The Sims 2 Articles The Sims 2

Starting Your First Retail Store in The Sims 2 Open for Business

10.3k Views
155495 the sims 2 open for business windows screenshot loading screen

When open for business first came out, I immediately wanted to build the store of my dreams. But being only 12 when the expansion came out, I really didn’t know much about building or even running a sim business.

Well, being 23 now, I have finally started getting the concept of building a successful retail business and what essential items you need to make your first store in Sims 2 Open for business a very successful one. These are some tips that I use throughout the game to get up and running when I first create a store.

Starting Your First Retail Store in The Sims 2 Open for Business

Don’t overdo it!

When you first start your retail store, don’t go big and flashy right off the bat. If you have bought a community lot, start out small. I like to use the Corner Shop in Bluewater Village. This is super small store and really limits what you can do. But, this will do you plenty of good when you first start up your business.

Always think about curb appeal.

Sims love flashy things. They are like humans (duh!) and love flashy and shiny things. Make the storefront and entrance shine! You want to attract potential customers, and by doing so, you will increase your revenue in the long run. But, like I have said, don’t overdo it. You want to find the balance of not enough and too much curb appeal.

Focus on the Business Perks

When starting your business, look to see what the business perks are and how they will relate to your business. I love using the “Wholesale” perk track, just because I can restock the items at a much lower cost and sell them at a higher cost. I love doing that because I get more profit that way. Don’t let those perks go to waste. The same with The “Cash” perk track. Those are easy ways to get money fast.

Starting Your First Retail Store in The Sims 2 Open for Business

Sell Sell Sell!

When your main sim opens a business, have them solely focus on selling. This is the main part of having a store in the first place. What I usually do is make sure my store is totally stocked BEFORE I even open it. Then, when I open the store, I let all the items run out. Once my store has been cleaned out and I have made all the sales, I close the store. Any remaining customers will leave or line up at the register. This way I can cash all my customers out in one sweep. Once all customers are cashed out, I can restock and open the store back up at a later date.  This is a technique that I use when I have a one person family running a business. It makes money for the store and builds skills up quicker.

Don’t Hire Outside Help…. to start

I don’t like to hire employees to help out in the beginning. Because each hour they need to get paid and I lose out on money that I could be using to expand my business. I focus on making sure I have a steady flow of income coming into the store. THEN I can start hiring outside help. Once the store is big enough, I can start having employees come in and start working for me. Having a tiny store and having 5 employees is a waste of time and money. So, start small, but plan big!

Starting Your First Retail Store in The Sims 2 Open for Business

These are just some ideas to help you start a business. The one thing to remember is: Start small, but plan big for the future of your store!

About the author

James_Pleasant24

Sul Sul! I've been playing since the VERY beginning in 2000! When I'm not playing Sims, I'm either reading or editing videos and photos!

End of content

No more pages to load

Next page