I would like to open my own business in retail (shoes), any advise on how to be successful?
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You may want to start by reading the article "Starting a Shoe Retail Store" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol136/shoe.htm . The article covers information on factors affecting demand for shoes, level of competition, business planning, registering your business, finding the right location, startup expenses, choosin your merchandise and key success factors.\n\nTo get inventory and connect with suppliers, you may want to attend trade shows. The following shows are a must for anyone in the shoe retailing business:\n\n- World Shoe Association http://www.wsashow.com   - the largest and most comprehensive footwear and related accessories event \n- Magic Marketplace http://www.magiconline.com - mainly apparel and accessories, though includes footwear as well\n- Fashion Footwear Association of New York http://www.ffany.org - largest shoe show in the East Coast\n- Shoe Market of the Americas http://www.smota.com  - held 3 times a year in Miami\n- North American Shoe and Accessories Market http://www.northamericanshoe.com  - the 10th largest shoe show in the world\n- Los Angeles Shoe Show http://www.californiamarketcenter.com  \n- Southwest Shoe Expo http://www.southwestshoeexpo.com  - held 5 times a year at Dallas World Trade Center\n- Chicago Shoe Expo http://www.chicagoshoeexpo.com  - a small regional trade show held 4 times a year in Chicago\n- Micam Shoevent http://www.micamonlin e - international trade show for medium to high end footwear held twice a year in Milan\n- GDS http://www.mdna.com  - the premier shoe event held twice a year in Dusseldolf, Germany\n\nYou can also visit the websites of the following associations and check out their resources:\n\nNational Retail Federation http://www.nrf.com \nAmerica Apparel and Footwear Association http://www.americanapparel.org/ \nElectronic Retailing Association http://www.retailing.org \nNational Shoe Retailers Association http://www.nsra.org/ \n\nYou may also want to read the books:\n\n- Profitable Footwear Retailing  \n- The Complete Footwear Dictionary  \n- Clothing and Footwear Industry: Market Review  \n- Footwear Retailing
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Most important thing is dont give up. More competition the better. What you must try to do is make some difference from what you were and what is available in the other shop.\nFirst go through your sales history and examine what is in demand mostly,  ex. 1. what type of items 2. the quality etc. \nMay be books or candles are more in demand. See whether you can sneak a peek into the other shop. I'm sure that other person started his business after giving a careful consideration to you who has been in business for 18 years. \nDepending on your finances see whether you can change the stuff you have been selling, 'cos your stuff might be a little outdated. We cannot say from here 'cos it depends on what you have been selling. You can even put a small sale and get rid of the old stuff for a cheap price. that could attract more customers , but not for long. \nTry to change the look too. As someone else has said you can put lanterna and candles to make the place attractive. Also go out of the town to a posh big gift shop and see what they have done. You dont have to copy or I'm not saying you should, but that will give you an idea as to what the trend is. You might not even be able to do everything they have done too. \nMy experiance with gift shops is that they must change with the seasons of the year as well as retaining some for someone who wants to buy something such as a b'day gift etc. Also if a person can get something inexpensive but looks good and of good quality the better. So dont give up. Do a bit of research as to the needs of your community. \nGood luck!
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I suggest you start by reading more about how to start a bookstore business:\n\n- How To Start & Manage A Bookstore Business: A Practical Way To Start Your Own Business by Jerre G. Lewis, Leslie D. Renn\n- FabJob Guide to Become a Bookstore Owner -- by Grace Jasmine\n\nYou also need to start lining up your suppliers for your bookstore. For starters, create an account with Ingram Books http://www.ingrambook.com/new/booksellers.asp - they are the largest book wholesalers today.\n\nStarting a small business takes a lot of courage. But, as they say, courage does not pay the bills. To be successful – to stay in business – you need more than courage. You need a combination of hard work, skill, perseverance, and lots of luck. \n\nSome things you need to consider:\n- "How can I support my family while I build up by business?" \n- "What are my abilities?" \n- "Is there a market for the product or service I have chosen?" \n- "How long will it take this business to reach the financial goal I have?" \n\nYou may want to read the article "How to Start a New Business Successfully" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol51/launch.htm , which lists six steps to launch a new business successfully:\n\n1. Provide a benefit.\n2. Determine the fit with your market.\n3. Right timing is everything\n4. Be ready to support your business\n5. Develop a blueprint for success\n6. Market, market, market\n\nI recommend that you read the following books:\n\n- What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business : Real Life Start-Up Advice from 101 Successful Entrepreneurs \n- Starting From Scratch: How To Start A Business When You Don't Have Money \n- If You're Clueless About Starting Your Own Business and Want to Know More \n- On the Move : How to Succeed and Survive As an Entrepreneur \n- How to Make 1000 Mistakes in Business and Still Succeed\n\nThere is so much to learn about starting a business that it is hard to put everything here. I suggest that you to check out the following websites and learn from their content:\n\nEntrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com\nInc.com http://www.inc.com\nSBA http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/\nPowerHomeBiz.com http://www.powerhomebiz.com
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Well, first of all, if you want to start a "business," it better be a garage/yard sale.  It's not so easy.  You can't just go to the government and say, "I'm making a business, can you give me some land?"  NO!\nI hope I don't sound rude with this reply, but if you want to start a business, it will take a while and again, will not be easy.\nAs for the whole, "What should it be?"  You're the one to decide that.  If you want to make a sports shop, do that!  If you want to sell shoes, go for it!  Doing chores for average households, giving art lessons, whatever it is, go for it!
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You are still very young, and there is so much to learn about the business. I suggest you continue to hone your design skills and start learning of the ins and outs of the fashion business.\n\nYou may want to read the free article "Starting a Clothing Line Business" at http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol66/clothing.htm . It contains information on how you can get started in the apparel business.\n\nIf you want in-depth information, you can read the following books:\n\n- The Official Step by Step Guide to Starting a Clothing Line Start Your Own Clothing Store (Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Up) \n- Apparel Manufacturing: Sewn Product Analysis \n- The Business of Fashion: Designing Manufacturing, and Marketing \n- The World of Fashion Merchandising \n- Made in America: The Business of Apparel and Sewn Products Manufacturing \n- The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing \n- Fashion: From Concept to Consumer \n- Fashion Merchandising and Marketing \n\nThe following Associations also can give you information on how to get started in this business\n\nProfessional Apparel Association http://www.proapparel.com \nAmerican Apparel Producer’s Network http://www.usawear.org/ \nWorldwide Responsible Apparel Manufacture http://www.wrapapparel.org/ \nAmerican Apparel and Footwear Association http://www.americanapparel.org/\nNational Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers http://www.nafad.com/ \nFashion Group International http://www.fgi.org \nApparel News http://www.apparelnews.net/
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Think of all your interests & ask yourself if any of those could be expanded into a business. Just keep in mind...what's your expertise? What are your interests? What could you imagine yourself doing?\n\nBy researching the prospect of starting your own business -- what it entails, what you need to know, helpful hints, etc -- you'll feel better prepared to take that plunge.\n\nI found some book titles that are relevant to your specific question:\n\n* 101 Internet Businesses You Can Start from Home by Susan Sweeney\n* The Best Home Businesses for the 21st Century by Paul Edwards\n* Selling Online: How to Become a Successful E-Commerce Merchant by Jim Carroll\n* I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It by Barbara Sher\n* I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Gratifying Work by Julie Jansen\n\nI also posted some article links in the source box.\n\nHope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
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You are going to need to do lot of cold calling and maybe even showing up face to face for with the business owners/retailers.\n\nWhy don't you hire some sales people to help you?
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I recommend that you start by reading the article "Starting a Clothing Line Business" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol66/clothing.htm\n\nYou may also want to read the following books http://www.powerhomebiz.com/bookstore/clothing/clothing.htm :  \n- The Official Step by Step Guide to Starting a Clothing Line \n- Start Your Own Clothing Store (Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Up) \n- The Business of Fashion: Designing Manufacturing, and Marketing \n- The World of Fashion Merchandising \n- So You Want to Work in the Fashion Business? A Practical Look at Apparel Product Development and Global Manufacturing \n- The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing \n- Fashion: From Concept to Consumer
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Depending on your training, hobbies, work experience etc., there are many companies you can start for that amount. Some examples would include Custom made furniture, courier company, home based computer repair and/or consulting, and in home tutoring all come to mind. A successful small business must also take into consideration the number of competing business's, the size of the city or town you are in, and are there enough people interested in what you are looking to do as a business. There is a great deal of research that needs to be done before you start a small business but do not be discouraged, it took me 3 years to get my small business off the ground and out of the red and into the black, so stick with it and you can make just about any small business a success.
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The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.\n\nAssociations may be a good avenue to explore as well. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links. \n\nResearch, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:\n\n* Specialty Shop Retailing: How to Run Your Own Store Revised by Carol L. Schroeder\n* The Small Business Owner's Manual: Everything You Need To Know To Start Up And Run Your Business by Joe Kennedy\n* How to Get Rich in the Service Station Business by Edward R. O'Donnell\n\nHope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
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well you could start here \nhttp://www.steveandbarrys.com/website/contact.htm\n\nask them about opening your own store, I bet they could at least point you in the right direction.\n\nI love that place, I have one of there shirts on right now lol\n\nedit:\nwell it looks like you cant get your own, just noticed this in there FAQ\n\nhttp://www.steveandbarrys.com/website/faq.htm\n\nSteve and Barry's University Sportswear is a privately-owned company and therefore, we do not offer franchises. If you would like to get involved with our company, please view the current opportunities for employment.
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No matter what business you choose to do be it an already established one such as Watkins,Amway,Avon or Mary Kay (my personal favorite) or a brand new innovation of your own. it will only become a top business through your own hard work and ambition to succeed. The businesses I mentioned give you the tools to start and great support for a minimal fee. Your own business could take months. even years to establish...the real key is to discover what you enjoy the most yourself, what could you talk all day about without ever tiring and then write down exactly what you want to achieve and stick to it. Good Luck in all that you do!
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The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.\n\nI recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.\n\nAssociations may be a good avenue to explore as well. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links. \n\nResearch, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:\n\n* Start and Run a Profitable Retail Business by Jim Dion, Ted Topping\n* Retail Business Kit for Dummies by Rick Segel \n* Specialty Shop Retailing: How to Run Your Own Store Revised by Carol L. Schroeder\n* So You Want To Own The Store: Secrets to Running a Successful Retail Operation by Mort Brown\n* Goldmine Record Album Price Guide by Tim Neely\n* The Industry Yellow Pages: The Official Radio, Retail and Distribution Music Directory. A Directory, listing over 2000 Radio Stations, 660+ Record Stores ... World-Wide? (On CD-ROM. PC & Mac compatible) by Platinum Millennium\n\nThere are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.\n\nHope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
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A lot of people dream of owning their own clothing store. My recommendation is always to start by researching on the business and learning everything about it -- before starting. Clothing stores, especially, require lots of capital to start so you cannot afford to make a lot of mistakes\n\nHere are some articles that provide information on how to start a clothing store:\n\nHow to Start a Clothing Store http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,287057,00.html\nStarting a Specialized Clothing Retailing Business http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol89/specialized.htm\nStarting a Retail Clothing Store http://www.cbsc.org/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1102419629706&pagename=CBSC_SK%2Fdisplay&lang=en&c=GuideHowto\n\nOne of the first steps is to prepare a business plan. Especially if you are planning on applying for loans, the process of business planning can help you think through your business. It can help you decide on the type of store, determine the costs involved, how to get suppliers to sell to you, how to market the store, expected profitability, etc.\n\nHere are sample business plans for a clothing store that you can check out: \n\nRetail Clothing http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/business-plans/Business-Plans-Volume-01/Retail-Clothing.html\nMen's Clothing Retailer http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/business-plans/Business-Plans-Volume-04/Men-s-Clothing-Retailer.html\nSpecial Needs Clothing Store http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/business-plans/Business-Plans-Volume-07/Special-Needs-Clothing-Store.html\n\nFor detailed information, I suggest you check out the following books: \n\nStart Your Own Clothing Store (Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Up) (Paperback) by Entrepreneur Press \nRetail Business Kit for Dummies by Rick Segel \nSpecialty Shop Retailing: How to Run Your Own Store Revised by Carol L. Schroeder \n\nYou may also want to check out the resources of the following associations: \n\nProfessional Apparel Association http://www.proapparel.com/ \nAmerican Apparel Producer’s Network http://www.usawear.org/ \nWorldwide Responsible Apparel Manufacture http://www.wrapapparel.org/\nAmerican Apparel and Footwear Association http://www.americanapparel.org/\nNational Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers http://www.nafad.com/ \nFashion Group International http://www.fgi.org/ \nApparel News http://www.apparelnews.net/ \n\nAs for grants, unfortunately, if you are in the US, the government hardly gives any grants for starting a for-profit business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business. \n\nNonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.\n\nEven if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same - hardly any grants for starting a for profit business.\n\nEven SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html\n\n"The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments."\n\nHere is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals
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I suggest you start by reading more about how to start a bookstore business:\n\n- How To Start & Manage A Bookstore Business: A Practical Way To Start Your Own Business by Jerre G. Lewis, Leslie D. Renn\n- FabJob Guide to Become a Bookstore Owner -- by Grace Jasmine\n\nStarting a small business takes a lot of courage. But, as they say, courage does not pay the bills. To be successful – to stay in business – you need more than courage. You need a combination of hard work, skill, perseverance, and lots of luck. \n\nSome things you need to consider:\n- "How can I support my family while I build up by business?" \n- "What are my abilities?" \n- "Is there a market for the product or service I have chosen?" \n- "How long will it take this business to reach the financial goal I have?" \n\nYou may want to read the article "How to Start a New Business Successfully" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol51/launch.htm , which lists six steps to launch a new business successfully:\n\n1. Provide a benefit.\n2. Determine the fit with your market.\n3. Right timing is everything\n4. Be ready to support your business\n5. Develop a blueprint for success\n6. Market, market, market\n\nI recommend that you read the following books:\n\n- What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business : Real Life Start-Up Advice from 101 Successful Entrepreneurs \n- Starting From Scratch: How To Start A Business When You Don't Have Money \n- If You're Clueless About Starting Your Own Business and Want to Know More \n- On the Move : How to Succeed and Survive As an Entrepreneur \n- How to Make 1000 Mistakes in Business and Still Succeed
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You can start at Yahoo Shopping. I guess you can set up a small online store there with minimum effort. Once your business grows, you may move it your own site and buy some custom built website.
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I've been there, I decided after many failed attempts to start my own business, which is what I am in the process of doing right now. a Great website I have found is www.businessownersideacafe.com, there is a link called "cybershmooze" and you can post questions there about legitimate, low cost oppotunities. They have a business plan section, a section to help name your business, and a lot more. and since everyone one is a small business owner or is looking to be, you will be in good company. Good Luck