Are you about starting a shopping mall? If YES, here is a complete sample shopping mall business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.
One of the good businesses that you can start that will guarantee you steady income for a very long time with little or no stress is building a shopping mall. With the right location, top-notch facility and good marketing skills, you can accommodate top profile retailers and businesses who would want to run their business from your facility.
But opening up a shopping mall requires pretty huge startup capital; it also needs solid planning, and attention to detail in order to keep your business profitable.
A Sample Shopping Mall Business Plan Template
1. Industry Overview
A shopping mall is a modern, essentially North American, term for a form of shopping area or shopping center in which one or more buildings form a complex of shops with interconnecting walkways, usually indoors. It is on record that in 2017, shopping malls accounted for 8 percent of retailing space in the united states.
The Shopping Mall Management industry consists of companies that develop, lease, maintain, repair and secure large commercial property in exchange for rental payments from retailers and businesses. For industry operators, rental income generates the largest portion of industry revenue with income from property management fees following.
Industry revenue primarily fluctuates in line with rental rates and occupancy levels. During a five-year period, the price of commercial real estate, benchmarked by the Green Street Commercial Property Price Index, grew at an estimated annualized rate of 5.8 percent.
Furthermore, retail vacancy rates dwindled as mall foot traffic steadily grew due to boost in disposable income and consumer spending
The Shopping Mall Management industry is indeed a growing sector of the economy of the United States of America and it generates a over $23 billion annually from more than 8,326 shopping malls management companies. The industry is responsible for the employment of over 44,292 people.
Experts project that the industry will grow at a 0.2 percent annual rate between 2013 and 2018. The companies holding the largest market share in the Shopping Mall Management industry are Simon Property Group Inc. and Brookfield Property REIT Inc.
Research conducted by IBISWORLD reveals that over the past five years, the Shopping Mall Management industry has grown by 0.2 percent to reach revenue of $23bn in 2018. In the same time frame, the number of businesses declined by -2.4 percent and the number of employees declined by -2.2 percent.
The shopping mall line of business is very open to any aspiring entrepreneur who has the capital and capacity to open and run his or her shopping malls. Just ensure that your facility is located in an environment with the right demography and you will just be fine.
2. Executive Summary
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. is a licensed shopping mall management business. We have been able to secure a standard and well – positioned facility in a central district in 8322 Sheldon Road, Elk Grove, CA 94624.
We are set to compete in the highly competitive shopping mall management industry not only in Elk Grove – California, but throughout the United States market because we intend building and opening our facilities in key cities across the United States.
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. will run a standard shopping mall that will be involved in the rental of commercial space, property management services, consulting, shop appraisal and listing services, construction services and other related services.
Our business goal is to become one of the leading shopping mall management companies with world class shopping malls in the United States.
Our workers are going to be selected from a pool of certified, creative and highly experienced workers in and around Elk Grove – California. We will make sure that we take our workforce through the required training that will position them to meet the expectation of the company.
At Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc., our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. is owned by Simone Cooper. A civil engineer, astute business man and core professional with hands – on experience in running shopping malls.
3. Our Products and Services
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. was established with the aim of maximizing profits in the shopping malls management industry. We want to compete favorably with the leading shopping malls in the United States which is why we have put in place a competent team that will ensure that our facilities meet and even surpass our customers’ expectations.
We will work hard to ensure that Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. is not just accepted by retailers and businesses in Elk Grove – California, but also in other cities in the United States of America where we intend opening chains of shopping malls.
Our facilities and services are listed below;
- Rental of commercial spaces in our shopping malls
- Property management services
- Consulting, appraisal and listing services for shops in our shopping malls
- Construction of shopping malls
- Other related services.
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our vision is to establish a standard shopping mall management company whose facility and brand will not only be accepted in Elk Grove – California, but also in other cities in the United States of America.
- Our mission is to provide standard shopping malls and shopping mall management services that can attract some of the leading retailers, commercial offices, hairstylists, barbers and similar businesses who may not want to shoulder the responsibilities of owning a standard shop facility in a busy business district.
- We want to build a shopping mall management brand that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the industry.
Our Business Structure
We intend starting small in Sheldon Road, Elk Grove – California, but hope to grow big in order to compete favorably with leading companies in the industry both in the United States and on a global stage. We are aware of the importance of building a solid business structure that can support the kind of world class business cum brand we want to own.
We will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, hardworking, creative, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stakeholders (the owners, workforce, and customers).
As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more as agreed by the board of trustees of the company. In view of the above, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;
- Chief Executive Officer
- Project Manager
- Human Resources and Admin Manager
- Sales and Marketing Executive
- Accountant
- Facility Manager
- Client Service Executive
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Executive Officer – CEO:
- Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
- Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
- Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
- Responsible for providing direction for the business
- Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
- Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
- Evaluates the success of the organization
- Reports to the board
Project Manager:
- Serve as project manager of the organization; works directly with employees
- Develops strategic plan by studying the trends in the industry and financial opportunities; presenting assumptions; recommending objectives.
- Evaluates building plans and permits
- Reviewing and approving plans that meet building codes, local ordinances and zoning regulations
- Accomplishes subsidiary objectives by establishing plans, budgets, and results measurements; allocating resources; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
- Coordinates efforts by establishing procurement, production, marketing, field, and technical services policies and practices; coordinating actions with corporate staff.
- Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.
- Makes certain that the project team performs efficiently, coordinates employee efforts, and facilitate communications between management and the workforce
- Ensures that the organization works in line with international best practices.
Human Resources and Admin Manager
- Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
- Design job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients
- Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
- Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
- Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
- Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
- Carrying out induction for new team members
- Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
- Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
- Oversee the smooth running of the daily office activities.
Sales and Marketing Manager
- Manage external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
- Model demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer
- Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
- Writing winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with organizations’ policy
- Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
- Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
- Create new markets cum businesses for the organization
- Empower and motivates the sales team to meet and surpass agreed targets
Accountant/Cashier:
- Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
- Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
- Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
- Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
- Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
- Responsible for administering payrolls
- Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
- Handles all financial transactions for the organization
- Serves as internal auditor for the organization
Facility Manager
- Responsible for making sure that our shopping mall facilities meet the needs of the people that rent, lease or purchase them
- In charge of leasing and renting out accommodations and other properties under our ‘to let list’
- In charge of inspecting and reporting on the structural attributes of a building
- Responsible for evaluating the component systems of a building (electrical, fire, roofing and plumbing)
- Assesses compliance with building, electrical, plumbing and fire codes
- Ensuring that basic facilities, such as water and heating, are well-maintained
- Ensuring that facilities meet government regulations and environmental, health and security standards
- Overseeing building projects, renovations or refurbishments
- In charge cleaning, security and parking, to make sure the surrounding environment is in a suitable condition to work
Client Service Executive
- Welcomes clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
- Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
- Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
- Manages administrative duties assigned by the Human Resource and Admin Manager in an effective and timely manner
- Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries
6. SWOT Analysis
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring to assist our organization in building a well – structured shopping mall management business that can favorably compete in the industry in the United States and the world at large.
Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc.;
- Strength:
Our shopping mall is located in Sheldon Road, Elk Grove – California which happens to be one of the busiest commercial centers in California. We can boast of having a result and service driven team and we have access to pool of finance from our partners who are accredited investors. These are some of the strength of business.
- Weakness:
As a new shopping mall management company in Elk Grove – California, it might take some time for us to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from top profile clients in the already saturated industry; that is perhaps our major weakness.
Another weakness is the ability to compete with big – time players in the real estate industry when it comes to bidding for choice facilities.
- Opportunities:
The opportunities available to a business such as ours are enormous because, as the number of businesses increases, demand for commercial and retail space is assumed to increase at a parallel rate. Additional businesses entering the US economy provide a greater pool of potential clients for mall managers.
Interestingly, the number of businesses in the United States is expected to increase in the coming years, presenting a potential opportunity for the industry
- Threat:
It is a fact that online shopping poses a direct threat to traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. With more consumers opting to shop online, many retailers have shuttered physical locations to preserve margins.
As more stores downscale operations, a business such as ours lose out on rent, thereby depleting our projected revenue. E-commerce sales are expected to increase in 2018, posing a possible threat to shopping mall management companies.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Market Trends
The national retail vacancy rate has fallen during the five-year period. The fact that renting a shopping mall can be a cost-effective and efficient solution for retailers and related businesses and workers makes it an ideal Business model for retailers who just want to start small and grow big. The continued rise of online shopping will pressure brick-and-mortar locations out of malls.
This business model gives room for aspiring retailers and businesses to pitch their business tent in highbrow areas without necessarily breaking the bank. All they need to do is to ensure that their products and services are top – notch and they won’t have to spend loads of cash maintaining the facility or marketing their services.
It is the responsibility of the shopping mall management company to promote and maintain their facility. As a matter of fact, retailers are finding their freedom while renting small studio and shop spaces in larger, collective shopping malls.
8. Our Target Market
Before starting our business in Sheldon Road, Elk Grove – California, we conducted a thorough market survey and feasibility studies and we are certain that there are loads of retailers, business centers, hairstylists, barbers, tanning specialist and nail specialists et al who need large, medium and small spaces in our shopping mall facility to run their business.
In view of that, we have created strategies that will enable us reach out to various groups of people who we know will need our services. Below is a list of the people that we will specifically market our facility to;
- Retailers
- Business Centers
- Hairstylists
- Barbers
- Manicure and pedicure specialists
- Tanning specialists
Our competitive advantage
Surviving in the business world as a shopping mall management company operator requires more than your expertise, creativity, and knowing how to deliver standard services but also how to network with key people that matter; entrepreneurs that can rent your shops / spaces.
Because of the competitive nature of the shopping mall management business, there is an increasing degree of related business activities, with big players dominating the market. We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the industry, you are not only expected to make available safe shops, and office spaces, but you must be able to meet set targets.
Our competitive advantage is anchored on the state – of – the art shopping mall facilities that we have. We also have a team of certified and experience workers. Aside from the synergy that exists in our carefully selected workforce, our services will be guided by best practices in the industry.
Another strength that counts for us in the location of our shopping mall management; it is located in one of the most must busiest places in Sheldon Road, Elk Grove – California.
Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups shopping mall managements businesses in the United States) in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
Sources of Income
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the shopping malls management industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to meet and surpass the expectations of all our clients.
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. will generate income by offering the following facility and services;
- Rental of commercial spaces in our shopping malls
- Property management services
- Consulting, appraisal and listing services for shops in our shopping malls
- Construction of shopping malls
- Other related services.
10. Sales Forecast
One thing is certain, there would always be business owners who would need to cut cost of starting the business hence need to rent a small space in a shopping mall facility.
We are well positioned to take on the available market in the industry in Elk Grove – California and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of renting out all the spaces that is available in our facility and generating enough income/profits from the first six month of operation and grow our shopping mall management business to enviable heights.
We have been able to examine the shopping mall management market, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. Below are the sales projections for Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. It is based on the location of our shopping mall facility and of course our target market;
- First Fiscal Year: $1 million
- Second Fiscal Year: $2.5 million
- Third Fiscal Year: $4 million
N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same facility as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.
- Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy
Our marketing strategies will be directed towards achieving specific objectives that will support the strategic goals of the organization. The truth is that all that we do will be geared towards creating new market channels, increasing sales and our market share.
Our unique selling proposition is that we are well positioned, we offer state of the art facility/services and people can easily access our facility. Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the shopping mall management industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to meet their targets.
Our corporate goal is to grow Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. to become one of the top 10 shopping mall management brands in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategies that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in Sheldon Road, Elk Grove – California but also in other cities in the United States of America.
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;
- Open our shopping malls with a big party.
- Advertise our shopping malls on national dailies, local TV and radio stations
- Promote our business online via our official website and all available social media platforms
- Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to retailers, business operators, hair stylists, barbers, tanning specialists and manicure and pedicure specialist and key stake holders in Elk Grove – California
- Print out fliers and business cards and strategically drop them in offices, sport facilities, libraries, public facilities and train stations et al.
- Make use of attractive hand bills to create awareness and also to give direction to our shopping mall facility
- Adopt direct mailing coupon marketing approach
- Position our signage / flexi banners at strategic places in and around Elk Grove – California
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
We have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.
We are set to become the number one choice for retailers and business center operators in the whole of Elk Grove – California and other cities in the United States of America where we intend opening our chains of shopping mall facilities which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our business.
Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc.;
- Place adverts on both print (newspapers and real estate magazines) and electronic media platforms
- Sponsor relevant community – based events / programs
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our tanning services
- Install Bill Boards in strategic locations all around Elk Grove – California
- Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
- List our shopping mall management business in local directories / yellow pages
- Advertise our shopping mall facilities in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
- Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our company logo et al.
12. Our Pricing Strategy
Our pricing system is going to be based on what is obtainable in the industry, we don’t intend to charge more (except for premium and customized facility and services) and we don’t intend to charge less than what our competitors are charging their clients.
- Payment Options
The payment policy adopted by Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.
Here are the payment options that Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. will make available to her clients;
- Payment via bank transfer
- Payment with cash
- Payment via Point of Sale Machine (POS)
- Payment via online bank transfer
- Payment via check
- Payment via bank draft
In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for renting our shops and office spaces without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
From our market survey and feasibility studies, we have been able to come up with a detailed budget of establishing a standard shopping mall management business and here are the key areas where we will spend our startup capital;
- The total fee for registering the business in the United States of America – $750.
- Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits – $1,500.
- Marketing promotion expenses (8,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of – $10,000.
- The total cost for hiring Business Consultant – $5,000.
- The amount needed for the purchase of insurance policy covers (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $30,800.
- The total cost for the purchase of accounting software, CRM software and Payroll Software – $3,000
- The total cost for purchasing a landed property for the construction of our shopping mall – $1 million.
- The total cost for building a standard shopping mall – $4 million
- Other start-up expenses including stationery – $1000
- Phone and utility deposits – $3,500
- Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $200,000
- The cost for the purchase of office furniture and gadgets (Computers, Printers, Telephone, TVs, Sound System, snooker board, tables and chairs et al) – $4,000.
- The cost of launching a Website – $600
- The cost for our grand opening party – $15,000
- Miscellaneous – $10,000
Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about $5.5 million to successfully construct a medium scale but standard shopping mall business in the United States of America.
Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc.
No matter how fantastic your business idea might be, if you don’t have the money to finance the business, the business might not become a reality. Finance is a very important factor when it comes to starting a business. Raising startup capital for a business might not come cheap, but it is a task that an entrepreneur must go through.
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. is a private business that is solely owned and financed by Mr. Simone Cooper and his immediate family members. They do not intend to welcome any external business partners which is why he has decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital to 3 major sources.
- Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings
- Source for soft loans from family members and friends
- Apply for loan from the Bank
N.B: We have been able to generate about $1.5 million (Personal savings $1 million and soft loan from family members $500,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $4 million from our bank. All the papers and documents have been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited with the amount.
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.
One of our major goals of starting Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.
We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to lease our shopping mall spaces a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.
Simone Cooper® Shopping Malls, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.
We know if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.
Check List/Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Incorporation: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Securing a standard facility and reconstructing the facility to fit into the kind of shopping mall facility we want to manage: Competed
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
- Generating part of the startup capital from the founders: Completed
- Writing of Business Plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
- Design of Logo for the business: Completed
- Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
- Recruitment of employees: In Progress
- Purchase of the needed office furniture, office equipment, software applications, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
- Creating official website for the business: In Progress
- Creating Awareness for the business: In Progress
- Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress