Video stores are popping up all around the country. More and more people are replacing their weekly trip to the movie theater with their weekly video rentals. The DVD rental business is competitive, but for those who invest intelligently, it is also extremely lucrative.

Since the market is competitive, it's important to complete a good amount of research before you begin the process of buying or starting a video store. Your first step will be to establish what kind of video store you are hoping to purchase or create. The most typical type of video store rents Hollywood box office movies. However, other video stores include family video stores, educational video stores and religious-themed video stores.

Consider these before opening a video store:

1. Choose the right location. Investigate your surrounding area to see if there is a specific need for the type of video store you are hoping to start.

2. Think about your customer. What audience are you hoping to attract?

3. Understand your competition. Independently owned video stores now compete with online video stores. You may need to offer similar incentives to online stores to attract a client base.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Create an independently owned video rental store

If you think you'd like to create your own store, there are several resources to help you get started. Some companies will help you start your own store in a franchise-free environment as well as provide you all types of pertinent information on beginning your own business.

I recommend: For a franchise-free business, try Zone 3. This company provides you with an organized 10-step process to putting yourself in business. Another company that provides a similar service is Franchise Gator. They offer a service called Video Store Builder that is designed to help you create an entirely independently owned video store business that is completely franchise-free.

Become a franchisee of a popular retail video store

An alternative to creating your own video store from scratch is to become a franchisee of an already established video store. This guarantees you a built-in customer base already familiar with your products and location. By the same token, you may want to purchase a video rental store that is currently for sale.

I recommend: The most well-known video rental store in the country is Blockbuster. Blockbuster does offer franchise opportunities to interested parties. For purchasing video rental stores, try BizQuest. This site is constantly updated with the latest information regarding video rental stores currently for sale.

Rent or purchase mini retail video stores

Another fantastic alternative to creating an entire DVD rental store is to purchase or rent a DVD kiosk. These kiosks are available in supermarkets around the country and offer low-cost DVD rentals in a convenient location.

I recommend: Absolutely Rentals is a great place to start shopping for your own DVD kiosk. It offers competitive prices on DVD rental machines and useful business information. Another great company to check out is MovieMate. It offers state-of-the-art kiosks for both DVD and game rentals.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Your video store will see more sales if it's conveniently located near homes or other frequently visited stores such as grocery stores. Do some preliminary research on location before you begin planning your business.