Do you have a home-based business you'd like to expand, but don't really know how? Maybe you feel you're not any way near large enough to go out on your own, and the idea of sharing space with another business person one-on-one just doesn't appeal to you. What other opportunities are there to grow?

THE MINI-MALL OPPORTUNITY
We are seeing the forerunners of a new kind of business which is springing up to fill space formerly occupied by abandoned supermarkets and department stores. Mini Malls! Don't let the name put you off—they go by a variety of names, but this type of indoor operation is growing by leaps and bounds. If you already have one in your town, great, join in! If not, consider opening one with a few friends of like mind.

Mini-Malls are doing quite well, and the benefit to both the entrepreneur wanting another outlet for their goods and services as well as the benefits to the entrepreneur supplying that outlet are terrific! Here's some information on the concept.

FINDING A LOCATION
Obviously, the first thing to do is find an abandoned building such as a former grocery store or other large building. The owners of the building know they will wait an awfully long time for another major tenant, and if you can supply them with enough to cover their overhead and pay a few bucks extra, they will probably jump at the opportunity. Remember, they are losing money every day the building stays empty! Find a commercial realtor that will work for you, not a generic realtor that may have ties to the landlord.

Look for any place where large warehouses, former supermarkets, or former department stores were located. If there is adequate parking, your customers will come. Location may be the most important thing in real estate; but parking is the most important for this business.

HOW YOUR MINI-MALL WORKS
Once you have access to the building, begin the renovation. Mark the floor area off into rows of 10' X 10' booths, back to back. Leave a reasonable aisle between rows, as the people visiting (and buying) from the vendors in your Mini-Mall will need room to push buggies, drag kids, stand & talk, and do everything they do in any grocery or market.

Erect simple frameworks for your booths (corner pillars and wall headers & footers). Do NOT put in walls, ceilings, floors or other such amenities, that's the task of your tenants. Provide tenants with a simple three-sided 2X4 framework for their space and let them finish or decorate as they wish. It's your task to provide heat, cooling, lights, basic electrical outlets, minimal janitorial services and security.

Have an electrician wire the booths so each has a couple of outlets. Charge your booth person a small fee to offset the cost of electricity. Don't bother putting in meters, just add a little if they will use more than a few lights and a cash register. Alternately, you can divide the estimated total electrical cost by the number of booths and add that to the basic cost of a booth.

Rent the booths to would-be entrepreneurs for around $50 to $100 a week on a four or eight week contract, payable in advance. Tenants agree to sell only new merchandise, and sign a statement that the products they offer are legal (no knock-offs, etc.) You aren't liable for this, but posting a sign with your requirements will tell the public you are at least trying!

The business is open to the public only on weekends (Friday from noon to 8pm, all day Saturday, Sunday from 12 noon to 8pm for an example). You will hire a security guard and secure the area during the closed time.

Small home-based businesses wanting to expand their limited market will be your first booth customers. You will also have your share of artists and craft persons, but don't let them dominate your spaces. You don't want to turn this into an 'Arts & Crafts' location.

COMPETITION
You won't have any real competition excepting for a similar outlet. In fact, some of the major stores in your area may contract space from you to open discount outlets when they see you are serving a different clientele than they normally reach. Try for a good mix, but don't discriminate just because you already have two or three similar vendors.

HOW MUCH TO CHARGE THE PUBLIC
Charge $2 per person to enter, but freely hand-out 50% dis-count coupons for the next visit. This fee should cover most of your basic costs with booth rental and special services to the entrepreneurs covering the remaining. Reserve food vending for yourself if possible, but don't restrict restaurants from opening specialty outlets in your spaces.

HOW TO ADVERTISE
Most of your walk-in customers will come from areas you wouldn't believe possible, so traditional advertising methods won't do too well. One really great idea is to develop a coupon book of specials using a special offer from each vendor in your building. Have this deliv-ered third-class mail by one of the route-mailers in your area, or do it yourself.

Color-code the cou-pons by zip code to see where the majority of your business comes from, then concentrate on those areas the next time you do a mailing. Follow up with lots of the lowest-cost radio and TV advertising you can find. Use neighborhood newspapers for discount entry coupons, other types of print advertising tends to be too expensive. Try for a major story in your local paper, and ask your local TV and radio stations to put you on the talk shows.

WHY IT WORKS
Customers will shop in your mini-malls because of perceived bargains; and 50% off a $2 entry fee is an acceptable amount to pay for a visit. The atmosphere you want to provide should be a cut above the traditional flea market and below the discount house; spell it, "BARGAINS!"

Tenants will rent spaces because of the immense traffic your advertising will draw, and because a wide variety of customers from all areas will pass through at one time or another. Traditional downtown businesses will rent space to address new markets, get rid of overstock, and develop new offerings.