Setting Up A Second Hand Clothing Business? Advice?

[ilsonchick]

I have been really successful selling second hand clothing privately and online, now id like to expand and would like to maybe rent some where small just to set up a small business doing this as i LOVE actually doing this job!

I dont want to use ebay any more as its become far too pricey in fee's and buyers seem to only want something for 99p!

Any advice on setting up a small business? Whats the LOWEST costs of doing it? What about setting up a website? Lowest cost on doing that or are there any that are free to set up BUT that are successful and popular? Id love to know more as i feel i have such a potential to make this work since charity shops have now become drab and pricey as well - plus my local area has nothing like this

Many Thanks

[sherrardk]

Hi, shop rents vary dramatically. We have been really lucky and have a lovely shop in a quite well-to-do area and the rent is unbelievably low (and it is set for the next 3 years). We sell quite expensive stuff (£1000 minimum) so we don't have to sell a great deal to cover the rent and expenses. Our website is hosted by Office Live (hope I am allowed to say that) and is free for a set period and then really quite cheap after that. My husband did the site himself (it took him ages but it looks v professional). Good luck. x

[4getmenot]

Unless you are going to have say vintage 2nd hand clothes, or something different, I dont think it will work as people will just go to charity shops if they want 2nd hand clothes.

[boxtops]

You'll need public liability insurance and if you are employing anyone, employers' liability insurance as well - and stock cover etc.

[ilsonchick]

its not vintage, no, but we have NO charity shops near where i live so i thought it would be good, plus local people would support it as well and as i said earlier charity shops might be cheap but they sell stinking horrid stained expensive clothes i find nowadays ...

[ilsonchick]

i wont be employing anyone i shall do it all myself - and public insurance ive been now told is £50 a year

[boxtops]

I have to say that round here the charity shops are no longer smelly places, everything is clean, pressed and well laid out!

[4getmenot]

We have about 4 in our town out of about 7 shops lol. Ours are ok, can get some decent stuff sometimes thats if the assistants havent held back all the designer stuff lol

[sherrardk]

Have you thought of providing a service where by a customer brings in something decent and you sell it and they get a certain percentage and you get the rest (saw it at a curtain exchange place). I suppose it depends on the sort of area that you live in .

[ilsonchick]

exactly that! ours are a rip off £5 for a top! and im from the midlands as well not london! Its crazy! i just wanted it to be a local venture really helping mums and strapped for cash ppl with some bargain buys!

[ilsonchick]

sherrard - this sounds good but what if u dont sell their item? do u give it back then? or do you pay them outright first and go on to sell it?

Thanks x

[Mamyalynne]

You cannot generalise about Charity shops, I am out of town and we have 2 locally and I can honestly say I get most of my stuff from there. How about a beautiful pair of Karen Millen trousers for £2.

Good luck with your business, cannot help advise you much, last one I helped set up and run was an engine reconditioning business 20 years ago.

[sherrardk]

I'm not sure - I suppose that if it doesn't sell within a certain time period then you just give it back. I found this - http://www.thecurtain...e.net/secondhand.htm. It probably isn't appropriate for you, I just remember going to one in Buckinghamshire when we were doing up our house and had some big windows that needed covering.

[ilsonchick]

what about setting up a website? Any that are popular and any good online that anyone knows about?

[boxtops]

Re selling on - I used to have a shop like that near me. She would take clothes and sell them and keep a percentage of what they sold for. She used to keep them for a month (I think longer if they were designer) and then if they didn't sell, you had to collect them and take them away, or if you didn't she gave them to a charity shop. Good idea at the time, I sold a Jaeger dress there for £80 (those were the days!).

[ilsonchick]

did this lady just ebay the items then? xx

[boxtops]

No, it was a shop, with proper shopfittings and a changing room.

I notice you said £5 for a top is dear in a charity shop - I don't think it is, they are there to raise money for the charity, not to provide a pound shop. One of our charty shops (and we have many) sells designer labels for £20 and so on - a bargain.

[ilsonchick]

when i say a top for £5 its normally used to within an inch of its life and is from primark....not really a bargain...more like daylight robbery! i like to give to charity but thats just taking the biscuit

[joko]

but where will you be getting your stock from? charity shops...?

unless you are competent on the web and design side i would suggest getting it doen preofessionally - as you will need an online shop - which includes payemnt facilties, photos of stock, possibly cash conversion facility, p&p calculator, an all that kind of thing...it could get difficult for you

there is software that can do that, but only if you are ok with - serif webplus is good

[ilsonchick]

no i dont get stock from charity shops

i know all about that as i sell on ebay as a business its just the setting up a website part i cant really do, running one yes, but creating one no :)