What are utility costs for a small business

Hi

We are going to start a small shop in Krakow, around 50 Sqm. We are going to sell asian groceries and beauty products.

Im trying to do a calculation on how much our expenses will be for utilities, but since we haven't started the shop yet i dont know any numbers. So i was hoping someone in here could give me a "general" price for something that fits around 50Sqm.

All depends on what your Asian shop uses in terms of equipment like freezers,coolers etc and if you will be doing any cooking then hot/cold water usage matters too.Also how many hours will you be open and what kind of lightning will you be using and also if the equipment is energy efficient.

BTW energy efficient equipment,bulbs etc cost more.I would be more worried about the rent and other fixed costs.

@Cargo pants
Utilities should be around 1500 to 2000 a month including everything. Thats winter cost with heat. In summer should be lower unless using air-conditioning. I have 150 sq meter restaurant in Krakow, most expensive month including trash removal was about 7000 this year.

Thank you for your replies. We will for a start be buying used freezers, so they might not be the most energy efficient, we will have 2 freezers of the type with a glas lid so people can see what is inside. We will be doing a little cooking, we will be serving some thai box look alike boxes with different asian food, but we are not gonna be a restaurant, our focus is mostly on groceries and beauty products.

We have found a place in old town, thats around 2500 per month, i think old town would be a good placement traffic wise because there is always a lot of people and turists comes there.

@Lulzkiller
Tourists are not generally grocery shopping, they are dining out. Your rent is cheap enough though, so depending on location you might do alright. A lot will depend on the street you are on, the foot traffic, and if there are full time residents that can shop with you in the area. If you rely on tourists for a majority of business you will be very disappointed. Tourism in Krakow is down 75% since pre pandemic numbers.

@PolAmKrakow
We dont aim purely for turism, our main business will be asian people in poland, since here is quite a bit of them but not a lot of asian stores. But it would be a bad idea not to aim for the polish people as well and try and convince them to try shopping some asian food/products, even though they really love their piroggi, but asian dumplings is not that far away from a piroggi so might be possible in time :P As well with the tourists, thats why we are thinking old town as a location, because there is always a lot of people there.

@Lulzkiller
There is a middle eastern market in Hala Targowa that is doing alright so far. I know there is an Asian store in Kazimierz and a Korean store just outside of Rynek. Both are doing fairly well when I have gone by them.

@PolAmKrakow
Cool :) I never heard about that one in Hala Targowa, there is a new small shop in katowice also. But you think we will do alright if we do it properly :) ?

@Lulzkiller
In Krakow location is the key. High traffic and full-time residents are critical. If you do not speak Polish you need to get someone who does. While nearly everyone speaks some English, many are not confident with using it, and some will refuse, not out of rudeness, but simply out of lack of confidence. Areas outside of Rynek each have their own feel, and some are loaded with expats that would help, but some are all students or short term rentals and that can be very hard.

I wouldnt depend on that crowd as they are on a budget.Lately I have been going to a Irish bar by me and talking to the owner,students buy a 12 pln beer and hang out for 2 hrs.Tourists and local crowd I would aim for.I dont know about `asian ethnic crowd there.Tourist crowd usually spends lavishly esp in Krakow,while the local crowd looks for moneys worth and atmosphere to be repeat customers.

There is a small Japanese store opened by me(30 sq m I guess) but the guy is loosing and liquidating now.We told him to target Polish crowd not just the ethnic crowd.Poland is new to immigration and not many ethnic people there to depend fully on them.Poles are slowly learning ethnic food and eat that as a variety not as everyday meal.

Dude thats very cheap,50 zlots a sqm,I thought Krakow would be same as Warsaw at least in commercial.In Warsaw suburbs going rate is almost double,srodmisce is 80 to 120 and rynek old town forget it,can go over 250 zlots.You sure its parter??and enterance directly from the street?I dont know the Krakow market,but if it was Warsaw Id sign 20 year umowa with option to sub lease.