The Three Rules for a Successful Clothing Store

Like most other things in life running a clothing store has many challenges and struggles. Within the community of entrepreneurs there are two kinds of people who rise to meet the challenges of running a business. There are people who will become professionals and there are armatures. What is the decisive distinction between the two? The answer is simple, the way they go about learning their business.

Firstly it is important to add a quick thought. Despite what most people are led to believe there is no science to running a business. Even though there is scarcely a university or college that does not have a business department what is taught there is predominantly generalizations and post facto observations. I know this because I graduated business school two years ago and so much of what I learned offers me no guidance direct instruction. This is not to say that it does not help to go to school, it does, but if you think that is all it takes you’re in for some real surprises. And if you think running a simple thing like a small clothing store has been done before your right but getting the tips from those in the know is not easy at all.

The most hallmark signs of the armature are twofold: they run into a business with a rush and stop learning after they covered the basics. Conversely, the pros go in slowly and never stop learning.
In my personal attempt at becoming a pro, I will share my limited knowledge in how to run a successful clothing store in the hope that someone who is in a similar position that I was in last year will be able to skip a few steps on the way to going pro.

Here are the three rules:

Rule one: customer service. You can hire people who are over friendly because then your customers fell suffocated. You can’t hire people who are too reserved because then people feel alienated. You must hire someone who knows how to keep the above trait in balance so that they can adjust to customer and the situation. If you want people to come back you got to make the rite impression.

Rule two: in store decoration. I’m not just talking about mannequins and dress forms, I’m talking overall atmosphere. There is a reason why anthropology spends so much money on interior design. The feeling you give to your customers is crucial! I got some great mannequins and dress forms for a site on line and it has made a real deference. Not just in theory, my sales literally went up because of them I have no doubt about it.

Rule three: constantly getting new stuff. You got to stay young as a store. When people come return to your store and see the same things they saw last time you will loss them. You got to constantly be ordering new inventory and if you have to sell your old stuff on eBay or to an on line close out and hop you break even. This sounds counterintuitive and wasteful but it’s what it takes. If I have learned on thing it’s that the path to success is paved with risk. So don’t fret when you have to take a small loss from time to time.

I’m still learning and I hope you decide to do the same as well, and I hope you minimize the amount of learning from trial and error and get a step ahead by hunting for advice and looking at what the successful stores are doing.