1) Think about what you want customers to immediately feel when they approach your store. You’re in luck if you have front windows in which to display your favorite merchandise. Using mannequins has been long since proven to encourage people to buy. This is not only because you can show them what clothes look like when worn, or because you can showcase many garments and accessories at once. It’s because you can actually answer a lot of the questions that need to be answered in a person’s mind before they buy at a single glance.

2) Think about what someone might be asking themselves as they consider shopping in your store and answer those questions either in your window displays or as soon as they come in. One, if someone is interested in a boutique, they probably want to find unique items or brands. Make sure that they immediately see that within the first second or two of laying eyes on your store. Sidewalk or outside displays are a great way to do this.

3) The next question on their mind may be price. Does your store front and displays match your prices? You don’t want someone to get excited about something they see only to be immediately disappointed by the price. Try to communicate the price through the décor and arrangement of your boutique.

4) Now, the next question on a person’s mind will be something like, “how will this garment make me feel?” Communicate as much feeling as possible, either with your mannequins’ poses or the décor surrounding your items. A snowy scene with a campfire communicates coziness, a city scene may communicate cutting edge fashion, and so on.

5) The next thing people want to feel when they shop in a boutique is that it will be interesting to shop around. People avoid department stores and visit boutiques to have a pleasurable and enlightening shopping experience. Make sure that you have unique items scattered around the store. Have things arranged in a “path” that leads the person from one interesting item to the next. Avoid crowding your clothing racks close together so that people stay comfortable, even if the store has a lot of shoppers. A clothing rack should not be overfilled, either, so that people can easily see what you have to offer without having to work to dig through too many items.

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.

One of the major things you should do is prevent theft. If you can closely manage your budget so that you at least have the inventory on hand that you’ve paid for, then you can avoid the pitfall of unexpected inventory costs sneaking up on you at a bad time. Theft is one of the biggest complaints of boutique owners because it’s almost impossible to plan for and it can make it nearly impossible to get back on your feet after it happens.

Sadly, most theft happens internally. Because boutiques are small, don’t have many employees, and generally can’t afford a surveillance system, employees feel too safe and can end up stealing from the company. In fact, employee theft accounts for three times the loss of shopper theft. You can help by eliminating temptations. You can offer quarterly bonuses to your managers for loss amounts below the norm. Show all of your employees respect and pay them enough that they care a lot about keeping their jobs. Employees that respect you and that feel respected are less likely to steal.

You can also install dummy surveillance systems so that it appears to employees that they are being recorded. This doesn’t cost much and can save you from going out of business. You can also use locking glass display cases for high dollar or especially tempting items. Employees can be responsible for inventory counts of certain items at the beginning and end of each shift. This way, each employee is responsible for what happens while they are the ones holding the key.

To prevent theft by shoppers, try not to overcrowd your clothing racks. Clothes crammed on a garment rack give shoppers cover for slipping things into their clothing or bags. You can use slatwall to keep things spread out and on the walls. This will give you better visuals throughout your store and keep your garment racks lighter and further apart.

Making these few changes can help you to better control some of the factors of retail failure. Stay diligent and you’ll be better able to manage the fluctuations that come with running your own boutique.

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) Customers look for a few key things when they shop at a boutique. They don’t want an oppressive sales staff, but they may be looking for a personal experience. People who shop at boutiques may go in expecting the staff to recommend clothing and accessories. They may also expect an honest opinion when they ask if something is appropriate for an occasion or is something looks good on them.

2) Believe and practice that the customer is almost always right. Listen carefully when they have complaints, concerns or questions. Apologize, explain your position if necessary, and immediately offer to find a solution to the problem. Have your sales team immediately notify you if there is a complaint so that you can make sure that the customer leaves happy and satisfied. Sometimes simply speaking to the manager, owner or person in charge is enough to make most people happy.

3) Make sure that your staff is never negative, offensive, rude, or combative. Respecting the customers, even if they’re not spending money, is very important. Small businesses like boutiques depend on word-of-mouth advertising to survive. Every customer should leave impressed so that they can spread to word to other possible shoppers.

4) Another thing that people expect in a boutique is a vast and extensive knowledge of the products in the store. Your employees should be familiar with each brand and be able to give information to the customers about where the products were made, why you like to carry certain brands, etc.

5) If someone seems interested in a product, it is okay to occasionally interject and let them know things that may make that product unique. Don’t hound your shoppers, but definitely let them know that you’re knowledgeable and informed about the products in your store.

6) Keeping your garment racks and displays fully stocked so that your customers never have to worry about whether or not you carry their size. Don’t over stuff a garment rack or display because it makes things feel cluttered and cramped. Just keep your garment racks perfectly stocked but easy to look through and your customers will have a pleasant experience shopping in your boutique.

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.

But, if the tag of your garment says otherwise, follow those directions. Sometimes fabrics have special glues and adhesives to hold liners in place without using stitches and you may not be able to see them. Sometimes there are two types of fabrics that require different types of care, and therefore dry cleaning is absolutely necessary. Dry cleaning may also be recommended if fabrics do not have waterproof dyes, or for a long list of other reasons. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s directions whenever possible and only use this tutorial as a guide.

Wool: Wool does not need to be cleaned very often. You can use a fabric brush or a damp cloth to refresh it after you wear it. If you get it stained, blot up liquids and then take it immediately to a dry cleaner. Heat sets stains on wool, so do not put hot water or iron a stained area.

Cashmere: Cashmere can be taken care of much in the same way as wool. Occasional brushings will keep pilling from occurring. If cashmere loses its softness over time, either from environmental pollutants or dry cleaning chemicals, you may be able to hand wash it. The biggest problem with hand washing cashmere is that the dyes can run more easily than on other fabrics. Hand wash cashmere alone and only if it is a solid color.

Silk: Silk care is a bit tricky. There are many different kinds of silk. Some are best hand washed, while others must be dry cleaned. Some will shrink badly, bunch up around the seams, or lose their sheen and softness. Some garments are not pre-shrunk and should never be hand washed or put into a machine. Silk should just about always be dry cleaned.

Rayon: Rayon garments are usually rayon blends. Anything blended with a synthetic fiber, such as nylon, acrylic or polyester, should be washed in cold and dried on low, or dry cleaned. Synthetic fibers will melt at fairly low temperatures. Pure rayon comes in different forms. Polynosic or modulus rayon will usually machine wash and dry just fine, while other types will shrink badly if they get wet. If your garment simply says “rayon” then you are best off having it dry cleaned.

When caring for fine fabrics and garments, it is always best to be careful. Hang items that are to be steamed or dried on clothing racks where they have plenty of air to dry. Don’t put dry clean only fabrics in the sun. If you don’t have a garment rack, you can hang your fabrics to dry in a closet. Just leave the door open and push other clothing away from it so that it has plenty of room to breathe. Do not cover the garment or close the closet until it is completely dry.

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.

Vinegar can be your best friend in the laundry room. White vinegar works great on brightening colors, preventing yellowing of fine lace or silk, and removing many stains. Vinegar can even help remove gum, mildew and grass stains. Keeping a spray bottle filled halfway with white vinegar and the other half water can be helpful for pre-treating stains. Add a half cup of vinegar just before the rinse cycle to help remove detergent residues from your clothing. It acts like a natural fabric softener, making clothes fluffy and static free.

Nothing is worse than opening to dryer only to discover that your beautiful new red shirt has stained everything pink. To avoid the dreaded color run, wash red items with dark clothing. Wash them in cold water and use a laundry detergent that says something like, “safe for colors”, “color care”, or “inhibits dye transfer” on the label. Some detergents are even made for dark fabrics and help the dye set in. Use the delicate cycle the first time so that red or dark items are not squeezed tightly against other fabrics.

If a tag says to dry clean only, then you probably should follow that advice. But, if the fabric is safe to steam, you may be able to avoid dry cleaning until the end of the season when you are ready to store the garment. Put some vodka in a spritz bottle and spray areas that might start to smell. Your body can leave bacteria on your clothing and vodka safely kills the germs that cause the odor. You can let the garment air dry or use a clothes steamer to further freshen up the clothing. Steaming causes less damage than ironing and can be used on many fine fabrics.

Use a lint brush to get lint and pet hair off of suits, jackets and shirts. Use an adhesive lint roller if the fabric is more delicate. A lint brush can sometimes make a fabric appear fuzzy, which is great for certain things, like flannel, but you may want to use a lint roller for more delicate items.

Synthetic materials can actually melt at high temperatures. You should put your dryer on a “normal” setting or even low to avoid shrinkage and permanent wrinkling. Garment racksin the laundry room are great for hanging synthetics to dry. If you accidentally shrink a sweater made of wool and/or cotton based yarn, you can get it back to its normal size by soaking it in warm water mixed with shampoo. The shampoo loosens and softens yarns, allowing you to gently pull the sweater back to its original shape and size.

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) Clothing racks are great for storing out of season clothing. Many garment racks are rolling racks, or adjustable heights to help you maximize the space and roll it into a storage area. If you are storing indoors, you may want to use a canvas cover for your garment rack. This will help to keep your clothes from getting dusty while they sit in storage. If you are storing them in a basement or garage, use cedar hangers to absorb moisture, repel pests, keep odors at bay, and prevent the growth of mildew on your clothes.

2) Rolling garment racks are sometimes adjustable, or you can add adjustable extenders to make more room. Some have additional rails for hanging even more clothing. Use specialty hangers for combining like items, like skirt hangers or pants hangers, cascading hangers and merchandising hangers. This will help you to save space on the bar. By combining items on one hanger, you can essentially double the space.

3) Shelving garment racks have a hanging bar with shelves. Shelves are great for storing sweaters, shoes, gloves, hats, scarves and more. Some have a large shelf across the bottom, while others have a row of shelves for storing smaller items. Some covers have pockets on the outside for storing smaller items. Choose a design that fits what you need to use the rolling clothes rack for.

4) Clothing racks are also commonly used in the home to help organize laundry. You can pull your clothes straight out of the dryer and hang them, separate them into stacks or bins and then simply roll them to the room where you need to put them away. This can save you a lot of time and hassle. No more ironing clothes that sat in the dryer too long. If you do have wrinkled clothes, hang them, then use a hand held steamer to remove wrinkles.

5) Clothing racks are also very useful for getting clothes that you do not normally wear out of the closet. Use your rack as a staging area for clothes that you want to sell in a garage sale, or give away to charity. Clothing hung on a bar sells a lot better, faster and for more money than clothing that is piled up on a table or crammed in a box.

You are sure to enjoy the benefits of having a garment rackat your house. Whether you use it for laundry, storage or a garage sale, you are sure to get your money’s worth out of it.

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.