Authored by Katharine Foust in Small Business
Published on 09-18-2009
Starting any business can be a challenge, but in times of national financial distress, it can be almost impossible. The key to opening a new business and being a success at it is to offer something that is hard to find but eagerly sought. You have to also make sure you are doing so at prices that are realistic and make your customers feel as if they made the right choice. You may think you have that very capability, but how do you know for sure without putting all that you have at risk buy devoting it to a business that may not succeed? Read on to learn some of the tricks to opening a baby boutique that will keep your customers coming back for more.
Do some research before you invest any money. Find out what’s really hot on the market and what kind of prices you may have to compete with. Research for sources that can provide you with a quality product that you can afford and make a profit on while passing the savings on to your customer.
Test your research by taking your products to venues to sell or selling them online. What you thought may be a hot item may not sell at all. Use the Internet and the public to test your theories. Modify some of the same old ideas with a bit of personalization by offering specialized products. This is the true key to being successful in this particular business.
Those who have children tend to see them as the shining star in their life. If you offer a service that helps them promote this idea to others, you are sure to draw in customers. You can however, offer too many services and leave your customers feeling as if you don’t truly specialize in anything at all. They want a quality product that is focused on their child, not something they can find in any store.
Keep up to date on recalls and popular items. If you can offer parents information that they didn’t know about, they will come to realize that they can not only get great products at your store, but also that those products are safe for their children. No one talks more about safety in products more than a parent does, so they will be sure to share this information as well as the source of information with their friends.
If you sell used products, be sure to sell only items that look as if they have never been worn and try to focus on the top name brands. No parent is going to want to shop in a store that is as high class as a yard sale with dirty laundry. Keep your products organized and well maintained so that the parents can enjoy browsing through them rather than feeling as if they have to do work to find what they want.
Keep the atmosphere of your baby boutique calm and friendly. Make it a place that parents enjoy coming to, even to the point of having a small children’s play area to keep the children occupied as the parent shops. If you can make this a positive experience for your parents, they will return time and time again and you will have the benefit of the most useful form of advertising there is – word of mouth.
