Are you thinking about starting your own business? Does the cost of renting out an office or a storefront make you apprehensive? Commercial rent can be expensive, especially when you're just starting out and have no actual income yet. Fortunately, there are ways that you can save money and still look professional. Here are are a few ideas to get you started:

Start small: You may think that you have to rent a large office or store to impress your customers, but this is likely untrue. Customers who visit aren't likely to care how big your facility is, so long as they receive good customer service and are able to get what they're looking for. Instead of worrying about the size of your building, worry about its location. A small office or store in the middle of the city will likely get more traffic and customers than a large location that is in the middle of nowhere.

Get more room: One of the biggest problems that you'll face with a small location is not having enough space to keep records and inventory. Some people may automatically think that this means a bigger office is necessary, but it isn't. Instead of paying the price for commercial square footage, consider renting out nearby storage units instead. Storage units should be considerably cheaper per square foot than office or store space. Storage units don't have to be pretty and attractive for customers and are packed together more tightly than something like a strip mall, so they don't have to charge as much for even large amounts of space. While having your main storage offsite may not be quite as convenient as having it in the back, the savings you'll see is likely to make up for this small lack of convenience. 

Offer discounts: When you're just starting out, it can seem silly to lower your price for anyone. However, discounts can be a great way to entice and reward repeat customers. If you're selling physical things, you might opt to give away something free with the purchase of one or more other things. On the other hand, if you're selling services and not things, you could opt to give discounts to people who refer their friends to you. By offering a discount, you'll be selling more of your products or services than you would without a discount. As long as you make sure to consider profits when setting your discount, your business will still be making money. Contact a business that offers storage units for more information.   

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