A personal shopping business can be a great side hustle, or it could even be the way to go for your primary career. With the demand for convenience at an all-time high, is there any better time to have everything you need sent straight to your door? You don’t have to do all the legwork of running around town anymore. Want to learn how to start a personal shopping?
This article will walk you through how to start your own successful personal business. We’ll cover topics like what kind of store you should open, what type of inventory you should offer, pricing, and more!
The Basics of Starting Your Own Personal Shopping Business
You’ve always loved shopping. But now you want to start your own personal shopping?
Great! Personal shopping is the perfect opportunity for you to get in on the action. You can offer customers a convenient way to shop by delivering items straight to them—without having to go out and find them.
The first thing you need to do before starting your own personal business is decide what type of store you want it to be. Do you want it to be a full-service boutique or something more exclusive? Would you prefer that your customers receive guidance from an expert while they browse, or will they just receive everything they order at once?
Once you have figured out what type of store you want, you can start building your inventory. The inventory you offer should depend on what type of store you are running. For example, if it’s a full-service boutique, then provide customers with clothing options in all size ranges and price points. But if it’s more exclusive, keep your inventory limited so that only certain people can shop with you.
You should also consider pricing when deciding what kind of inventory to offer—especially if it’s supposed to be accessible for everyone. Find out
Setting Up Your Store
First things first, it’s time to decide what kind of store you want to open. Do you want a brick-and-mortar storefront or an ecommerce site?
If you want a storefront, there are a few things to consider: location, how much inventory you’ll need, and the type of store. For example, if your store is going to be located in a high-traffic area with lots of foot traffic, then you need a large supply of inventory. If your store is going to be online but requires walk-ins for sales, then you’ll need the space to stock those items too.
You might also want to factor in other costs like rent and utilities. Take these and other factors into consideration before opening your storefront.
On the other hand, if you’re starting off as an online business and prefer convenience over interacting with clients face-to-face, then we recommend Shopify or another online platform for your shopping business.
Determine the Type of Inventory You Want to Offer
Before you open your business, you want to take some time to think about the type of inventory you want to offer. This is where it can get overwhelming. Do you only want lingerie? Do you want to be able to offer everything from toiletries to makeup?
The key is to make sure that your inventory offers something different than what’s already available in the marketplace. Saying “No thank you” is not an option if you’re starting a personal shopping!
Your inventory will depend on which market you’re serving and how much money and time you want to put into your business. You don’t need a large inventory upfront, but do your research before deciding what types of products or services you’ll offer.
Pricing Your Items
The easiest way to calculate your prices is by starting with your cost. You will want to take the time to do the math on this before you start selling anything, because if you are always trying to make up for a missing piece of information, it could be difficult to stay on top of everything. You should also consider what your competitors are charging for comparable items.
Speaking of competition, you will also need to think about whether or not you want to have products that fall in line with theirs. This is often a good idea, because it will help convince customers who are price-conscious that they should buy from you instead, based on your competitive pricing strategy.
The same goes for differentiating yourself by selling something unique—think about how many shopping businesses sell clothes and accessories, but few offer household items like dishware and kitchenware.
Pricing is just one thing that can make or break your personal shopping; we’ve got five more tips below!
Decide on a Payment Method
If you’re going to launch a personal business, you’ll need to decide on the type of payment that you want to offer.
There are several ways that your customers can pay for their purchases:
- Cash
- Check
- Credit card
- PayPal
For many people, cash is the most convenient way and the one they prefer. However, if you don’t feel comfortable carrying it around or storing it at your home or business, this might not be a good option for you.
If you’re looking for a more secure option, it’s best to use a credit card. But if your customers don’t have one and still want to shop with you, then check or PayPal can be options as well.
Marketing Your Store
The first thing you need to do when starting your personal business is to market it. The type of marketing you do will depend on the type of store you have.
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, then you should invest time in online marketing by setting up a website, posting content on social media, and getting engagement from your website visitors.
If you don’t have a physical storefront, then focus on growing your email list. Start by creating an email opt-in box on your site and add it to all your marketing materials. Make sure that when people sign up for your newsletter or mailing list, they get an immediate offer for a discount or coupon in their inbox.
Keep in mind that marketing is about consistency and growing your customer base one person at a time! Having a consistent presence in the marketplace will help you grow your brand and increase sales.
Managing Your Store
Once you figure out what type of store you would like to open, the next step is deciding on what your store will sell. There are many ways you can go with this. You may want to stick with a few select lines that are popular, or offer your customers something they don’t currently have access to.
It’s also important to think about how much time you plan to work on the business side of things. If you’re busy with another job, it might not be worth it to open up a brick and mortar store. You could opt for an exclusively online store or focus on pop-up shops in different locations instead!
Social Media Marketing
As more and more people spend their time online, social media has become an essential tool for businesses. It gives you the opportunity to reach your customers where they are spending their time. You can create engaging content that will make them want to stick around.
Some of the most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Social media marketing is very useful because it helps you spread awareness about your business in a low-cost way. With social media, it’s easy to promote what your company does and share updates with customers about promotions or new products.
Plus, the best part is that with social media marketing, it’s easy to be accessible 24/7! People who like your page can always go back and see everything you’ve posted. That means they’re constantly being reminded about what you do all day long!
Customer Service
A key component of any successful business is customer service. Without it, your customers won’t come back to you, no matter how great your clothes are. That’s one reason why you should do personal shopping.
You’re providing a service that people need and want, but they don’t have the time to do themselves. So instead of taking on the responsibility yourself, you hire others to do it for you!
That means customers will be happy, because all their needs are being met. Plus, if something doesn’t fit properly or they don’t like their purchase, they’ll come back with an exchange request. You can help them find what they need without having to go through the whole process again.
Conclusion
Now that you know the basics of starting your own personal shopping business, what’s next?
The next step is to set up your store, determine the type of inventory you want to offer, and then start deciding on a payment method. When you’re ready for the next step, think about marketing your store and customer service. Social media marketing can also be a valuable asset in terms of connecting with your target audience.
Getting started in the personal shopping might seem intimidating at first, but with these nine steps to follow, you’ll be on your way to success!