If you’ve got a great business idea, a pop-up can be a cheap and flexible way to test the water. But how do you get started?
Sections
What is a pop-up?
Make a pop-up plan
The first step with a pop-up enterprise is working out what you’re going to sell.
A pop-up can work for pretty much any business idea. I’ve seen pop-up cafes, art galleries, workshops, food stalls, clubs, crazy golf courses, beaches, Halloween costume shops and vintage fashion sales.
Your idea can be more of the same (perhaps because it’s lacking in your local area) or something completely off the wall that nobody’s ever seen before.
A mini business plan can help you organise your ideas. You should set out things like your goals (making money, raising brand awareness, engagement), your target audience and a budget.
Search for a pop-up space
Match the space and the concept
Get help with your pop-up
You may need help in the lead up, during and after your pop-up venture.
Friends and family might be willing to chip-in if you ask, but you might have to get in some temporary staff.
If this is the case you will need to register as an employer and comply with employment law on things like pay, breaks and insurance.
Sort out insurance
Check if any insurance is included on the lease or licence you sign up to.
You will need public liability insurance to protect you against any accidents or injuries to the public while trading.
If you plan to employ staff you will also need employer’s liability insurance to cover compensation and legal costs if a worker suffers from a work-related injury or illness.
Product liability insurance is also useful in case anything goes wrong with the product you’ve supplied.
Cover for business interruption, contents, your stock and goods in transit may be a good idea too.
Cover is usually offered on an annual basis so to avoid paying more than you need for your short-term venture try to get some quotes with a specialist insurer like Popupspace or PennInsure.
Get the right paperwork
You will also need to make sure you have all the appropriate permits, licences and certificates in place before you start operating to avoid any trouble. You should check to see if the venue has any that are relevant already.
What sort of paperwork you need will depend on your venture and will vary from council to council so it’s a good idea to get in touch and find out exactly what you need to have in place.
You might be required to obtain include a late licence, an alcohol licence, gambling permission, live music permission and a food hygiene certificate.
Kit out the pop-up venue
Once you’ve got your venue sorted you should spend a bit of time thinking about how you are going to use the space and make it ‘pop’.
This doesn’t have to cost a lot. The current trend with retail design is quite minimalist and industrial around the edges, so your store doesn't need to look perfect.
A photo posted by Belle Sauvage Ready to wear (@bellesauvage) on
Try to be a bit different with your visual merchandising to create an experience people will remember and incorporate any quirks the space may have into your concept.
Temporary wall stickers can liven up your venue and promote your product or brand, while shelves, tables and rails can display items you want to sell. Check what your venue provides before splashing out though. You might also want to include interactive elements with tablets or demonstrations.
Signage is important. You should provide important information like times you are open, dates you are around, your Twitter account and the words pop-up so people understand the urgency. It's also important to emphasise your brand anywhere you can, perhaps with a picture of your logo or use of brand colours through the decoration.
A photo posted by WE ARE (@weareprojects) on
Also make sure to have some business cards or flyers that people can take away with them.
Create a buzz
Once you’ve got all the pieces in place for your pop-up it’s time to let people know all about it and create a bit of buzz.
The best pop-ups get people talking and leave a lasting impression.
Think about what makes your pop-up special and why people should visit. Then put the word out to influential bloggers with some reach as well as through social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Just a few days left to #shop at #the_collaborative_store Until 30-Sept in #shoreditch #london #londonshopping #popup pic.twitter.com/YA9YPDtYWo
— Amaka Design House (@Amakadesign) September 27, 2015
You can also spread the word with posters, fliers and through local newspapers or magazines with ads or free event listings. If you have the budget you might also want to try a launch party.
Just make sure you keep your branding and marketing clear, consistent and coherent in anything you do and hopefully people should flock to see what all the hype is about.
Paying at your pop-up
Don’t forget tax!
Learn from your pop-up experience
Go through feedback from customers, analyse what things went well, what things didn’t and think about ways to improve.
Who knows, something you try to do in your spare time or as a hobby could turn into something much more as demonstrated by the numerous success stories over the years.
UK burger chain Meatliquor, for example, started out as a burger van and is now valued at £20 million with restaurants in London, Brighton and Leeds.