Many people think about how to start their own business without starting capital - they are afraid to take out a loan, and their own funds are not enough even to open a small store.
The solution to this situation may be to sell clothes at home. This type of business can be started by purchasing one bag of stock or collecting just one batch of clothes for a minimum amount in the showroom. In fact, some people start to like this type of business so much that they subsequently choose it over a traditional retail store.
It is also not uncommon for store owners, tired of the worries associated with supporting this type of trade, to start selling clothes at home. According to one of these entrepreneurs, Rosa, while she was purchasing goods remotely and there were a lot of rejects in the bags, trade in the store was not going very well. Tired of such “pig in a poke”, Rosa closed the store and began selling houses:
“I arrive on the day of delivery, take 3 bags at once and in 2-3 days I sell for almost nothing, I don’t hesitate to give away the rest to everyone. The profit is obvious and there are no headaches!” - says Rose.
And who will go there?
As with traditional trade, there are two possibilities to attract buyers: with very low prices, or by offering something that no one has offered them before. The first way is a dead end: people will constantly want lower and lower prices, and in the end they may go to someone who can offer it to them. The second way is more promising: you will not only be more competitive, but you will also be able to sell your product at a higher profit.
What is meant by the phrase “Offer something that is not available anywhere else”? No, we are not talking about some exclusive clothes, although this is partly true. What you can contrast with your competitors is your experience in advising on the choice of clothing; that is, you can become an image stylist for clients. When people see that their friends admire the clothes they bought from you, they will become your regular customers and begin to recommend you to everyone they know. Therefore, if you feel that you are ready to open your own “boutique at home,” this path is just for you.
There is no need to remind you that you will have to constantly improve your professional skills - be aware of fashion trends and at least know a little about the history of fashion; monitor media devoted to clothing and fashion. Moreover, to improve the quality of work with clients, you will also have to become a little psychologist, like a personal hairdresser. But believe me, it will pay off in spades.
Remember that the best assessment of your work is when your clients’ friends ask for your phone number.
What to sell?
When selling clothes at home, you can make the same mistakes as when selling stock in a retail store. But working independently from home, you have a serious advantage: you can quickly find out the needs of each of your clients. When purchasing goods for the first time, we recommend that you adhere to the following rules:
- Make a list of your prospective clients.
- Find out which of them is interested in what clothes they wear, what style they prefer, etc.
- If possible, try to find out if they are planning to purchase any wardrobe items right now - perhaps someone wants to buy jeans, and someone else needs a coat. Remember their needs always when purchasing goods.
- While trade turnover is low, it is better to buy clothes in showrooms and examine almost every item with your own hands - otherwise there will be a lot of leftovers. In addition, many wholesalers have the opportunity to return unsold goods, which is very convenient when trading at home. Later, as turnover increases, it becomes more profitable to purchase in bags, although it makes sense to look through bags at the initial stage, remembering your list of needed goods. In some cases, if you successfully sell 4-5 items, you can immediately pay for the entire purchased lot.
- It is necessary, as in store trading, to keep track of new arrivals in showrooms and quickly get there - this is one of the key points of a successful purchase.
- It is better not to inflate prices, especially at the beginning of your business - after all, now you can buy almost any thing very cheaply, if it is not some kind of super-exclusive. Over time, when people understand that you don’t just sell clothes, but also provide professional advice on creating your own image, they will be willing to pay a lot more for things.
- Don't throw away clothing packaging! When selling an item, place it in its original package.
- Ideally, you need to purchase goods not focusing on specific clients, but having backup options: for example, if you know that one possible client wants a cashmere coat in size 52, and you saw such a coat in the showroom, then first think carefully about whether to take it or no, if among your other regular customers there are no ladies with this size. If the client refuses, you need to understand whether you can sell this coat to someone else. As mentioned above, this is easier when purchasing in a showroom - the product can always be returned.
Where to hang it
Despite the fact that equipment costs when trading at home are significantly lower than in a store, they still exist.
According to the stockbiz portal, it is best to equip a home showroom consisting of one or two clothing racks, two good large full-length mirrors located at an angle to each other, and a bright lamp with soft natural light. It is better to take the same lamps as those used in branded clothing stores.
It is better to make the equipment mobile - this way it can be moved when you are not trading.
All clothing must hang on hangers. Buy the required number of hangers, preferably wooden ones - they do not bend under the weight of things and look “more solid” than plastic ones. Create a certain “boutique” feel - do not show or offer people wrinkled clothes; to bring things into a salable condition, purchase a steamer. All these techniques will allow you to sell clothes at a higher price.
Don't forget to buy covers for your clothes. This will protect both your clothes and you from excess dust. It is better to store the clothes themselves in a closed closet.
Bring your money
As with any trading, there are a lot of difficulties. And a significant part of them when trading at home is associated with personal relationships with buyers - they become those with whom you were recently on friendly terms. But if people come into the store of their own free will, then when working from home, at first you will have to actively invite people to your place, and not everyone will be ready for this. And those who come will expect some special treatment.
According to the story of one of the owners of a home-based business, all her friends are trying to buy an item at a maximum discount or even on credit.
“As a result, they don’t give it away for months. And my friends are generally afraid to come to me and buy - otherwise I’ll get rich. If you want to lose a friend, then lend him money...”
And there are a lot of such situations. According to another entrepreneur -
“When selling at home, as I know, taking on debt is a regularity. And with money, as they say, we’ll buy it in the store...”
Here everyone must decide for themselves how to behave in such situations. But if you decide to start selling clothes at home, you need to be prepared for this. Anna advises:
“Apparently, it is realistic to sell to those people with whom it is possible to keep a distance. Or, as an option, to say that you yourself took the goods for sale and at your own price, out of the kindness of your heart and friendship. This, however, is for those who knows how to honestly lie))))"
Allergies have no place here
People susceptible to household allergies should not engage in clothing sales at home. At all.
Invisible dust always flies from any clothing. Most entrepreneurs who deal with clothes will confirm that after working with clothes for a long time, unpleasant sensations often arise: itchy nose, frequent sneezing. Therefore, unfortunately, for those who have allergies, especially to dust, the path to this business is closed. Because health is more important.
In order to minimize the amount of dust at home, we recommend using covers for clothes and, if possible, storing them in a separate closet.
But the source of problems in home trading is not only clothing. As Polina, one of the entrepreneurs, notes:
“You must be prepared that people will come sick and bring children with snot. And buyers who have already been and know your address can come without calling.”
Rose disagrees with her:
“No one has ever come to me without a call or warning. I think you shouldn’t be afraid of this. And snotty children don’t scare me)) sick people can walk on the playground or in the sandbox. ... In extreme cases, the father can look after the child watch while you're busy)".
IP or not IP? Is it worth registering with the tax office?
According to some, there is no point in registering: it’s a stretch, but home trading can be called the sale of personal belongings by a private person.
But this is all for the time being. But in order not to feel like a deceiver, it is still worth registering as an entrepreneur: at least in order to replenish your pension savings as an individual entrepreneur. Again, we should not forget about promises to reduce the tax burden for self-employed citizens.
Well, it’s trivial - it’s calmer.
High technologies in everyday life
The further you go, the more and more often you can see successful examples of home trading using the Internet. Having even minimal computer skills and a digital camera, you can take photographs of the clothes you sell and post them on photo hosting sites or in a group on social networks. Having a smartphone will also help you - the Yula and Instagram applications provide a lot of opportunities for doing business: photographed - posted - sold.
Those who are very familiar with the Internet can even create a separate website - if time and skills allow. Here it’s more convenient for anyone.
Total
Selling clothes from home is a good way to try your hand at trading, gain entrepreneurial skills and, if done correctly, accumulate initial capital to open something bigger. If you are not afraid of difficulties and are ready to learn from your own experience, go for it!
"We also started with the same mix" at home". We just called all our friends, and then we went to friends of friends. ;-) As a result, after a month we collected funds for a store. We did not use the Internet for these purposes, we probably had enough friends... who are now our grateful clients in store.
Anna, entrepreneur.
Implementing a business remotely allows you to turn entrepreneurial ideas into reality online. Creating online stores, competent design of pages and profiles on social networks are mandatory and indispensable tools for a businessman who decides to promote his business via the Internet. This solution saves time and money for potential customers who are given the opportunity to make purchases without leaving home.
Online cooperation is usually characterized by favorable conditions, expressed in pricing policy and prompt delivery of purchases. Such advantages usually attract customers and encourage them to switch from real stores to virtual ones. Since such a business quickly pays for itself and is profitable, many beginning and existing entrepreneurs have the question of how to start selling clothes online, where to look for suppliers?
Types of doing business
To run a business, it is not necessary to make wholesale purchases; it is possible to work through a dropshipping system or be an organizer of joint purchases.
Sales through worldwide networks can be organized in several ways, based on the use of the capabilities of the following platforms:
- social networks;
- specialized portals;
- online stores.
Placing an offer on resources is not enough. To ensure prompt sales, it is necessary to launch advertising, hold promotions, competitions and constantly analyze the effectiveness of advertising tools.
Selling clothes online, where to start, how to find a supplier
Online trading business is available to any citizen who has free time, access to computer equipment, the Internet and a desire to earn money.
Any activity aimed at making a profit must be officially registered. For beginning businessmen whose sales volumes are not large, opening an individual business is sufficient.
Before registration, you should determine the scope of activity and draw up a business plan. When planning clothing trade, you need to identify a specific product group, which can be classified as women's, men's or children's clothing. An important criterion for choosing a product is its cost category. It is recommended to choose a specific niche, study it thoroughly and attract regular customers.
Today, clothes can be ordered not only in Russia and the CIS countries, but also abroad. Chinese manufacturers are profitable suppliers. On their sites you can order inexpensive, but high-quality and exclusive products, which are not possible to find in any Russian retail store.
Read also: Business plan for a computer equipment store
The advantage of cooperation with Chinese suppliers is the opportunity to choose a reliable partner, whose rating indicates the quality of the products offered and his integrity as a seller. Trading platforms also protect the rights of both parties by using a specific payment system that ensures that funds are credited to the seller's account only after confirmation that the buyer has received the product.
Do you need start-up capital?
When planning activities in the field of trade, the main problems of novice entrepreneurs are financial issues. According to statistics, to open and promote your own online clothing selling company you will need about 350,000 rubles. The main expense items are formed by:
- payment of the state duty paid upon registration of a business entity;
- creation and design of a web resource;
- renting premises for storing goods;
- conducting an advertising campaign;
- purchases of goods;
- wages of employees (if any).
How to minimize costs
To minimize costs, the search for clients can be organized on social networks by posting advertising posts. It is not necessary to buy or rent warehouse or office space.
By acting as intermediaries, you can earn decent money without even seeing the product being sold.
Buyers will order products placed on the intermediary's storefront, but located in the seller's warehouses. After the buyer submits an application to the intermediary and receives an advance payment, he transfers the received funds as an advance payment to the seller, who sends the goods to the buyer's address specified by the intermediary. The intermediary's earnings consist of the difference between the price he offers in his virtual store and the real cost of the product from the seller. Markups are usually carried out by increasing the principal value by a certain percentage.
Selling branded clothing via the Internet is profitable through the dropshipping system, since purchasing it for resale is economically unprofitable and risky, because this category of items is characterized by a high cost. An excellent solution in this situation would be to promote someone else’s product on your own web resources.
Selection of assortment
When choosing an assortment, you need to take into account the demand and relevance of items in the regions to which delivery is expected. You should study the offers of competitors and occupy a potentially in-demand, but not fully covered, niche. It is recommended to analyze retail web resources and get acquainted with the opinions of their customers on specialized forums. You should also find out statistical information about the average income of the population.
An inflated price can make the purchase irrelevant, while a too low price will certainly raise doubts about the quality of the product. To obtain successful trading results, it is recommended to focus buyers’ attention on those goods for which competition will be minimal.
Despite the fact that there are many companies and individual sellers currently working in the field of trade with China - this market is simply immense - it is quite possible to start working in it. Today IQ Review will look at exactly how you can organize a profitable business trading goods from China using a real example.
Reselling goods from China - where did it all begin?
Hello, my name is Anna, I am from Ukraine, the city of Lugansk. I want to talk about how budget shopping in China via the Internet led to a full-fledged business and a stable income. When I started the business, I was 20 years old - it was the end of 2010-beginning of 2011. I did this for 2 years, until the end of 2013.
In 2010-11, online shopping was just gaining popularity, and I, as a true shopaholic girl, quickly became involved in this topic. There is an opportunity to purchase things from different countries - America, England, China - at prices much lower than those in our stores, and also to purchase things that no one else has.
My interest in the topic of bargain shopping was very great, and therefore I regularly visited about a dozen different shopping sites. I was especially attracted by Chinese shopping (website taobao.com). A huge number of sellers from all over China are registered on this site, where they present a variety of products, ranging from clothing and shoes to furniture, medicines and much more.
Since the site is in Chinese, an online translator came to the rescue. When I wanted to register, I encountered a number of problems: for example, linking a mobile number, mastering how to work with payment systems.
At that time, it was quite difficult to solve them; I had to learn a lot of things on my own, through my own practice, spending several hours getting an answer to the simplest question (and there were many of them). Now there are ways and special services with which you can register yourself, simply and quickly. And there are also plenty of instructions on the Internet, so even a user who has never ordered anything from abroad before is unlikely to encounter so many difficulties.
How to order goods in China? About finding an intermediary
And then I decided to look for an “intermediary” in China who could help me with my purchases. In fact, I believe that this is safer, since a person will be able to check the item for quality, defects, color and, in general, there is a guarantee that you will not get a pig in a poke.
The search for a mediator has begun: I started visiting all kinds of forums, sites where people offered their services. There turned out to be quite a lot of such people, the choice was very difficult, since it was assumed that I would send money to a stranger at my own peril and risk, and hope that I would not be scammed, and there were very few reviews at that time.
I began to learn the conditions and requirements for work from a variety of people. An important criterion for me was that the person was in China, and it didn’t matter whether he was Russian, Ukrainian or Chinese, or a person of another nationality.
Chinese intermediaries meet very often; they communicate in not very clear English. But if you know English at least at a basic level, then you can handle the negotiations with an online translator.
Clothes from China
It is very desirable to find a Russian-speaking person, and ideally, a person of Slavic nationality (since the Asian mentality is still different from ours) who knows Chinese. Often these can be our students who went to study abroad. This is very important, since any online translators are not perfectly accurate, and an error in communication can lead to the fact that you receive the wrong product or product of the wrong quality, or there will be some other deviations from what you wanted.
You can also look for an intermediary in your country: due to the comparative cheapness of education, many Chinese come to us. It is quite possible that among them there will be those who have friends, acquaintances, relatives with whom you can start doing business.
If you have a small budget and you order goods in small quantities, it is unlikely that you will be able to work with professionals. We are talking about those who know both Russian/English and Chinese, and at the same time perfectly know all the intricacies of the process. Where is the best place to choose, how quickly to deliver, how much delivery will cost and how long it will take, how best to arrange everything so as not to arouse suspicion, and so on. Even then, at the beginning of 2011, there were such people, but usually they set restrictions on the minimum amount (minimum quantity of products), and did not deal with small batches.
The principle of operation of an international intermediary:
- You select a product, place an order, send it to the intermediary (he makes his own adjustments, gives advice regarding the order, checks the sellers’ ratings).
- You send the full amount for the goods, plus the percentage that the intermediary takes for his work.
- He receives the goods, checks for defects, etc., sends you a report on the received goods (photo), weighs the goods, and calculates the full cost of delivery to you.
- You send the amount for delivery.
- The intermediary sends the package and you wait for your order.
Intermediary percentages vary from 5 to 25. I found a girl on one of the forums who lives and studies in China and works part-time as an intermediary; her initial percentage was 15% for me.
Delivery of goods from China - how it works
We discussed all the conditions, chose the most profitable system for transferring money to China, chose the delivery method (there are several types: regular mail, air, sea, international delivery services, such as DHL, sea transportation of containers, they all differ in delivery times, costs and possibility of transporting parcel dimensions).
Chinese cargo terminal I placed an order - clothes and shoes - transferred the money and began to wait for my first parcel. I chose delivery from China by regular mail - terms from two to four weeks.
Three weeks after payment, I received a notification from the post office about the arrival of my parcel at the post office, and on the same day I received my first parcel from China weighing 14 kg. When the pleasant emotions from what was received and seen subsided, logic came into play. On the things that I purchased, taking into account the percentage of the intermediary, the costs of delivery and transfer of money, I saved my expenses by about one and a half times compared to the price of the same product in our city. This is how the idea arose: to buy and sell things with your own markup.
Product selection and first purchase for resale
I decided to draw up a business plan, if you can call it that. I decided to follow the path of least resistance: not to invest large amounts of money and effort into development. To begin with, I determined the category of goods that I would sell - women's clothing.
Not copies or fakes of luxury brands, as this may cause problems when received at customs. I decided to buy the most common and most popular items in one or two copies, in the most popular size S-M. Even if they don’t sell, I can always keep it for myself or give it as a gift or sell it to friends.
After consulting with our intermediary, we came to the conclusion that we would buy things that are made in China and exported, for example Zara, Vero Moda, H&M, etc. Such things in China are twice or even more times cheaper, and are of quite good quality, since they are exported (not only to the Russian Federation and Ukraine - there are such stores in other countries, both in the CIS and in Europe ).
The delivery issue was definitely resolved for me - this is regular mail, since it is the cheapest. The maximum weight of one parcel should not exceed 20 kg. We agreed with the intermediary that when sending it it will be indicated that these are personal items - in this case, the estimated value is minimal.
The data is given for Ukraine for 2013 according to the author. In Russia, since 2014, there have been customs restrictions on purchases from foreign online stores in order to combat this type of small business, since it allows tax evasion. You can receive parcels per month worth no more than 150 euros and no heavier than 10 kg (ed.).
Thus, I avoid problems with customs clearance, but at the same time things will be in maximum two copies, which not wholesale. The risk in this case is that if some items are stolen, I will not be able to recover the full amount for them from the post office.
Realizing that receiving two to four parcels a month in my name may arouse suspicion, I decided to register several recipients: they were my relatives. I agreed with the intermediary on further cooperation with a lower percentage, and agreed on 8.
How and to whom to sell goods from China: about finding sales routes
The next step was to determine the site - where and how I would sell things. Since I was a student, I initially understood that I would not open a store in the future, but would simply provide myself with additional income for pocket money. I was considering the option, but this also required additional costs, and in the future there might be, let’s say, problems with registering an individual entrepreneurship and paying taxes.
Warehouse store for clothes and shoes Therefore, I decided to use the services of such Internet platforms as Aukro .ua, the then existing Slando .ua, creating a group in Vk. The advantages are obvious: I just sell my things, I don’t conduct any official activities, I don’t pay for renting premises or for maintaining an online store, there are no taxes.
Calculating the budget for the first parcel (20 kg of clothes - sweaters, trousers, dresses, T-shirts, T-shirts, etc.) showed that it costs $1000 for everything, taking into account interest and delivery. My husband provided money for my business hobby. After all the calculations, it became clear that the net income would be from $150. Income will depend on my markup on the product. Even if you don’t add a markup, but sell at cost, including delivery costs and interest, everything will come out to 0, and this is no longer a minus.
Having approved my entire plan, I began to place orders. The intermediary sent parcels as the products arrived. On average it turned out per month from 2 to 4-5 parcels. I was lucky and there were no problems with delivery times; the parcel always took about three weeks.
By creating accounts on Internet sites, I began to post photos of things. My advantage was that the things were in my hands, and immediately after payment I sent parcels throughout Ukraine using the Nova courier service Posta » (the most popular carrier in Ukraine). Not everyone is willing to wait more than two weeks for a blouse or something else to order (this would be the case if they themselves ordered from China), so it was convenient to buy from me. The recipients usually paid for delivery, but I paid for large orders as a bonus.
Over time, many people already knew me, rating on the site Aukro .ua and other sites was high - many began to apply for things to order (so as not to have to deal with placing and paying for the order themselves, as I had to initially). In such cases, again to avoid risk, I took a 50% prepayment.
After a year, my minimum income from resale of Chinese goods consistently amounted to $300 monthly. For two years I did not have any losses, at least all my expenses were always “recovered”.
Pitfalls: what problems did I encounter?
There can be quite a lot of pitfalls in such a business, even if everything is done as carefully as I did. Let me give you a few examples:
- During transportation, some things can be stolen, damaged, or sent to the wrong place by mistake.
- The parcel may arrive damp, crumpled, and this means that the items may be damaged and will have to be restored to normal condition, wasting time and even money (for example, taking them to the dry cleaner).
- You may simply not sell these things, or make a mistake with the choice (I didn’t have this, because I chose the most popular product, and only in small quantities).
- Now there is a lot of competition in this market, you need to try to find your client, additional advertising costs are needed.
- You may be scammed by an intermediary - you will send money, but in the end you will not receive anything, it will be very difficult to figure it out, since it is connected with another country.
The intermediary is your business partner and must be reliable; in fact, this is where the difficulty of the search lies. There are cases that an intermediary can buy things at a lower cost, and the things will be of poor quality. This should and can be monitored: by the nickname of your intermediary in completed transactions, on the product page.
70% of success depends on the intermediary! Having a small capital and having correctly decided on the product category, you can earn good money, as well as develop your business to a more serious scale.
If you have a significant amount of money and your purchases will be in bulk, I recommend going to China, hiring a translator on the spot and negotiating directly with the manufacturing factories.
My business ceased to exist because I left to live in another country. I did not continue this kind of business in a new place, as my interests and type of activity changed.
Is it possible to start this business now?
The emergence of a huge number of intermediaries who receive income for their services could not go unnoticed. At the beginning of 2014, news appeared that could radically change the market: Taobao.com, one of the largest Chinese online sellers, officially launched a mail forwarding service, reports Magazeta.com. Thus, foreign buyers are now freed from the need to resort to the services of Chinese intermediaries, who receive goods at local addresses and then ship them abroad.
“This is not a new intermediary company, not another reseller and consolidator of parcels. This is the official service of the Alibaba group, accessible to everyone,” the online publication emphasizes.
The cost of sending orders is 18 yuan (about 100 rubles) for the first kilogram plus 3 yuan (about 17 rubles) for each subsequent half kilogram. In addition, the buyer must pay the shipping cost itself. You can pay for processing and delivery using Visa, Mastercard and American Express bank cards. In order to place an order and use the delivery service, the user must go through the registration process and verify the account via mobile phone number and email. After this you can start placing orders. All paid parcels arrive at the warehouse, after which the buyer can order their shipment to his address.
However, such a possibility still remains “raw” and not perfectly debugged. Yes, theoretically, anyone can order directly and save some money. But in fact, to do this you will have to deal a lot with the service. For those who want to order a lot and/or often, this is relevant. But if you are a girl who saw a beautiful dress on the Internet and wants to order it from China, you are unlikely to want to waste time and effort on this. Therefore, the intermediary business is still popular and continues to grow.
Distance business has long ceased to be an unusual phenomenon. Proof of this is the numerous online stores, where anyone can make a purchase without leaving their home. Saving time and money are definitely benefits of online shopping. From this article you will learn how to independently organize a business selling clothes online, find potential buyers and successfully develop your business.
How to start selling clothes online?
Anyone can start their own online. Often this does not even require large investments. It is enough to have free time, constant access to the Internet and a desire to earn money.
For example, many housewives on maternity leave are attracted to selling children's clothing online. Potential buyers are fellow mothers who are looking for unusual and inexpensive things for their children. Having organized their business online, women are in no hurry to return to their usual routine work and continue to develop their profitable business even after maternity leave.
In order to start your online business, it is absolutely not necessary to make wholesale purchases and be afraid that the product will not be in demand. Selling clothes online allows you to act as an organizer of joint purchases. In other words, people will order the product they are interested in from you, make an advance payment, and you will buy it from the supplier and earn your percentage for the work done. Today, many individual entrepreneurs work according to this scheme, for whom it is much more comfortable to work at home on a computer than to trade on the market.
Deciding on the assortment
Let's say you decide to start selling clothes online. First of all, you need to decide on the assortment. The main criterion for successful online sales is the demand and relevance of things in the region where you live. Perhaps there are no beautiful evening and cocktail dresses in your city, or it is completely impossible to find high-quality children's shoes. It is important to conduct a comparative analysis of existing retail clothing stores, read forums and find out the opinions of your friends about what they would be most willing to buy from you.
An important factor is the average per capita income in the region where you are going to organize your online trading. Inflated prices can turn off potential buyers, and clothes that are too cheap can raise doubts about their quality. Try to focus on those products for which you will have as little competition as possible.
How to find a clothing supplier?
The wide variety of clothing suppliers can be confusing for a new online retailer. Today you can order clothes both in the CIS countries and far beyond the borders of the Commonwealth. The most profitable suppliers are, of course, Chinese clothing manufacturers. The leaders among resources offering online sales are AliExpress and TaoBao. However, if the latter site is aimed at native Chinese speakers, then users from all over the world can make purchases on AliExpress.
The advantage of Chinese suppliers is high-quality, inexpensive clothing. Through the Internet you can order quite exclusive things from China that cannot be found in any retail store in Russia.
The main rule for wholesale purchases on such a site is the rating of the selected seller. Make a transaction only after making sure of his integrity and the quality of the goods. You can check this by looking at reviews from customers who have already placed orders with this supplier.
The AliExpress resource protects the rights of both parties, as evidenced by a well-thought-out payment system. After selecting the desired product, the customer pays the full amount of its cost, after which the seller sends the product by mail. The money deposited into the system will be transferred to the seller’s account only after the customer receives his product and confirms its quality and safety during shipment. Otherwise, the buyer has the right to ask for a discount or a full refund. The system guarantees that any parcel will arrive safely, including clothes purchased through the store. The Internet in this case greatly simplifies the transaction process.
How to find potential buyers?
Once you have decided on a clothing supplier, you need to start searching for potential buyers who will be interested and profitable in your product. You can try to open your own online store, but this will require financial investments (creating a website, design development, promotion in search engines, finding a hired administrator, etc.) Therefore, the most rational way for a beginner to find buyers is a group or community on social networks.
You can create such a group absolutely free by advertising your services and posting an assortment of custom-made clothes. At first, friends and acquaintances can act as potential buyers. Gradually, people will start to learn about your online clothing selling community and will tell their friends about it. The principle of so-called “word of mouth marketing” works flawlessly to this day.
However, if financial resources allow, then you can entrust the promotion of the community to professionals who will invite potential buyers based on the principle of targeting. In other words, there will be people in your group who will actually start placing orders. Remember that buying clothes online should be as comfortable as possible for your potential buyers.
Payment methods for orders
To make transactions easier, you need to offer customers various payment methods for orders:
- Transfer to a bank card or money transfer to a bank account.
- Payment with electronic currency (WebMoney, Qiwi, YandexMoney).
- Postal order or cash on delivery.
- Payment in cash upon receipt of goods.
In addition, in order to insure yourself against the buyer’s refusal to order, you can introduce a prepayment system, which can range from 30 to 50% of the total cost of the goods. This item may even include making payment transactions much easier and more convenient, which significantly saves customers time and money.
Delivery of the order to the buyer
Proper organization of order delivery to the buyer will not only have a good impact on the reputation of the online store, but will also significantly reduce the time it takes to complete the transaction. You can arrange delivery in the following ways:
- Deliver the order to the buyer's home yourself.
- Deliver the goods at a pre-agreed location on neutral territory.
- Ask buyers to pick up goods directly from the seller's home.
- Hire a courier who, for a nominal fee, will deliver the goods to the right place and time.
- Send goods by mail with cash on delivery.
The advantage of online shopping is that you can buy this or that item without leaving your home. That is why it is better to give preference to delivery to the buyer’s home. It will be convenient if delivery is positioned as free, and you include its actual cost in the total cost of the purchase.
Agreement between seller and buyer
A well-drafted service agreement can protect the seller and buyer from possible misunderstandings during the transaction process. Moreover, it does not matter whether it is a legal document or a formal agreement in words. The main thing is that both parties fulfill their obligations.
For example, a mandatory clause of such an agreement may be an advance payment of 50% of the purchase price or a refund if the product turns out to be defective or does not fit in size. The buyer must be sure that he will not lose his money and will receive a quality order that will meet his expectations.
Taxes - to pay or not to pay?
Any business activity on the territory of the Russian Federation must be legally formalized and registered with the tax authority. Contributions to the state treasury will not only save you from possible problems, but will also help you create a confident future. After all, by registering as an individual entrepreneur, you will make monthly social and pension payments, from which your pension will be formed in the future.
However, if you are not yet confident in the success of your online business, you can try making a few trial orders for friends or relatives. If you see that selling clothes online is bringing positive results, then it makes sense to continue to develop your business by registering it legally. In the last few years, it has become possible to register online businesses in accordance with the tax code of the Russian Federation.
What else can you sell online?
Selling clothes online is not the only way to organize online trading. You can sell anything. The main thing is that the product is in demand and relevant among the residents of your city or region. Thus, unusual women's jewelry and accessories, various devices for the kitchen and home, car accessories and replica watches of famous brands are very popular. People will always be looking for unusual things that can be easily purchased without traveling abroad.
Online business is responsible and hard work. Selling clothes online or any accessories requires a certain amount of time in the early stages. However, with a properly planned business project, the result in the form of a stable income will not be long in coming.
How to start selling clothes? A step-by-step guide to starting a business.
1. Decide on general concept of the store, what product you want to sell: women's or men's clothing, children's clothing, shoes, bed linen, and so on.
2. You have decided on the product - then you should evaluate it general state of competition for this group of products in your city. What are the weaknesses of existing retail outlets? What products do you think are missing from their range? It would be a good idea to conduct a survey among the population of your area, where you are going to open a business. Ask what product they would like to see, whether they are satisfied with the quality of the clothes already sold, etc.
3. Finding the location of a retail outlet. Depending on the amount of capital you have, you will choose where to locate your retail outlet: in a shopping center, in a market-type shopping center (indoor) or in a regular clothing market. Placing a retail outlet in a shopping center requires significantly larger investments than placing it on a market. The cost per square meter in a large shopping center is several times higher than the cost of a retail space in the market. But, the level of competition in the market is often much higher than in a separate shopping center. Trite - because of the larger number of sellers.
4. Registration of business activities. For a small retail outlet, an ordinary individual entrepreneurship is suitable. To register an individual entrepreneur, you must submit an application to the local tax office. The application is accompanied by a package of documents: a photocopy of the passport, TIN, paid by the state. duty (800 rub.). Registration period is 5 working days.
You should also write an application to the tax office about switching to a special one. tax regime - UTII. This is the most favorable taxation system for clothing outlets with an area of no more than 150 m2. UTII exempts you from the need to apply (settlements with customers can be carried out using a sales receipt), payment of VAT, income tax and property tax.
5. Preliminary search for product suppliers. Where do you plan to buy clothes? From Russian suppliers, on wholesale markets, from foreign manufacturers. It is important to personally visit several potential suppliers, compare prices, evaluate the quality of the product, working conditions, etc. Also at this step you should decide on the approximate assortment of the outlet.
6. Conclusion of a lease agreement with a shopping center or market. When concluding a lease agreement, carefully study all clauses of the agreement. In particular, for what period is the contract concluded, at whose expense the repairs are made, the cost of rent includes fees for utilities, etc. To conclude an agreement, the administration of the market/shopping center will ask you to provide documents: a certificate of registration of an individual entrepreneur, a certificate of registration with the tax office, a passport of an individual, a conclusion of Rospotrebnadzor for the product, certificates of conformity (children's clothing) or declarations of conformity for the product.
7. Purchase and delivery of the first assortment of goods. When making payments to the supplier, carefully check the availability of accompanying documentation for the clothing: delivery notes, invoices, certificates or declarations of conformity for the goods. If any of the documents are missing, you risk losing the goods (confiscation) in the event of a possible inspection by regulatory authorities.
8. Hiring salespeople. It’s not realistic to cope alone in the clothing trade. A business owner, in addition to the process of selling goods, needs to solve all sorts of organizational issues: searching for suppliers, returning goods, accounting, submitting reports, settlements with suppliers, etc. There may be very little time left for trading. Therefore, you must attract at least 1-2 sellers. The average salary of one salesperson is $200 + a percentage of daily revenue. An employment contract is concluded with each accepted seller. Also, each seller should obtain a medical record (simplified form) - clothing trade, by law, requires such a document.
After accepting the first seller, the owner of the outlet should register with extra-budgetary funds as an employer (Pension Fund and Social Insurance Fund). For his sellers, the entrepreneur is obliged to pay monthly insurance premiums in the amount of 30% of wages.