How to Start a Liquor Store – Sample Business Plan Template

Step 1. Develop a business plan

Regardless of whatever business you want to start, writing a business plan should be your first step. So, write a solid business plan that will detail how much you need to start your business, how much you expect to earn from the business once it kicks off, how you will manage the business, how you will advertise the business, how you will overcome competition and other challenges that may surface, how you will grow your business with time, and so on.

Developing a good business plan requires extensive research into the proposed business. Try to contact the owner or manager of a successful liquor store to find out all you need to know about the business—from the startup costs to market challenges, and to strategies for getting ahead of the competition.

If you have no idea how to write a business plan, you can search the web for downloadable business plan templates. Download a template that seems suitable for your business, and fill it with details of the liquor business you plan to start.

Step 2. Find a good location for your business

When searching for a good location for your liquor business, you must pay attention to local zoning restrictions, and bear in mind that there may be restrictions that prohibit the sale of liquor near certain places, such as hospitals, churches, mosques, schools, libraries, and so on.

Some communities already have more than enough liquor stores. So, find out about this and any other local regulations before choosing a location for your business.

After researching local restrictions and assessing the available properties, you can choose a location and lease it. Be sure to have a long lease (think five years) to have some security, because shifting locations is not good for business.

Step 3. Register your business and obtain required licenses

Only when you register your business will it become legally recognized. The requirement for registration vary by state and country. If you don’t already know how to register your business, you can contact your appropriate local agency to find out the steps involved.

After registering your business, you need to apply for a license to sell liquor at the address you have chosen as the location of your business. Again, the process of obtaining this license varies from country to country. So, find out what obtains in your state or country, and obtain all the necessary licenses to avoid running into problems.

As a recommendation, you should hire the services of a liquor license consultant or local attorney to help you with the processes of registration and obtaining licenses. These individuals have more experience in the process, and they have more insight into the people who will be in charge of approving or denying your application for a liquor license.

Step 4. Find distributors

You can start by contacting liquor distributors in your city or state, and open account with them. You can search the web for the list of authorized liquor wholesalers in your city or state. However, it is important that you choose based on the quality of their products.

Step 5. Market and open your liquor store

To create awareness about your liquor store and attract customers to it, you will need to advertise in local newspapers, design and distribute handbills and flyers, use word-of-mouth marketing, and give people compelling reasons to visit your liquor store, such as offering free hotdogs.

Open your doors for business, and focus on delivering high quality products and services to your customers. This way, they will keep checking back repeatedly, and they will spread word about your liquor store to places you can never imagine.

As with any other business, growing a successful liquor store requires hard work, focus on quality, patience, strategic planning, and zeal to succeed.