Every successful business starts with a thorough and competent business plan, and there’s no exception when it comes to running a convenience store gas station. Developing a solid business plan will help you develop long-term goals, establish how to get started, define the scope of your strategy, and make sure you’re on track to running a lucrative and efficient business.
From locations and supplementary services to hiring and product development, there’s a lot that goes into developing your gas filling station business plan. This sample plan will provide important business plan guidelines that all owners should consider when opening a gas station convenience store or looking to revitalize their existing business.
Example Business Plan Sample For Convenience Store Gas Station
Example Gas is an independent gas station and convenience store. The gas station is branded as a Valero gas station, but the convenience store can be independently run and managed. Example Gas is focused on offering professional services and high-quality gas to community members and visitors.
Example Gas will offer the following services to its customers:
- Gas and diesel sales.
- A convenience store stocked with items ranging from oil and auto-repair products to snacks, drinks, and tobacco items, among others.
- Example Gas will provide automotive repairs and overhaul services. Garage will be on-site and available for full auto-repair services.
- A supplementary car wash service, should the size of your lot allow it, is available for owners to include in their business model.
- Propane and air tanks will be filled and exchanged.
- Hot food items will be sold in the store. This can include anything from basic, behind the glass heatable items to fully-functional kitchens and taco stands. This option is contingent on the owner.
Your business plan should always detail the kinds of servicers and products being sold at your station, and will help you define marketing strategies, evaluate vendors, and develop further business strategies.
Convenience Store Gas Station Marketing Strategy
When writing your convenience store business plan, be sure to detail your marketing strategy. Below you will find example marketing strategies and best practices for your business plan marketing section.
The Example Gas marketing strategy will rely heavily on the business’s location and services available. Marketing strategies will utilize posters, banners, light-up signs, and images on the outside of the store to represent the products and brands offered in the convenience store. The operator will use the station’s nearby environment to determine the best marketing strategy, including: surrounding competitors, landmarks, demographics, public institutions, and other indicators of potential high-frequency customers.
Because the Example Gas convenience store and station is located near a highway, owners can expect more gas sales and increase their gas and diesel prices accordingly.
Here are some marketing Strategies based on convenience store locations and area that you can incorporate into your gas station business plan:
- If your gas station is in an isolated neighborhood, take note of how close the nearest car wash or repair shop is. Being the only car wash or repair shop operating and advertising in the neighborhood might provide you with a niche market to tap into.
- Gas station convenience stores near schools may be prohibited to sell alcohol, but they could still utilize the availability of new snacks, drinks, and hot food items that are popular with students. Market your food items according to the seasons; slushies and ice cream in the hotter seasons as opposed to warmer items in the colder seasons.
- Gas stations near highways will find returning commuting visitors as well as an influx of new daily visitors. Marketing the most popular grab-and-go food items and drinks is essential to creating returning commuter customers and providing products that long-distance travelers need as they pass by.
- What nearly all visitors to your gas station and convenience store will have in common is owning and operating a vehicle. Advertising that your station has all the relevant oils and automotive lubricants is essential to any comprehensive convenience store marketing strategy.
Managing Your Inventory and Gas Station Convenience Store
Because much of your profits will come from your convenience store sales, it’s important to have proper inventory tracking and POS systems to help you manage your store. It’s also important to present how you will use management technology in your business plan, as this is essential for smooth operations.
Every Example Gas station and convenience store will be fully equipped with a state-of-the-art POS system and will utilize PDI CStore Essentials to track inventory, make price changes from the owner’s tablet or phone, easily run promotions, and track store sales, items, and profits.
Example’s chosen inventory management software, PDI CStore Essentials will enable the owner to maintain inventory control, save time, and increase profits from the convenience of a simple and easy-to-use platform.
Here are examples of how you can present the benefits of the inventory management software you use in your own business plan, using PDI CStore Essentials as an example:
- Tracking sales, inventory, price changes, and promotions with a flexible and simple POS system will help Example Gas to drive profits and sales of high-margin merchandise.
- The Example Gas owner can Instantly see all transactions, receipts, voids, and activity on the cash register from their phone or tablet, reducing the risk of theft or fraud.
- Daily reports are readily available with PDI CStore Essentials' integrated software, giving the Example Gas owner full visibility of the business.
- PDI CStore Essentials' technology makes it easy to manage fuel sales, deliveries, payments, gas cash cards, and environmental tank reports, ensuring that fuel operations will run smoothly and profitably.
- PDI CStore Essentials will track all lottery sales and payouts with a simple lottery tracking system, ensuring that no winnings are ever lost or overlooked for Example Gas.
A comprehensive inventory management system will do the heavy lifting when it comes to charting the sales and product reports, allowing you to focus on your employees, customers, marketing strategy, and all of the other important aspects of your business. When writing your business plan, be sure to emphasize how the technology you are using will help your business ensure smooth operations, maximize profits and give you an edge over competitors.
Hopefully this guide gives you a good idea of how to develop and organize your own business plan. PDI CStore Essentials will back up your business with all your inventory tracking and management needs. Take the first step to developing your business plan and try our free 30-day trial today.
