options will allow you to get the right amount for business development. Here are the main costs:

• Business registration - about 10,000 thousand rubles.
• Rent of premises for a shop - about 20,000 thousand rubles.
• Cosmetic repairs (if required) - about 30,000 thousand rubles.
• Purchase of equipment - about 50,000 thousand rubles.
• Salary to employees - about 100,000 thousand rubles.
• The initial purchase of stationery is about 200,000 thousand rubles.

The initial costs for opening a stationery outlet will be about 600,000 thousand rubles. It is not so difficult to promote this type of activity, the main thing is to follow the instructions. And remember - one desire to make a profit is not enough, patience and diligence are required.

The current entrepreneur Lyubov Kirilenko shares his experience of opening a stationery store. The author's article presents practical advice on organizing this type of business from scratch.

 

The stationery store sells school and office supplies, as well as some groups of goods for children, in some cases - educational literature and other related products.

All buyers of stationery stores can be divided into four groups:

• Schoolchildren and their parents
• Parents of preschoolers
• students
• Other

The first two groups make the lion's share of all purchases, which means they are our main customers. The products sold are classified as general consumer goods, demand for which practically does not change depending on the economic situation in the country. Each of us, more or less often, purchases stationery, and will acquire, as long as educational institutions exist, office work - in the end, until people forget how to read and write. That is why this type of business can be considered consistently profitable and not associated with serious risks.

The income from the stationery store is estimated to be average from September to July and high in August, before the start of the school year. Small wholesale at retail prices - this is how you can define trade in a stationery store at this time.

Organizational and legal form

We choose the form of doing business - it is most advisable in our case to register yourself as an individual entrepreneur. It will take less time and cost less than registering a limited liability company.

If you are going to do business together with a partner who contributes to the formation of start-up capital, and plans to receive part of the proceeds in the future, it is still better to register an LLC - to legally formalize your business relationship by becoming co-founders.

To choose tax regime, go to the regional tax office and make sure whether retail trade in your region falls under UTII. Most likely, it will be so - then the problem of choice is not in front of you. If your activity does not fall under UTII, choose a fifteen percent simplified taxation system.

According to OKVED, our type of activity is classified as " 52.47.3 Retail sale of stationery and paper products».

Permissions

In order to open a stationery store, you need to obtain a Sanitary and Epidemiological Conclusion from the regional department of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision, a Fire Safety Certificate from the Fire Inspectorate. The cash register also needs to be registered - at the regional office of the Tax Inspectorate.

Each employee must provide you with a certificate of medical examination in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 12, 2011 N 302n ( entered into force on January 1, 2012 and canceled the order of August 16, 2004 N 83).

Location selection

A potential buyer will not go through half the city specifically for a pack of paper clips - it is more convenient for him to make all the necessary purchases while visiting the supermarket. This means that the neighborhood of our store with grocery departments, shops with household chemicals and household goods will be very beneficial for us.

We will also add departments with children's goods here, keeping in mind who our main client is. In essence, we will any retail space with high human traffic, but the neighborhood, say, with the department of building materials will not give us anything: the main buyers of goods for repairs are men, and to mothers usually buy stationery for their children.

In multi-storey buildings worth renting premises on the first floor. This is usually more expensive, but potential buyers will walk past your store all day long.

The size of the room depends on the expected number of goods. If you are starting a business from scratch, and obviously do not have unlimited start-up capital, the minimum required assortment can be placed on four square meters of the trading floor. However, ideally it is better to choose rooms 6-8 square meters: everything will fit, and in the future you can add several more groups of goods, while the buyers will not have the feeling that they are in a cramped closet packed to capacity.

The rented premises must have storage room. The larger its area, the better, but in fact, even three square meters is already not bad. If there is no separate room, you can and should install a partition, separating the trading area from the utility room.

Important: paper deteriorates from moisture, so damp rooms should not be rented.

Equipment

Minimum necessary shop equipment- a showcase counter in front of the seller and a wall rack behind him. If necessary, hinged elements are mounted on the walls - shelves, nets, brackets.

Order a bright, eye-catching sign with large letters, put something beautiful in the window - for example, desktop gift sets or globes.

For a warehouse, we purchase strong racks with sufficiently high (40 cm or more) and deep (30 cm or more) shelves so that boxes with goods can be placed on them. Make sure that it is convenient to bring them into the warehouse.

Staff

For a small store, one salesperson is enough, but if the retail space is large and customers move freely between the shelves, you will need a cashier and at least one consultant. He also brings goods from the warehouse, keeps order on the shelves, discreetly looks after customers to prevent possible theft.

Before the start of the school year, the number of customers will increase significantly, so even a small store will need additional staff. Hire students for one month - in August they are still free and gladly take on temporary earnings.

Range

Depending on the focus on one of the groups of potential customers, our point of sale can be specialized as a store for school supplies or stationery for business use. Full coverage of both sectors is very expensive, and you are just starting your journey to the first million, so let's focus on one thing.

Many aspiring entrepreneurs make the same mistake: they buy the cheapest product in the hope of attracting buyers with low retail prices. But cheap is rarely good, and as a result, Chinese products gather dust on the shelves. It is better to stick to the middle: customers are more willing to buy good things that are pleasant to use, but do not want to overpay for them.

Large stores with a large turnover have the opportunity to set minimum prices. You will not have such an opportunity at first: you need to distribute debts, pay rent, save money for new purchases of goods. Let low cost be what you need to strive for, but something else is more important: the prices in your store should not be higher than in the nearest competitor outlets.

Is it worth it to have a dozen varieties of a similar product? This is an overkill, three are enough: a little cheaper, a little more expensive and an average between them. Excessive abundance of choice will only puzzle the buyer, and it will cost you a pretty penny.

Exists a group of so-called seasonal goods, which are in use only before the start of the school year - for example, school bags. In September, everything that you don’t sell will have to be put into storage or sold at big discounts. The latter is in some cases more profitable, since bags that have lain in boxes for a year will no longer look new, and you still have to give them away cheaper.

Having among the assortment of the store educational and children's literature, calendars, gift-souvenir and other products that are not related to stationery, you will surely increase sales. This makes sense in all cases except two: lack of space in the store or severely limited start-up capital.

Supplier selection

You will purchase the goods at wholesale stores. Today it is more expedient to place orders via the Internet or by phone, rather than go to the base in person. Enter in the search box " stationery wholesale”, select several stores from your region, browse their catalogs, compare prices. Find out the terms of delivery, ask about the availability of quality certificates for the goods. Based on all the information received, make a choice in favor of the distributor, cooperation with which is most beneficial for you. Payment is made upon delivery in cash.

If the income from your store can be called consistently high, it makes sense to cooperate directly with the manufacturer: you buy goods at lower prices - accordingly, you can sell them cheaper. But then the delivery will become your concern, and the volume of purchases should be large enough.