America is known for 24/7 businesses. If you live in big cities like New York, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, diners, and souvenir shops remain open for 24 hours. These businesses provide a great service to people who may need a quick bite in the middle of the night. Or, for those working the night shift in the hospital, 24/7 businesses keep their routine pretty normal. If they can do the grocery before going home at 5 in the morning, then all the better.
Your Business
What kind of business do you run? Is it good to explore this option? If you operate an auto shop, you can consider opening it 24/7. After all, some people might need an alignment car lift in the middle of the night. Or, if they get their tires slashed in a parking lot somewhere, your business can come to the rescue.
The decision of whether to open your shop 24/7 depends on the type of business you run. Convenience stores are okay. Retail stores such as those selling shoes and clothes will not benefit from being open 24/7. Some amusement parks-the scary ones-might also do good in a 24/7 run because many people do not want to join the crowd during the day.
Time-poor Customers
Customers these days are time-poor. They don’t have the luxury of waiting when you open because they work all day. When they do get off from work, they are rushing home to prepare dinner for their families or run some other errands. They need some things to remain open throughout the day, so they don’t have to worry about rushing from one store to another to get all they need.
Trade Hours
The ability to sell to customers outside the normal trade hours is also an advantage for 24/7 businesses. If they know they can count on you to be open whenever they need something, they won’t look for another store to visit. They’ll walk or drive straight to your store. You’ll have your own special group of clients who do their errands in the middle of the night. Some people have weird working hours that they need grocery stores and fast-food restaurants to be open in the wee hours of the morning.
Online
If you’re considering opening your shop 24/7, it’s also time to evaluate your online presence. Your customers are going to your 24/7 shop because of convenience and immediate needs. But what about those who can wait a day or two for their supplies to arrive? Those are the kind of customers you also want to target. Setting up an online shop will cover such a target market. With your online and brick-and-mortar shop open 24/7, you can reach as many people as you need.
Before you jump into the idea of having a 24/7 business, know that this is also not an easy approach. You’ll pay your employees a night differential. You will also spend more time there to see that everything is running smoothly. But if the pros outweigh the cons and your business will be better with this approach, then go ahead and try it out.
