If you have a love for all things home improvement, consider starting a business in the industry. You can harness your passion for hardware and provide needed products to your community. Here are three of the top sectors in home improvement that you can market in 2020.
Paint Center
Opening a paint center is smart because it is the number-one go-to home improvement project. A fresh coat of paint is the easiest and most economical way to spruce up a home. As a locally owned paint center, you can carry as many brands as the big box stores. Where you can stand apart is your level of expertise and customer service. You can work closely with your customers and advise them on the best accessories for the job they’re doing, and even offer design services. You’ll need to start-up money to purchase paints, and a paint filling machine.
Plumbing Supply Store
The word of plumbing supplies is quite vast. If you’re new to the subject, make sure you hire a purchaser who has experience in the industry, like a former plumber or plumbing supply salesperson. As with a paint center, you can stand apart from your larger competitors by offering a more in-depth knowledge base. Additionally, you can carry luxury brands that the big box retailers do not, such as Brizo or Rohl.
Slab Warehouse
Large hardware stores may have one or two slabs for countertops, but they usually only carry samples. It’s one thing for a customer to look at a sample of what their stone will look like, and another thing to see it in its entirety. The variations of color can be significant, especially when it comes to natural slabs.
Opening a business in any of these three subsections of the hardware industry will allow you to offer more product and customer service than your competitors.