<\/span>DO – Keep Track of the Brands You Use<\/b><\/h4>\n
As a business owner, you have a million things going on at once and there\u2019s no way you can remember every vendor and your sales numbers, or experience with them. Keep a designated spreadsheet specifically for this purpose! Be sure to note key information about the brands you work with such as turnaround time, quality of clothing, fit, customer service, turn rates, and sell through. It is also important when ordering from a new vendor to get multiple forms of contact so you can stay in touch with them. You can also use this to rediscover old brands that you\u2019ve used in the past. Chances are they have some new designs for you to discover!<\/span><\/p>\n Brands zip code protect for a reason. They do it to protect you, their valued customer, the boutique owner. If you aren\u2019t sure what zip code protecting is, think of it like a bubble around your area. Within this bubble, only YOU are allowed to purchase and sell lines from this specific brand. By doing this, you can be confident knowing that the boutique down the street won\u2019t have the same brands in their store as you.<\/span><\/p>\n However, some boutique abuse this when they purchase inventory from zip code protected brands in destash groups. If you destash your zip code protected inventory to boutique owners that aren\u2019t approved vendors for said brand, or purchase zip code protected inventory when you aren\u2019t an approved vendor, you dilute the quality and integrity for that brand. When discovered, you and the boutique you purchased from or split packs with will lose all current and future buying privileges. Please abide by their rules because they\u2019re doing this for you! <\/span><\/p>\n Some wholesalers don\u2019t publicly promote their latest designs because they don\u2019t want others to steal the designs or copy their ideas. Instead, most brands have a private Facebook group where they release designs and allow boutiques to directly order packs from them. Upon finding a new brand, ask if they have a Wholesale Group on Facebook for you to join. More often than not, the brands will ask for you to verify your legitimacy with proof of a Sales Tax ID and\/or Reseller\u2019s Permit. This is normal business conduct, as brands want to verify that you are in compliance with your state\u2019s business regulations. These permits allow you to purchase wholesale items (or items for resale) without having to pay sales tax because you are agreeing to charge\/collect sales tax when you sell the items to customers at retail prices.<\/span><\/p>\n When you ask another boutique owner about the brands they purchase from, you are asking them to give away the secret which may have taken several hours, days, or even months to secure. Although some boutique owners may be brave enough to say, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but I don\u2019t share my vendors,\u201d some may be more passive and give away those hours just with one question. Additionally, posting another boutique\u2019s photo in any boutique owners forum or Facebook group, is hurtful and should be avoided. Please respect your fellow #BoutiqueBoss & allow them to keep the secret of their vendor names. If you want to be successful, you will find a way to secure your own unique pieces and brands. The easy way is never the best way to grow your business. <\/span><\/p>\n Find a product on Pinterest or Facebook and not sure of the brand? Do a Reverse Search on Google<\/a> to find the source of the image. It\u2019s as simple as the click of a button.<\/span><\/p>\n We all get ideas from the Internet, creative inspiration is all around. But taking that inspiration which is someone else\u2019s design to print it, and sell it for your own profit (even if changed 20 percent from the original) is wrong, shady, lazy and disrespectful. Let your fellow designers inspire you, but don’t copy. Don’t flood the market with the same designs everyone else is selling, because it won’t help anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n When you copy another designer’s teeshirt, print, painting, quote, etc., you\u2019re taking money away from the original designer, their business, employees\u2019 wages, and family. If you\u2019re a screenprinter or if you use one, please stop & think for a moment about the results of your actions. If you want to build a brand that stands the test of time, then be original. Create something unique and stop trolling Etsy, Facebook groups, Instagram, and other successful boutique\u2019s websites to find designs. Imitation is not flattery, and the boutique industry is quite small so your own reputation will always suffer! <\/span><\/p>\n For those that haven\u2019t been to a market, you may think of it as one big shopping trip! However, once arriving, you may feel overwhelmed and confused. Develop a \u201cplan of attack\u201d before attending with a budget, map, breakdown of inventory to purchase, and list of vendors you want to visit. Most unique brands, lines, and styles are not found online, they are only available at market. Everyone has access to Fashion Go, just like you do. So if being unique is important to you, this should be a priority. <\/span><\/p>\n For more tips about attending markets, check out our blog post here<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n For a list of popular markets & their websites, check out our Resources page<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n If you are going to split a pack, please only do it with boutique owners that you know & trust! Even then, do so at your own risk. Someone doesn\u2019t pay an invoice. Another pays, but never receives their items. We hear these issues all of the time! This is often a policy that you are breaking with brands who set a minimum order on purpose to ensure that the retailers they work with are legitimate businesses and invested in the brand as a partner, rather than only dipping their toe in the water. <\/span><\/p>\n But what if you don\u2019t think you can sell an entire pack? Some vendors, especially if you\u2019ve ordered from them in the past, will sell smaller packs to you. Contact your rep & see if you can negotiate an order that works for you.<\/span><\/p>\n DO – Look at sites like Hubventory<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Still small and don\u2019t have the funds to meet minimums? Try looking at wholesale websites such as our very own Hubventory<\/a>, which offers lower minimums to build your inventory.<\/span><\/p>\n What is a buy-in group you ask?<\/span><\/p>\n It’s often a Facebook Community of a ‘leader’ who purchases goods for wholesale at either an overseas marketplace who illegally remakes goods to appear that they are the same as well-known American brands or styles, or they are purchasing from actual wholesale brands in the US under the disguise of a real independent boutique owner, passing along rock bottom prices that seem too good to be true to consumers.<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes you’ll see these groups named “BUY-IN” or you’ll see them posting in a way that is. a pre-order to meet a minimum quantity of goods to place the ‘buy’.<\/span><\/p>\n For more information about why these hurt our industry, read our full post on our The Boutique Hub: Business Facebook page<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n If none of the Market dates work for your schedule or if you\u2019re looking for something different, plan to take a trip to sunny Los Angeles to find some new brands. There are hundreds of places that offer cash & carry, as well as Fashion Markets and Showrooms. You can learn more about it here.<\/a><\/span> Also, check out our Service Provider page<\/a> (available exclusively for Boutique Hub Members) to meet professional buyers who can also provide this service for you. <\/span><\/p>\n DON\u2019T — Give up! \ud83d\ude42<\/b><\/p>\n Most importantly, don\u2019t give up! If owning a boutique is your dream, go for it! The only thing standing in your way is you. If it seems like things are crumbling around you, change your perspective on the situation. Ready to throw in the towel on your store? Check out our Best Year Yet video series in our Training Library<\/a>. It\u2019s proven to turn your business around.<\/span><\/p>\n DO – Use the Hub\u2019s Resources for Members || Brands Directory and Brands, Vendors, & Designers Facebook Group<\/b><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a Member of The Boutique Hub, one of your membership benefits is access to our Boutique Brands, Vendors, & Designers group on Facebook<\/a> where you can see a constant stream of wholesale items for boutiques! <\/span>Another benefit for our Members is our Brands Directory<\/a> where you can connect with even more wholesale providers. Visit your Dashboard on theboutiquehub.com to access the Wholesale Marketplace to search for a new brand, find their HUB discount, and shop them directly on their site or with their rep. JOIN HERE.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n We hope you loved our article on Buying for Your Boutique. How else can The Boutique Hub help you grow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get more information on growing your business by joining The Boutique Hub, where we have tons of training, information, and most importantly, connection! www.theboutiquehub.com\/join<\/a> Try out our service for a month, cancel anytime.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDON\u2019T – Abuse Zip Code Protected Brands<\/b><\/h4>\n
DO – Join Individual Brands\u2019 Wholesale Groups on Facebook<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"Buying](\"http:\/\/theboutiquehub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/DSC07107-2-200x300.jpg\")
DON\u2019T – Ask Other Boutique Owners About Their Brands<\/b><\/h4>\n
DO – Reverse Search on Google<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"Buying](\"http:\/\/theboutiquehub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/A1006-WASHED-BLUE5-200x300.jpg\")
DON\u2019T – Steal Designs<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"Buying](\"http:\/\/theboutiquehub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/MG_1432-1-200x300.jpeg\")
DO – Attend Markets!<\/b><\/h4>\n
DON\u2019T – Split Packs with Other Boutique Owners<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"Buying](\"http:\/\/theboutiquehub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/YJN-7124-LS-200x300.jpg\")
DON\u2019T – Use Buy-In Groups<\/b><\/h4>\n
DO – Go to the LA Fashion District or Hire a Professional Buyer<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"Buying](\"http:\/\/theboutiquehub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/BLOG-IG-STORIES-5-169x300.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n