Set Up the Kiosk
Because a kiosk business sometimes requires items to be removed from the location at the end of the night, the kiosk business owner must arrive well in advance of opening to do some setup activities. The kiosk must be unlocked, countertops, glass windows and display units must be wiped down, and the products must be arranged for display to customers. The kiosk owner will also need to set up any removable posters and other displays that will advertise the business.
In the case of a kiosk selling intangible goods and services, such as insurance products and mortgages, the kiosk business owner must prepare all of his paperwork, fliers and brochures for customers to access the information that they need quickly.
Keep Track of Inventory
Before opening the kiosk to the public, the kiosk business owner must take inventory of the items he will have up for sale. Since this is such a small business, every single item matters. He must ensure that the number of items he closed the kiosk with the night before matches the opening inventory of that day.
Monitor Products
Once the kiosk is open for business, the kiosk owner must constantly monitor the products. Kiosk businesses sometimes display items outside of an enclosure, which makes the products more vulnerable to theft. So the kiosk business owner must constantly be on the lookout for suspicious characters who hang around the shop.
The kiosk business owner will also want to keep an eye on the products to ensure that they are not getting dusty or in danger of being damaged.
Ring Up Customers
Throughout the workday, the kiosk business owner will need to ring up orders from the customers who patronize her shop. She will either need to work a cash register, keep a lock box, or swipe credit cards. Each night after the sales are finished, the kiosk owner will need to take an accounting of what has gone in and come out (returns).
Shut Down the Kiosk and Make Deposits
Once the workday is complete, the kiosk business owner must close up shop. If the items cannot be safely locked up inside of the structure, the owner must pack them up into boxes or crates to be transported back to storage. Some kiosks are portable, so the business owner will need to transport the entire structure to another location overnight.
The kiosk business owner will also want to go to the bank everyday to deposit the cash earnings less the money she will need to make change for customers the next day. Depositing money every day makes accounting easier and helps the business owner keep track of which days are best for business. Also, making a daily deposit is much safer than carrying around cash throughout the entire week.
Order or Make New Supplies
At the end of the night, once the kiosk is shut down, the kiosk business owner will need to order new supplies to replenish the items that were sold. If the business owner makes his own products, he will probably spend a few hours of each day manufacturing replacements.
