Fit like a glove: how to make money on handmade shoes

One of the profitable ideas for your own business is selling sneakers. This is a type of shoe that has always been and will be in good demand. Sneakers are a versatile wardrobe staple. They can be worn in any season (for winter, the sneakers are provided with insulated insoles). They are suitable for a variety of activities: walking, sports and more. It’s also easy to choose the target audience for such a product. Sneakers are worn by both children and the elderly. Next, the article will talk about how to create your own business selling sneakers.

Market and target audience analysis

A sneaker business can be a profitable business if you organize it correctly. The most important thing for a novice entrepreneur in this field of activity is not to overestimate his capabilities, but at the same time be confident in his every action.

In order to really assess the opportunities and prospects in this industry, it is necessary to carefully study the market and the presence of demand for such a product. After conducting this analysis, you can begin to draw up a plan for opening a store to sell sneakers.

The market analysis will consist of the following stages:

• study of competitors;
• assessment of product quality;
• presence of demand;
• studying the product range;
• pricing policy analysis;
• search for potential partners and buyers.

The sneaker selling business is a popular activity among aspiring retail entrepreneurs. There are competitors in this business who have been doing similar business for many years. They perfectly know all the nuances of such trading.

Before entering such a market with your offer, you need to carefully study the activities of well-established stores: their advantages, disadvantages, reputation and work experience.

An important element in trading such a product is its quality. It is better to immediately look for partners among more or less well-known and reliable manufacturers. Shoes are the type of clothing on which customers are willing to save the least. Therefore, the high quality of the promoted product will ensure a constant flow of buyers. In a world where everything related to saving the environment is becoming a current trend, environmentally friendly materials for sneakers will be a huge plus for the store’s image.

The choice of location to open a physical store will depend on demand. It is best to choose regions where there is a strong interest in leading a healthy lifestyle. These are usually cities that have many parks, embankments and sports clubs. In sparsely populated areas there will not be much demand for sports shoes. Also, to open a sneaker business, it is worth considering cities that often host various sports marathons.

One of the important aspects of the competitive stability of a retail store is the prices at which it sells goods. You can't set a price too low. Firstly, dumping has a bad effect on relations with competitors. Secondly, some customers may be afraid of a very low price due to uncertainty about the quality of the product. Too high a price will also not allow you to win a large audience of buyers. The price for a product should be set after the entrepreneur has decided on partners and conducted a marketing analysis of the market.

Having a good selection is very important to sneaker shoppers. When choosing sneakers to sell, you should look for different options based on color, design, and style. In the field of such sales, it is better to focus on different age categories. It is also worth choosing shoe options for different types of activities (sports, walking, etc.).

Despite the presence of a different assortment, it is necessary to select the main target audience to which the main assortment of products will be directed. These can be sneakers for professional athletes, for children, the elderly and others.

Stages of starting a sneaker wholesale business

The main stages of starting a sneaker wholesale business will be the following:

• rental of premises for a warehouse and sale of goods, equipment of the premises;
• search for suppliers and purchase of goods;
• hiring employees;
• registration of one of the existing organizational forms - individual entrepreneur or LLC.

Regardless of the format of wholesale trade in sneakers, you will first need to rent a warehouse to store purchased quantities of goods. The only option when you can refuse to rent a warehouse space is to arrange direct deliveries from the manufacturer to the customer. However, for a start-up business, a simpler option would be to rent a small warehouse space. In order for the company to be in demand for wholesale buyers, it is important to select the widest possible range: the sale should include both elite sports shoes and economy-segment sneakers. Having found suitable suppliers, the business founder must enter into formal contracts with them that will protect against fraud and violation of the agreed terms of cooperation.

Sneakers wholesale - a profitable business

The employees who need to be hired must first of all know the range of products, the features of various brands, and also master sales techniques. The number of employees of the enterprise should depend on the format in which trade will be carried out: if you plan to open a wholesale store, there should be 1-2 sellers per shift, in addition, warehouse and delivery workers will be needed.

When conducting online sales, the staff may be smaller: the main work can be done by the entrepreneur himself, with the support of 1-2 specialists. Regardless of the chosen format for the wholesale trade of sneakers, be sure to contact the services of a professional webmaster who will develop a website and also fill it with relevant information and product illustrations.

The development of an enterprise is closely related to the implementation of its advertising campaign: since the main focus will be on owners of small and medium-sized retail stores, it is important to select suitable advertising methods. Thus, contextual advertising on the Internet and posting information on thematic websites are effective. Cold calling of enterprises in this industry also works well - as a rule, wholesale companies attract a considerable part of new partners precisely thanks to active offers of cooperation.

Where to open a sneaker store?

A budding entrepreneur should think about opening a similar business on the Internet. So, at first you won’t have to spend money on renting or buying premises. Thanks to such savings, you can quickly start making a stable profit and direct part of your earnings to expand your business. Once you have an established base of regular customers, opening your own store will become easier.

To choose a place to open a store, you need to consider the following nuances:

• availability of good traffic, where there is a constant flow of people (shops, shopping centers, cinemas, coffee shops, etc.);
• low rental cost (it should not exceed 50% of total income);
• availability of free space (in addition to space for shelving, the store should have an area where the client can try on and examine sneakers);
• the presence of a large showcase near the premises (it should attract the attention of buyers);
• the location must be popular (for example, a new shopping center);
• the ability to comfortably arrange a room for visitors (provide a comfortable microclimate inside the store, conveniently arrange furniture, etc.).

In the sales business, the right choice of premises plays an important role; up to 80% of future success can depend on it.

Shoe ad headline

The most important thing, along with high-quality illustration. The purpose of the headline is to make you read the first sentence of the advertising text for a men's, women's or children's clothing store. No more, no less.

Also read: Lawyer advertisement text: examples of how to write a selling advertisement

Close attention should be paid to the length of the title. For what? Because customers will come to the shoe store from a search. On average, out of 10 people who read a headline, only 1 clicks on the content.

In Google and Yandex searches, the results display from 48 to 62 characters with spaces . On social networks and message boards, the numbers are slightly different. Make sure that the buyer can read the most important things without clicking on the title!

If the title turns out to be longer, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that the most valuable information is contained in the first 50 characters. In these few words you need to fit the key advantages, as well as important keywords for promotion in search.

Examples of advertising text headings for clothing and footwear:

Buy women's sneakers wholesale 425 rubles - retail from 637 rubles [the key advantage is indicated - price, the target audience is determined - women]

Branded shoes in Moscow - More than 35,000 models from Italy [location indicated - Moscow, key advantage - large selection]

How to open and register a sneaker business?

The main stages of starting a business selling sneakers are:

• search for premises for a store, warehouse and sales of goods;
• purchasing equipment for the store;
• search for sneaker manufacturers;
• creation of staff;
• official registration.

In addition to retailing sneakers, you can organize a wholesale business. The advantages of this type of trading are the following:

• large quantities of goods sold at once;
• the ability to set a low price and make money on large sales volumes;
• fast turnover of goods;
• The client audience is entrepreneurs and retailers.

Both retail and wholesale trade in sneakers must be officially registered.

A novice businessman needs to consult with a tax inspector and a lawyer about all the nuances of officially registering business activities.

Next, you need to collect a package of required papers for official registration. For such a business, both opening an LLC and opening an individual enterprise are suitable. Considering that opening an LLC requires a larger number of papers, it is more rational for a sneaker store to register an individual entrepreneur.

In order to do this, an entrepreneur needs:

• fill out an application for registration of individual entrepreneurs;
• pay a state fee of 800 rubles;
• contact the tax service with an application to choose a taxation system;
• present to the tax office a copy of your passport, TIN and a document confirming payment of the state duty.

The period for reviewing submitted documents and opening an individual enterprise will be 5 days. For this form of doing business, it is best to choose a simplified taxation system.

Equipment for the store

The next stage of opening a business selling sneakers will be the selection and purchase of equipment. In order to set up such a store, you need to purchase the following equipment:

• furniture (shelves, mirrors, hangers, display cases and poufs for seating);
• order advertising banners (for placement both indoors and outdoors);
• cash register (without one, it is impossible to register an individual entrepreneur, since it is a prerequisite for opening a store)
• equipment that will ensure the maintenance of documentation in the store and reporting;
• light bulbs, lamps, LED strips and other lighting elements (proper lighting in a store is an important part of successful sales);
• audio and video equipment (music in the store can also encourage customers to make purchases);
• fire safety system, as well as alarm and video surveillance system.

This equipment will be enough to open a store selling sneakers. It is also worth providing the premises with its own Internet and WiFi hotspot. When choosing furniture for a store, you need to ensure a comfortable stay for customers in it, as well as a comfortable workplace for your employees. It is worth buying a rack where the cashier will make payments to customers, and setting up a place for packaging goods. Also, at the initial stages of starting a business, renting a warehouse space is optional. Since sales volumes are unlikely to be large, renting warehouse space will be an additional expense.

Purchase of goods

In order to have good sales in the sneaker business, you need to choose a quality shoe manufacturer. The main criteria for choosing a product are as follows:

• Affordable price. Since there are a lot of shoe manufacturers, among them you can find the best option in terms of price and quality. You should not immediately choose the most famous brands - they often have a huge markup because of the name itself. A quality product can also be found from lesser-known manufacturers.
• Availability of quality certificates. Choosing the cheapest product option is also not the most optimal. Before signing an agreement with future partners, be sure to check their certificates, which indicate the quality and characteristics of their product.
• Possibility to organize daily and affordable delivery of goods. It is better to look for suppliers who are regionally not very far from the store or have the ability to deliver shoes as quickly as possible.
• The optimal number of sneakers for a store. Too many shoes and crowded racks will make it difficult for customers to choose and thereby reduce the chances of increasing sales.
• The product has branded packaging. This nuance will be an excellent advertising option. And also, high-quality packaging will create a positive image and become a guarantor of the quality of the product itself.

For an online store, purchasing goods for sale is not necessary. You can become a direct intermediary between the customer and the manufacturer.

Creation of staff

For a business selling sneakers in a small store, you need to hire staff. Opening and maintaining a store yourself is difficult. To begin with, you can provide a retail outlet with a staff of 2-4 people. To select good employees, they must meet the following criteria:

• The employee must have experience in sales. If you hire workers without experience, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to spend time on training.
• Classic presentable appearance. If the store targets a special target audience (teenagers, representatives of informal cultures and others), then extravagant employees can be hired. They will help create a thematic image for the store, thereby attracting the right audience of customers.
• Ability to work in one team. To work productively, you need to create a real cohesive team from your staff.
• Negotiation skills with clients. For professional consultants and store salespeople, there are entire algorithms for working with clients that help increase the percentage of sales.
• Knowledge of the sneaker industry or the ability to learn quickly. It is very important that the consultant is perfectly oriented in the product that he offers to the client. He must answer all questions regarding the product being sold.
• It is advisable to avoid bad habits.

A well-chosen staff in the store will help ensure effective sales. It is important to understand that constant staff turnover also has a bad effect on the development of a sales business.

Where to look for clients?

Perhaps the most important issue in the sneaker business is attracting customers, especially if you are starting from scratch and have no reviews or regular customers.

The following advertising channels work most effectively.

• Convenient location and clear signage that attracts the attention of people passing by. This is the case for an offline store.
• Contextual advertising for an online store in combination with search engine promotion.
• Through message boards: Avito, OLX and others. It is important to design your advertisements beautifully and publish them regularly.
• Via Instagram. An Instagram page is created where products, reviews, and customer reviews are published. Next, they launch advertising on Instagram or direct advertising from specialized bloggers. Sales are underway and subscribers are gathering, who in the future will be your customers.
• Vk and Facebook. The earning scheme is the same as on Instagram.

It is advisable to test all these approaches, and only after that redistribute the advertising budget to the most effective sources of sales.

Additional income from resale of sneakers

This type of business is suitable for almost everyone. Product items usually include either popular models of sneakers from famous brands, or rare collectible items, including models developed in collaboration with famous people.

They buy and sell both new and used shoes. Main sales channels: message boards and Instagram.

In order to stay on trend, you need to constantly monitor news on collections produced by famous brands and analyze prices for individual models in order to understand in advance in what case and how much you can earn on resale.

Documentation

For official work you will need to complete a package of documents.

• Open an IP.
• Indicate OKVED for the activity. For Russia it is 47.72. For Ukraine the code is 47.
• Apply for a job as a salesperson.
• Sign a lease agreement for the premises.
• Register a cash register.
• Set up a buyer's corner.

If you have any difficulties with paperwork, we recommend that you contact an experienced lawyer in your city.

How much money do you need to start?

Of course, we won’t be able to provide a ready-made business plan for a sneaker store, since we need to take into account many factors, from the format to the volume of the assortment and the price segment of the goods. We will provide cost items, and you can calculate the costs taking into account your situation.

Initial investment:

• Room renovation – from $900.
• Purchase of equipment – ​​from $1500.
• Starting purchase of goods – from $5000.
• Advertising materials (website, sign, design for social networks) – from $600.
• Paperwork – $200

Monthly payments:

• Premises rental – from $20 per 1 sq.m.
• Taxes – $200
• Replenishment of the assortment depends on sales volumes and season.
• Transport costs – from $60
• Salary for a salesperson starts from $350 per employee.
• Advertising – from $200 and above at the start of a business.

If you start selling on the Internet, then costs will be significantly reduced, and you, with the same money, will be able to purchase much more advertising or expand the range.

Income and expenses, payback periods for a business selling sneakers

When creating a business plan for selling sneakers, an important role is played by compiling a list of all expenses.

Starting investments for a shoe store can range from 570 to 840 thousand rubles. average. This amount will include the cost of renting premises in the amount of 25-35 thousand rubles, the cost of purchasing equipment 150-250 thousand rubles, products 250-500 thousand rubles, repairs of premises and installation of equipment in the amount of 20-25 thousand . rub., advertising creation 25-30 thousand rubles.

The monthly expense item will include wage payments in the amount of 30-40 thousand rubles. for sales consultants and about 45 thousand for an administrator and accountant. If the store employs up to 4 salespeople, then hiring a separate accountant and administrator is not required.

If the starting investment in such a business is about 500 thousand rubles, then the monthly income will be about 400 thousand rubles, of which the net profit will be equal to 50 thousand rubles. With such a volume of expenses and income, such a business pays for itself within one year.

If there is not enough money to provide such start-up capital, then it is best to open a business selling sneakers on the Internet.

How to open a sneaker wholesale business: initial stages

Sports shoes belong to the category of highly specialized products that require preliminary study of the selected market sector. Modern sneakers come in a wide variety of types and models that have different purposes. In addition to sneakers designed for outdoor activities, running and other sports, there are universal models suitable for daily movement around the city. It is these models that are most in demand and popular, especially among the youth of large cities. Before starting the wholesale sale of sneakers, you should calculate the ratio of demand for each type of sports shoes for the most accurate purchase of goods. It is also important to analyze the level of competition in the chosen industry in your city and region.

On video: Review of wholesale purchase of sneakers

The main features of the wholesale sale of shoes of various classes are the following:

• large volumes of product sales;
• low cost assortment;
• fast turnover of goods;
• The main category of clients are entrepreneurs and organizations engaged in retail trade in goods of a selected group.

For the greatest success, it is worth including in your assortment the maximum number of types of sneakers, their models and styles. It is advisable to focus on the most current and popular shoe brands, offering customers both budget options and luxury models.

On video: An interesting idea for a shoe business

The business plan of the future wholesale trade company will become the basis of the new enterprise. In it, you need to calculate the starting investments in the business, foreseeing which varieties and models will become the main ones in the assortment, as well as what financial investments will be necessary at the very beginning and in the future.

Typically, the main expenses calculated in a business plan will be as follows:

• registration of the enterprise with the tax office;
• purchase of goods;
• costs of renting premises - for a store, if wholesale sales will be carried out in the store, and a warehouse for storing goods;
• employee salaries;
• advertising campaign expenses.

In each specific case, the business plan will differ significantly. When planning future activities, it is important to take into account such a factor as seasonality: despite the fact that sneakers are the least seasonal type of footwear, in summer and winter the demand for goods of this kind decreases, which means that purchase volumes may decrease. To avoid such a risk, wholesale buyers should be offered the most favorable terms of cooperation.

On video: How to wholesale shoes correctly

Based on the results of the business plan drawn up and an assessment of the existing market situation, it is necessary to make a decision whether the activity will be large or medium-scale or whether preference should be given to small-scale wholesale trade. In this regard, you should determine whether it is worth opening an entire trade pavilion or whether it is better to first choose wholesale trade via the Internet.

How to make money selling sneakers wholesale

An online store for wholesale sales of sneakers will be of definite benefit, which will allow you to save a lot on initial investments at the stage of opening a business. In particular, when starting an online business, there will be no additional costs for renting premises, paying for utilities, and hiring staff will be much cheaper, since only one or two employees are enough for an online store.

In addition, saving time spent on servicing a retail outlet will also be important. True, a selling website must be functional and occupy a leading position in the search engine, which is achieved by special work on optimizing the resource. In order for the site to work as efficiently as possible, its development and maintenance are entrusted to specialists.

Thus, if, based on the calculations made in the business plan, it turns out that the start-up investment is not enough to open a full-fledged store, it makes sense to start a business at home, managing the online sales process.

How to open an online store selling shoes?

To start selling shoes online, you need to create an official website and pages on social networks.

In order to create a store on Instagram or Vkontakte, you need to create a store page and place a product catalog on it. Next, you need to come up with a bright name for the store and place its advertisement in different communities. Conducting thematic competitions and surveys with bonuses will help increase the target audience of buyers.

Creating an official website for an online store is a little more difficult. To create it, it is best to use designers if you do not have money for the services of a web studio. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• Purchase your own unique domain (website address).
• Upload a photo of the product, its description and price to the website page.
• Add your site to Google and Yandex search engines.
• Correctly design a website that will correspond to the selected target audience.

You should definitely post your contact information on your website or social media page for customer feedback.

Friendly communication with clients will help you quickly develop a base of regular customers. Positive reviews on the Internet will create a good image for the store. Also, posting thanks to the store on customers’ personal pages will help increase the number of customers.

Working with customers

To get pleasant reviews and win regular customers, you need to organize various promotions and bonus programs. The ability to accumulate points from each purchase and further use them helps attract regular customers. Various sweepstakes on social networks attract customer interest in the store.

You can also place advertisements on banners in the city and in local transport. Distributing leaflets near the outlet will also help attract attention to the store from customers.

How to use phrases correctly

Many managers mistakenly believe that sales employees should devote maximum time and attention to each customer. As a result, they get a result that they did not expect at all.

Example. The call center receives calls from clients and operators are required to communicate with clients as politely as possible, try in every possible way to increase conversation time and offer the maximum number of products.

The managers believed that thanks to this, the caller would like such attention and would purchase the maximum amount of products.

In practice, this backfired. A queue formed among callers, followed by complaints that it was very difficult to get in touch with the operator. In addition, during the “sweet” conversation, the client had a double impression of a company that wants to “sell” a lot of products “jumping on its hind legs to do this.”

In order to truly increase sales, it is necessary to train employees in the basics of proper and effective communication with customers. It doesn’t matter whether you sell a product over the phone or communicate in person with the buyer.

We have developed small instructions that will help you train your staff without any problems.

Step 1. Learn to classify people

You should explain to your employees that there are different types of customers. You can impose a product on some, but not on others. One category of people is led by certain phrases, and another by others. Therefore, it is very important to divide buyers into categories.

There should not be more than 5, otherwise it will cause confusion among the employees themselves.

We offer the following classification:

1. Girls are people who were recommended one specific product. They don't want to listen to the advice the salesperson gives them. They came (called) to buy one specific product. There is simply no point in offering them something else; they will refuse.
2. Guys are a category of people who do not fit into other categories.
3. Engineer - buyers who know what exactly they want to buy. They name the main characteristics of the product or a specific model.
4. The gentleman is a person who communicates with the seller in technical language, using numbers. He knows what brand or brand he needs, but cannot decide on the model.
5. Madam - people who speak the language of emotions. They want to buy something stylish, beautiful or exclusive. We decided on a brand, but didn’t choose a model.

It is important to understand that a “girl” can be either a representative of the stronger sex or a nice lady. Categories of clients are not tied to a person’s gender, social status or age.

Step 2. Before offering anything, let the client speak

Under no circumstances should you immediately “attack” the buyer with your offers. You must understand what exactly he needs. To do this, you need to give the client the opportunity to tell why he came or called.

It has been experimentally established that 72 seconds are enough for a person to voice his desire and speak out. This is an average, so keep in mind that some people may need more time and others less.

After you listen to the client, you can enter into dialogue. You must understand what exactly to say based on what category the buyer belongs to.

For example , after they speak out, the “guys” need to be told: “I can offer an option that is a little more expensive, but it will be cooler.”

If the client is a “girl” or an “engineer,” then you are required to listen to them, accept the order and fulfill it. Any proposals you make will be rejected in any case.

For “madam,” the following phrase is suitable: “I can offer a model that is a little more expensive, but it is more luxurious than the previous option.”

And the “mister” will appreciate the remark: “It’s a little more expensive, but it’s an excellent professional model.”

The most promising clients are “Mr.” and “Mrs.” It is with them that managers need to work.

Once you implement such a customer classification system, you will quickly realize how effective it is.

TOP mistakes that ruin your business

The main mistakes that novice entrepreneurs in the shoe business can make are the following:

• Poor study of competitors' activities. Subsequently, the novice entrepreneur runs the risk of setting prices below market prices.
• Search for partners in the Chinese market. The Chinese manufacturer offers some of the best prices. But the risk of getting a low-quality product is too great.
• Wrong goal for making money. Even when opening a store on the Internet, an entrepreneur must set himself the goal of receiving at least 50 thousand rubles per month from such a business. net profit. The higher your goals are, the greater your chances of success in the sneaker business.

Be sure to draw up a detailed business plan before starting work. This step-by-step guide will greatly simplify your work in the future.

What else do you need to know when writing texts for a website for men's, women's and children's shoes?

1. Use lists, subheadings, short paragraphs. Structured information is easier to read.
2. List all delivery options and payment methods.
3. If there are a lot of products, then start writing with the most popular ones.
4. Leave links to similar products in the description. The anchor (link text) should be organically included in the article so that the buyer’s curiosity is aroused and he switches to the desired product.
5. We catch typos. To prevent this from happening:

Also read: Marketer's Cheat Sheet - Decoding with pronunciation of 141+ marketing abbreviations in simple words (updated)

Text for clothes on the Internet: typo in contextual advertising

I wish that all visitors to your site act according to the “come, see, order” principle. If I missed something, remind me in the comments.

PS If you want to order a text for an online clothing store, contact us now!
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