A gas station can be quite the contrary. It can be a place that you would expect to encounter peace and calm. However, this can be quite the opposite when you want to put in operation your own gas station. For this reason, we have decided to give you some helpful tips on how to successfully open a gas station of your own.
Find The Best Location
The very first thing you should do before doing anything else is to find the best location for your gas station. It’s essential to find a place that’s close to the highway, has a high foot traffic and is not far from major retail locations or restaurants. With these three things in mind, it’s easy to see why this location would be the best for your gas station. You can also find other factors such as parking or the size of the property that could influence your decision.
Make Sure You Have Enough Space
Even though you have found the best location for your gas station, you must make sure that you have enough space for the operation of your station. If you don’t have enough room, then it would be best to find another location or plan to expand your gas station. Make sure to measure the area and see how much space you have before making any decisions. You should also try to find an empty plot of land that you could develop in order to increase the size of your gas station. This will help ensure that you have enough space for parking and merchandise display.
Determine The Main Product
The main product you will offer at your gas station is going to depend on the market that you’re aiming for. If you want to open a quick-stop for truckers, you will need to stock up on their food and fuel. This is because truck drivers tend to stop at gas stations that serve both passengers and drivers. You can also consider specializing in one type of product over the other. For example, if you want to specialize in selling diesel fuel, you can start by stocking up on that product, then add a couple of pumps for customers who want to purchase unleaded fuel as well. If you want to create a more luxurious atmosphere at your service station, you can use candles, soft drinks, and other small luxury products for sale. When it comes to marketing your new business, product specialization can be quite beneficial. It makes the task simpler and allows you to target certain groups of people based on their needs or desires.
Pump It Up
Once you have found the best location for your gas station and have determined the main product you will sell at the location, it’s time to start pumping it up. In order to do this, you need to look into purchasing the proper gas pumps for the job. These pumps will be the ones you will use to fill up customers’ vehicles. The brand and the make of the pump won’t matter as much as getting one that’s compatible with your location’s gas station software and has enough capacity to handle the amount of gas you think you will sell at this time. As a general rule of thumb, you should aim to purchase at least two pumps for each fueling station. If you want to offer full-service, then you will need at least three pumps. If you only have one pump, then you should consider offering part-service, which means that you will pump the fuel for the customer, then hand them the bill. Having said that, it’s never a bad idea to purchase more pumps than you need. The more pumps you have, the more customers you can serve. This is one area where having extra capacity is definitely beneficial.
Display All The Necessary Signs
There are certain legal requirements that you have to follow when opening a gas station. One of those is putting up the necessary signs along the highway. You should look into buying the proper real estate sign, which could be an illuminated sign that’s at least ten feet high and wide. Another important thing to do is to put up the proper sign at the entrance to your station. You should also consider investing in some of those digital signs that flash different messages like “Welcome to the gas station ! ” or “Diesel available ! ” Among the many benefits of these signs are that they are very versatile and can display a variety of information quickly.
Once you have followed all the necessary steps to open a gas station, it’s time to sit back and wait for business to come in. There are a myriad of products you can use to market and promote your gas station, from social media to digital signs. You can even use the Internet of Things (IoT) to automate the process and gain more customers.
As for the location you have picked, make sure to keep it clean and tidy. If you want to create a luxurious atmosphere, then you can use flowers, dimmers for the lights, and leather seating for the customers.