If you love shopping, has discriminating taste and loves dealing with people, you may consider starting a personal shopping business. As a personal shopper, you will make purchases for other people or provide advice while the client shop.
The personal shopping service has grown through the years mainly because people simply don’t have time to shop for themselves anymore. There are those who don’t like the hassle of going to the mall. Others may have a list of things to buy but don’t have the time to squeeze in a trip to the shopping center or even the supermarket. There are also those who simply can’t decide what top should go with a great pair of pants. And, of course, there are some who just don’t like to shop, and those who don’t even want to think of what presents to buy.
A personal shopper is not limited to shopping for clothes and fashion accessories. Many personal shoppers shop for home furnishings, as well as Christmas presents (or other holiday and special occasion) presents. Others are hired to buy the perfect gifts for companies to give to their important clients.
One good thing with a personal shopping business is that you can start immediately. No special experience or education required. So how do you get started as a personal shopper?
- Get experience by working as a personal shopper for big department stores, boutiques, small designer houses, and then go freelance
- Befriend stylists — they can be a good source of referrals
- Network with busy executives to buy gifts for their employees or family
- Prepare gift bags for special events such as awards shows and conferences to showcase your discriminating choices
- Find elderly people who may need help in going around stores for them to buy gifts and other personal needs.
To earn money from this business, there are two common ways to charge your clients. One is through an hourly rate, especially if you are involved with a lot of consultation with the clients. The other way is to charge a certain percentage of the items purchased.
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