Starting a business that fulfills one of the essential needs of man is bound to make you money. Therefore, the boutique business ideas in this post are perfect options for you.
As far as some of the business ideas in this piece are concerned, you do not need to interact with customers. Some of these can even be done without the necessity for a physical store. If money is a concern, there are options with modest start-up costs.
Let’s get started.
1. Recycling Old Clothes
People will always buy new clothes and hence, do away with their old ones even when it is still in good shape. You can collect those discarded clothes and resale them as second-hand clothes. In addition, you can organize a garage sale for such clothes. Alternatively, offer these clothes to thrift stores for a discounted price.
SEE: How to Make Money Reselling
2. Magazine Publisher
If there are sports, fitness, and cooking magazines, there is also a fashion magazine. This is one of the boutique business ideas for those who are good with visually appealing content. Thus, your fashion magazine could be a platform to showcase the latest trendy fashion.
In addition, you can cover topics such as dressing etiquette and fashion deals. If your magazine receives lots of readers, adverts are a good means of making money outside selling the magazine.
3. Sell Belt and Buckles
This is one of the several items you can find in a typical boutique. Your boutique can be a place for the purchase of quality leather belts and buckles. In addition, you can step up your game by offering custom-designed leather products in your store.
4. Sell Bridal Wedding Dress
The average cost of a bridal gown, according to Brides.com, is $1630. Also, most brides will want a new wedding dress for their wedding. Moreover, outside of the wedding dress, there are other expenses such as purchasing the veil and any alterations to be made on the dress.
All these make selling bridal wedding dresses a viable business idea. Therefore, you could set up a boutique selling only bridal wedding dresses.
5. Fashion Design School
You can go the route of establishing a design school if you are good at making dresses. This way, you can help to raise the next generation of fashion designers. However, you must note that the startup cost of this business is pretty high. You’ll need to purchase all the equipment needed to get started.
6. Fashion Blogger
This is one of the best boutique business ideas that don’t require you to own a physical store. Instead, you’ll be talking about the latest fashion trend and styles on your blog. However, you must be aware of the fact that you have to be good with photo editing. This is because the fashion niche is a visual niche and using photos is the best way to go as a fashion blogger. You can set up your fashion blog using Bluehost.
SEE: How To Make Money Blogging
7. T-shirt Designing and Printing
One other way to make money from the fashion industry is to start a T-shirt printing business. During special events like birthdays, most people will like to have some inscription printed on their clothes. Also, sports lovers will like to have the pictures or names of their favorite athletes printed on their shirts.
8. Uniform Production
Instead of trying to go broad, this is one of the best niches to focus on. There are schools and organizations around you that can be approached concerning this particular business idea. You can strike a deal with either a school or an organization to be the sole maker of their uniforms. While this may not bring consistent workflow, it can be added as part of your business offering.
9. Fashion YouTube Channel
There are lots of fashion-based YouTube channels that talk about the latest fashion trend. In addition, some focus more on the best lingerie to put on. The best part is that these YouTube channels have lots of subscribers and are making money from YouTube’s ads revenue.
However, this is one of the boutique business ideas that is suitable for those who are not camera shy. You can also make money by promoting fashion products from Amazon.
SEE: Best ways to make money on YouTube
10. Supply Stocks to Boutiques
While you may not have the resources to start a boutique of your own, you can opt to supply boutique owners with the stocks they need to sell. Shoes, handbags, hats, belts, etc, are what you can be supplied to them.
To get started, you’ll need to approach different boutiques in your locality and pitch your service to them. Furthermore, this will save these boutique owners the stress of looking for how to always stock inventories.
11. Vintage Clothing Shop
There will always be those who will fancy old school wears. In addition, there is a lot of dynamism in the fashion industry. You can leverage this to start a vintage clothing shop. When put on a vintage dress, it gives you a different style from others.
Vintage clothing can be used in a movie set to reflect past lifestyles. Therefore, your vintage shop could be a go-to place for anything vintage wears.
12. Fashion Model
If you have the beauty and a nice smile to go with, you can easily go the route of being a fashion model. Being a fashion model is one of the profitable business ideas that will not only bring you money but will open other doors of opportunity.
Be aware that modeling gigs always come in form of a contract. Therefore, it is best to carefully read the fine print before agreeing to any terms.
13. Sell Wrist Watches
While other boutique business ideas are majorly centered on selling clothes, instead, you can opt to sell wristwatches. However, you must know that this will only cater to a limited number of customers.
Instead of just selling leather watches, you can do it the way Icebox is doing theirs, which is to sell diamond wristwatches. Your major obstacle may be the capital to start this business.
14. Offer Delivery for Boutiques
Most boutiques have websites and they take orders online. In addition, there are those that run online marketing and as such accept orders online as well. When these orders are made, the product will have to be delivered to the customers. You can start up a business in this niche.
To get started, you’ll need to approach boutiques in your area to pitch your service to them. This business idea will come in handy for them since quick delivery and excellent customer service is not something they’ll want to joke with.
15. Start an Ecommerce Store
While dropshipping is getting popular by the day, why not opt to sell boutique items? In this case, you’ll set up an e-commerce store selling clothes, shoes, wristwatches, and necklaces.
Note that if your e-commerce store sells different products, you can easily cross-sell other products to a buyer at your checkout page. However, your e-commerce store must have a professional look if it must convert visitors into buyers.
16. Fashion Podcasts
If you think that a podcast will likely be an impossibility for a visually appealing niche, then it’s not. While on a podcast, presents no way of showing your listeners the latest fashion style, instead, you talk about trends. In addition, you can also educate your listeners on the best way to dress and the latest fashion deals.
SEE: Tried and tested ways to monetize a podcast
17. Handbags and Purse
Selling handbags and purse is one of the best boutique business ideas that are highly niched. The feasibility of this business is based on the fact that it is difficult for a woman to leave home without a handbag or purse.
The brand and quality of your product will depend on the type of customers you’re looking to attract. In addition, where you reside will also determine the type of handbags and purses to sell.
18. Clothing Rental
Not everybody can afford to buy expensive designers clothes, therefore most people rather rent and use them. In addition, there are people who are into stage performances and movie production.
Since these people only need a particular costume for a given period, they’d rather rent it. Furthermore, bridal gowns can be rented rather than buying a new one. All of these are the possibilities that abound when it comes to renting clothes.
19. Sports Performance Wear
If you have the money to establish a merchandise, while not join the league of Adidas and Nike? These are businesses that specialize in the production of sports kits. To add, a major part of their product line is the production of sports jerseys.
Although you may lack the financial resources to compete with large companies, you should consider starting small. There are teams in lower divisions of local and domestic leagues that’ll need your service.
20. Shoe Designer
When stepping out for an occasion, we always want to put on our best footwear to match what we are wearing. You can start a shoe-making business as a way of starting a boutique business.
To market your shoes, you can partner with boutique owners to have them buy shoes from you and sell them. In addition, you set up a storefront and sell your shoes yourself.
21. Fashion Designer
This is one of the major boutique business ideas that is bound to earn you money. We all put on different types of wear sown by fashion designers somewhere. If you have the skill, you can easily start making money from your own fashion design business.
To get started, you can start by designing your dress. That way, you’ll be able to attract people who’ll like to have a similar dress sown for them. In addition, you can leverage social media ads to get customers as well.
22. Start a Clothing Boutique
This is one of the major boutique business ideas that most people starting a boutique business opts for. But, this requires a substantial amount of capital to get started. That notwithstanding, what you’ll be doing is to set up a physical shop where you’ll be selling boutique items.
23. Sell Franchise
If you’ve succeeded in setting up your boutique and making lots of money from it, one other means of adding to your bottom line is to sell franchises.
If your business has a popular and trusted brand behind it, your franchise will be patronized by people looking to get started in the boutique business but want to short circuit the process. However, be sure to craft your partnership agreement in such a way that it will spell out the dos and don’ts of the franchise.
SEE: Best businesses to start with 10k or less
FAQs
Can a boutique business be profitable?
Yes. This is mainly because there are varieties of products being sold in a typical boutique. Consequently, all of these different products will help to attract different categories of buyers.
What is a boutique business?
A boutique business comprises a retail store in which fabrics and other fashion-related products are sold. Boutiques are mostly made up of small shops.
What can you sell in a boutique?
Some of the things that can be sold in a typical boutique are handbags, belts, hats, clothes, sunglasses, and shoes. In addition, you also sell perfumes, jewelry, suits, lingerie, bras, t-shirts, purses, suitcases, and bridal gowns to mention a few.
How much does it cost to start a boutique business?
The amount will vary with respect to where you reside and the boutique business idea of your choice. However, starting a boutique will cost you at least $49,000 to $150,000.
Conclusion
Starting a boutique business opens you up to windows of opportunity. However, it is my belief that at this point, you’ve made up your mind on which of the boutique business ideas above to go with.
My recommendation is to get started as a fashion blogger. This way, you won’t be needing much startup cost. Do also check out this post on how to make money blogging.
Thanks for reading.
