There is always a growing market for clothing, especially business apparel for women. Decide what will set your business part from others from the beginning, and keep that goal in mind throughout the execution of your plan.
With more and more women in the workforce, there is a growing demand for comfortable, professional but stylish women's business apparel and business accessories for women. In the right geographical area, a shop for women's business apparel could be a huge hit.
Before starting your apparel and accessories shop, you must:
- Consider your local market, and make sure there are plenty of working women in your area needing business apparel for women.
- Also consider the social class you are catering to; they may be CEOs shopping for designer wear or entry-level looking for cheap pieces.
- Be in touch with corporate women and their needs.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Secure finances to open up a women's apparel shop
You must secure a business loan to get going. You need excellent credit and a lot of personal assets to secure a loan from a bank. You may also seek out personal investors.
I recommend: Apply for business loans at
RapidAdvance,
Zana Network or
PNC Bank.
Find a good location for your women's apparel and accessories shop
Good location is essential for the success of your business. Allocate much time and thought for finding the right location. It is probably wisest to rent a location and start small until your business is established. Then you can move up.
I recommend: Check real estate listings at
Century 21,
Realtor.com and
Rent.com.
Purchase inventory
Buy business accessories for women and women's business apparel at wholesale prices. It is very important that you find a distributor of quality products for the lowest price you can find them. You need a distributor with a good reputation that is very reliable.
I recommend: Search for a wholesaler of business apparel for women at
GoWholesale,
Tampa Bay Global Wholesale, or find women's suits at
Clozeout.com.
Hire employees
Don't go overboard hiring at the beginning. You must work the store yourself until the business picks up. Hire retail professionals that are knowledgeable about women's business apparel and accessories.
I recommend: Find good retail employees at
iHireRetail.com and
AllRetailjobs.com.
Market your store
Marketing is one of the most important keys to success of your business. This may be one area where you outsource help. If you do it yourself, invest the time and money to educate yourself in marketing.
I recommend: Get marketing help from
GNA Marketing Group, or take an online marketing course at
Westwood College.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Come up with rules and standards of operation before opening the women's apparel business.
- Decide on a mission statement, and stick to it throughout the process.
- Take classes in business and entrepreneurship to educate yourself on owning a business.
The official source of Opening a Womens Apparel and Accessories Store is
the Womens Apparel and Accessories page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
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