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Aaron Jacobs

BP Lenexa

Added January 5, 2012

Located on a quarter acre lot in Lenexa, Kansas, Aaron Jacobs’s BP station has mastered the fine art of maximizing space in order to keep profits high. Customer offerings include a c-store, a complete auto repair facility, an automatic car wash, Propane refills and full-service pumps. What’s more, customers have the option to pay inside or out, via a service window.

What inspired you to get into the convenience store business?

I was the Operations Officer of BP Service (a complete auto repair and c-store) for six years. My wife and I wanted to start a business selling something everyone needed, that would also give us a large volume of customers. The time was right and banks were lending, so we began looking for the perfect location and found this one.

What are some of the challenges you face with your business and what have you done to address them?

There are several challenges. The first is the competition; you have to be competitive with the other businesses in the area. Next is the potential for excessive expenditures. We use a retail pricing strategy on all products and services to ensure we’re on track. Finally, finding dependable personnel can be a challenge. We’ve found that direct, face-to-face interviews get the best results with regard to hiring.

What key elements did you want implemented into your store?

Having a great corporate image is important, so I wanted to have a vibrant exterior physical appearance. In addition, we’ve also partnered with other companies with positive corporate images, including CarterEnergy, BP, Bank of America and NAPA Auto Parts.

I also wanted to offer a complete variety of quality inventory goods for resale. While the inside of our store is very small, we have maximized our space inside to compete with the other big c-stores out there. We offer the same things at competitive prices and we have a 100% freshness guarantee on most products. We also offer premium gourmet coffee, as well as Energy drinks, which are big sellers. We run in-store specials, in addition to promotions from our vendors.

It was also important that our customer service be superior to other local/sister businesses. We understand the value of repeat business. Therefore, our employees are motivated to always greet our customers and go out of their way to help them. We make sure that they maintain a professional image and treat all of our customers in a consistent, friendly manner. Our full-service pumps are a great way to help customers who are unable to pump gas themselves, and our service window helps people stay close to their vehicles (say, for example they have kids in the car) and get the help they need at the same time.

What has been your key to success so far?

It’s hard work. It includes property improvements; changing management and personnel; being present on-site during day-to-day operations; and constantly revising, changing, and adapting to our competition and business conditions in area. It’s also developing professional relationships with our customers that, in turn, create return customers and keep gas prices the same as the local market.

Why CarterEnergy?

I’ve been doing business with CarterEnergy for six years and hope to grow my business with them. CarterEnergy acts as our liaison with BP to help negotiate gas prices so that we can remain competitive. We’re following CarterEnergy’s guidance and trust that our relationship with them will allow us to exceed our goals and meet our vision for the future.

How does CarterEnergy add value to your business?

CarterEnergy has a great image, keeps our business operations going with on-time, constant fuel deliveries, and constantly works on new strategies to help their fuel retailers advance their business goals and services.

What are some possible future directions for your store?

We have a great, unique business set-up and we want to expand, advance and build a newer and more vibrant image. We hope that it will continue to increase our customer volume and outreach to the community by being the most referred service station—and quick stop for “trading”—in the area.