The popularity of home improvement and home makeover shows has brought the world of home décor into the living rooms of Americans across the nation. Show followers and individuals who are into decorating their homes are always on the hunt for good home décor boutiques that carry the goods they are looking for. Thus, opening a home décor boutique may be a lucrative business venture for you. With some time for planning and a monetary investment, you can open a home décor boutique to service clients in your area.

Apply for and obtain a business license. Contact the county clerk’s office of the county where your boutique is located to see what you need to do to obtain a business license. Since it is a retail location, you may need to obtain a retail license on top of a business license. Application and processing fees vary by location.

Rent a retail space. Choose a location where there are related businesses such as a furniture store, grocery store or home improvement store. This ensures that your boutique is in an area that attracts the types of clients who are interested in your home décor products.

Order inventory. Purchase the various products that fall in line with the type of home décor products you want to sell. You can buy home decor items from wholesale suppliers such as gifts, home furnishing and home decor.

Develop a relationship with referral sources. Get in touch with local interior designers and decorators, real estate agents, professional home stagers, contractors and other types of business involved in home construction and renovations. You can give these referral sources coupons to hand out to their clients or establish a relationship where they buy their supplies from you to decorate their clients’ homes at a discounted rate.

Advertise. You can also promote your store and products directly to consumers in your area. Build a website to showcase the variety of home décor products you offer. Attend home shows at the local convention center, where you can display your store products and speak with consumers who are looking for various products and decorations for their homes. You can also place an ad in local home and real estate magazines your potential clients are reading.

Tip

In addition to the county, contact your state department to check state business laws and requirements for operating a business.