Why can I not find information on setting up a mall and getting merchants to come to it?

[tylersweet]

I am opening a very small mall next to my club to try to sell items in it. Where can I find information on how to set up the stalls, how to rent them out, what prices to charge, how many prims are needed by each merchant and how to get merchants to set up their wares in my stalls? I can find no information anywhere on how to do any of this. 

[Rolig Loon]

That's because there is none.  The best way to figure out what to do is to visit many malls of different sizes and see what others are doing.  If I could only offer one piece of advice, however, it would be to slow down. Wait until you have been in SL long enough to be thoroughly comfortable with basic functions, the SL economic system, and the marketing culture here.  As in RL, the success of a business depends very strongly on how well you have thought out your business plan -- beginning with the basics of LOCATION but also working out a careful, studied analysis of your expected income and expenses.  There are lots of empty malls in SL.  Do your homework well to avoid owning one of them.

[Knowl Paine]

I don't know of a single source, that has all that data. Many people do not share their Business secrets.

The stalls can be almost any shape or size, if a Merchant is getting sales at your location, the stall type is irrelevant.

A good practice, is to subdivide the land beneath each stall, this will help in controlling the prims on each parcel.

The allowed prims, is a matter of however many prims you want to give them. Anything greater than 50 prims, might start to be classified as a Store, and not as a Stall.

A good starting Price, would be one that allows for you, to pay all your Cost.

 

You have to be proactive in finding Merchants. You should think about what types of products you will allow. You may have to offer preferential treatment to some Merchants. If you have a Merchant who is selling Houses, you should look for other Merchants with complimentary products like furniture or vehicles. Limit the number of Merchants selling similar items.

Seek out Creator / Owners of Products. They make what they sell. The Buck stops with that person, less hassle for potential customers.

Visit several Stalls in operation, note that many do not allow the vendors to decorate the stall.

Choose a name for your stall / group / land, which will readily allow visitors, and merchants to know, how you are associated or affiliated with the Merchants.  ( example: Tyler's Community Merchant's Pavilion)

You can browse through Market Place, look for products that you think are quality, contact those Merchants, and ask if they would "help" you, by placing at least one of their product in a stall.

 

You need to work the land, place ad's, offer LM's to Residents who ask "where can I find this".

Seek out new Residents who may need help.

Visit sandboxes to search for potential creators.

 

There are many things you can do.

[Lindal Kidd]

A mall and a club can help each other.  People who come to the club will look at the stores, and people who look at the stores will take a look at the club.

Capitalize on this!  Be sure to run events at both places...but at different times.  A mall event could be a "fifty linden weekend", or a hunt, with all the merchants participating.  A club event could be a live singer, a top-notch DJ, or a contest.

If your club has a theme, even better.  Pitch your mall to merchants who sell stuff that supports that theme.  Gowns and tuxes and jewelry should sell well next to a club that plays ballroom-type music.  Western gear will sell well near a honkytonk club.  Motorcycles, if you've got a biker bar type club...and so on.

Merchants will rent from you if you bring them traffic and sales.  Being able to show them a high traffic count for your land is a huge selling point.  Some large merchants have affiliate programs...you may be able to get one of the Big Names to let you sell a selection of their merchandise (you'll probably have to eat the rent, though.)