Furniture store business plan template & 10-step checklist

Furniture store business plan template and checklist

How to start a furniture business begins with a lean plan you can tweak fast.

How to start a furniture business begins with a lean plan you can tweak fast. BusinessDojo

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10-step lean furniture-store plan

Step	What to do	Why it matters
1 Research your market	Check local income, rivals, and trending styles on Google Trends.	You sell what neighbors want, not what sits. Texas Comptroller
2 Write a one-page plan	List niche, budget, goals, exit plan. Keep it on one sheet so you can pivot quickly.	Lean plans speed action. BusinessDojo
3 Count real costs	Add rent, build-out, inventory, POS, permits. Hold 10 % for surprises.	Hidden fees kill cash. BusinessDojo Chron – Small Business
4 Secure licenses	File an LLC, sales-tax permit, certificate of occupancy, sign permit.	Stay legal and open on day one. Texas Comptroller
5 Choose your channel	Showroom + online for high ticket; online-only to slash rent.	Follows buyer habits.
6 Source inventory smart	Use vendors with low minimum order quantity (MOQ) or flip local finds.	Lower MOQ keeps cash free. EMERGE App
7 Fund the gap	SBA 7(a) loan, vendor credit, or micro-loan cover big first orders.	Spreads risk and cost. Small Business Administration
8 Pick a furniture POS	Tools like STORIS track layaway, delivery, and large SKUs.	Prevents costly errors. STORIS
9 Price for profit	Aim for 40 % gross margin; drop slow movers after 30 days.	Keeps break-even within a year. World’s #1 POS for Magento BusinessDojo
10 Launch lean marketing	Post before/after flips, run local Google Ads, grow an email list.	Drives traffic fast. Home Furnishings Association

Startup-cost snapshot

Model	Low	High
Online-only	$5 000	$20 000
Small showroom	$50 000	$150 000
Prime urban flagship	$200 000	$500 000 +

Range from BusinessDojo, Chron & industry surveys. BusinessDojo Chron – Small Business FreshBooks

Asherfield origin story

Justin (me) started flipping couches and mattresses on Facebook Marketplace, fixing stains and frames for quick flips. Karl at Fresh Start Furniture did the same, loading finds onto a rickshaw trailer. Those hustle days funded showrooms that have now doubled in size.

We built Asherfield Marketplace so new store owners skip flaky buyers and “Is this still available?” spam. Need stock? Browse the free buyers directory instead of driving to endless estate sales. List, buy, deliver—no wasted weekends.

Internal links

Read the full blueprint: start a furniture store
Deep-dive on money: startup costs guide
Nail your pricing: furniture profit margin guide

Key takeaways

Plan lean, hold cash, price at 40 % gross, and break even in 12 months.

FAQ (wrapped in FAQ schema)

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{"@type":"Question","name":"What profit margin is normal?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Most stores aim for a 35 %–45 % gross margin to cover rent and payroll."}},
{"@type":"Question","name":"Which licenses are required?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"You need a sales-tax permit, a certificate of occupancy, zoning approval, and often a sign permit."}},
{"@type":"Question","name":"How long to break even?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Lean stores that hit sales targets often break even inside 8–18 months."}},
{"@type":"Question","name":"Where can I buy stock wholesale?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Use U.S. distributors, import via trade shows, or source flips through Asherfield’s buyers directory."}}
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