How to Start a Fashion Boutique Business in Nigeria
You will learn how to start a fashion boutique business in Nigeria, how to scale up your boutique income, tips to attract potential customers, and every other thing you need to know about clothing boutiques in Nigeria.
If you need a profitable and stable business to venture into then you might want to consider cloth sales, this is a very lucrative business that still needs a lot of people as the demand for clothes gets higher every blessed day.
Nigeria is the largest black nation on earth and that means a lot of clothing is needed here, aside from the population aspect, Nigerians are well exposed and they are naturally fashion lovers so you can never invest in a fashion boutique and regret it.
Although, every business needs proper planning as you want to be successful within a reasonable time frame in the business so there are some tips you should know about how to start a profitable fashion boutique in Nigeria.
Currently, we have numerous quality and best fashion boutiques all over Nigeria and even with that we still need more, the fashionistas need to be well satisfied with high-grade clothes, latest and trending fashion materials or products, quality wristwatches, nice shoes e.t.c.
Mind you, there is this belief among most Nigerians that the fashion boutique business is mostly done by women, but that isn’t true, we have a lot of men in this business and are very successful in the business.
Without taking much of your time we will dive into the topic of the day giving you guides on how to properly start a fashion boutique business in Nigeria.
What are the Advantages of Starting a Fashion Boutique Business in Nigeria?
1. High Demand For Clothes
The is a very high demand for clothes and other fashion accessories in Nigeria as people need to wear clothes, you can take a day off work and visit markets in Lagos so you can see for yourself how people rush the sellers of clothes in Lagos state.
We only talked about Lagos, what about Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, and so on? The demand for clothes is on the high rise and when there is a good quality of them being displayed there is no doubt people will definitely buy them as looking good is a serious thing Nigeria doesn’t joke with.
2. Any Type of Cloth Can be Sold
In this business you are not restricted to a particular type of wear, you can venture into any type you feel comfortable with.
Based on your choice you may decide to focus on women’s wear, kids, men, teenagers, and so on. You may also decide you only want to sell clothes for plus-size people, a particular brand, designers or even dinner wears.
How Much Does it Cost To Start A Boutique in Nigeria?
To open a small boutique in Nigeria you certainly need capital, for as low as ₦500,000 you can start a small-sized and standard boutique, you can also go as far as ₦1 million.
Never forget that out of this money you need to rent a shop, buy mirrors, anger for clothes, a small generator and do some electrical work with lighting.
What To Know
If you have been asking the question – is the clothing business profitable in Nigeria? The raw answer is YES! When you are in this business you can make as low as ₦500 gain on each cloth you sell, based on the type of cloth you can make even more than that amount in multiples ₦1,500, ₦3,000, ₦ 5,000 e.t.c.
We have different types of designs being rolled out by Nigerian fashion designers and also imported brands, there is no limit to how much you can make daily taking advantage of this.
You can also take advantage of festive period like Christmas, New Year, and Easter celebration to stock up your boutique, there is always massive sales around this period.
How to Start a Fashion Boutique Business in Nigeria
#1. Understand The Business
First, you need to know what you are going into and try to gather positive and negative information about it as every business comes with its own risk.
With this information you will know how to maneuver, never forget that when the Naira is weak isn’t the right time to import, this is one of the negative sides of it.
You also need to know the places in Nigeria or other countries to buy from and know the latest fashion trends as no one will buy old designs from you.
#2. Make A Decision on The Type of Cloth You Want to Sell
You also need to know the type of clothes you love to sell, be it womens’ clothes, men’s, kids’, teenagers, plus-sized, etc. Knowing this will give a clear idea of the amount you need for the business likewise the location to site your boutique.
#3. Draw a Fashion Boutique Business Plan
Every form of business needs a business plan which serves as the plan to follow so as to cut excess costs. When you have a business plan you will not go beyond what you have listed, it is also advised that you give room for miscellaneous and unforeseen circumstances.
Try as much as possible to stick with the business plan as this will see you through the growth of your fashion boutique business.
#4. Choose a Nice Location
If you plan on selling women’s wear you do not want to site your location in a business or commercial area where most people who work there are men, this is very bad for your business.
You also do not want to site your location in a rural area where the population is minute. You sure need to have your boutique in the city, close to the road or by the road where those who actually need your type of clothes pass.
#5. Rent a Store
After knowing the type of clothes you will be selling, and knowing the best location for them the next step is to rent a store in that location you’ve chosen. You can get your store in school areas, busy markets, busy roads, bus stops, and so on depending on the type of clothes you will be selling.
#6. Stock Up
After renting a store and furnishing it then you need to buy your stock and start displaying them. You can always get cheap clothes at wholesale prices in Alaba international market, Wuse market, Aba, and so on.
You can also go ahead to buy from neighboring countries like the Benin Republic at a cheaper rate. This is also an opportunity to start a mini importation business where you order from top countries like China, Uk, the USA, and so on.
#7. Do Necessary Paper Work (Bank Account Opening)
As a business owner, you need to register your business with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) so you can legalize it and avoid being disturbed by the government.
Once done you can then go to the bank and open a business account and also get yourself a POS machine that will hasten transactions with your customers.
Marketing Your Fashion Business
Are you worried about how to market your boutique business in Nigeria? Marketing is a very important aspect of all business types and the Fashion boutique business isn’t an exception.
Now that you know how to start a fashion boutique business in Nigeria and every other thing is set you need to market your business.
You don’t have to wait for customers to come in, print pamphlets, and flyers, make banners for online and social media adverts and make use of shopping websites like Jumia.com.ng, Konga.com, and Jiji. ng and so on.
Read Also: Markets Where You Can Buy Jeans Cheap in Lagos
Also, to hold on tight to your customers make sure you create a good customer relationship with them, get their phone numbers, call them and message them once in a while, also show them some exceptional product that may be of interest to them and you will have them always coming back to you
