How to Open an Online Boutique
Before you open your online boutique, make a business plan and rough budget. Set up a shop on Amazon or Etsy to build a client base, then move to your own website to have more autonomy. Browse online to find unique inventory and take high-quality photos of each piece for your website. Advertise on Instagram and Pinterest, and partner with local businesses to grow your brand.
Decide on a product to sell. Most boutiques sell unique clothing, jewelry and accessories, but others could also offer home items like candles or knickknacks. What items do you have a natural eye for? What are you passionate about that others are interested in, too? Look for a niche in the market that you think is unfulfilled, or an item or style that your boutique could provide that others aren't. Don't worry if it takes a while to figure out what exactly to sell. You might even start selling different items before you hone in on what works and what doesn't. Be patient and embrace failure as a way of learning. Research similar boutiques to make sure yours is unique. Look up established boutiques that sell the products you're interested in stocking, or have a similar style to what you'd like to establish. Look over their website carefully and note down anything you think they're doing well. Then, write down ways your boutique could be different or even better. Knowing your competition can help you brainstorm ways to stand out from the crowd. For example, if you're interested in selling bohemian style clothing and jewelry, search for “boho boutiques.” Click through each website's information pages and products and see what the checkout process is like. Don't be intimidated by established boutiques! Let their success inspire you to create a business that's even better. Draw up a preliminary budget. Using the market research you did on your competitors, determine rough prices that you can charge for your products and their popularity at other retailers. Determine about how many people will be buying your products when you just start out--whether you have a small following already, or are starting from scratch. Then, estimate your costs, like rent, insurance, internet bills, and the costs of buying items from designers. Compare your cost and revenue estimates side by side. You might see that your costs are higher than your revenues. Don't panic! This is where loans and investors come in. As you grow your customer base, your revenue will grow. These financial plans are just estimates, so it's okay if they end up being wrong. This is just to give you a place to start from. Write a rough business plan. Your business plan is a great way to organize your thoughts and create a roadmap as you move forward. It'll also be essential if you're interested in taking out a loan or shopping your boutique to investors. Provide a short summary saying what kind of boutique you plan to open and what you want from the reader: funds from an investor, a loan from the bank, etc. Talk about the state of the boutique industry. Describe what part of the market your boutique will address, and which strategies you'll use to get an edge on your competitors. Discuss how much money you'll need to get your boutique off the ground, and, later, to keep it running strong. Estimate how much profit you think you'll make over the first few years. Take out a bank loan to cover startup costs. Call your bank and set up an appointment to talk about taking out a loan for your boutique. You'll need to show them your polished business plan and demonstrate that you have a good personal credit and financial history, which might include showing your tax returns. Show your banker that your boutique is a great idea, and that operating online will help you save money and be able to pay back your loan soon. If your loan proposal gets rejected, don't panic. Talk to your banker about other kinds of loans, like lines of credit and secured loans. Show your business plan to investors. Ask anyone you know who owns or works at a boutique, or even in the retail industry in general, who you might ask to invest in your new boutique. Look up government organizations that help small businesses, like the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) in the US, or talk to your local Chamber of Commerce. When you find an investor, contact them by email and set up a meeting. Show them your business plan and tell them why your boutique will be a success. Keep a “day job” to cover costs while you get your boutique started. Since you're running your boutique online, your startup costs will be lower, and you might not even need a loan or an outside investment if you're willing to continue working a regular job. It'll be difficult and tiring to work all day and continue to set up your boutique in your spare time, but if your boutique is truly your passion, the extra hours will be worth it. Once your boutique gets off the ground and starts bringing you a profit, you might even be able to quit your day job and invest yourself in your boutique full-time. Register your business to officially start your boutique. This process will be different depending on what state and country you're setting up your boutique in, so the easiest way to get started is to contact your local chamber of commerce and ask how you can register your business with the federal and state governments. They can also help you get federal and state tax IDs and any licenses and permits you'll need. Set up your boutique on an established site, like Etsy or Amazon. One challenge of starting a new business is simply getting your name out there. Create a profile, under your boutique's name, on common sites like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Offer your products on these established sites first to create a customer base. Once your website is set up, you can move items over and let your customers know that they can find new products on your new site. Try a hosted platform to easily set up your own website. A hosted platform means that a company will “host” your site, providing you with support, resources, and often some website templates to get you started. These sites are typically easy to use and customizable, so you can make your pages look unique and reflect the feel of your boutique. They also have less of a chance of going down due to hosting errors than do self-hosted sites. Try services like Shopify , Volusion, and BigCommerce. Hosted sites will often charge a monthly fee to use their software, and their checkout pages are typically less customizable than a self-hosted site. Make a self-hosted site for a cheaper option for a smaller boutique. Self-hosted platforms can be tricky, because the platform will provide with software but not the same amount of support and maintenance as a hosted platform. However, you can customize your website more effectively with a self-hosted website, and you won't have to pay a monthly fee to the platform. Some self-hosted platforms include WooCommerce and Magento. Look for sites with an easy-to-use interface. Research the best platforms for a small online store and see if you can do a trial period before you make your final decision. Choose a website design that will appeal to your audience. You can hire a web designer or use a template from your chosen platform. Make sure the end design looks professional and clean, and will reflect the product you're selling. For example, you might choose a sleek, modern design if you're selling high-end clothing. If most of your products are flowy, boho-style skirts or jewelry, let the design be softer and less edgy. Equip your website with a secure checkout feature. Most hosted platforms, and some self-hosted platforms, come with a pre-made checkout page that you can trust. If your platform doesn't provide a checkout service, look up options through secure payment websites, such as PayPal, which allows you to integrate their checkout process into your own website. Keep your customers’ information safe with security features. Get an SSL certification for your page to encrypt the connection (most hosted platforms should already be certified). Use an address and card verification system and require your customers to create strong passwords. Set up alerts to notify you of suspicious transactions, like many orders placed by one person but with multiple credit cards. Use firewalls and tracking numbers for your orders. Most hosted platforms should come with heavy security already in place. Look for unique products online. If you're buying inventory, search for small-scale creators on fashion blogs or on platforms like Etsy. Their products will be the most unique and authentic, and will likely be cheaper as well. Be choosy about what you carry, as your products are the biggest reflection of your brand, but don't be afraid to take a risk on an unusual item if you think it fits well with your brand. Make a couple small purchases from a seller before you buy a large stock, in case the products are poorly-made or falsely advertised. Check out trade shows and showrooms to look at pieces in person. If you're looking to expand your inventory to include slightly larger designers, check out fashion trade shows and events. These shows are held every year in different parts of the world, but especially in fashion industry capitals like Los Angeles and New York City. Look online to find a complete list of fashion trade shows. Talk to any designer whose style would mesh well with your brand, from a bigger name to a less-established one. Explain that you're starting your own boutique and that this is an exciting time for them to be noticed by a brand new set of customers. Although these designers might be more established than those you'd find only online, you should continue prioritize quality and style over name brand. You might love a designer's work and admire them personally, but if their style doesn't mesh well with the rest of your boutique, it will likely not sell well in the long run. Make appointments with small designers for more personal discussions. Reaching out directly to designers will show that you're serious about your boutique, even though you're just starting out. Look for a designer's contact information on their website and call them to ask about making an appointment in person, or over phone or video chat. Ask for a lookbook to get a better idea of the designer's style. Take professional photos of your products for your website. Use models if possible, since your customers want to know how clothes will look on a person rather than a hanger or a mannequin. Try to hire a professional photographer if possible, or do it yourself if you own a good camera. Place your models against a white background and make sure you have clear lighting. Keep the poses and styling true to your boutique's overall style. For example, if your pieces are very clean and simplistic, keep the photoshoot styling simple and don't clutter the photos with strange poses or makeup. If you're selling clothes or accessories that are more elaborate, you can pair them with flashier pieces, but make sure the center of attention is always the piece that you're selling. Keep your inventory on-site to save money on storage. Before you start buying inventory, clear out some space in your closet, garage, or attic. Store your products in this cleared area in labeled boxes or on hangers. Make sure it's all labeled and organized so that you can quickly find what you need to ship out. Use a shipping fulfillment platform to streamline the shipping process. A shipping fulfillment platform, especially one that specializes in e-commerce businesses, can help you with the smaller details of shipping orders, like printing labels and packing slips. It will be another cost for your business, but could be worth it if you start getting more orders and need help staying organized. Personalize packages to add a special touch. Add a special design to your packaging or slip in a handwritten thank-you note to your customer. These small touches are something that your larger competitors will often skimp on, and they'll show that you really care about the people purchasing your products. You could even throw in a small free sample of a new product or a coupon to encourage them to buy from you again. Partner with fashion bloggers to promote your products. Look for bloggers whose style matches yours, and who have a dedicated base of followers. Send them an email explaining that you're starting a new boutique and would like to discuss the possibility of forming a partnership with them. You'll likely send them a few pieces for free in exchange for them writing a blog post that features you or those pieces in some way. Make sure to discuss the content of the post before it goes live. If the blogger didn't end up liking your pieces, you don't want them to lie in their post, or write a bad review. Post photos on social media under your brand’s name. Post regularly on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Look at a few popular brands to get inspiration, but make sure to stay true to your own style. Make sure the photos are well-lit and edited nicely, but it's okay if they don't look completely professional. Use photos of models using your products in life-inspired settings and backgrounds, rather than just in a studio, so your customers can envision themselves wearing your pieces in the real world. Set up business accounts on your social media platforms so you can track your reach and popularity. Encourage your customers to post about your product. Try doing a social media promotion where you offer a discount or a free product to a follower who posts about your boutique. Once you rack up more followers, start reposting favorite pictures of your customers wearing your products. They'll be excited for the chance to be featured on your official profile! Set up pop-up shops to sell in-person with no long-term commitment. Pop-up shops are temporary retail spaces, which could be as small as a booth, where you sell your inventory for a limited amount of time. By asking local businesses to host your shop, you can both promote each other and expand your customer base without having to rent out a permanent location.Talk to a popular local coffee shop, bakery, or hair salon--anywhere you think potential customers might hang out. Explain that you run a successful online boutique and are looking to expand locally. Suggest hosting a promotion. For example, a customer who buys a piece from you will get a discount at the store you're sharing space with. Run a table at local crafts or arts fairs to advertise at different locations. Many communities have artisan markets or crafts fairs where local artists can showcase their work. Go online to research different fairs and markets near you, then contact their directors about getting a booth there. Start with just your community or those nearby, then start branching out to cities and communities that are a little farther away. Be cheerful and chat with anyone who stops by your booth. Make small talk, answer their questions, and share a little about your story. People are more likely to buy from you and have a positive impression about your products if you're polite and happy to be there. Open up a brick and mortar shop when you have a major local following. If your boutique continues to grow, the natural next step for expansion might be a physical storefront. Look for an area where your potential customers spend time, such as in a chic neighborhood or an up-and-coming area of downtown. Look at your current revenue and decide on a rent price that is right for you. Offer in-store pickup for local customers who like to order online. Don't worry if you're not making enough of a profit to rent a storefront. You can be successful and happy--and cost-efficient--by continuing to operate online-only. 
Decide on a product to sell. Research similar boutiques to make sure yours is unique. Draw up a preliminary budget. Write a rough business plan. Take out a bank loan to cover startup costs. Show your business plan to investors. Keep a “day job” to cover costs while you get your boutique started. Register your business to officially start your boutique. Set up your boutique on an established site, like Etsy or Amazon. Try a hosted platform to easily set up your own website. Make a self-hosted site for a cheaper option for a smaller boutique. Choose a website design that will appeal to your audience. Equip your website with a secure checkout feature. Keep your customers’ information safe with security features. Look for unique products online. Check out trade shows and showrooms to look at pieces in person. Make appointments with small designers for more personal discussions. Take professional photos of your products for your website. Keep your inventory on-site to save money on storage. Use a shipping fulfillment platform to streamline the shipping process. Personalize packages to add a special touch. Partner with fashion bloggers to promote your products. Post photos on social media under your brand’s name. Encourage your customers to post about your product. Set up pop-up shops to sell in-person with no long-term commitment. Run a table at local crafts or arts fairs to advertise at different locations. Open up a brick and mortar shop when you have a major local following. 