Starting and running your own gift shop is a realistic and achievable dream. It needs no specific training or qualifications and no large capital outlay - and at whatever stage of the economic cycle it happens to be, if you follow a few simple rules you can generate a profitable income. In the early 1990s, author Val Clark took GBP6000 redundancy money and opened her own gift shop in a small seaside town. It was such a success that six months later she opened a second shop. Give yourself a head start by following the advice in this book to make sure your business is built on solid foundations. It will tell you: How to research your business idea to ensure it will be a success; What you need to do to turn your idea into reality; How to manage yourself, your stock and your money to power ahead through good times and bad. A successful shop is one which: Is well located; Keeps costs low; Offers something unique and keeps its customers coming back. Contents: 1. Setting up; 2. Buying stock in the UK; 3. Making the sale; 4. Up and running; 5. Looking after the money; 6. Security in the shop; 7. Staffing; 8. Buying abroad and importing; 9. Developing your business; 10. Internet trading; 11. Top ten tips in retail.