How to Start a Pet Clothing Business

Americans love spending money on their pets. In 2004, they spent $34.5 billion, according to Entrepreneur.com. There is no doubt that there is a market for pet accessories and clothing. However, there is plenty of competition within the pet industry. The key to your success hinges on your ability to identify a niche and on how you intend to compete with Target, PetSmart and other retailers that offer pet clothing.

Things You'll Need

• Website and/or physical store Catchy name Clothing

Instructions

1. Determine whether you will operate your business online or through a brick and mortar store. With an online pet boutique, there will be little overhead; however, there is the potential for much greater competition. Unless you can clearly gauge the demand for pet clothing in your area, it may be smart to start with an online boutique. You can open a physical store once you're more familiar with the market and operating a business.

2. Conduct market research (if you intend to open a physical store) to determine where to open your store by interviewing pet owners outside of PetSmart, PetCo , other pet stores and dog parks. If you cannot offer clothing and products that differ from what popular pet retailers are selling, customers won't be likely to take a chance on you. Ask pet owners what types of products they would be interested in. Consider subscribing to websites that provide market reports about pet grooming (See Resources).

3. Visit Pamperedpuppy.com (See Resources) to get an idea of how to design your online pet clothing boutique.

4. Create a catchy name for your business. If you will open an online store, choose an E-commerce site to host your website. Volusion.com offers an entire package that includes your domain name, shopping cart and web hosting, and starts at $19.95. Corecommerce.com is another E-commerce site that offers packages for as little as $29.95 (you will need to purchase your own domain name). Both of these sites offer business email addresses, website templates (and the ability to use your own design), marketing tools, accounting tools, data feeds, Google AdWords coupons, the ability to create coupons or newsletters for your store and the ability to accept a number of different payment methods, such as Paypal, Google Checkout and credit cards. GoDaddy.com allows you to pick and choose the services you need, such as a domain name or shopping cart. Web hosting starts at $4.99. If you aren't familiar with SEO and online selling, an all inclusive site such as Corecommerce.com may be the way to go. Volusion.com and Corecommerce.com offer a free 30 day trial.

5. Populate your online clothing store with clear product images, detailed product descriptions and an About Me page that includes a brief bio about you and your business, such as how you began selling products and the types of products your offer. Create a Shipping and Returns page and a Privacy Notice page that tells your customers how you intend to use and safeguard their personal information.

6. Determine how much room you will need for your physical store. For a specialty pet boutique in a mall, you may need at least 700 square feet, including your back room and office. Your back room needs to be large enough to accommodate your inventory. Your show room should offer plenty of mannequins, displays and display cases. You should have at least two cash registers. Contact mall management about vacancies fitting your needs. Also, frequent strip malls and shopping centers for vacancies. Other amenities you may need include phone jacks for your registers, a break room, water fountains and bathrooms.

7. Purchase your pet clothing. Find wholesale dog T-shirts, dresses and tanks at Dogsmartway.com. Find dog bathrobes, trousers, hair accessories, Swarovski jewelry, coats, raincoats, wedding dresses, tuxedos, dog mannequins and motorcycle jackets at Doggidesigner.net. To ensure that your products stand out, consider making your own pet clothing or hiring someone else to. Take ideas from these sites and from customer surveys.

8. Purchase custom counters, fixtures and shelving for your store at Ivarsdisplay.com (See Resources). You will also need cleaning supplies, advertising signage, cash registers, receipt paper, schedule forms, bank deposit forms and gift wrapping materials (if offered). With a physical store, you will also need a cash register and merchant account. Visit Merchantexpress.com to set up an account and purchase must have retail equipment. Check out their tools that can help get you set up with the right equipment, such as your Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal, Quickbooks and other software to help you track and manage your inventory and payroll.

Tips & Warnings

• Advertise your business in online directories, Google Maps and Craigslist. Get a sales tax number from your tax office and federal identification number from the IRS. Hire friendly, knowledgeable employees, preferably pet owners. If you will have employees, incorporate. Purchase liability insurance for your products and your store (if physical). Purchase worker's compensation insurance if you intend to have employees. Contact the IRS about your tax liability.

References

• How to Start a Pet Business

Resources

• Market Trends in Pet Grooming
• Pamperedpuppy.com
• Dogsmartway.com
• Doggiedesigner.net
• Ivarsdisplay.com