5 Tips to run a small clothing boutique in a small town or village

. 6 min read
5 Tips to run a small clothing boutique in a small town or village

A clothing boutique is one of the best village business ideas to start. Many villages don’t have a proper clothing boutique. So, opening this business can be extremely profitable in small towns or villages. It is a new business idea that many young people follow. It requires a small amount of investment, and the best part is that you can start a clothing business from your home.

A fashion boutique is made up of small variants like product designs, colour scheme, styles, looks, perfect location, target market, etc. In this article, we will cover all the topics, tips, tricks, and steps to open a boutique business.

Want to know how to start a clothing line? Read the article for the steps of opening a clothing boutique.

How to open a boutique?

Starting a clothing business is a complex task and requires various steps. The steps are listed as follows:

Businessman Writing Business Plan Growth on a notepad with pen

1. Business plan

A good business plan is required to start your business. You can't start your business without having an initial plan for set-up. A business consists of various components like executive summary, opportunity, execution, company and management plan, financial plan, etc. All these components make a good business plan.

Starting a clothing business might be a small business for the village, but it can be highly successful if you create a good business plan. Don't let the lengthy business plans scare you off. The business requirements are different for different businesses. A fashion boutique requires a location, name, logo, financial plan, staff and recruitment management, capital, investment, and proper execution.

A fashion boutique is considered the trendiest business idea for a small village. But to attract customers, you need to have a catchy name and a logo that represents your company. Some businesses fail due to their cringy, controversial, and unlikable names. Your name must resonate with the personality, purpose, meaning, and motive of your business. The name will stay with you as long as the company will run, could be forever. So, pick a name that will help you bring more customers in.

A logo is no different. A logo is a symbol that will represent your company at all times. It makes it easier for your customers to connect with you over a logo. A logo must be trendy, catchy, clear, and simple in terms of colour, scheme, and size. A complex logo might get lost in the midst of a competitive environment. So, create a logo that will suit your personality and character.

3. Market Research

The next step is the easiest yet tricky step out of all. Most businesses do well because they know what their customers want and what they expect from their service. The majority of the success of your business depends on market research and efforts. Create some time and spend days, weeks, and months in proper market research.

You can compile a list of names, brands, influencers, and professionals for your business. You can contact them and ask for their advice. You can also look at your competitors' businesses and see why they are successful or why they are not. These steps will help you streamline the working of your business. Systematic market research will not only help you with your customers but also how to retain those customers. Not to mention, it will also increase your revenues.

4. Find trustworthy suppliers

The next step in starting a clothing boutique in a village is to find trustworthy suppliers that can supply you with the right material, fabric and different types of clothing. You can also visit trade shows in the village to find the right material and fabrics for your clothing boutique. You will find several wholesalers at trade shows that might sell you clothing items at discounted prices as compared to retail stores.

Once you finalise the suppliers, determine the right prices for your clothes, mark-up price and other related costs. Select the prices that will be suitable for everyone. You don't want to set the prices too high or too low.

Tag with 50 off for sale action in shop on the red background

5. Start your business and offer discounts

The last step is to finally start your business. Initially, you will not have many customers. But, you can find various techniques to lure more customers. You can offer deals and discounts for the first 10 or 20 customers. It will help you set up a good customer base and attract new customers at the same time. As your business grows, you can lower the discount rates.

If you are wondering how to start a boutique, you can read the top 5 steps mentioned above. The fashion or clothing business is one of the best small business ideas that you can start in your village or a small town. It doesn't require a huge investment. You can expand your business as it grows. Also, these five steps will help you identify your purpose of the business and how you can turn it into a successful one.

Also Read:

1) How to perform a SWOT analysis for your business?
2) How to Start a Cold Storage Business in India?
3) How to start a book house?
4) 20 Profitable Event & Party Business Ideas

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FAQs

Q. How can I price the clothes for my boutique?

Ans. You can price your clothes based on the manufacturing cost. You can sum all the manufacturing costs incurred in the making of a clothing piece.  Multiply the manufacturing cost, and it will give you a wholesale price of the product. If you are selling it to the wholesalers, charge double of what you had spent. In the case of retailers, you can simply multiply your manufacturing costs by 2.5 to cover all the taxes.

Q. How much does it cost to start a clothing boutique in India?

Ans. The cost of a clothing boutique is dependent on the size, location, and scale of the business. The average cost ranges between INR 2 lakhs to INR 6 lakhs. It includes business location, rent, electricity bills, water supply, recruitment of employees, advertising costs, etc.  If you want to start a large clothing boutique, the cost could go up to INR 8 lakhs to INR 12 lakhs.

Q. Are clothing boutiques profitable?

Ans. The clothing boutiques are considered profitable as the profit margins are more than two times. It is dependent on the quality, service, and customer relationship of your business. If you have a large number of customers and your service is good, then your business is successful. The profit margin ranges between 20-30% of the entire sales. It increases as your business increases.

Q. What are the tips for writing a great business plan?

Ans. The tips for writing a great business plan for your clothing boutique is as follows:

  • Keep it simple and precise
  • Know your target audience
  • Test the business idea
  • Establish the purpose, goals, and objectives of the business
  • Don’t be overwhelmed and execute properly.