Many people dream of running a small business empire from their home. It’s a fantastic way to make a little passive income, and turn your hobby into a full-time business. We’ve seen plenty of bedroom entrepreneurs turn their small online store into huge companies. It’s entirely possible, and we’ll show you how.
All you need is a good idea, a website, and some unique promotional ideas. If you’re passionate about fashion and vintage clothes, that’s a great place to start. Vintage stores are thriving at the moment, and you can ride the wave. Here’s how to get started.
Source clothes and materials
Your first job is finding the clothes and materials themselves. You can start by hunting out consignment inventory. This a stockpile of clothes and possessions that have been handed over by others. You’ll find warehouses full of second-hand vintage clothing. If you’ve got an eye for fashion, you can choose a great range of items in this way. If you have a particular look in mind, you can also contact wholesalers of new and modern items.
Market research
At this point, it’s a good idea to see what else is out there. First of all, who are your main competitors? Identify them, and find out how you can expand on what they’re doing. What gaps in the market are missing, and how can you separate your business from theirs? Secondly, who are your main customers? Who is your target audience? The first step of any good business is understanding who you’re selling to. Spend some time researching the market thoroughly, and get a core idea of what’s out there.
Come up with a name and logo
With the basic foundations in place, you now need a name and a logo. This is the fun part! You can get creative with your branding, and create a unique identity. It’s great if you’re an artistic and creative person. You might already have a few ideas in your head. If not, you can always hire a designer to help you form a brand identity. Better yet, find a creative friend who will do it for you. Hopefully, you can get them to do it for a cheaper price!
Set up an e-commerce website
Unfortunately, this stage puts many people off. The complexities and technicalities of building a website are difficult for some people. However, trust us, it’s easier than you think! There are platforms out there designed to help you build a website from scratch. They make it as easy as possible, and you don’t need any tricky coding skills. Shopify, in particular, is a great platform that is designed specifically for online sellers.
Promotion
Of course, a website is useless if no-one visits! Once you’re all set up, you need to start thinking about promotion and marketing. A simple way to start is with your online presence. You can use Facebook and Instagram to build a loyal following of customers. Soon, you can upgrade to paid advertising to reach further.
Congratulations, you just started your first vintage fashion store! Best of luck!
