AffariPropri.com

Open an herbalist’s shop. Third part.

Ideas to open a shop : open an herbalist shop

August 9, 2010 | Doing business

Welcome to the third part with the report devoted to open an herbalist’s shop. In the previous episode, we examined the training and the bureaucratic procedures opening the store. We said that there are subtleties of law which regulate in different ways the role of seller of herbal products with the herbalist itself and that each municipality, applies its own rules of interpretation on the classification of herbs as food and non food.

OPEN AN HERBALIST SHOP: THE ACTIVITY

The subtlety to which we referred, also allows us to talk of how to increase business of an herbalist shop. The classic activity of herbalilst , besides the preparation of herbal teas and mixtures by the herbalist, is traditionally linked to the sale of pre-health products, known as healt food stores that if are classified as involving the food, you need to start the business in accordance with these procedures: VAT, Chamber of Commerce and the license application to the City, with a declaration of possession of the moral and professional requirements.

The City, after checking the possession of these requirements, it will the issue of the permit or authorization. You can obtain a license for selling packaged food products and cosmetics directly or the license for herbal products to sell packaged. If the holder of the herbalist, is a pharmacist, you can combine the sale of the products mentioned above, even the counter medication, as permitted by Law 248/2006 on deregulation introducing the sale of OTC drugs in business with a special place with the presence of a qualified pharmacist and entered the Order. The additional investments, in which case it will be more consistent.

OPEN AN HERBALIST SHOP: THE STORE

But before talking about how many pennies you have to spend to put on an herbalist shop, we concentrate on the characteristics and dimensions of the ideal location. The minimum area is 35 square meters, with average number of employees equal to 2. The store, must be located in area with catchment area of at least 20 000 inhabitants, so you must imagine it in proportion.If in your town there are already two herbalists and the user base is 40 thousand inhabitants, the market is already saturated, and you should move the idea into a center near without competitors and with number of residents equal to minimum basin of users indicated. The shop, must be located in an area served by ample parking and walkways. Some, to be sure of achieving a turnover, choose to open in large shopping centers. The products sold are to purpose of healthy, but also cosmetics, as well as gift items such as perfumes, soaps, bath salts, cosmetic bag, all strictly based on natural products. Other strategies to increase revenue, are the sale of packaged organic foods, but within the shopping malls, there are also outlets for organic food, which seem to constitute a separate product category and in fact, not to confuse customers, diversity is useful, but not too much. If you do, you follow a path that is consistent and sell health products, cosmetics and gift items, made with herbs. Diversifying the product categories, in fact, grows even the minimum size of the location where 35 square meters are used to sell only cosmetics, herbal teas and even match gifts, they need the double the area needed. If, before starting the activity, you also become herbalists, and you want to implement a laboratory to create blends of teas and herbs, then the surface will be even greater.

OPEN AN HERBALIST SHOP: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Create an herbalist laboratory together to the sell of prepackaged products, is an idea certainly more expensive than the only shop, but no less rewarding. Propose the selling of the the product directly to consumers, reduces production costs and transport the finished product, raise the customer loyalty and allows you to the experience as suppliers of other herbalists. In this case a nice website where you specify clearly the production of herbal products can be a good method of selling online with the looking for clients among the various herbalists in the country and internationally.

The system, allows a business with revenues of 300 000 per year. The minimum investment to support the start of an herbalist shop with the minimum requirements described above, is around 30 000 euros. Larger of the location and also attached a laboratory, make doubling the investment that can even exceed 100 000 euros. In the next episode we’ll see which equipment are needed to implement an herbalist laboratory , so you have some idea of the plan costs and investment requirements. Follow us.

Some sources of data:

http://www.galenotech.org/licenza.htm

http://www.medicalbi.com/template/index.php?link=franchising

http://www.edentitycoach.com/2009/07/04/aprire-una-erboristeria-in-franchising-con-l-erborario/

http://www.aprireinfranchising.it/franchising-erboristerie-profumerie

Rosalba Mancuso

Sources of images:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/globetrotter1937/185331839/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/1655002816/