Beautiful things such as a boutique, don’t ask for attention. Whether you are a fashion enthusiast or a commoner, you just can’t walk past a boutique and not pause for a moment to be dazzled by the tantalising display of fashionable clothing or accessories. ‘Boutique’ is basically a French word for ‘shop’. The clothes and accessories displayed in the boutique are designed by a designer and are not factory made. Each piece displayed in the boutique is customised as per the requirement of the customer.
It is the dream of every fashion designer to have their own boutique and create their own line of unique clothing and personal brand. Starting and managing a boutique requires blood and sweat. If proper planning is not done prior to the launch of business, things can backfire no matter how much you have put in your business. You can get the right guidance to start your boutique with Hunar Online courses. You can also watch our free trial classes to get a glimpse of our courses. To learn boutique management you can download our app.
In this article, we will take a look at some successful methods of starting a boutique.
1. Planning Your Boutique– The first and foremost step for the success of any start-up is to have a clear plan about it. You should not be over-ambitious. This will help you plan accordingly with the initial investment- money! Working under a large brand will require a whole lot of investment than operating a buy and sell boutique. Planning the boutique also involves planning the right number of assistants and tailors required. It is a common practice for boutique owners to hire tailors for cutting and sewing purposes.
Image Source- Forbes
2. Material Flow– This implies the source of the material you will need for sewing. The first case is when the client himself will bring the fabric and you will be responsible only for the sewing part. The second case is when you will provide the fabric and be responsible for the quality of it. This generally helps in earning more profit. The third case is the most beneficial. In this, the customer decides the material flow that is free from any obligation. He/ She is ready to pay the expenses even when the rate is higher.
3. Market Research– Until and unless, you are in harmony with the recent marketing trends, your business will not boom. It becomes necessary that you are well aware of the latest market trends. You must make sure that your boutique is up-to-date and you can adhere to the special demands of your customers.
Image Source- HICS
4. Finding the Right Suppliers– Not only the customers but also the suppliers form an integral part in the functioning of a start-up. Therefore, for the successful implementation of your boutique, you will need to find the right suppliers.
What Makes the Right Supplier?
A right supplier is one with whom you can enjoy doing your business. He is also the one who can supply you with quality goods at cheaper rates and is well connected to the market to provide you with the extra stock when needed.
5. Deciding on the Right Price- The next big thing to ensure a promising start-up is deciding the right price for the clothing and accessories. For this, you will need to keep a few things in your mind:
a) The total operational cost of your boutique.
b) The price range adopted by different competitive boutiques in your area.
The pricing of your products shall be such that there isn’t a massive gap between your boutique and others. It should satisfy the operational cost of your boutique and also give you some profit in the end.
6. Record Keeping– If you are not well-versed on the subject of record keeping, you shall, without a doubt, hire someone who can do that for you. You must keep your records in a well-organised manner to ensure the smooth running of your boutique. You will also need a reliable accountant who can manage your valuable contacts and inventory details.
7. Decor– The layout plan of the store shall be such that it attracts the customers. The appeal and the interior design of the boutique should be eye-catching and attractive as it plays a major role in bringing in potential customers to your boutique. The atmosphere inside should be soothing. From the lighting to the glass display, everything should catch the attention of your customers. The degree to which the customer is impressed by the decor of your boutique determines whether they are going to make a purchase or not. You should also have a space for a trial room in your boutique.
Image Source- Maharani Designer Boutique
8. Hiring Good Employees– In the very first step of planning the boutique, we talked about hiring the right number of human forces for your boutique for smooth functioning. Here, however, the focus is on hiring the right type of employee. You should hire good employees who have good moral character and good work ethics. Such employees not only contribute to proper boutique management but also help in the growth of the store.
9. Marketing– To survive and thrive in this era of competition, the quality of service being provided may just not be enough. People from every corner should know about your boutique. Advertising in the local newspaper is one of the many ways to attract customers. Other methods include promotion of the boutique on social media platforms, setting up a discount sale, end of season sale, lucky draw, etc.
Image Source- 1.21GWs
10. Locality of the Shop– The location where your boutique is situated must be customer-friendly. The neighbourhood should be clean and it should ensure the safety of your customers. It should be at a prime spot which in turn will help in attracting more and more customers. If your boutique is located on the outskirts of the town, you won’t get a steady flow of customers and your business won’t be able to make enough profits.
11. Provide for the Losses– “Do not anticipate the profits but provide for all the losses”. This is a common statement that you can find in any basic book of commercial business. What this statement basically means is to get insured against all or majority of the losses such as those caused by fire etc. Setting aside a small amount of money that can be used to incur the losses is always a good idea. Being prepared beforehand for an unforeseen disaster is already a success in itself.
12. A Grand Opening– Now that all the preparation has been made for the successful operation of your boutique, plan for a grand opening. This will help to spread the word out and wide. Try to reach as many people as possible with the opening.
Image Source- Stylecraze
If you take care of these 12 steps while creating the master outlay for your dream boutique, you will surely hit the jackpot.
In addition to these steps, a person must have some skills and traits to become a successful boutique manager. These qualities play a major role in the success of the boutique. Let’s have a look at them one by one:
1.Passion and Drive
Boutique management is not an easy job and sometimes it may get really tiring. When you are totally into your business and doing the toughest and the most demanding jobs, your passion and drive will keep you going. It’s easy to get demotivated and lose interest in something that you really wanted but if you have enough passion for running a successful boutique then you can do difficult things easily. Therefore, you make any long-term or monetary commitment, make sure you are driven and passionate enough to go through the harder times alone.
2.Networking
It is one of the most valuable skills that you must know before starting your boutique business. This skill comes in handy and helps you get through a lot of things easily. A boutique manager can know many things but not everything. You may be an industry expert in fashion designing but you can’t handle all your taxes alone or create a logo for your brand. Therefore, you need to network with people so that you can efficiently manage your boutique.
3.Digital Marketing
A business owner must have a little knowledge of everything and digital marketing is one of the most important skills that he/ she must have an idea about. With the development of technologies, you need to establish your business across social media as well. Digital marketing is extremely helpful in creating the credibility of the business and also helps in bringing in the new customers.
4.Business Finances
You must have an understanding of finances before you start your own business. The best thing about finances is that you can do some research online and take online classes to learn that skill and have a better understanding of how to manage your finances and cash flow. You must focus on these things majorly: understand the credit score, different types of business loans and how to manage the budget.
Image Source- PaySimple
5.Time Management
One of the best parts of being your own boss is that no one tells you what to do. This makes you even more responsible and you must take care of everything and also keep a watch that all the tasks are done on time. You must be clear on the things that need to be done on priority basis and the things that are just not worth your time. This can help you have a productive day and get more tasks done in a day.
Image Source- Time Doctor Blog
Boutique management is tricky and to get it right you need to know almost every element. This can help you make your boutique business successful and saves a lot of your time. If you are a fashion designer and want to start your own boutique then you can learn it through various courses. At Hunar Online, you can enrol in our Boutique Management course and learn the fundamentals of starting a business. This will help you set your foot in the right direction. Hunar Online provides certificates after completing your course that are sure to help you start your own business. You can also watch our free trial classes to get a glimpse of our courses. For all courses, Hunar Online provides sessions with experts who are available 24/7 to clarify your doubts and help you every step of the way. Download our app and start learning.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for a creative course with Hunar Online today.
