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What is a Personal Shopper Business?
A personal shopper is someone who shops for someone else. You
could shop for someone who just doesn't have the time or ability
to go out shopping, like a senior, or could be a more upscale
client who looks to you for your expertise and taste in picking
out just the right fashions. You could also have corporate clients
that are searching for the perfect gifts for clients and
employees.
You can run this business with clients in your own community or
you can try your hand at networking on the Internet to build a
client base.
Personal Shopper Business Supplies
There aren't many specific supplies you need for this job. One
thing you'll definitely need if you're shopping the brick and
mortar stores is a reliable, preferably fuel-efficient vehicle.
Be sure you're always available during office hours with an
answering machine and/or a cell phone.
Have some business cards and possibly some brochures printed.
An instant camera can come in handy to take pictures of items for
your clients.
Personal Shopper Business Skills & Attributes
Love of Shopping - First and foremost, you must love
shopping. If you don't like to shop for yourself, you're not going
to like shopping for anyone else.
Customer Service - You need to have a perfect understanding
of what your client needs and deliver it consistently. For
example, if your client is an elderly person, you may need to
consider cost effectiveness as she may be on a limited budget. You
should also be sensitive to the fact that she may feel a little
helpless that she is no longer capable of running her own errands.
Know each of your clients so that you can provide exactly the kind
of service she desires.
Discriminating Taste - Many of your clients will likely be
in the higher income ranges. They can afford to pay for your
services and want high quality merchandise.
Creativity - Your clients may call upon you to find just
the right gift. You need to have an understanding of people and
have the creativity to come up with something that your clients
and the gift recipient will be thrilled about.
Personal Shopper Business Rates
Your rates will depend on the type of client you are serving. A
corporate or upscale client will be able to bear a higher cost. On
the other hand, a senior will likely be on a fixed in come and
would require a lower rate. One thing to keep in mind, that
although seniors may not pay as high a fee, they are likely to be
a continuous source of business as they could require assistance
on a regular basis.
There are generally two ways to charge your clients:
Fee Based on the Cost of the Merchandise: i.e. charge a
percentage of the items purchased. This is the best option if you
are not doing a lot of consultation with your clients. You can
also do a lot your pre-shopping on the Internet or in the
newspaper before you head out, saving you valuable time.
Hourly Rate: You may want to choose this route if you are
doing a lot of consultation with your client. This may not be the
best option for clients with low cost purchases. For example, if
you bought a $30 item for your client, she likely wouldn't be
happy with a $20 charge for one hour of your services.
Get Your Personal Shopper Business off the Ground
A cost-effective way of getting your business started is to use
your own network of contacts and pitch your services to your
potential clients personally.
You can also visit various seniors housing and ask if they will
display your business cards and/or brochures.
You can set a realistic advertising budget and advertise in your
local newspaper.
Online Marketing Ideas
You should create, or have someone create, a professional-looking
web page to serve as your "office" where your potential clients
can visit you to learn about your services.
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You can use your web page to
attract online shopping clients - i.e. clients for which you
will shop on the Internet. Often the Internet is the perfect
place to find that perfectly, unique gift. Advertise your online
shopping savvy to those special clients.
The Internet is still a
faceless place. If you plan to acquire online shopping clients,
you need to gain their trust. Join a few online groups and get
to know people that way. Don't jam your services down their
throats, but do include your services in your signature line if
it is allowed.
Partner with various websites.
Ask them to have a special "personal shopper" section to their
website and offer to pay a finder's fee for new clients. This
could work as an affiliate program or you could promote their
businesses on your site in return.
For a More
Comprehensive Look at the Personal Shopper Business
Emily S. Lumpkin has written a
comprehensive guide,
Get Paid to Shop: Be a Personal Shopper for Corporate America.
This book is geared toward women and helps them
use their creativity and networking skills to build a successful
home business. This step-by-step guide will save you a lot of
trial and error before you take the plunge into Personal
Shopping.
You may also want to read
through Rob Spina's
How to Start and Operate an Errand Service.
It's a complete guide for the individual who wants to start her
own personal errand service, but doesn't have a lot of business
experience or start up cash.
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