Having a location in a mall is the most profitable way and the most exciting way to operate a Friendly Folks business.  However, it also requires the greatest investment.  But after paying your expenses, many dealers are still left with over $20,000.  Not bad for two months work!  Of course there’s no guarantee so you need to do your research.  You need to make sure that the mall you’re in does well for Christmas.  The best way is to talk to the vendors that are there now. Also, find out if vendors that were there the year before are coming back.  That should give you some indication of how the Christmas season is at that mall.   

Most likely you would rent a pushcart.  There are also kiosks but they are larger and more expensive.  If you needed a greater amount of space (like a jewelry or sunglasses stand) than you would probably opt for a kiosk.  When you rent a pushcart you are renting the space plus the cart.  Except for a handful of malls you do not have to supply your own pushcart.  You’re renting the one that is owned by the mall.  

If you're interested in a mall location for this holiday season, the best thing to do is contact Janice ASAP and let her know.  She has plenty of mall contacts and can help you get a spot.  But here are some steps that you'll be taking.

Decide which mall you want to be in.
Even though the mall around the corner is so convenient, the one 45 minutes away might be the one that will make you money.  Spend a considerable amount of time doing research.  Go there on a Saturday and see how busy they are.  Talk to the vendors and let them know you’re thinking about opening a cart.  Some might say, “We have another location at XYZ mall and it does so much better than this one.”  Or maybe they’ll tell you “this is the best mall in the area. “ 

Contact the mall.
When you do, ask for the specialty leasing manager.  That’s usually the title for the person handling the carts.  Tell them you’re interested in leasing a cart and you want them to send you some information and an application.  Ask if you could stop by the mall office, say hello and pick it up yourself.  Naturally the person will ask what you’re selling.  Just tell them Friendly Folks personalized cartoons.  If, for some reason they haven’t heard of us just explain the product to them and without hesitation mention you’ll drop off a catalog and a sample print.  When you do,  include a professionally written cover letter thanking them for their time and letting them know how excited you are about opening a cart.  Find out their exact title and ask the receptionist the spelling of their name.  This way you can make them a messy office print.  That usually gets you right in!  But please, spell their name correctly and put the print in a nice oak frame.  If you have any questions, call Janice first.  She has a lot of experience with mall managers.

Putting Together a Display.
Once you are approved you’ll need to put together a display.  The mall will include the cart but the fixtures that hold up your product is your responsibility.  We have a nice setup that we always use.  It’s simple and inexpensive.  Some malls charge a “merchandising fee.” Basically they bring a designer in to create a display for you.  Tell them you are going to use the same setup as other locations around the country and see if they’ll waive the fee.  Give us a call and we can go over the details of a mall display with you.

Hiring Employees.
As the holiday season approaches, you are probably going to want to hire some employees.   Here are some tips and suggestions.

We start by placing an ad in the newspaper about three weeks before we open a new location.  We’ve experimented with different copy and the most effective reads: “Retail Sales, Part Time/Full Time.  New business opening up in Roosevelt Field Mall. $X.XX Hour.  Call [your number] to schedule an interview.”   Make sure you mention that it’s in a mall and put the hourly wage.  This will eliminate unqualified calls.

When hiring a new employee there are certain attributes you want to look for:

• ·                  Friendly, assertive personality.

• ·                  Well groomed appearance.

• ·                  Well spoken and courteous.

• ·                  Ability to make direct eye contact .

• ·                  Flexibility with hours.    

       Schedule shifts so that evening workers are not coming in at peak customer hours. 
This will give them a chance to discuss what went on during the day and make a smooth transition. You may want to formulate some sort of communication system through a notebook so anything that needs to be taken care of during that worker's shift will be written down (i.e. inventory, cleaning, etc.).  Tailor your shifts according to the needs of your business but also consider your workers schedules.  You will need to accommodate different types of people such as college students, high school students and people working a second job.  Your full time day person should also be available on weekends.  You will want someone who can work part time days and nights so you have a backup in case someone doesn’t show up.  You should hire 2 evening workers as well.  

Other valuable pointers:


College students have more flexibility. You may want to use them part time during the day.  

You want to put your best people on your high volume sales days such as Saturday and Sunday.  

 You want to give your employees enough hours to make it worth their time and effort.

Anticipate in advance all holidays so that you are staffed properly to handle higher sales.

Let your employees know your policy for taking days off, schedule changes, calling in sick, etc.

Once you have decided to hire a new employee, you will need to be there to open and close with them the first few times to make sure they feel comfortable.  Make sure this is a person you can trust with your business.  Remember, for the majority of time they will be working alone.  It is a good idea to let them help some customers while you are there.  Try to step back from them while they are doing their practice runs.  They will probably feel nervous having a supervisor there.  Be supportive and positive if they are having any difficulty.  Let them know it takes some time to get everything in order and get a rhythm going.  You want to make the new worker feel as comfortable as possible .  Once they've gotten the hang of it, they will enjoy coming to work.

Have enough supplies.  The worst thing in a mall is having customers but not product.  There’s no need to go overboard but at least you have a one week supply of materials.
  

Start thinking about your display.  Visit as many malls as possible and look for creative ideas.  

Keep careful bookkeeping.  Make sure you know who buys what and for how much. Keeping track of your sales and inventory will help you figure out what your profit is.

Spruce up your computer.  Maybe now’s the time to upgrade your hard drive or buy a new printer.  Just make sure everything’s in perfect working order.

Read as much as you can.  There are hundreds of books at any bookstore with advise for new entrepreneurs. Get some and read them.  Go to the library and look at all the business magazines out there.  There’s an incredible amount of information out there and allot of it could help you in your quest for success.  

Start getting excited!  Soon you’re going to have your own mall location!  How many people can say that?  You’re making an exciting step into your future.  Congratulations. We hope you make lots of money and have a great time doing it!