Unlike normal business set-ups, concession stands can give you the freedom and flexibility to control your time and money. These small kiosk-like businesses are relatively easy to start and will allow you to sell your products at whichever venue you choose, without committing to a long-term lease. The first step in this process is for you to decide what exactly you will be selling and where you want to sell it. Once you have this in your mind, you will be able to better understand what equipment you will need.

The biggest piece of ‘equipment’ you will require in this process will undoubtedly be your concession stand itself. You will need to research and decide upon which type of concession stand you want, whether that be a small portable stand, a mobile trailer type unit or perhaps something more permanent. However, it is important to be realistic with your expectations, as buying an expensive stand and then not being able to earn enough to justify the cost, can be an issue. There are various websites that you can visit to find both new and used concession stands and other units which vary in cost to suit all budgets.

Location is another key factor that you will want to start looking into if you hope to run a successful concession stand. It can be difficult on your own to find a location that will provide you with the most business, which is why many vendors choose to come to us, as have extensive knowledge and experience in this department. We will not only consider your target audience but also your preferred geographical location, demographics and your budget. Inner Space may also be able to advise on any council permits or licenses that may be required.

If you have decided that you don’t necessarily want a permanent location for your concession stand, you may want to contact the local council to find out what events will be on in the area throughout the year. Prior knowledge of these events will help you plan for your required permits and any other costs you may occur in the process e.g. parking.

Finally, the most important thing is that you always have enough product to sell, so, if for instance, you have a food-based concession stand, you will want to find yourself a reputable wholesaler. Not having enough product will only mean a loss of sales for you and demonstrate a lack of professionalism to the customer. Your product may be great but if you have a history of not having it readily available, customers will not waste their time and may go elsewhere.

Finding the right promotional space for your business can help you advertise your products to a large audience at a time when they’re more likely to engage.

The type of promotional space that will offer the best results for your business depends on the product or service that you’re offering and who your target market is.  Promotional spaces can be used for a variety of activities from face-to-face marketing to concessions or handing out free samples.

The four main types of promotional space are shopping centres, in-store opportunities, transport interchanges and town centres.  Each option provides its own unique environment and benefits.

Shopping centres

Shopping centres provide an excellent indoor location for a variety of promotional activities including one-off promotions, sampling events, brand launches and trading opportunities.  Those out visiting shopping centres are already in the mood for spending and are often more open to engaging with new brands and promotions.

– Comfortable indoor location.
– Reach a wide and diverse target market.
– Safe and secure location.
– People are already thinking about or actively spending.
– Large footfall.

In-store

Many large stores offer opportunities to promote products or sell concessions in-store.  This can be an excellent opportunity to reach a more targeted audience at a time when they’re already engaged, having an enjoyable shopping experience with a brand they trust, and thinking about spending.

– Dwell time.
– Safe and secure location.
– Comfortable indoor location.
– Choose a store frequented by your target audience.
– Consumers are relaxed and open to promotional campaigns.

Transport interchanges

Transport interchanges offer you the unique opportunity to promote your products or services to the same people again and again as they commute to and from work.  The guaranteed large footfall and convenient, central location of travel interchanges make them the perfect space for reaching a large and diverse audience.

– Guaranteed large footfall.
– Convenient central locations.
– People waiting to travel welcome distractions to pass time.
– Reach a large and diverse audience.
– Particularly useful for reaching tourists, business commuters and students.

Town centres

Town centres are the heart of a community and offer plenty of opportunities to reach a very large audience.  Tailor your promotional space to your product or service by choosing the location carefully.  Choose the busy high street to reach a diverse audience, the business quarter for professionals, the historic quarter for tourists and travellers, or areas near green spaces for families.

Plenty of choice when it comes to the look and feel of the promotional space.

– Heavy footfall.
– Diverse audience.
– Less restriction with size and scope of promotional campaign as large open spaces are available.
– People are usually already thinking about or actively spending.

Taking the time to research the shopping habits of your target audience will help you to choose an effective promotional space for your brand.

Having an exhibition stand at a trade show isn’t cheap. You need to rent the floor space, travel to the event and, of course, go to the expense of designing and building your display stand.

To get a return on your investment, you need to sell products and generate client leads. Lots of businesses go to the expense of having a stall at a trade fair and don’t make a profit.

One of the major reasons for this is a badly designed stand. Unappealing stands will make visitors walk past and without a second glance.

Here are five tips to help you catch the attention of everyone around.

1. Free Stuff

The average person spends five hours at a trade show, so imagine the welcome surprise when they get to your stand and you have free cocktails, coffee or doughnuts. Or you’re giving free manicures and neck massages. Having charging stations for mobile phones is a great chance for you to have a chat with potential customers.

2. Bold, Strong Images

People have very short attention spans, so big pictures are a must. They must be the best quality possible. If you can afford it, invest in a good photographer with a flair for taking eye-catching images. High resolution, clean and crisp images will stop people in their tracks.

How about having an Instagram photo opportunity with photo backdrops or funny cardboard cut-outs?

3. Graphics and Text

People won’t stand and read paragraphs of text, so keep it bold and simple. Highlight key points, and include your slogan, brand name and any social media.

4. Lighting

Stand out from the other stands with retro neon lights, giant light bulb letters or coloured LEDs. Creating an ambience will attract more people. If these lights aren’t in your budget, some spotlights or lamp stands could also do the trick.

5. Colour

Don’t go beige and blend into the background. Go bold or go home! You don’t always have to stick to your company colours. Dark contrasting colours look great, but also bright and sunny ones will attract passing traffic.

Creating an atmosphere, stimulating people’s senses, and making an impact are key to having a successful trade show.

There seems to be no end in sight to the revolution in street food in the UK.

It’s freshly made, cheap, easy and oh so tasty. It’s restaurant quality at street food prices. With street food, you can choose between a raft of stalls selling your favourites and some foods you may never have heard of.

You can see why food stalls are so popular; if you don’t like what you picked, you haven’t wasted an entire evening in a restaurant and a ton of money. You can just move onto the next stall and try something different.

Want to join in the revolution, quit your day job and bring your favourite food to the world? Here’s an overview of the licenses you need to set up a street food stall.

Setting up a Street Food Stall

Setting up your own food stall isn’t as daunting as you might think. You need to have a few licenses, but it’s pretty straightforward.

First, set yourself up as a sole trader or limited company. This can be easily done online and should cost you around £40. Make sure you pick a catchy name!

Next, you need a street trading license or market stall license if you are going to trade on a public street or roadside. This can be obtained from your local council. Food vendors can also enter into a relationship with other permit holders and use their permits for a fee.

You need to register your food business 28 days before you start trading.

A food hygiene certificate is a must. This can also be done online for about £30. There are three levels to food hygiene, so check out which one you require.

Environmental health will also come and visit to give you a Food Hygiene Rating.

You need a gas certificate if you are going to be cooking with gas, or a PAT test if electricity.

Finally, if you are going to employ anyone, you need Employer Liability Insurance, which must be displayed.

To guarantee your best chance of success, get yourself on social media, Instagram your heart out, Twitter away, and tell the world about your food.

Have you ever thought about adding promotional stands into your marketing strategy? These commercial spaces offer several benefits and have the potential to boost your marketing and sales success tenfold.

You’ve probably seen your fair share of concession spaces in shopping centres and train stations. From the outside, it might seem as though the businesses behind them are doing so for no immediate financial benefit, but they are actually making returns. Both small and big brands give away free products, pass out discounts, and run promotions that captures the public’s attention.

Social influence

It’s not only a way to engage the interest of the public but also people online. People who are given a product for free or a promotional price are likely to post about it on social media. Utilise this and create your own hashtag for people to use. This will be especially useful if you’re running a competition and entries are posted using social media.

If you’re a new business, reaching out to your ideal audience can be challenging, especially in the midst of all the businesses, groups, and influencers crowding the online marketplace. However, a promotional stand in a busy location can help put out your business name and start to build your brand.

Audience

Physical spaces are fantastic, not only for reaching new people but engaging different types of individuals too. Not everyone is a part of the digital and social world, so if they fit your ideal customer but you can’t reach them online, it’s a wasted opportunity if you don’t find other ways, such as a commercial campaign, to interest them.

Location

A big selling point of these spaces is that you can directly interact with your audience. You can do this online too, but depending on the location you choose for your campaign, you can utilise a location that sees your ideal customers walking through and effortlessly target them. It also provides the opportunity to seek out additional types of customers and identify what demographics are attracted to your brand.

Experience

You never know who will walk up to your concession stand; it might be a brilliant chance to network. On social media, you can be limited to 240 characters to get your message out there, but face to face conversations don’t have a word limit, therefore, giving you the opportunity to communicate what your brand is all about the benefits to the customer.

It’s an ‘experience’; instead of scrolling past your brand on social media and liking it, they can get a stronger ‘feel’ of what you’re all about. And vice versa. While they are learning about you, you can learn about your customers and potentially gain insight into essential factors such as buying habits.

Marketing materials

It can make all the difference to marketing budgets and plans to save costs where possible. Promotional stands offer reusable marketing materials; something which you can’t do with leaflets.

If you’re brave enough to face the crowds during rush hour, it’s time to say yes to shaking your marketing strategy up and adding concession stands into the mix. There is a place, time, and audience base for everyone whether you’re promoting products or services.