Understand the psychology of wearing jeans before you open your shop doors.
Bottoms Up. Read My Hips. Pick a name that's equally clever to launch your own jeans store. Jeans remain a hot fashion commodity. Just ask trendy designers, buyers and manufacturers responsible for introducing new styles season after season. Create a store that's a mecca for jeans shoppers, and tell naysayers that your success was inevitable given the entrepreneurial genes in your DNA.
Instructions
1. Become an expert on the subject of jeans by visiting stores that run the gamut from big box destinations to pricey boutiques. Make notes as you go, listing manufacturers and designers you favor for their attractive prices, range of styles and sizes. Decide if you'll keep your store a "girl's only" boutique or let guys and kids in on the action.
2. Understand the psychology of blue jeans---the comfort and confidence men and women experience wearing jeans for just about every occasion. Learn about constructing jeans and washing, decorating, trimming and pricing them. Get comfortable with the jeans style continuum that stretches from high-waist "mom" jeans to boot cut, skinny leg, utilitarian, designer jeans and more.
3. Pursue a bank loan once you've finished your basic education in jeansology. Prepare a business plan outlining your goals and objectives. Calculate the amount of money you'll need for rent, jeans stock/inventory, fixtures, utilities, store remodeling, a cash register, security system, insurance, salaries and benefits if you plan to hire help.
4. Establish accounts with jeans manufacturers and distributors. Be prepared to send credit information attesting to the fiscal health of your enterprise with your account applications, as manufacturers will only extend credit to those whose creditworthiness is sufficient. Obtain each jeans company's list of business policies so that you know handle delicate matters like damaged goods and returns due to manufacturing defects.
5. Rent a storefront in a high-traffic shopping area known to attract folks on the hunt for casual clothing. Obtain licenses and permits plus an insurance policy to cover natural disasters, shoplifting and liability issues. Install wholesale fixtures, displays and racks. Hire staff to keep your jeanery open as many hours as the store budget allows. Find a creative design magician to give your shop a one-of-a-kind look, or save a bundle by working with a talented interior design student.
6. Promote, promote, promote. Form a "Jeans Scene" club for teens, a council that meets monthly to advise you on new styles, materials, designers and trends. Get involved with your local Chamber of Commerce or neighborhood merchant's association to network in the community. Hold charity drives to garner publicity---for example, have shoppers bring you gently worn jeans for donation to a woman's shelter in return for a 20 percent discount on any item in the store.
