 Choosing Your Shop's Location
by moldier
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Every Neopian has a dream of being successful. Whether or not he or she decides to admit to his or her own dream it is a personal decision but no one can deny that every Neopian has at least one goal that they long to fulfill, no matter how long it may take. For most people, those goals involve Neopoints. Whether you're saving up for that perfect item for your gallery or a Water Paint Brush for your gorgeous Draik, there is no denying that your Neopoint count will definitely become a factor at some point. You might find yourself wondering, however, how exactly you can go about attaining the Neopoints necessary to reach your goal. From the relatively new players to the longtime veterans, there is one thing that every successful Neopian has in common: a profitable shop in an ideal location. "Well, Sarah," you might ask, "what exactly is the ideal location?" Do not fret, my dear Neopian! That's what this article is here for: helping you to choose the perfect location for your newly opened -- or not-so-newly opened -- Neopian shop.Lucky for you (or maybe it's just lucky for me), you only have three options to choose from when it comes to your shop's location: Neopia Central, Mystery Island, and the Haunted Woods. If you're a long time Haunted Woods Altador Cup supporter or a frequenter of the Mystery Island Training School, you might be tempted to simply choose the land that you are already familiar with. Not so fast! Although your personal preference certainly is an important factor in choosing your shop's location, there are many other factors you must keep in mind as well. How close are each of the locations to your Neohome? The first thing you should consider when choosing a location for your shop is its proximity to your Neohome. You will be your shop's most frequent inhabitant so your Neohome's location and your willingness to make long commutes are both crucial when it comes to choosing a location for your shop. Although you might adore the tiki hut feel of Mystery Island shops, if you live on Terror Mountain, the commute might simply become unreasonable. Of course, if you enjoy long swims across the ocean, perhaps the travel distance might become appealing to you! Living close to your shop is not a necessity; however, it would definitely come in handy when the value of an item you have in stock skyrockets and customers come swarming into your shop demanding that you restock as soon as possible. Which location appeals most to your ideal customers? While your own opinion of each location certainly comes into account seeing as you will spend much time in your shop, the most important opinion to keep in mind is that of your clientele. If you are hoping to see Ghost and Zombie pets frequent your shop, you would want to consider placing your shop in the Haunted Woods rather than in Neopia Central. Keep in mind that your customers might not be willing to travel across all of Neopia to reach your shop in the very beginning. Until word begins to spread about your shop, chances are, your most frequent buyers will be the locals, so make sure that your shop's location appeals to them! What will your shop be selling? Many popular Neopian shops are focused around a set theme. For example, if you plan on selling mostly Gross Food, you'd be much better off opening a shop in the Haunted Woods than in Mystery Island. On the other hand, if most of the items you sell seem to come from the Tombola, Mystery Island would definitely be the ideal location for your shop. Make sure that your shop's theme fits in well with your shop's location; otherwise, the Neopians that would be interested in your shop's stock might never even have the opportunity to happen across it. What if you don't want your shop to have a theme? There is absolutely nothing wrong with having an unthemed shop -- it gives you the opportunity to appeal to countless types of Neopians rather than just one set group. If you have decided to open an unthemed shop, I would recommend Neopia Central for you. Neopia Central is home to dozens of different stores and Neopians and is possibly the number one tourist location in Neopia due to its diversity, making it the best location for an unthemed shop.
Will your shop stand out amongst its neighbors?
Although you certainly want your shop to appeal to the locals of the land that you choose, you need to stand out a little bit in order to attract new customers. Take a few minutes to look around the land of your choice before deciding to place your shop there. Do you see any shops that look exactly like the one you intend on opening? Never fear -- you can still make it work, you just need to get a little creative. Consider adding a twist to your shop's stock -- maybe sell a surprise item every Friday that doesn't quite fit in with your shop's normal theme to keep your clientele interested. If that doesn't sound good to you, you always have the option of adding a creative layout to your shop that makes it stand out from the rest. If coding isn't your thing, there are hundreds of Neopians hosting free graphics pages on their Petpages! Simply ask around next time you're out shopping and you'll be bound to find the perfect layout for your shop.
Nothing is permanent! There you go: a quick, simple guide to choosing the perfect location for your Neopian shop. Remember that although this is a big, important decision that will affect your shop's success, you are not permanently bound to the location that you choose. Neopia is very flexible and allows you to move your shop's location as much as you would like! It might be a little inconvenient to have to relocate your entire shop but if the location that you choose just doesn't seem to be working for you, you always have that option. I hope you have a wonderful day and that you now feel prepared to choose the best location for your Neopian shop!
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