How to Start My Own Shopping Business

Thoughtful, creative personal shoppers do a job they love for appreciative clients.

Your grandparents would have laughed at the thought of a career focused on shopping for others, but they likely never imagined living in a world that moves at the speed of cars on Germany's Autobahn, either. 'Busy' describes today's family and as a result, shopping services have sprung up from coast-to-coast. Food. Gifts. Clothing. Finding someone else to shop gets easier every day. Join the ranks of these entrepreneurs and count yourself among the lucky ones: having a career doing what you love.

Things You'll Need

• Business plan
• Marketing brochure
• Client profile form
• Fee structure
• Computer
• Software

Instructions

1. Write a business plan for your shopping business that includes a reasonable fee structure for your services. Opt for a percentage of a shopping tab (15 percent to 20 percent, depending upon the cost of living in your area of the country), bill by the hour or strike another financial arrangement with individual clients.

2. Create a generic form to profile clients so you'll always know what to look for when you shop on their behalf. Fill the form with fields for noting each client's likes, dislikes, sizes, color preferences, favorite brands and preferred price ranges to avoid exceeding budgets. Keep these records confidential---preferably within a password-protected database.

3. Develop relationships with retail store managers. Count on the savvy ones to notify you when they receive specific merchandise that you continually seek for a client. Keep your retail contacts on speed dial. Thank them for their help by taking them to lunch or giving them a gift of appreciation now and then.

4. Hire a desktop publisher to produce a brochure for your shopping business and use it as your primary marketing vehicle. Include bullet-pointed lists of the services you offer wrapped in a compelling marketing message that tells readers why choosing your service over handling shopping tasks on their own makes sense. Post your brochure everywhere; bulletin boards, gyms, stores, hair cutters---venues frequented by busy professionals.

5. Offer extra services to stand out from the competition. Affiliate with a monogram service for personalized gifts, a gift designer able to fashion a theme basket on the fly and make yourself available to clients needing a second opinion when they shop for a special occasion outfit. Hand-deliver merchandise and make free gift wrapping a standard service.

6. Find your niche. Aim for a specialty once your shopping business is established. Take a lesson from "Laurie the Shopping Lady" who wound up specializing in running errands for seniors: "Esther told Ethel, Ethel told George, George told Myrtle and tomorrow I'm shopping for 18 elderly people."

7. Keep business and personal expenses distinct to avoid tax problems. Confine expenditures and receipts to a dedicated checking account. Pay business bills (phone, brochure printing, mileage, etc.) from that account, too. Keep accurate records. Offer a referral fee to clients recommending your shopping services once you're established.

Tips & Warnings

• Further legitimize your business by applying for a retail license or become bonded; add such credentials to your brochure for added credibility.

References

• Entrepreneur: Starting a Business as a Personal Shopper
• Internet Based Moms: Personal Shopper Business
• Hub Pages: Start Personal Grocery Shopping Business