Recently, a professional photographer who practices out of his home asked how he could get a studio office for two half days a week. He feels, correctly, I think, that it would enhance is professional image and practice. So here are some resources.
First is a link to CHAPTER 2 – How to Pick the Perfect Location from The Ultimate Guide to Pop-Up Shops – 9 chapters from Shopify.
Here are excerpts from the above article:
Types of Location for Pop-Ups
1. A Store-Within-a-Store
2. Gallery or Event Space
3. Shopping Center or Mall
4. Vacant Street Level Retail Space
Where to Look for Pop-Up Spaces?
Some of the tactics you can employ in your hunt include:
- Ask around and find out how other store owners found their space
- Find referrals for trustworthy real-estate agents
- Walk around ideal destinations and contact property owners directly
- Look in the classified section of your print newspaper
- Look at online classified sites like Craigslist and Kijjiji
But perhaps the most easiest way to find space is through the growing pop-up space marketplaces like:
- thisopenspace (North America)
- The Storefront (North America)
- We Are Pop Up (UK)
- Bulletin (US)
- B8ta (US)
What to Look for in a Pop-Up Location?
Now when it comes to scouting a possible location for your pop-up shop, there’s two main category of things you’ll want to keep in mind, the exterior and the interior. Here are some questions you’ll want to keep on hand.
Exterior
- What is the potential target market foot-traffic in the area?
- Who are the other notable retailers and consumables in the area and are they complementary?
- Are there events or community gatherings taking place in the vicinity?
- Is the retail space in a nondescript building with a small entrance sign, or does the building have a grand entrance with a large logo?
- What’s the cleanliness level like?
- Is there parking nearby?
- Is the location accessible by public transit?
- Is there a large window that you can dress up for a display?
Interior
- Is there back stock space?
- What does the lighting communicate? Can lights be dimmed or alternative lamps and lighting brought in?
- Is there a camera to prevent theft and shrinkage? If not, what other loss-prevention tactics can be made available?
- Is there Wi-Fi to carry out credit card transactions with your POS solution? Can it be made available to customers?
- Is there a sink and a washroom?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but simply the necessities you’ll need to successfully run a pop-up, make sure you come prepared with additional items or questions specific to your location and circumstance.
How to Close the Deal on Your Pop-Up Location
It’s important to demonstrate to property managers and real estate agents that you’ve done your homework and that you have your bases covered. Once you get them on the phone or drop in to see them in person, you should have the following list of questions ready to ask upfront in order to get a complete understanding of what you’re getting into:
- What is the rental cost?
- What is included in the rental cost?
- Are there any additional utility costs?
- What is the layout of the space?
- What are the specific dimensions of the ceiling, windows, doors, counters, pillars…etc?
- Can the space be modified?
- Who is liable for what?
- Is there internet or WiFi?
- Will you need insurance?
- What is the deposit required to secure the venue?
- What is the average foot traffic you can expect?
Once you’ve got those questions out of the way, next up, you’ll want to figure out whether you’ll be signing a lease, license or having to apply for a permit.
See the rest of the article for critical information on further information. But the above is all you need to know to start your search.
