Fashion boutiques can be fun businesses to open as they are hip, cutting edge and fresh. Boutiques can be specialized in such areas as children's clothing, maternity wear, men's fashions or teeny bopper threads. Start your own fashion boutique with smart planning and good marketing.
Instructions
1. Decide what you want to sell. Determine if you will specialize in one type of item. Will you sell clothing, jewelry or shoes? Make a firm decision of what you want to handle. You can add items later after the business is open.
2. Find a location. A fashion boutique is typically small and can have any shape or arrangement, so it's just a matter or location and price. Find a space that is attractive, easily visible and preferably near other establishments your target customers often visit.
3. Pick a name and complete all the necessary small business tasks (business license, bank accounts, etc.). Buy, lease or rent your space and sort out all the legal aspects associated with your decision. See Resources below for more information on the requirements of starting a business.
4. Purchase your merchandise from fashion markets, local designers and even eBay or garage sales. You can find some wonderful new items in the most unusual places. If you plan to have the same merchandise in stock, find catalogs that carry the items you need to continually order. If you plan to always have new and different items, make consignment offers to local designers where you get a cut of each sale. Explore your options.
5. Decorate your shop and give it a theme or distinct feel that will set it apart from other shops. Make your boutique memorable. Add special little touches to personalize the store and merchandise.
6. Market your boutique. Put ads in the local newspapers, yellow pages, pennysavers--whatever you can afford. Make postcards and flyers to announce your opening and offer discounts and specials. Make your presence known.
Tags: fashion boutique, local designers, Make your, what want, your boutique