Jumpstart Your Online Boutique Today In 6 Easy Steps

There are many reasons people start an ecommerce website. Some are looking to make a living while others just want create a side hustle for some extra cash. If you’re reading this, you likely have a reason of your own for wanting an online boutique. I personally started blogging years ago, as a hobby, then I wanted to monetize once I got pregnant, but eventually threw in the towel once I returned to work. Third time’s a charm, right? Read more about my story here.

Having a store completely online helps you get started with your entrepreneur dreams right away. It can be a way to fund your future brick and mortar boutique. But if things sales take off and you decide a store front isn’t necessary, that’s even more profits to invest in other aspects of your business (like your salary).

Keep reading for exactly how I got started selling other company’s products as a retailer completely online.

Documentation

The first thing you need when you decide to start a store is the proper documentation.

• Set your business up as a sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation.
• Get relevant selling licenses (seller’s, vendor, etc.) in your state.
• Obtain EIN
• Set up DUNS

These items will be necessary for the next steps. Wholesale sites require some form of verification that you are eligible to resell these items. If everyone could purchase at wholesale prices, they would! That’s not profitable for companies and it’s not profitable for you.

Online Boutique Website

Not every online boutique needs a self-hosted website. There are options like Shopify, Amazon, and Etsy that are more like marketplaces to get started. Some people even sell on their social media like YouTube and Instagram and take orders via DM’s and emails. However, I’ve found it best to have full control and customization over my website. Big stores (like I hope to eventually become) have their own websites.

Having a website gives your shop a professional appearance. It’s a lot of work promoting it but the reward is big.

Sign up with Bluehost and get your WordPress included website. Take advantage of the email provided by this host and really look professional. You can set an email with your website name after the @. For example, my email is contact(at)mommyhustlepro.com.

Use my special discount to get the best rate on a website today.

Sourcing Products For Your Online Boutique

I personally pride myself in getting all my products from US based businesses. Sure this may eat into your bottom line, marginally. But I’ve been burned in my experiences with overseas vendors. Especially one’s using COVID for why products didn’t arrive after 5 months!

I have two personal favorite places to get wholesale products. One of them is Tundra. Subscribe to emails here to be sent an invitation to the other site (oooo exclusive). They offer some of the same vendors but some are very different. They cover multiple categories which might even help you expand into selling products you haven’t thought of. The key difference between these vendors and some that you’ll find on Aliexpress or Alibaba is that you do not “own” the products. Yes, you bought them so you can do with them as you please. However, this is not something you can slap your own brand on like private labeling.

Remember when I started I said I am a retailer. Think Macy’s, Walmart, and Target. Sure they have products in the store that are their own brand but most are other brands being sold at their locations. The incentive is you buy the products at discounted quantity rates, and you’re able to mark them up to retail price to turn a profits.

Math moment: You buy a product for $10 wholesale price on Tundra that has a retail price of $40. You “make” $30 every time you sell a product. Some of this will be used towards shipping if you offer free or discounted rates but you’ve still made $30 on a $10 product. Multiply that by, let’s say, 20 units sold in a month and you’ve already made $600 just from 1 product — cha-ching!

Social Media

This is your chief marketing tool! Word of mouth is great and this is a way to amplify that. You’ll start with your personal network of friends and family and eventually grow your reach. Setting up social media and posting content consistently will keep your audience engage.

This is the best FREE tool you can use in your business. Ads may help but those cost! By creating a community of your target audience you build brand awareness and trust. Don’t only post or only comment to sell your product. Talk to your audience as the people they are and you may find areas where you can suggest your products to solve a problem they’re experiencing. And even if you don’t you’ve warmed them up to you and they see you as a person which is your primary angle as a small business that corporation can’t replicate.

Blog (optional)

A blog is a great way to connect with your audience. Blog about the things that are important to your target audience. This will also help you build a strong email list of people that may be interested in your product. For example, I am a mom shop so I blog about topics that interest my audience at every stage of motherhood. I talk about everything from pregnancy insomnia to choosing a pediatrician. If you started a store selling purses, you might blog about outfits to pair with your bags. Anything you think your target audience will enjoy and find useful, should be found here.

Read more about starting a blog here. You do not need a separate website for your blog if you chose the Bluehost WordPress store option.

Ready, Set, Sell!

Now you’ve got your blueprint on starting an online boutique. Ready to give it a shot? The key to owning and running a business is perseverance. Don’t give up after the first obstacle. Business will come slow, but steadily.

Not ready to start your own store, but want to get your feet wet selling? Sign up as a brand ambassador with The Mommy Pro Shop.