How to Start a Souvenir Shop

Start a souvenir shop by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Souvenir Shop
2. Form your Souvenir Shop into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Souvenir Shop for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Souvenir Shop
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Souvenir Shop
7. Get Souvenir Shop Insurance
8. Define your Souvenir Shop Brand
9. Create your Souvenir Shop Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your souvenir shop. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out othersmall business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What will you name your business?
• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit ourHow to Name a Businessguide or get help brainstorming a name with ourSouvenir Shop Name Generator

If you operate asole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit ourDBAguide to learn more.

Whenregistering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a souvenir shop?

That will be highly variable depending on your location, size of business, clientele and the merchandise you carry. But here are some cost breakdowns for illustration purposes.Lease -- $5,000 to $20,000 or more. This is highly variable because there are so many different factors involved. First, location. It will certainly cost you more to rent a store on Time Square than outside of Cedar Point in Ohio. Also, you might rent anything from a small kiosk at $800 a month for summer months only, to a year-round thousand-square-foot shop.Utilities -- Zero to $6,000 a year or more. If you go the kiosk route, you might pay nothing. But a year-round store could involve air conditioning in the summer months and heating in the winter.Inventory -- A minimum of $4,000, generally. It really depends on what you’re selling.

Staffing -- $20,000, plus. This includes the bare minimum you have on hand to support yourself as you get your business started. It might be a lower amount if you’re only open seasonally. This estimate includes no additional help. You’re likely to start alone, and add staff as the situation warrants.

Computer hardware and software and cash register -- $2,500 or more. This includes the retail management software that will enable you to manage sales, inventory, invoicing, cash flow, and other critical tracking needs.

Promotion and marketing -- $2,000, est. You won’t need much ongoing advertising and marketing if you’ve chosen your location wisely. That’s because the attraction itself, whether it’s an amusement part, a touristy part of town, a museum, or seaside destination, will draw foot traffic. But you’ll want to hire a graphic designer to design your logo, website, and signage.Decorating, remodeling and signage -- $500 to $6,000 and up. It could range from a decorative umbrella with your logo to a full store makeover. But it’s important to decorate to draw the attention of the audience you want.

Licensing and permits -- $200, est. This cost could be much higher in certain exclusively priced locations, such as Time Square. Consult theSmall Business Association (SBA) websitefor valuable information on the licenses and permits you might need in your area.

ThisInc. Magazinearticlegives a good breakdown of opening costs for a small retail store.

What are the ongoing expenses for a souvenir shop?

Your ongoing costs will include staffing, inventory, rent and utilities. This can be a pricey tally depending on your location, clientele, and type of business, and it reinforces the need to sell as briskly as possible.

Who is the target market?

如果你固定在正确的轨迹tion and stocked your store with appropriate inventory, your customers will find merchandise they’ll want to remember their travels by. Vacationers are primed to spend premium rates while away from home because they consider it to be part of the experience. They’re sentimental impulse buyers looking for souvenirs that will connect them with their travels. Or perhaps they’re looking for small gifts for family members, friends, or co-workers who didn’t come along. Either way, they’re motivated to spend.

How does a souvenir shop make money?

Your sole route to profitability is to sell merchandise to enough people at costs that cover your rent, staffing, inventory and miscellaneous costs and yield an appropriate profit.You’ll have an advantage over conventional retailers in that you can stock your location with items they wouldn’t have necessarily bought under any other circumstance. For instance, an inexpensive keychain with the name of the travel destination is of value only at that point in time. Similarly, you won’t compete with the Internet, since the purchase is location-inspired.

How much can you charge customers?

That will depend on your merchandise. But you can charge higher markups than might be possible elsewhere since most of the items you carry can only be easily found in your location. Once a family of customers goes home to Germany, where are they going to find a My Heart’s in San Francisco t-shirt? And why would they buy it anytime except during their San Francisco vacation?

How much profit can a souvenir shop make?

According to figuresthat appeared in the Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC) National Information Clearinghouse, “Seventy-eight percent (78%) of America’s gift shops employ only one to four employees and 75% have less than $200,000 in annual sales.” But your own sales figures and profits will be determined primarily by your mix of merchandise and location.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Consider adding food or beverages to your product mix. Just remember, you must first obtain licensing from your local health department.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most commonbusiness structuretypes are thesole proprietorship,partnership,118bet金博宝 , andcorporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as anLLCorcorporationprotects you from being held personally liable if your souvenir shop is sued.

You can金宝搏188是什么公司yourself and pay only the minimal stateLLC costsor hire one of the118金宝app for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more aboutstate sales taxand franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to aspiercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Get a business credit card

Getting abusiness credit cardhelps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with ourLLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a souvenir shop. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visitingSBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Certificate of Occupancy

A souvenir shop is generally run out of a storefront. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require aCertificate of Occupancy(CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

• If you plan to lease a location:
• It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
• Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a souvenir shop.
• After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening,it is recommendedto include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.

• If you plan to purchase or build a location:
• You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
• Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your souvenir shop will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully.Business Insuranceprotects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face,begin withGeneral Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need isWorkers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Is this Business Right For You?

你可以成功,如果你知道你的市场。你必须be able to match inventory with the needs of vacationers and at an affordable price point.

What happens during a typical day at a souvenir shop?

Your typical workday could consist of a range of activities, including the following:

• Opening and preparing your location for customer traffic
• Scheduling and supervising staff, if you have any
• Waiting on customers and helping them find appropriate souvenirs
• Handling vendors, arranging credit relationships, and ordering merchandise
• Keeping your store clean and merchandise appealingly displayed
• Networking with other sellers in your area, so they keep you in mind if customers ask for merchandise they don’t carry -- and you’ll do the same for your neighboring sellers
• Staying in contact with landlords, local officials, and others who can impact your business operation
• Paying bills, maintaining financial records, and managing cash flow

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful souvenir shop?

It’s incredibly important to start with a realistic business plan. This valuable start-up tool will help you identify your customer profile and stock up on merchandise that will sell. You must be able to accurately track sales to unveil trends and see what’s selling and what’s not. And finally, you should have a strong sales instinct, to turn shoppers into buyers.

What is the growth potential for a souvenir shop?

You’ll have fewer worries when the economy is humming and people are traveling (and spending). However, people vacation even in bad times, though they’ll stick closer to home and spend less on souvenirs. You can respond to the realities of the marketplace by adjusting your inventory to sell less pricey goods when budgets are tight.