Hey ya'll! I have some super exciting news, I am opening my very own online clothing store! I didn't think I would really blog about this but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I could focus on the minor depths of creating a business and give you guys some advice on being an independent business woman because let me tell you, it is not easy.
1. Have A Dream & Come Up with Your Idea
This part is the easiest step of this whole process. If you have a dream, pursue it. Come up with an idea of what kind of business you want, and what products you will create and sell in this business. Will you need employees? A warehouse or office? Will you choose wholesale or handmade products? Remember that you are in for a roller coaster ride. Do you think you will be successful taking the easy route? Fact: There are currently 273,723 retail establishments in Florida alone. You have a lot of competition.
.2. Research and Decide Whether This Is For You
One thing that I have learned through this whole process is that opening up a businesses requires a lot of money. I have dug into my savings and I know that there is no going back. Don't spend the money unless you know that you want to do this 100%. There are no returns on website development, website hosting, supplies inventory, state business licenses and permits, name copyright, taxes, shipping supplies, and more. It is way more of an investment than you think. Fact: According to Census data, more than 40 percent of all small businesses started up for under $5,000. Every little thing costs money.
I have learned everything I have by spending hours upon hours doing research, making calls, and reading. I hope this blog post helps you out in some way whether it makes you want to start a business because you know that you are hard working and won't quit, or whether it saved you lots of time and money; because being an entrepreneur is just not your passion. Be smart about the decisions you make! A retail business isn't a "phase" that you should go through, it's a commitment. I also hope this post didn't come across as harsh or crush your dreams! I honestly am writing this to help you out, seriously. This is a very scary process. You really don't know whether your business will be successful or a complete failure. I don't want you to dive into something, spend thousands of dollars, then realize that it is too much money, work, or not for you. That would make you and me both so sad! I want you to flourish girl, not be lost and broke haha. Work hard and have fun with it.
Best of luck babes!
xoxo Stephanie Rivera
1. Have A Dream & Come Up with Your Idea
This part is the easiest step of this whole process. If you have a dream, pursue it. Come up with an idea of what kind of business you want, and what products you will create and sell in this business. Will you need employees? A warehouse or office? Will you choose wholesale or handmade products? Remember that you are in for a roller coaster ride. Do you think you will be successful taking the easy route? Fact: There are currently 273,723 retail establishments in Florida alone. You have a lot of competition.
.2. Research and Decide Whether This Is For You
One thing that I have learned through this whole process is that opening up a businesses requires a lot of money. I have dug into my savings and I know that there is no going back. Don't spend the money unless you know that you want to do this 100%. There are no returns on website development, website hosting, supplies inventory, state business licenses and permits, name copyright, taxes, shipping supplies, and more. It is way more of an investment than you think. Fact: According to Census data, more than 40 percent of all small businesses started up for under $5,000. Every little thing costs money.
I have learned everything I have by spending hours upon hours doing research, making calls, and reading. I hope this blog post helps you out in some way whether it makes you want to start a business because you know that you are hard working and won't quit, or whether it saved you lots of time and money; because being an entrepreneur is just not your passion. Be smart about the decisions you make! A retail business isn't a "phase" that you should go through, it's a commitment. I also hope this post didn't come across as harsh or crush your dreams! I honestly am writing this to help you out, seriously. This is a very scary process. You really don't know whether your business will be successful or a complete failure. I don't want you to dive into something, spend thousands of dollars, then realize that it is too much money, work, or not for you. That would make you and me both so sad! I want you to flourish girl, not be lost and broke haha. Work hard and have fun with it.
Best of luck babes!
xoxo Stephanie Rivera