industry with the potential
for highly profitable large-scale operationsis not necessarilya personal shopping service
Most of these services begin as part time, home-based
operations. Beginning the service at home allows the novice
entrepreneur to maintain a full time job while devoting ten to
twenty hours a week to being a personal shopper. Once a
profitable client list has been established, and depending on the
market size, the service can expand to a full time business.
If you purchase wholesale merchandise for your clients, it
is important that you maintain a good relationship with
dependable suppliers of inventory. The better your connections
with reliable suppliers, the better your chances of getting those
special items for your clients at a good price.
One major source of income for many personal shopping
services is the corporate client. This type of client may take a
great deal of time and effort to land, but the results will make
it worthwhile. That's because corporate clients normally make
large volume purchases, and if they are pleased with your service
will be a source of repeat business.
This isn't a scientific survey, but it should enable you to
better plan and instigate your advertising campaign. You'll have
a good idea as to who your potential clients are and what they
would expect from a personal shopping service. The next step is
to come up with an advertising budget you can afford and then
find out where your advertising dollars can best be spent.
Other forms of advertising you should consider include;
direct mail, which allows you to distribute information about
your service to a selected group of potential clients,
newsletters, flyers and brochures. All of these methods of
advertising can be effective and are relatively inexpensive.
