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Starting A Clothing Boutique - Career - Nairaland

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Starting A Clothing Boutique by protostar: 2:15pm On Jul 17, 2019
Overview
Are you looking at opening up a clothing boutique? Well, A clothing boutique is generally much smaller than a regular clothing retailer, and it creates a more intimate environment. You attract customers who are looking for very specific styles and kinds of clothing with your boutique. Since many customers stick to their own styles, it is likely that satisfied customers will return to your business. It is important to form relationships with these regular customers, as their recommendations and satisfaction can contribute to your boutique's success.

Is this business right for me?
This is a business best suited for those with a real passion for what they sell. Fashionable individuals are a natural fit to help showcase the very products that they sell, while those with a formal education or background in business may experience success more swiftly. And because the job involves selling clothes to those who may be overly critical of their appearance, being a "people person" is a real asset.

A typical day in my business.
Many of the day-to-day activities at a clothing boutique involve interacting with customers. This ranges from greeting them, making small talk, answering their questions, and generally guiding them to clothing and styles that are well-suited for that customer. Other activities involve the clothing itself, such as managing stock, displaying everything in an attractive way, storing and receiving any clothing deliveries, and making sure everything displayed has a price tag. Other activities may include designing and mounting attractive displays and helping to ensure the security of your store.

My target market.
In some ways, one of the most preferred customers is the kind who is indecisive. As opposed to the customers who say they are "just looking" and want to be left alone, the undecided customers are willing to make a purchase but are unsure what it should be. By being genuine and honestly helpful, you can simultaneously secure a sale and a loyal customer relationship. Similarly, so long as they don't distract you from other customers, chatty customers are good because they already feel as if they have a relationship with you. This will promote regular visits, and they are more likely to trust your advice when you recommend a particular outfit.

How my business makes money.
On the most basic level, a clothing boutique makes money by selling clothing and other goods. This involves buying clothes as cheaply as possible and then marking the price up a certain amount in order to create your profit margin. This may mean scouring online sales for great deals or possibly partnering with other boutiques or businesses to order certain items in bulk. However, you may want to be wary of doing this, because selling relatively unique and hard-to-find items is one of the chief attractions of a clothing boutique.

My business’ growth potential.
Overall, the growth potential for a clothing boutique is strong. Recent research indicates that clothes sales in the United States were up by seven percent in 2016. More interestingly, sales of women's plus-sized clothing rose by 17 percent. This would indicate there is great growth potential for smaller clothing boutiques that cater to demographics that are often overlooked by major retailers.

Skills and experiences that will help me build a successful business.
Some of the skills that will help you build your clothing boutique include being organized and self-motivated. You must be comfortable talking with strangers and initiating a friendly relationship with them. The job revolves around sales and marketing, most of which you'll be doing yourself, so skill and experience in those areas are important.
A keen eye for fashion and attention to current fashion trends are also important. These can be easily cultivated by keeping up with fashion magazines and other outlets focusing on fashion.

Costs involved in starting my business.
The exact costs of opening a clothing boutique vary based on your size and location. Some veteran boutique owners recommend not starting with anything less than ₦200,000 ($548) in financing; but for smaller set-ups below that might work. What goes into this cost? It covers acquiring a storefront and setting up utilities. You will also need to pay taxes as you go on and anything else required. You will need to furnish and decorate the interior of your boutique in an interesting way and spend money on professional marketing, ranging from signs to social media promotions and of course, you must buy the clothes themselves, which is a variable cost because the more you order, the more you'll pay. At the same time, however, the greater variety of clothes you have to offer, the more customers you can appeal to, so a healthy starting inventory is good.

Some insider tips to jump start my business.
Keeping abreast of national and international trends means you can sell clothes to those who want to be on the cutting-edge of fashion. Developing and sticking to a particular theme also helps create brand awareness for your customers and sets you apart from other businesses. Finally, to the degree that you can choose your location, try to set up near a busy retail store that sells something other than clothes, allowing you to reap the benefits of their traffic.

Promoting & marketing my business.
There are many ways to promote and market your clothing boutique. These include traditional advertisements such as print, which is helpful to walk-in customers. Catchy store displays are vital in attracting the attention of those walking by your business. Finally, don't underestimate the importance of a solidly-designed website or social media page. Many boutique shoppers are young, and they prefer being able to browse your store and interact with you online, which also lets you encourage them to show off your latest styles in pictures marked with a custom hashtag unique to your store.

How to keep my customers coming back.
One of the classic ways to attract and retain clothing boutique customers is to offer special promotions. These might include offering a free gift or small item with their next purchase, encouraging them to return. You may consider offering semi-regular sales on special kinds of items, which can lure in customers that were on the fence about buying before. Encouraging your customers to register their information with you means you can also keep them in the loop via social media or text.

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