average rent for tent set up

[bboss]

hi, i've been perusing the forum and i love everyone's input. i'm interested in doing a possible tent location for windshield repair, and was wondering what to expect in rent costs in parking lots. ideally wal-mart. can you throw some expected prices at me?

[bboss]

nobody can tell me what to expect for rent costs in parking lots?? :eusa_thin

am i looking at around $500/month? $1000? come on guys help me out!

[DaveC]

bboss,

Real estate pricing varies form location to location. What I may have to spend to lease a 500Sq/Ft location in my rural location would probably be at least 1/3rd of what I would have to spend for the same sized location in the "city."

Most commercially leased real estate is priced by the square foot. So, if the rate is $10.00/SqFt., and the area is 100 SqFt., your annual lease would be $10.00*100*12.

My best advice would be for you to contact a local commercial property management company that handles commercial leasing for the type of locations that you are interested in. They will, naturally, provide you with pricing for "storefront/retail" space for such areas. Then, once you know what the cost for a "true" storefront would be for that given area, you could negotiate based upon the fact(s) that you are operating some sort of tent, in the lot and do not require many of the services offered to true/physical storefronts.

Be creative, while it may suit your purposes to pay X amount for a tent location at a wally world, there may be some closed down drive-up bank branches in your area. A few extra bucks and you have a physical building with permanent cover by converting their drive-thru lanes to service bays.

[Windshield Guy]

I dont know about the US, but can give you some insight into the Canadian experience.. costs are around $700 for a good location in a hardware store with an auto service bay. Location next to the service bay is key. During the winter months the rent can be lowered since alotta Canucks just hibernate during this time and business can go belly up .. this is the time you gotta hustle for business and get out there to the trucking companies and dealerships instead of sitting in the tent like a lame duck!! A tent is good for exposure and especially so in a high volume traffic location ... dunno why but ppl tend to take you more seriously if you have a location .. maybe some other ppl have had a diff experience but I do know that without a visible location it can make things tricky here .. how else will people know about you? Also if you have a crappy looking tent ppl wont be impressed!! Hope this helps.

nobody can tell me what to expect for rent costs in parking lots?? :eusa_thin

am i looking at around $500/month? $1000? come on guys help me out!

[bboss]

thanks- that helps a bit. companies pay $700-$2000 a month in the carwashes around here. i was wondering if a tent set-up would be more worth it.

[kenb81]

Hello
I operate out of a tent or kiosk in a canadian tire store and my rent is not nearly as high as your quotes . you must look professonal and i am a lame duck sitting in the kiosk all winter long. luckily around here winters are not so severe but at times still gets like -20 -30 below C

[Windshield Guy]

So how much do you pay @ Canadian Tire? There must be something your doing wrong if your sitting there like a lame duck? Sitting there doesnt do anything for the business .. you gotta go out there.

Hello
I operate out of a tent or kiosk in a canadian tire store and my rent is not nearly as high as your quotes . you must look professonal and i am a lame duck sitting in the kiosk all winter long. luckily around here winters are not so severe but at times still gets like -20 -30 below C

[kenb81]

well i pay $300 a month and you have to fly the flag so people dont think of you as a fly by nite outfit . And there is business during the winter but it is slow.

[kenb81]

I dont like saying how much i pay