Common Pitfalls of Running a Fashion Boutique

Many people enter the world of retail fashion simply for the money it offers. When it's done right, running a fashion boutique can certainly be financially rewarding venture that opens up a whole new world of business options. The truth, however, is that the majority of people fail in this industry. You have to remember that retail fashion is a cutthroat industry that's not for the faint of heart. Unless you give it 110%, you simply aren't going to come out successfully. Here we'll take a closer look at some of the most common pitfalls of running a fashion boutique and how you can avoid them.

Pitfall #1 - Not Creating Strong Customer Relationship

When customers walk in the door, take a minute to greet them with a friendly "hello." Far too many retail fashion boutique owners overlook the importance of having friendly customer service, which ultimately results in loss of sale. Customers want to spend their money in stores that are friendly and helpful and not in stores that ignore them. Whether your boutique store sells men's, women's, infant's or teen clothing, you should focus some of your efforts on improving your customer relationships.

Pitfall #2 - Not Having an Online Presence

In today's internet-driven world, there's simply no excuse why a fashion boutique shouldn't have a website. Even if you don't plan on selling your garments or accessories online, you can still provide basic information to potentially customers, such as your address, hours of operation, printable coupons, etc. Having an online presence for your fashion boutique instills a certain level of trust in your company's brand. Contrary to what some people may believe, launching a website doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. With just a couple hundred dollars, you can have a fully functional website up and running for your fashion boutique.

Of course, you can also go one step further by launching social media networking accounts for your retail fashion boutique. Places like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest can prove to be more valuable than an actual website. Make sure you are taking full advantage of social media networking.

Pitfall #3 - Bad Hours

If you want people to come into your store to purchase garments, you have to be remain open at least most of the week. I don't know how many times I've gone to purchase clothes, or other products for that matter, only to find out the store was closed for no specific reason at all. There's nothing wrong with closing early on Sundays, but try to avoid closing down your store for entire days.