subject: The Business Venture Of Running A Personal Shopping Service [print this page] Before starting up any new business venture it is essential to determine if the business is right for you. You must have the right temperament as well as the facilities and an adequate market for your service. Understanding these and other factors involved in operating a personal shopping service before you "take the plunge" will enable you to be prepared. It's also a good way to insure success and profit.
Shopping can be tiresome, demanding and frustrating. Obviously if you want to be a personal shopper, you must enjoy shopping. Most of the people who utilize a personal shopping service simply don't have time to shop for themselves. And some just don't like to shop. If you are not fond of shopping for yourself, you won't like doing it for others either, even if they pay you. You can draw from previous personal experience to help you determine if you would enjoy shopping for others. Once you've determined that you have the ability, and would be happy shopping for other people, you'll need to focus on the "business" side of operating a personal shopping service. And that means you will have to be certain that there is a market for your service.
Generally, a personal shopping service cannot rely on clientele with average or below average income. You'll need a "pool" of clients who can afford to pay for someone to shop for them. Many personal shoppers have found that people with incomes of $40,000 or more are their best sources of clients. You'll need to do some research before you start up to determine if your market can support a personal shopping service.
The success of a personal shopping service depends largely on the quality of the service. You must offer professional service and quality merchandise. This type of service requires that you know the best places to shop, be familiar with brand names, and that you work within the client's price range. The most successful personal shoppers have established good connections with retailers and wholesalers and know where to get the best merchandise and the best prices. You'll also need to be creative. Many times a client will need a gift for someone. The client give you a description of the person, and then it's up to you, the personal shopper, to find the gift to fit that person. This requires not only creativity, but an understanding of people as well.
Another important factor to consider is how you will advertise and promote your service. This is especially important when you are starting up. You'll need to make your service known to your market area. You should investigate all the available avenues of advertising and determine what's best for you. Establishing a realistic advertising budget and implementing an effective advertising campaign will mean more business and bigger profits.
