Article: What are you going to sell? You could sell clothing, home and office supplies, baked goods, coffee, handmade products, etc. What do you know a lot about? For example, if you are a talented baker and enjoy putting together new and interesting recipes, a bakery is a good choice. Focus on your talents and interests. If you don't already have aspirations about what kind of shop you want to own, you can take a more practical approach to figuring out what your city or town is missing. Walk or drive around your city. Bring a pen and paper with you to write down the businesses you see. Make a tally mark next to each business as you come across more than one. For example, if you see 5 bakeries, you should have the word "bakery" written with 4 tally marks next to it. Although not the most scientific, it can give you a good idea of what kind of shops are in each area. Visit your local chamber of commerce. Typically, chambers of commerce offer a wealth of information about what businesses are already existent, and lots of additional information for small business owners. They may be able to advise you on potentially good business ventures. Governmental agencies typically offer plenty of information about economic indicators, income and earnings in different parts of the country, as well as statistics about employment. This information can also point you in the direction of good business ideas. Visit trade shows and read business magazines. These provide yet another source of information about business trends in the country and maybe even specifically in your city, depending on where you live. They may also inspire ideas you hadn't previously considered. Search online. You can search for things such as small businesses, the neighborhood you're interested in and the name of your city to find other databases and potentially even academic information about business trends in your local area. Once you have decided on what you want to sell in your shop, take the extra step to put a twist on convention.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Decide what kind of shop you want to open. Find out what is in demand in your city. Make your product unique.