How can I start my own Boutique?

How do i start a Boutique?

• I need "how to" guidance I would also like to learn how to manage it online and I want to start a hair care line available in the boutique as well. I will admit I am not the smartest person but I am a hard worker, moral, beyond passionate, and persistent in seeking knowledge/solutions and I need someone to point me in the right direction :) Thank you in advance.

• Answer:

  What experience do you have in retail? Sales clerk, buyer, manager, etc? If you had the experience, you'd have a better idea of what you're doing with this. Plan to need $100,000 - 250,000 or more to set up your company, obtain retail space lease, outfit your space with racks, shelving, cash registers, and all, obtain stock (you'll have to pay cash until you build up your biz and credit lines), hire staff, set up your credit card processing with your company's bank, etc. Even if you go with online sales only, you still need website & webmaster since site will need constant updating. And you need to be able to process payments (that will be more expensive than you think!) Then you need suppliers. And how are your writing skills? Who is going to write professional "brochure blurbs" like you would see in a catalog, describing each item in an appealing way? Where are you going to get excellent photography which sells the items? To differentiate yourself in a very crowded and competitive market, you really need to design something unique & desirable, or hire a professional designer, then set up contract manufacturing. What expertise do you have in hair care? You really need to hire a professional in this area to meet FDA & other requirements - plan on spending $100,000 or more to hire pros to develop a line. Then you need funds to go into production, packaging designers & manufacture packaging & labeling, plus more to market your products, etc. Launching a line of perfume, body care, hair care, and similar toiletries typically starts to run in the million-and-way-up range.