When choosing a sphere of their activity, many of the beginning entrepreneurs primarily pay attention to trade. Opening a small clothing store will not require an impressive investment. In addition, such a thing will pay off much faster than, for example, an engineering plant. And all this is due to the fact that clothing is a product that is constantly popular.
People will always update their wardrobe due to the worn-out things or their loss of relevance. Of course, competition in this market is very high. However, despite this, the implementation of both budget and branded clothing occupies a leading position in the ratings of the most common and promising business ideas.
First steps
So, you decided to open a clothing store. A business plan is the first thing a beginner needs to draw up. This document will help to open your own business and calculate all future expenses and income.
Format selection
The business plan of a clothing store should contain information about the type of product that will be offered to customers. Choosing the right direction of sales will allow you to get the highest possible profit.
Which clothing store will be open ? A business plan must indicate its type. It could be:
1. Second-hand. The name of such a outlet translates as “second hand”. Here, the buyer is offered already worn clothing. It is usually supplied by European companies that collect good clothing from the population and sell it outside their home country. That is why there is still a demand for wardrobe items in second-hand stores.
2. Stock. Such stores sell the remnants of clothing that was not sold in large shopping centers. Typically, customers are offered items from collections of past seasons.
3. Multi-brand store. In this outlet, wardrobe items offered by several brands are sold. In their work, multi-brand stores focus on the upper and middle layers of the population. They offer their customers fashionable clothes of decent quality.
4. Monobrand store. Here, goods belonging to only one brand are sold.
5. Franchise. Starting your own business is possible without spending time and money investing in the development of rules, standards and advertising campaigns. To do this, just purchase a franchise. The company from which you buy it will advise you at all the main stages of opening a store and will supply things.
6. The boutique. This is a store selling expensive branded clothing.
Research
How to decide on the format that your clothing store will have? A business plan will certainly help you with this. In compiling this document, a market study will be required . To choose your niche it is important:
1. Define the target audience, in other words, people interested in acquiring goods of a certain quality, price, etc. To do this, you can chat with potential buyers on the street, ask a question on Internet sites, etc.
2. Conduct an analysis of their competitors and identify all the disadvantages and advantages of their business. This will allow them to get around at the first stages of the store opening.
registration
Any example of a business plan for a clothing store includes a legal entity in the list of mandatory items. For this, first of all, it will be required to choose the legal form. It can be an IP, OJSC or LLC. Which one is better? It all depends on the size of your planned enterprise. If you plan to open a small store, then the best option will be IP. For a large outlet, you will have to issue an LLC or a public company.
Choice of premises
Where is the best place to open your own clothing store? A business plan should contain all the most profitable options on this issue. It should be remembered that the purpose of your event is to bring the maximum possible profit. In this regard, experts recommend not saving money on the area of the outlet. The large square of the store will maximize the number of sales. When visiting small boutiques, the buyer gives the impression of a small choice.
The business plan of a clothing store should include the choice of premises in large shopping centers. According to experts, it is in them, despite the great competition, that one can achieve a high level of sales. The place for the store should be chosen taking into account:
- image of the outlet;
- the presence of competitors in your market segment;
- the intensity of the flow of people near the store;
- financial and economic level of development of the region;
- the presence of nearby parking, cafes, dry closets, etc.
Design development
The image of your outlet will certainly affect the flow of visitors. That is why a ready-made business plan for a clothing store should include a developed design project. To invent it yourself is not worth it. It is better to seek help from special companies or freelancers. It is desirable that the design of the store be associated with its name.
Purchase of inventory
The business plan for opening a clothing store should include a list of the equipment that is needed to make sales. It should include shelves and racks, a cash register and several mannequins, fitting mirrors and hangers. It is advisable to purchase some elements of furniture. What will they be? It depends on the style of the interior.
By purchasing inventory, you can save some initial capital. To do this, your business plan should consider purchasing used equipment. But remember that it must certainly be of high quality.
Supplier Selection
The owners of multi-brand stores purchase their goods from distributors of certain brands, and also go for them to Turkey and China, Bulgaria, Europe and America. Some entrepreneurs purchase clothes in Polish factories. The supplier is selected taking into account the price-quality ratio of the things they offer.
Today, most of the clothes sold in our stores are purchased in China. Moreover, it is not necessary to travel to this distant country yourself. Clothing is now selected and ordered from the manufacturer or from intermediaries on Internet sites. The main thing is to find a supplier who has already earned a good rating and has numerous positive reviews. Orders, depending on your preferences, are either retail or wholesale. The second option is more advantageous, since with such orders you can agree on significant discounts. Just keep in mind that goods from China go to our country for at least two months.
Staff recruitment
The staff will allow you to successfully open a clothing store. The business plan of the conceived business should include the preliminary development of the staffing table.
One of the main components of the success of the event is the selection of professional sales consultants. They should not only be able to communicate with customers, but also be well versed in fashion. This will help you find the right thing for the client.
The number of sellers in the state will depend on the size of the store and the range of goods sold. To operate a large outlet, you will need to hire a director, manager and accountant.
Advertising
A clothing store must have a company sign. Advertising stands will help increase sales volumes. One of the marketing moves is organizing various sales and pursuing a customer loyalty policy.
To disseminate information about the opening of the store, you can order videos on radio and television, as well as set signs and signs near your outlet.
Opening a store for women
Suppose you have decided on the concept of your outlet and decided to sell the goods for beautiful ladies. The business plan of a women's clothing store should develop its main task and the way to offer things. Your boutique may contain products of various brands. It will also be beneficial to offer a collection of one particular brand.
In our turbulent age, everyone is constantly in a hurry somewhere. It is worth considering when starting a business and offering the buyer ready-made kits. A strict suit, evening outfit or everyday wardrobe items can be supplemented with shoes and a handbag, as well as fashion accessories. Such an offer will push the customer to unplanned purchases.
Opening of a children's clothing store
When developing a business plan for a point of sale where parents could purchase things for their child, a detailed analysis of the consumer market will be required. In the course of this study, it is necessary to study the existing demand for products for children under ten years of age. For this market segment, parents choose wardrobe items. Teenagers have their own opinions about fashion, so it’s very difficult to please them.
The business plan of a children's clothing store should cover the selection of premises. It should be spacious enough so that the kids do not feel constrained and do not try to quickly escape to the street. It will require the selection of appropriate furniture. It should take into account the growth of children and their desire to consider everything around, imitating adults.
The business plan of a children's clothing store certainly contains information about the professional qualities of sellers. They must be well versed in the sizes for the kids in order to tell parents who have come without their children what is better to buy.
Opening an online store
Recently, the World Wide Web has seen a significant increase in the volume of purchases of various goods. This also applies to the implementation of clothing. In addition, according to experts, the profitability of such a business will constantly grow. Customers love these stores, because in them you can buy the right thing without leaving your home.
When developing a business plan for such a point of sale, it will be necessary to take into account investments in the creation of the site, as well as its further support and replenishment with new articles and advertising. These costs are then laid down in the cost of delivery of the goods.