Broadway Mainstreet Store front 1700sq ft $350 a month!!

[gcextreme 475]

Ok looking at a large 1700sq ft store front right on main street downtown, for $350 a month. Heat is included, i would have to pay for electricity and internet.

Great traffic, right next to a pizza place and hair salon, across from the DMV and several banks, also next to several other outlet stores and businesses. And yes 2 blocks or so away from a screen printer shop/decal shop, so there will be some competition.

 

The place is pretty big, you walk in and theres a big open spot to the right, then u go down a hallway and theres a large office/room on the left, and another on the right, both of these are about 14x14. Then you go further down the hall and there is the large huge room, probably 30x30 or so...

 

To get started i was thinking about sub-renting out some space for shelves and displays for local crafters and vendors, i already have 6 people interested in renting displays. 

There is another store in a smaller town down the road, call Casandra's Gifts, and she rents out shelf and display spaces for $25 a month. She told me she has about 3/4 of her monthly rent paid for by those displays. 

 

My wife is supporting me on this...and i can easily work a night job or part time evening job to help us get by on our home bills,along with her fulltime job.

I have a job offer, got an interview next week, to work the 2nd shift, from 2pm-12pm Monday-Thursday. So I could run my shop Monday-Thursday from 8am-Noon, and all day Friday and some Weekends.

And sometimes when im not available, the wife can be at the store too.

 

Of all the places i have looked at, this is the biggest and the price is great. 

The other place i looked at was about half the size, and triple the cost, and it wasn't on mainstreet, it was hidden off the alley.

[fustratedinhawaii 71]

OMG...SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE !!!! BETTER SNATCH IT WHILE YOU CAN !!!!

My only 3 questions are:

1) If you don't have parking in this place, do you think people would "go out of their way" to walk to your place?

2) Is there a minimum of months that you have to rent it for?? If it's like 3-6 months, that would be GREAT! But if it was a mandatory 5 year term, I'd think twice.

3) Do you have to put down a deposit?

 

Happy for you man....that space in Hawaii would be like $3,000 minimum!!!

Good idea for renting out "show space" for other crafters/artists !!!!

 

When you move in...I think we all expect PICTURES !!!!

[gcextreme 475]

There is some parking right out front on the side of the street, then theres a huge parking lot in back. Everyone around the town is used to walking to all the stores. Specially when going to the pizza place. We normally park a block up the street and walk when we go to the pizza place.

 

He wants a 1 year lease contract....

 

As for deposit, not sure, i didnt ask him, will have to call him about that...but in the ad it says "1 month free with 1 year lease contract"

I am sure if he wants a deposit its probably one months rent or so.  Again i will call him later and find out.

 

And yeah, the size is just great for that low price...

[dirtrocker 60]

Sounds like it's something you can't pass up.
And if you do, someone else won't.

Wish you luck on it.

[MadHatterGraphix 1,258]

I would go for it, specially at that price. I'm looking at a store not to far from me like 8 blocks maybe. This working out of home isn't spacious enough.

[gcextreme 475]

yeah my home and front porch is full of stuff, and getting fuller. from totes full of vinyl, totes full of shirts and hoodies, totes full of hats, cases of glass mugs, boxes of mirrors, and more. 

only down fall is, eventually i want to find a place with a garage bay to bring vehicles in to do decals on them, but for now i will settle with installing them in the parking lot. 

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Man my last place before I bought this place was 1000 sf and 400 a month plus all utilities and it was owned by a slumlord. You need to jump on that and buy him a pizza sign you sign just as a thank you.

[gcextreme 475]

Man my last place before I bought this place was 1000 sf and 400 a month plus all utilities and it was owned by a slumlord. You need to jump on that and buy him a pizza sign you sign just as a thank you.

 

 

called him, asked about security deposit...its $350 too...so i need $700 before i move in...not too bad, i have over $1200 in my business account right now.

other things to do if i move in, i am gonna have to advertise more locally...the local paper costs $75 a month for an ad, kinda high, for 4 listings.

[twicoin 2]

I used to live near Princeton Minn and have been to Alex many times (Florida now, no snow or king sized mosquitoes near me). I raced MX around for years.  Alex is a great town and you should be just in time to get things ready for the summer tourist season.

 

It sounds like your hours (8:00 - 12:00) is not really going to benefit much for the walk in customer around there. Maybe you could do like I used to with an antique mall I ran. Since you are looking to get some others in there with shelf space rental maybe you could work a deal out and they would be open until 4:00 or so. They could at least take orders or give some info for you. Otherwise they may walk down the block to the guy that is open. Still a great deal just to get your work space in order.

 

I made my buddy a nice big etched glass piece with LED lights for his front shop window. He leaves it on at night. And you can see it driving buy as no other shops have anything like it. You would be surprised how many people come back and check things out later during open hours with something cool in the window.

 

Good luck.

[gcextreme 475]

This place is in Glenwood, MN, its 8 miles from my home in Villard (15 miles from Alexandria).

There are already over 6 places in Alex that do vinyl stuff and apparel. And rental places in Alex are way too high for even small 300sq ft offices.  

The mall in Alex is completely DEAD....and everyone who wants decals and stuff go to the 2 main big shops, Winning Edge Graphics and Overnight Wraps.

 

In Glenwood there is only 2 places, the Screen Prints Plus place off mainstreet, and then Anderson Signs which is a ways out of town. 

And as far as hours from 8-12....in Glenwood thats not too bad...specially around lunch time with the pizza place right there.

Of course i would be open all day Friday, and some Saturdays.

And if need be, my wife can be there to keep the store open now and then as well.

 

There's a risk, but in any business there's risk. If i can at least test the waters, get my business name out there more and seen on mainstreet, thats a plus. And like i said, right now im making about $600 a month just online from facebook and forums...but alot of that money has been going directly back into the business...

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I repeat you need to jump on it if you're ever going to do it now is the time. The economy is starting to come back around and people are finally loosening the purse strings a little so I'd say you'd be well positioned to ride the upswing.

[gcextreme 475]

Yep.... we are jumping on it...just gotta get a few things settled

[Cal 393]

Congratulations, and best of luck to you!

Cal

[gcextreme 475]

My wife thinks stuff like baby onesies and the etched glass mugs and wine glasses and custom cutting board stuff will be a big hit...none of the other places have any of that.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I bet that in a year youll loom back and wonder why you waited so long.

[gcextreme 475]

I bet that in a year youll loom back and wonder why you waited so long.

 

 

Oh i hope so. We have been talking with my parents and the wife's parents. They support us.

I just hope i can work hard enough to make it work...and have good business.

[gcextreme 475]

This is only my 3rd attempt at glass etching and 2nd attempt at rubbnbuff coloring..... made this for my wife's friends 30th bday. I think items like this, and custom ones, would be a big hit.

 

 

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I wish you all the best. I still believe in the American dream where if you work hard you can prosper and I don't think you're scared of a little hard work.

[gcextreme 475]

No im not scared of hard work...im 31 years old, and have been busting my ass working hard for other people since i was 16. 

What i fear is that i will spend TOO much time working, and my wife will get lonely, she's needy and can never get enough of me...she needs attention.

We have fought so much because i spend so much time at my computer and making decals and she wants attention and feels neglected like i don't love her. And i constantly remind her, i am working hard for her, for us, for our future! And i do take her to dinner, to movies, and cook dinners for her...she just forgets that stuff so fast.

If she wanted to spend so much time with someone, she should have married a lazy man...lol.

She loves me and she supports me on this store....its a plus for her cuz then alot of this stuff gets moved out of the house...more room for baby stuff...haha

[jaybyrd 3,770]

All of what you just described could be why I'm single lol. Born workaholic.

[xpaperman 719]

Teach her to weed and run the cutter.... you can spend more time together that way  

 

Good Luck in your adventure!  I think once your in, word gets out, you do good quality work at fair prices.... the "advertising" will take care of itself.  

 

Not sure how many people live in that town, there are about 5000 in mine and 3 or 4 other places that do what I do.  I am busier than I can handle and I don't even have a store front.  I know I lose a lot of business because of it, but I don't have time to do any more work any way.

[pshawny 410]

Sounds like an awesome deal! During a cold winter the heat bill could be close to $300/mo, so $350/mo with heat included sounds like a winner. If anything, you'll be glad to get your home stuff and work stuff separated. Home will be home and work will be work.

[gcextreme 475]

Yeah. Cant beat the heat being included.

Also my online sales have bee pretty good lately...since Sunday i have had close to $400 in sales...spent 3 hours tonight making decals! Got 2 shirts to make tomorrow as well.

My wife thinks custom baby onesies will be a big hit too. And i think custom etched glass stuff, specially beer mugs would be a hit, specially with the 4 bars right in town.

[gcextreme 475]

some pics...

 

main store front window/entrance...shared by a haircutting salon.

 

 

The main front area...its larger than what it appears to be in the pic.

 

 

First office room about 10x12

 

Second office room, about 12x14

 

 

And the back room, the largest room....

 

 

[fustratedinhawaii 71]

NICE ROOM !!! 

So...you share the front door with the hair salon. Then do you both have separate doorways to your own place?

Carpet doesn't look too bad, just throw some area rugs on the bad parts...

 

Just being devils advocate: If your doorways are totally open to each other, I'd be concerned on some of the strong smells that sometimes comes from the hair salon.

If that's not a concern..... CONGRADULATIONS !!!!

FH

p.s. I would get a cheap 3-pronged outlet tester and make sure all the outlets work properly