1) Location-The location of your store should be thoroughly researched. Smaller spaces in better places may be a better investment than a huge warehouse outside of town. You’re going to need to focus your theme towards a specific audience, so keep in mind where they like to shop. Determine who your competition is and take note of what types of locations are most successful.

2) Prices-You are starting up a boutique not only to “live your dream” or work for yourself, but also to turn a profit! Don’t be afraid of higher pricing if your product and store image match what you’re asking. You just want to make sure that your theme and pricing are consistent with each other.

3) Design-Color and style can go a long way in a boutique. Think about web design. Do you personally like sites with a lot of pictures, color and attitude? Or do you prefer a white screen with black lettering? Most people derive satisfaction from identifying part of who they are with the styles that they like as well as the businesses they support. Make sure that your colors and style are coherent with what your target audience identifies with.

4) Store Front-Your store front should quickly define what type of store you are and what niche in the market you are fulfilling. If you have a vague name like “Picture” then you can expect people to glance, look perplexed and then forget about you. Spend a lot of time deciding on your name. If you go with something clever, make sure that it’s not too far of a stretch for people to understand. Run it by a few people and see if you end up explaining yourself over and over, or if they get it right off the bat. First impressions are everything and they are made at lightning speed in today’s fast paced world.

5) Store Layout-Layout your store in a way that feels inviting. If you are catering to twenty or thirty-something year old women, then make sure that there is enough room between your garment racks for them to push a stroller. If you’re catering to men, make sure that each section is clearly labeled so that they do not quickly give up and head for the department store. Follow these guidelines and take your time. You’ll have a great theme that says everything that you want it to in no time.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of garment racks including clothing racks. Find a high quality garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

1) You can use vinyl banners outside of your boutique to help advertise sales, specials and promotions. To save money on these types of signs, measure before you purchase. You may not need a really big, expensive sign for it to be easily seen. To decide on font size, draw a letter on a poster board and look at it from the street or walkway in front of your store. This will help you to make sure that the font is not too small to read, or too large to fit with your store image. Limiting the number of colors in your sign will also make it cheaper. Lastly, choose a slogan or saying that can be used year-round so that you don’t have to buy multiple banners throughout the year. For example, a sign that says “50% Off Clearance” can be used many more times per year than one that says “Christmas Close-Out Sale”.

2) Participate in local charities and events. Support different causes in your business’s name. Try to create teams for events such as walks or runs dedicated to supporting causes and local charities. Have t-shirts printed for your team, with your company logo, of course, and make sure you’re seen when the news cameras are rolling. Not only will you be supporting worthy causes, but you will also get some good exposure for your boutique.

3) Create a blog for your company. Write articles and feature products on your own company blog. Have contests and other online events to get customers involved. Collect e-mail addresses from your customers for your mailing list. Offer discounts for friends referred and send a monthly newsletter. Social networking sites are also great for keeping in touch with your audience and having your fans spread the word about events and specials.

4) Pay-per-click ads online are also useful. These are generally inexpensive and you can pay only when someone clicks on your ad. These can give you exposure to a target audience without costing a lot of money up front. You can also put a cap on what you’re willing to spend each month so that you always know what to expect.

5) Use signs inside of your store to let people know what specials and promotions are going on. Putting a sign on top of a garment rack puts it up high enough that people can see it from far across the store. Signs on top of garment racks are especially effective because they are at eye level. Don’t forget that no amount of advertising could ever replace good ol’ customer service, so don’t forget to actually talk to your customers in person when you see them!

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of garment racks including clothing racks. Find a high quality garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

The first rule is pretty basic. You don’t want your store to look like a mess when customers come inside. Using too many tables and shelves for displays can make your store look disorganized, because customers will invariably need to rummage through folded stacks of clothes to find their size. Even if you have sizes separated by shelf, customers will still have to unfold to get a good look at the garment and will put it back on whichever shelf is most convenient.

Use wall space and display systems like slatwall to keep the store looking neater. You can use garment racks to hang extra clothing and keep the store looking neat. Be careful not to crowd garment racks. You do want the customers to have plenty of space for maneuvering about the store. They don’t want to be back-to-back with other customers or staff.

Also, using too many garment racks can make the store look crowded and bland. If the customer can’t see what you have without sifting through, then they’re not likely to look around for long. Make sure that you utilize three dimensional displays to keep the customer interested. Hanging mannequin forms are great for creating feature displays on garment racks and slatwall displays. You can also display hanging outfits on top of your garment racks. Customers that can see how clothes look and stay interested as they make their way through the store.

Another thing to keep in mind is that customers tend to shop at eye level. Make sure that the focal points of your garment rack and shelving displays are where they will get customers’ attention. Every display should have a point of focus and should be designed to make the customer want to slow down and investigate. The longer a customer spends at your garment racks or feature displays, the more likely they are to spend extra money.

People associate the quality of an item with the way that it is displayed. Cheap, plastic displays communicate discounted, lower quality merchandise. People expect sunglasses on a checkout rack to be a lot cheaper than sunglasses in a glass display case in the same location. Price things according to the display quality and you should increase your sales and minimize the amount of merchandise that you have to clearance out.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of garment racks including clothing racks. Find a high quality garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

1) You may wish that you could afford an expensive merchandise control system like the big stores. However, this is not usually within the grasps of financial possibility for many boutique owners. There is a solution, though. You can actually purchase new or used security tags for your boutique clothing. Simply having the tag clipped to the garment will turn most thieves away. You don’t necessarily need the alarm at the door to keep people from stealing. Most people would not think that they could get the tag off without damaging the clothing. Or, they just aren’t sure if you have some sort of security device that will leave them caught red handed if they try to take something.

2) Another great deterrent is fake cameras. Most thieves will not attempt to steal if they think they are on camera. Camera domes are also very effective and are nothing more than a dome shaped piece of plastic on the ceiling. Mirrors on the ceiling and around the store also make thieves nervous enough not to steal.

3) Use customer service to keep thieves on their toes. If someone has personally greeted them and taken a good look at them, then they are not likely to steal something. Have your staff check on each customer at least once while they’re shopping and again speak to them as they’re leaving the store. Have your staff go up and offer to put items at the register or in a dressing room as soon as they see the customer walk away from the garment rack.

4) Lighting and your store set up will make honest customers have a more pleasant shopping experience, but will let shoplifters know that you are not making it easy for them. Avoid cramming garment racks full or putting them close together. Use spotlights to make thieves uncomfortable with trying to hide between items to slip something up their sleeve or into their other shopping bags. With just a few tweaks to your store and your staff’s behavior, you can prevent as much theft as you could with an expensive inventory control system.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of garment racks including clothing racks. Find a high quality garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

Think about what word, phrase, or idea inspires you and build on it. Will your boutique’s theme exude simplicity, functionality, craftiness, designer apparel, unique accessories, vintage finds, or something else? There are endless possibilities when it comes to boutique themes. Boutiques can be any type of retail store that has a specialty. You can even focus on one type of item, like pet clothing, jewelry, or screen printing.

Once you have developed your concept, you can concentrate on the bones of the store. Supplies, decorations, garment racks, feature displays, software, and inventory control items can be chosen to fit around your theme. For displays, like tables, garment racks, shelving, slatwall and mannequins, find a good supplier that offers wholesale prices. You may have luck finding a supplier that is also a manufacturer of the garment rack, hangers, and other items that you’ve chosen. Shop around online, but also call other boutiques and retail stores to find out who they use and why. Working with your competition can help you to make a name for yourself in the community.

Sometimes you can get displays for free by contacting the companies whose products you are selling. Many companies offer racks, displays, signs, custom print hangers, and more to the stores that ask for them. You can also pick up some great tips by visiting trade shows and participating in retail conferences. Making contacts wherever possible is a valuable way to get started in the industry. You can learn a lot from other people’s struggles, failures, and successes.

If you’re nervous about asking your direct competition for advice, there’s nothing that says you can’t talk to other boutique owners around the country. In fact, many of them read sites like this one and participate in boutique owner forums to share information with each other. It’s inspirational to hear other people’s ideas and you may come up with some boutique concept ideas that you haven’t considered yet.

Your contacts are assets to you. Keep a running list of your contacts and make note of things like their willingness to help, tips that they gave you, and possible joint effort marketing ideas. Some boutiques help each other out by mentioning each other on their blogs, doing guest posts for each other, and mentioning each other on social networks. This is a great way to get your name out there and increase your rankings in the search engines without spending any money.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of garment racks including clothing racks. Find a high quality garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

Communicate with your customers exactly what will be on sale, or do a general “20% off of everything” advertisement. People that normally find your merchandise overpriced will jump at the opportunity to get those special things that they like at a discounted price. Keep track of any new customer information by collecting e-mail addresses and home addresses at the register. This way, you can send out communications to the people who only shop in your boutique around the holidays every year.

Think about what motivates people to shop at boutiques for the holidays and make sure that you’re giving them what they expect. They may be looking for a few higher priced items, but they may also be looking for stocking stuffers, unique gifts that are lower priced, and even a little something for themselves. Feature a wide range of products in your displays and make sure that you have plenty of smaller items for stocking stuffing around the register.

Another thing to consider is that people may be looking to get in and get out. If they have other shopping to do on Black Friday, they may be anxious to get their shopping done fast. Make sure that you have plenty of well-marked displays throughout the store showing them what deals you have going on. You can creatively lure customers into spending more time at your displays with candles for them to smell, lotions for them to try, coffee, hot chocolate, Christmas cookies, or other items that will make them want to slow down and shop.

The last thing that you want is for your customers to feel anxious and ready to leave. Make sure that your music is not too loud, lights are not too bright, and that your clothing racks are not too close together. You also don’t want your customers to have to dig through an overly full clothing rack to find what they need. Keep displays fairly simple and easy to navigate and your customers will have a good experience in your boutique this holiday season.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of clothing racks including garment racks. Find a high quality clothing rack or garment rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

1) Double check your sales from the prior year to see what items were trending high. If you don’t have record of last year, or if your boutique is new, then there are a few other things you can do. You can collaborate with other boutique owners online in forum groups. You can create a social networking site account to connect with other boutique owners to help you. Experience can give them an edge that you can benefit from if they are willing to chat with you and give you pointers. Plus, being active in your field online can help to boost your boutique’s popularity before the holiday season.

2) It can be difficult to determine how much of a new product to order. One way to find out if a new product is “hot” is to call the manufacturer. Ask them about trends that they’ve seen. Are they having to ramp up production to keep up with demand? Is there a wait when you order because they are selling everything as quickly as they can make it? Finding out if you’re carrying a “hot” item can be very valuable. Not only will you know to order more than normal, but you can make strategic decisions about which products to promote during the holidays.

3) Another way to find out if something is going to be popular this holiday season is to search online. You can see if people are using auction sites to get their hands on certain products. You can see if other sites selling that item are sold out. Connect with your suppliers or brands on social sites to see what their fans are talking about. Try to get a feel for which products are likely to move and then order accordingly.

4) Once you get everything ordered, you can use the information that you’ve gathered to your advantage. Now you know what to promote this holiday season. Make sure that your clothing racks are clearly labeled with brand names and special prices. A clothing rack that allows you to face your clothing outward instead of crammed together will be more effective. Advertise on your site, social network, storefront windows, e-mail list, and flyers that you are fully stocked with the popular item. Keep an eye online for price changes so that you stay competitive throughout the season.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of clothing racks including garment racks. Find a high quality clothing rack or garment rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

The first rule is pretty basic. You don’t want your store to look like a mess when customers come inside. Using too many tables and shelves for displays can make your store look disorganized, because customers will invariably need to rummage through folded stacks of clothes to find their size. Even if you have sizes separated by shelf, customers will still have to unfold to get a good look at the garment and will put it back on whichever shelf is most convenient.

Use wall space and display systems like slatwall to keep the store looking neater. You can use garment racks to hang extra clothing and keep the store looking neat. Be careful not to crowd garment racks. You do want the customers to have plenty of space for maneuvering about the store. They don’t want to be back-to-back with other customers or staff.

Also, using too many garment racks can make the store look crowded and bland. If the customer can’t see what you have without sifting through, then they’re not likely to look around for long. Make sure that you utilize three dimensional displays to keep the customer interested. Hanging mannequin forms are great for creating feature displays on garment racks and slatwall displays. You can also display hanging outfits on top of your garment racks. Customers that can see how clothes look and stay interested as they make their way through the store.

Another thing to keep in mind is that customers tend to shop at eye level. Make sure that the focal points of your garment rack and shelving displays are where they will get customers’ attention. Every display should have a point of focus and should be designed to make the customer want to slow down and investigate. The longer a customer spends at your garment racks or feature displays, the more likely they are to spend extra money.

People associate the quality of an item with the way that it is displayed. Cheap, plastic displays communicate discounted, lower quality merchandise. People expect sunglasses on a checkout rack to be a lot cheaper than sunglasses in a glass display case in the same location. Price things according to the display quality and you should increase your sales and minimize the amount of merchandise that you have to clearance out.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of garment racks including clothing racks. Find a high quality garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

Your general customer around the holidays may be looking for good deals. So, ask yourself what “a good deal” is. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is at the lowest price they’ve ever seen. If they were only looking for the lowest price possible, they would have already gone online at 3:00 in the morning to bid on the item from an auction site.

They are shopping in your store to get a good feel for what the product is all about. It’s not easy to get a secure feeling about the quality and craftsmanship of a product when you’re looking at a two dimensional product online. This is why web sites spend big bucks creating three dimensional views that can be enlarged to show more detail.

So, consider your advantage here. You have the product in your store. Now the goal is to convince the customer that the product that you carry is worth the price that you’re asking. Not only that, but that it is “a good deal” by virtue of the fact that the quality is undeniable. The customer can look, touch, feel, hold, test, and try out products in your boutique or retail store. Testing the product with their senses helps customers to make an educated decision about what they’re willing to pay.

Your goal is to get them to feel confident enough to pay the price that you want. Many things can influence what a customer thinks when they’re inside of a store. Just assume that everyone is coming in skeptical. They’re making snap judgments with every glance and touch. Their ability to quickly deduce how they feel from their first impression of your store is something that you need to cater to.

Make the customer immediately comfortable with everything that they see. Exhibit quality from your entrance to your dressing room, so that nothing throws them off of their positive path of assumption. Make sure that they don’t feel cramped by spreading out your garment racks and retail displays. Avoid harsh lighting and only use spotlights to deter shoplifting and showcase certain products. You don’t want someone to be able to take cover by reaching into a garment rack to slip something into their purse, but you do not want to put them on edge and make them distrustful of your store.

Work on your presentation, quality displays, neatness, and customer service to ensure that this holiday season will be a successful one.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of garment racks including clothing racks. Find a high quality garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

Theft is often reported as the number one concern of boutique owners. You’ve put a lot of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears into starting up your business and you just want to make sure that someone is not trying to take it away from you. Theft can hurt small businesses so quickly. It’s important to try and prevent theft from happening. It is almost always easier to prevent theft than it is to regain your footing after a major loss.

Internal theft is the biggest source of loss for retail businesses. Employee theft accounts for three times the amount of loss businesses incur from shoplifters. Employees that learn your business’s weaknesses are the most inclined to steal. Even if they have never shoplifted a thing, there will be a time when they are tempted to take something from work. The reasons for employees deciding to steal could include the security of knowing that they won’t get caught, frustration with low pay, dissatisfaction with job policies, or just about any other reason. It can be hard to resist when there is plenty of opportunity facing them every day.

There are a few ways to prevent internal theft from happening. Surprisingly, the first thing you should do is treat your employees with respect. Ever heard the saying, “Treat others as you wish to be treated”? Employees that respect their employers are far less likely to steal from them, especially if they know that the employee is personally vested in the business.

Monitor sales in a way that rewards employees for good inventory counts. Have one person per shift in charge of display cases that lock. Have the case inventoried at the end of each shift to make an employee feel personally responsible for high dollar items. Do the same sort of checks with the register.

Investing in a security system will let your employees know that they shouldn’t attempt anything. If you’ve done your reference checks and don’t hire anyone without exemplary recommendations, then it’s likely that you’re dealing with good people who do not want to get into trouble.

Arranging your store in a way that makes theft more difficult is also a good practice. If you cram your clothes on a basic clothing rack, then it’s easy for employees to slip something off the rack without it being noticed. Opt for clothing racks that have spacers and display clothing in a more orderly fashion so that it will be obvious if something is missing. Keep your clothing racks fully stocked so that it is easy to do a quick inventory at any time.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of clothing racks including garment racks. Find a high quality clothing rack or garment rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.