Setting Up
You Won’t Toss & Turn After You Learn How To Set Up Properly
Finding Space
We look for an empty rectangle 1,000-2,000 square-foot space. Typically, we want to look for a location somewhere close to home. We are looking for a place that is easy to find and in a safe neighborhood. A fifty-three foot truck must have access for weekly deliveries. Remember, we are a destination location, not a retail store, so it doesn’t really matter if it is a high traffic street or not. The first step in looking for space is just driving around and searching for business parks, strip malls, industrial parks and empty retail space off of the Main Street.
Choose locations that are safe to go to after dark.
Contact the listing realtor and let them know what you are looking for, they can suggest other properties. Search the internet for retail/warehouse space for rent; Loopnet.com is a great resource for finding space too, however, it does not include private owners that are renting space.
Do not rely solely on them to find space for you, continue to search on your own.
$10-$15 per square foot is ideal.
Once you find potential space, we can help you negotiate the lease.
Showroom Setup Guide
- NO channel letter signage on the building.
- Instead, use a vinyl cling on the front door that includes business name, phone number, address, and “Schedule to View Inventory.”
- Display mattresses in order by price from high to low starting from the front door.
- Remove mattress from plastic by opening at the top and pulling down like a sock. That way, the mattress can be re-bagged when sold.
- Display mattresses should be put on a queen platform foundation.
- To keep your floor models looking great, you should swap them out as they begin to look worn (marked up, stained, squeaky foundations, etc.) To do this, simply sell the floor model and replace it with a new one.
- The desk with the computer and office phone is placed by the front door.
- Inventory is stored on the opposite wall of your mattress line-up. Keep the inventory in rows with a mattress/box as sets. Do not pancake stack your inventory, lean them up against the wall.
- NO foot protectors & NO pillows because we do not want to look like a store. We are only showing samples of what we have left in inventory.
Website Creation
As a company, we have created a local online ordering system for you to show your customers all the mattress options available. The customer can look at the mattress choices online, make the purchases they want, then later go and pick up from your store. By offering an online presence, we can now compete against the “bed-in-a-box” companies and therefore, go after the 30% of online mattress businesses. Keep in mind—the website is used only as a landing page. Like the showroom, we intentionally make sure that the website does not look like a retail store platform; the website only has clearance and close out prices.
Social Platforms
Create social media pages— this includes a Facebook Business page and a Google Business page. When creating these pages, it is very important to keep all your social platforms consistent with the look of the showroom. We want to keep the sense of urgency and emphasize the value. Remember, we are not a typical mattress store. We sell closeouts, clearance, and overstock items, and we are available by appointment only.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Commercial Location Are You Looking For?
Darren Conrad’s proven method for building a successful mattress business involves securing an empty rectangle 1,000-2,000 square-foot commercial space. As the owner of a mattress store you want to find a location somewhere that is close to your home. You want to secure a commercial space for your business that is easy to find and within a safe part of time (Neighborhood). In order for your business to be viable you must be able to receive deliveries from a fifty-three foot truck must repeatedly throughout the week.
What Is the First Step You Must Take to Find the Ideal Location for Your Business?
Remember, we are a destination location, not a retail store, so it doesn’t really matter if your commercial space is located near high traffic streets or not. The first step you must take in order to find the ideal commercial space for your mattress business involves you driving around and searching for business parks, strip malls, industrial parks and empty retail space off of the main street. You want to choose locations that are safe to go to after dark.
What Do You Do After You Have Found An Ideal Location?
Contact the listing commercial realtor and let them know what you are looking for, and ask them if they can suggest other properties. Remember, commercial brokers and commercial real estate agents earn a commission by helping great people like you to find commercial space Commercial real estate agents are going earn a nice commission if they help you find an ideal commercial location for your business!
What If You Struggle to Find a Location By Driving Around?
If you are struggling to find a space while driving around go onto Google and type in the name of your city plus the keyword “commercial retail warehouse space for lease.” Once you start searching on Google for “retail/warehouse space for rent” you will run into third party websites like Loopnet.com (and other third party websites). Loopnet.com is a great resource for finding space too, however it does not include private owners that are renting space. Do not rely solely on third party websites and commercial real estate agents to find space for you, YOU MUST SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTINUE TO SEARCH ON YOUR OWN UNTIL YOU HAVE FOUND A VIABLE PHYSICAL LOCATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
What Is the Ideal Price to Pay for the Commercial Space That You Are Renting?
Remember, as an entrepreneur it is not about how much money you make, it’s about how much money you keep. Thus you want to keep your monthly lease expense as low as possible ($10-$15 per square foot is ideal). Once you find potential space, Darren Conrad and his team can help you negotiate the lease.
Why Is Finding Your Commercial Space Such An Important Step?
Finding an ideal commercial space for your business is VERY IMPORTANT. This step is arguably the most important in the process of opening up your mattress business for many reasons. The first being the most obvious; you need a showroom for customers to meet you at and view your inventory. Without a showroom for your product, you cannot sell any mattresses. Additionally, a physical showroom location is 100% necessary to obtain a Google Map. A Google Map is a crucial aspect of building a successful mattress business that gets found by your ideal and likely buyers (aka producing leads), and thus, drives revenue. Verifying your business on Google (having a Google Map) is a non-negotiable aspect in building a successful business of any kind.