Remote business has long ceased to be an unusual phenomenon. Proof of this is the numerous online stores, where anyone can make a purchase without leaving their home. Saving time and money are definitely benefits of online shopping. From this article you will learn how to independently organize a business selling clothes online, find potential buyers and successfully develop your business.

How to start selling clothes online?

Anyone can start their own online. Often this does not even require big investment. It is enough to have free time, constant access to the Internet and a desire to earn money.

For example, many housewives who are in maternity leave for child care, is attracted by the sale of children's clothing via the Internet. Potential buyers are fellow mothers who are looking for unusual and inexpensive things for their children. Having organized their business online, women are in no hurry to return to their usual routine work and continue to develop their profitable business even after maternity leave.

In order to start your online business, it is absolutely not necessary to make wholesale purchases and be afraid that the product will not be in demand. Selling clothes online allows you to act as an organizer of joint purchases. In other words, people will order the product they are interested in from you, make an advance payment, and you will buy it from the supplier and earn your percentage for the work done. Today, many individual entrepreneurs work according to this scheme, for whom it is much more comfortable to work at home on a computer than to trade on the market.

Deciding on the assortment

Let's say you decide to start selling clothes online. First of all, you need to decide on the assortment. The main criterion for successful online sales is the demand and relevance of things in the region where you live. Perhaps there are no beautiful evening and cocktail dresses in your city, or it is completely impossible to find high-quality children's shoes. It is important to carry out comparative analysis available retail clothing stores, read forums and find out the opinions of friends about what they would be most willing to buy from you.

An important factor is the average per capita income in the region where you are going to organize your online trading. Inflated prices can turn off potential buyers, and clothes that are too cheap can raise doubts about their quality. Try to focus on those products for which you will have as little competition as possible.

How to find a clothing supplier?

The wide variety of clothing suppliers can be confusing for a new online retailer. Today you can order clothes both in the CIS countries and far beyond the borders of the Commonwealth. The most profitable suppliers are, of course, Chinese manufacturers clothes. The leaders among resources offering online sales are AliExpress and TaoBao. However, if the latter site is aimed at native Chinese speakers, then users from all over the world can make purchases on AliExpress.

The advantage of Chinese suppliers is high-quality, inexpensive clothing. Through the Internet you can order quite exclusive things from China that cannot be found in any retail store in Russia.

The main rule for wholesale purchases on such a site is the rating of the selected seller. Make a transaction only after making sure of his integrity and the quality of the goods. You can check this by looking at reviews from customers who have already placed orders with this supplier.

The AliExpress resource protects the rights of both parties, as evidenced by a well-thought-out payment system. After selecting the desired product, the customer pays the full amount of its cost, after which the seller sends the product by mail. The money deposited into the system will be transferred to the seller’s account only after the customer receives his product and confirms its quality and safety during shipment. Otherwise, the buyer has the right to ask for a discount or a full refund. The system guarantees that any parcel will arrive safely, including clothes purchased through the store. The Internet in this case greatly simplifies the transaction process.

How to find potential buyers?

Once you have decided on a clothing supplier, you need to start searching for potential buyers who will be interested and profitable in your product. You can try to open own online store, but this will require cash investments(website creation, design development, promotion in search engines, searching for a hired administrator, etc.) Therefore, the most rational way for a newbie to find buyers is a group or community on social networks.

You can create such a group absolutely free by advertising your services and posting an assortment of custom-made clothes. At first, friends and acquaintances can act as potential buyers. Gradually, people will start to learn about your online clothing selling community and will tell their friends about it. The principle of so-called “word of mouth marketing” works flawlessly to this day.

However, if allowed financial resources, then you can entrust the promotion of the community to professionals who will invite potential buyers based on the targeting principle. In other words, there will be people in your group who will actually start placing orders. Remember that buying clothes online should be as comfortable as possible for your potential buyers.

Payment methods for orders

To make transactions easier, you need to offer customers various payment methods for orders:

• Transfer to a bank card or money transfer to a bank account.
• Payment electronic currency(WebMoney, Qiwi, YandexMoney).
• Postal order or cash on delivery.
• Payment in cash upon receipt of goods.

In addition, in order to insure yourself against the buyer’s refusal to order, you can introduce a prepayment system, which can range from 30 to 50% of the total cost of the goods. This item may even include making payment transactions much easier and more convenient, which significantly saves customers time and money.

Delivery of the order to the buyer

Proper organization of order delivery to the buyer will not only have a good impact on the reputation of the online store, but will also significantly reduce the time it takes to complete the transaction. You can arrange delivery in the following ways:

• Deliver the order to the buyer's home yourself.
• Deliver the goods at a pre-agreed location on neutral territory.
• Ask buyers to pick up goods directly from the seller's home.
• Hire a courier who, for a nominal fee, will deliver the goods to Right place and time.
• Send goods by mail with cash on delivery.

The advantage of online shopping is that you can buy this or that item without leaving your home. That is why it is better to give preference to delivery to the buyer’s home. It will be convenient if delivery is positioned as free, and you include its real cost in total cost purchases.

Agreement between seller and buyer

A well-drafted service agreement can protect the seller and buyer from possible misunderstandings during the transaction process. Moreover, it does not matter whether it is a legal document or a formal agreement in words. The main thing is that both parties fulfill their obligations.

For example, a mandatory clause of such an agreement may be an advance payment of 50% of the purchase price or a refund if the product turns out to be defective or does not fit in size. The buyer must be sure that he will not lose his money and will receive a quality order that will meet his expectations.

Taxes - to pay or not to pay?

Any entrepreneurial activity in the territory Russian Federation must be legally formalized and registered in tax authority. Contributions to the state treasury will not only save you from possible problems, but will also help create a confident future. After all, having registered as individual entrepreneur, you will make monthly social and pension payments, from which your pension will be formed in the future.

However, if you are not yet confident in the success of your online business, you can try making a few trial orders for friends or relatives. If you see that selling clothes online is bringing positive results, then it makes sense to continue to develop your business by registering it legally. In the last few years, it has become possible to register online businesses in accordance with the tax code of the Russian Federation.

What else can you sell online?

Selling clothes online is not the only way to organize online trading. You can sell anything. The main thing is that the product is in demand and relevant among the residents of your city or region. Thus, unusual women's jewelry and accessories, various devices for the kitchen and home, car accessories and replica watches of famous brands are very popular. People will always be looking for unusual things that can be easily purchased without traveling abroad.

Online business is responsible and hard work. Selling clothes online or any accessories requires a certain amount of time in the early stages. However, with a properly planned business project, the result is stable income won't keep you waiting long.

As long as money exists, or objects that can replace it, trade exists. Every day we run out of bread, butter, vegetables and fruits, we lack new clothes and shoes, and household appliances. The desire to get something new brings people to the market, where, after studying a wide range of products, they choose exactly what is needed in a particular situation.

A purchase is made, as a result of which the seller receives the required amount of money, and the buyer receives the desired product. At first glance, the deal is mutually beneficial and satisfies the interests of both persons, but in fact, an entrepreneur engaged in the market finds himself in a more advantageous situation, since he was lucky enough to overtake competitors and get of this buyer. The latter is important in running a trading business. Lack of buyers makes it unprofitable and leads to closure point of sale, which is what many novice businessmen fear most.

Trade has been and remains the most profitable business from the point of view of quickly making a profit.

Main trade rule– creating your own extensive customer base, as well as selling in-demand goods. With skillful goal setting, the presence of a small initial capital and strong confidence in your own luck, trading specific goods can become the main source of income and provide a 100% return. For example, as the owner of a retail outlet on the market that sells household chemicals, you can earn a solid income without worrying about damage to the goods and a decrease in their value. There is always a demand for goods such as potatoes, onions, peppers and other vegetables. People need clothes and shoes constantly and at any time of the year. Selling bakery products, not a single entrepreneur is left in the red.

The only thing about worth remembering for a beginner businessman:

• trade can be profitable only when the number of competitors is minimized;
• everything depends on the buyers;
• The investment will definitely pay off, so in an effort to save money, you should not overstep the boundaries.

The ideal option is a family trading contract, in which all family members participate. In this case, the costs for the loader, the seller and even the accountant are reduced to a minimum, which allows you to save significant amounts on this item of expenditure, going to the family budget.

Features of organizing a retail outlet on the market

Having not yet decided on the product, but having an idea of ​​what type it will be, you should start search for a place under a retail outlet. The most advantageous places are considered to be places with a greater traffic of people - the entrance, the exit, the first rows adjacent to them. Naturally, they are all occupied or rented out at inflated prices. Most often, newcomers are offered remote boutiques and pavilions, the rent for which is as low as the possible profit from sales from this location. In no case should you agree to this option; it is better to take a more expensive one, but near places with large crowds of people.

Having decided to organize a retail outlet, you should decide on form of doing business. The easiest way is to register as a s. Registration in this capacity will not cost more than 1000 rubles, which is important at the initial stage.

To rent a place to sell goods, you must receive new status, since this will greatly simplify relations with the market administration and future suppliers.

If you have not yet registered an organization, then easiest way do this using online services, which will help you formulate everything for free Required documents: If you already have an organization and you are thinking about how to simplify and automate accounting and reporting, then the following online services will come to the rescue, which will completely replace an accountant in your company and save a lot of money and time. All reporting is generated automatically and signed electronic signature and is sent automatically online. It is ideal for individual entrepreneurs or LLCs on the simplified tax system, UTII, PSN, TS, OSNO.
Everything happens in a few clicks, without queues and stress. Try it and you will be surprised how easy it has become!

Selecting a product to sell

Trading always begins with the choice of goods to be offered for sale. The type, shape and name of the product occupy an important place in receipt. If possible, you should trade inexpensive but exclusive goods that are highly competitive and in demand among consumers.

Before looking for a supplier, you need to spend a few hours researching trade assortment located near the retail space of competitors' boutiques. Having spent very little time, a novice entrepreneur will be able to avoid mistakes and purchase exactly the product that is lacking in this market segment.

So, if in a neighboring pavilion they sell cleaning products for furniture, floors, stoves and bathtubs, washing powders and dishwashing detergents, it is advisable to stock various kitchen utensils and bath items in your own outlet: towels, dishes, shelves and plastic cabinets, mops and the like. If we are talking about selling T-shirts and sweaters, then you should bring trousers, skirts and jeans to your own retail outlet. In addition, the choice of products may depend on the time of year and demand for it.

For example, in the winter season in great demand boots and outerwear are used; in summer – dresses, blouses, sundresses and sandals. You should also pay attention to fashion trends. Last spring-autumn season, sneakers were in great demand. This spring, the demand for them fell; buyers prefer shoes with wide heels or platforms.

Assortment analysis depending on location

Small city

In terms of trade small towns have their advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, the population in such cities is small, which means that profits will be distributed extremely unevenly, which makes you think about carefully choosing the location of a retail outlet. On the other hand, in Small town It is possible to bring quite ordinary goods and sell them at high prices, due to the lack of competitors.

To this kind goods may include:

• inexpensive but fashionable clothes and shoes this season;
• household chemicals from foreign manufacturers;
• confectionery;
• alcohol.

The choice of goods is extensive and depends entirely on the location of the market. So, if the market is located in a residential area, it is advisable to start selling buns, bread, sweets and consumer goods, which people will not specifically go to the supermarket for, but will willingly buy when they go down to the entrance. Near gas stations you can sell spare parts for cars, oils, cigarettes and alcoholic drinks.

Big City

Large cities provide a lot of opportunities to choose the location of the market where you plan to open a retail outlet.

So, planning to trade things, shoes, sports equipment, you should rent a room at the clothing market. If trade is related to household chemicals, vegetables and fruits, you need to rent a trade kiosk at the food market. In addition, there are also construction and mixed markets. Do not forget about the high popularity wholesale markets, where goods can be sold not by grams, but by tens of kilograms at a time.

Planning to open a retail outlet selling accessories for mobile phones, earrings and other jewelry, it is advisable to place it near a university or school. Students and schoolgirls will become regular customers and bring in a good income.

Village

When planning to open a retail outlet at a market in a village, you should carefully study the contingent of local residents. The goods for filling the counter should be selected depending on the needs of customers, bearing in mind that most of the village residents are elderly people who do not need branded clothing and the latest modern technology.

Most Popular in the village the following goods are used:

• bread;
• flour;
• sunflower oil;
• salt;
• matches;
• sugar;
• sweet water;
• ice cream.

It is advisable to purchase a certain amount washing powder And detergents, kitchen towels, clothespins, men's and women's socks, underpants, work gloves. Such goods always find their buyer; they are not perishable, so the benefits from their sale are obvious. Don't forget about alcoholic drinks too.

Center or outskirts

If we are talking about a retail outlet downtown, then you should understand that people go to the center for a specific purpose: to take a walk, go to the theater, cafe, meet friends. In the city center you can open a retail outlet with flowers, clothes and shoes, or grocery store, the assortment of which will include alcoholic and carbonated drinks, buns, bread, vegetables, fruits and sweets.

Nobody buys quality clothes and shoes on the outskirts, chemical trade, building materials and small equipment will also not be successful. The purchase of significant goods is always deliberate; the buyer wants to have a choice and therefore goes to the city center for shopping. On the outskirts it is allowed to open only a grocery store with small cafe, where you can order coffee, tea, breakfast or dinner.

Embankment and other recreation areas

When planning to open a retail outlet on the embankment, in parks, at bus and railway stations, near a parking lot and the like, you should understand that despite the large crowd of people, selling large and expensive goods will not be profitable.

Ideal products are considered:

• seeds;
• ice cream;
• hod-dogs;
• coffee Tea;
• hamburgers;
• pies;
• sweet and sparkling water;
• alcohol;
• napkins.

Analysis of the assortment depending on the area

Food

Planning to open your own retail outlet at the food market, it should be understood that big income You won't have to wait at first. On average, no more than 6 thousand rubles are collected per day from one food outlet.

The assortment should be selected based on the information above; personal preferences should not interfere with the desire to earn money. It is most profitable to trade potatoes and other relatively perishable vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, onions and beets will always be in demand. It is no less profitable to trade meat. In the latter case, the business can become virtually waste-free.

Non-food

The non-food sphere of trade should include, first of all, the sale of things, chemicals, dishes, small household appliances, electrical appliances. You should choose high-quality, but not expensive goods, the markup on which will not make the buyer want to pass by.

Construction

Implementation construction goods requires not only studying the market in order to find a vacant place, but also having certain knowledge in the construction field. Not all buyers can clearly explain what thickness of timber they need specifically, what quality of paint they expect and how many rolls of wallpaper they need. If the product supplier does not know this, the business will not work out from the very beginning.

Selection of products sold depending on the season

When trying to get the most benefit from trade, you should focus not only on the location of the market and the number of competitors, but also on the season, especially when it comes to trading vegetables and fruits. In winter, it is most profitable to trade potatoes, carrots and onions.

In spring you can make good money selling strawberries, cherries and fresh vegetables. In summer, tomatoes, cucumbers, plums, pears, apples, peaches and apricots are in great demand. In autumn, you can organize wholesale trade in sweet peppers, eggplants and cabbage.

The same goes for clothes and shoes. The assortment of a retail outlet must change with the changing seasons, otherwise the entrepreneur will not benefit from the business he has started.

Typical mistakes of novice entrepreneurs in the field of trading on market squares

You should not count on the fact that by purchasing goods on the cheap, renting a retail outlet and finding several buyers, you can build real business, which can be passed on to your own children.

Many entrepreneurs stay afloat for only a few years, or even months, after which they close down, having come to the erroneous conclusion that such a business is unprofitable.

In reality, such problems arise due to numerous mistakes made during the trading process, here are some of them:

The listed reasons are far from the only ones, but in most cases they have a negative impact on trading business.

The impact of the crisis on trading on the market

Successful trade largely depends on the purchasing power of citizens.

During crisis years, buyers have less money, and accordingly, they go to the market less often, which leads to a decrease in the number of sales and the closure of many retail outlets.

In crisis years the most profitable way to trade products and basic necessities. Clothing, shoes and small household appliances are in less demand, as are interior items. A crisis is detrimental to trade, but having extensive experience in this area, you can adapt to it.

IN modern world The idea of ​​working for yourself is finding more and more resonance in people's minds.

Thanks to the Internet, the availability of books and seminars on business, and the example of others, future entrepreneurs realize that anything is possible.

Success does not only go to the wealthy and those who have the right connections.

And first of all, those who are ready to devote time and effort to tirelessly move towards their goal.

Mostly newbies wonder where to start your own trading business.

This is because this area is well known to everyone, and also has many options for choosing a niche, among which anyone can find something to their liking.

But no matter how simple a trading business may seem, in order to open it correctly and conduct business competently, certain knowledge is required.

This article will briefly reveal the most important secrets to you.

How to choose the right niche for a trading business?

To properly filter ideas for what kind of trading business to open, an entrepreneur must ask himself two questions:

What type of trading business would you really like to run?

Indeed, it is very important that an entrepreneur likes his chosen business.
Only then will it be possible to fully establish the process when the businessman trades in what is interesting to him.

What products are needed and especially popular in the selected area?

Of course, no matter how interested you are in fishing or tennis, opening a store of related goods where there is no demand for them is simply stupid.
Therefore, you need to pay a lot of attention to analyzing the needs of your potential clients.

Analysis of the current state of affairs in the trading business

So, important question, which will allow you to filter out popular ideas for a trading business - which directions to this moment in demand in your region.

In Russia, the trade sector accounts for about 50-55% of all activities of small business entrepreneurs.

Ideas for opening a store can be emphasized by studying the demand diagram according to Yandex.Wordstat:

Step-by-step instructions on how to start a trading business

Don't learn the tricks of the trade - learn the trade.
Folk wisdom

Theoretical information and analysis provides only general idea about what kind of trading business is worth opening, and what ideas can receive proper development.

For practical actions, novice entrepreneurs will need step-by-step instructions.

1. You need to register yourself as an entrepreneur, choose a form of taxation, and obtain all the necessary documents to conduct legal trading activities.
2. If you decide to sell your business outside of the market, you cannot do without a cash register.
   It must not only be purchased, but also registered.
   Also, do not forget about the second popular payment method - payment cards.
   You need to open and register a terminal, having first selected the bank that will service it.
3. Another type of document without which you cannot conduct a trading business is licenses for certain groups of goods.
   First of all, this concerns alcoholic products and cigarettes.
4. When all necessary permissions and the documents have been received, all that remains is to choose a place where you can open a retail outlet.
   You can buy a plot of land and put a pavilion on it.
   But it’s better to first rent a ready-made point, establish a trading process, and then do such large investments.
   Don’t be lazy and look for special offers from the city administration.
   Sometimes it is possible to open a point cheaper thanks to incentives on their part.
   And as a thank you, you arrange a public transport stop adjacent to the retail outlet.
5. After resolving the issue with trade pavilion you can negotiate the necessary utilities and obtain permits from the SES and Rospotrebnadzor.
6. When the organizational issues are over, there are two relatively simple but important steps left.
   You must find decent employees for your outlet, and also equip it with everything you need.

How to conduct business in trade correctly: choosing premises

In the step-by-step instructions on how to open a trading business, not much space is devoted to choosing a location.

Although this step is very important and a competent solution will allow you to significantly increase the number of potential clients.

So, the most popular ideas Regarding a good place for trading, they look like this:

• in order to establish a stable flow of visitors, the store should be located in places with large crowds of people (near bus stops, metro stations, passages, intersections, train stations and bus stations);
• You can save on accommodation if you do not strive to establish a point in the central part of the city - demand there, of course, is higher; but you can trade successfully in residential areas;
• if you don’t want to bother with the security of a retail outlet, you can rent a place in mall; but be careful when choosing it - not everyone can boast high level attendance.

In which state can you start a trading business?

To open a retail outlet, it is enough to hire an administrator and two salespeople to work in shifts.

Of course, the number of staff will depend entirely on the expected volume of business.

Traditionally, a piecework payment system is established - this is an additional incentive for sellers to perform their functions well.

The work schedule is in shifts: week after week, or daily.

Sellers are required to have a health certificate, good communication skills, and the ability to win people over.

Perhaps it is better to hire a person with no experience, but with enthusiasm and a positive character, for such a position. Than a rude woman “aged”, but with great experience.

After all, work skills can be acquired quite quickly in practice - there is nothing complicated about it. But attitude towards customers means a lot.

According to surveys, more than 50% of people are willing to go to a store further away if they like the people working there.

They will also refuse to shop at a place where they are rude or simply not served politely enough. Even if this store is closer and more convenient for them.

You will also need security and cleaning services.

For the first purpose, you should contact a security company and install an alarm and a surveillance camera. It doesn't cost that much, but it can save a lot of nerves and money later.

But you can hire a cleaner for hourly pay. In the dry season, cleaning every other day is enough, in the wet season - daily.

Ideas on how to properly promote your trading business

Moreover, you need to decide on the amount of investment at the start.

Large-scale business ideas will require significant investment and it is better to delegate this matter to an advertising agency.

But a small business can get by with “little loss” using the following methods:

• Nowadays, few companies do not have their own website, because online promotion is considered one of the best ways advertising; Of course, this is not suitable for all areas of the trading business - this is also worth taking into account;
• use contextual and banner advertising;
• move through social media– it’s much more budget-friendly and allows you to increase brand awareness;
• set a high bar for customer service: it is important that people want to come back to you again;
• introduce a system of discounts for regular customers, discount cards, coupons.

How much capital is needed to open a trading business?

If a novice entrepreneur has only a great desire to open a business, but no start-up capital, there are two ideas where you can get it:

• Taking out a loan from a bank, which involves a number of difficulties, but is still possible.
• Attract sponsors who are willing to invest money in the project with a certain benefit for themselves.

In both the first and second cases, you cannot do without a document such as. In it, you will need to carefully calculate the potential revenue and payback period of the trading business.

In order for people to invest money in you, people must see the potential of the idea not only in words, but also in the form of numbers and specific calculations and analysis.

Depending on what exactly you decide to do, the amount will vary significantly.

But an indicative list of opening costs looks like this:

1. Costs of purchasing land and retail outlets or renting premises.
2. Remuneration of hired personnel.
3. Registration of all necessary permits, licenses, registrations.
4. Indoor renovation and decor.
5. Installation and configuration of the necessary equipment.
6. Creation of inventory.

And the video below shows unusual shops,

who sell ordinary goods.

Take note, stand out!

Monthly contribution to the trading business

In addition to the costs that will be required to start a trading business, you need to invest money to run it.

Let's look at an approximate list of costs using the example of a point selling alcohol and cigarettes.

Trading business- This is an ideal choice for beginners who decided to try their hand at working for themselves.

It is important to understand that entrepreneurial activity is not only about organizing a trading business. It is important to fully establish it and conduct business competently.

In this case, you will receive a source of stable income. And don’t replenish the lava of those who were looking for where they could easily catch a goldfish from a pond and landed in a puddle.

Useful article? Don't miss new ones!
Enter your email and receive new articles by email

Profitable niches for trading: pilaf via the Internet, knives, optics and much more.

Since the establishment of commodity-money relations, trade has been one of the most profitable types business. However, during a crisis, the question of what is profitable to trade becomes especially relevant. Which product will definitely be in demand: already known and “promoted” or innovative? Low or high price category? Domestic or imported?

To understand which product to choose for promotion, you should analyze the market situation in various segments, prospects for its development, evaluate sales channels and the level of competition.

Market situation

Nowadays, citizens' incomes are declining, and this entails a decrease in their purchasing power. According to Rosstat, in 2015, real disposable income of Russians fell by 4%, and in the 1st quarter of 2016 - by another 3.9%.

According to Romir research, approximately 70% of our compatriots in 2015-2016. began to save up to 10% on the essentials: groceries, clothing, shoes, and other non-food items everyday needs.

Sociologists distinguish four types of buyers depending on the strategy they choose to save money (see Table 1).

Similar trends are observed in online sales (see Fig. 1).

*Data does not include online orders ready food, tickets, digital goods, wholesale purchases

In 2015, according to Vedomosti, they grew by only 3% taking into account inflation (excluding - by 16%). This is 2.5 times less than in 2014 (8% taking into account inflation). In the average online store, the receipt “grew” by 8% and amounted to 4,050 rubles, the number of orders also increased by 8% (growth to 160 million)

According to Data Insight statistics, buyer interest has shifted from electronics and household appliances to budget products: inexpensive clothes and consumer goods. At the same time, the share of premium brands and expensive goods has decreased. The leaders are sporting goods, products for animals and children's assortment.

Summary: the market situation makes us think about forming a sufficient wide range, designed for an audience interested in saving. At the same time, the quality must be acceptable, since competition in the low and medium segments has been and remains high. The sales strategy should be focused on various categories citizens and take into account their preferred methods of saving.

What do buyers want?

Let's look at what products are profitable to trade today, using the example of successful startups and the most popular franchises(according to Forbes 2016).

Food products: pilaf via the Internet

Food products are classified as essential. Even in times of austerity, buyers will never exclude them from their shopping basket. This means you can take your place in this niche. This is exactly what the young entrepreneur Ilkhom Ismailov did. In 2014, he opened an online Uzbek food store, Plov.com.

The starting capital - 1 million rubles from their own savings - was spent on furnishing the kitchen and creating a website for accepting orders.

At first, the entrepreneur and his partners sold only pilaf, but in 2015 they expanded the range and began offering sweets, salads, manti, and baked goods: sales increased by 88%. The revenue of the online store in the period from January to April 2016 increased by 2 times compared to the same period last year.

Our immediate plans include creating a franchise (there are already about 200 requests from potential franchisees) and opening a business offline: “We understand that we need to go offline,” says Ilkhom Ismailov. — In summer, people try to spend more time outdoors, in parks. We have to be where our client is.”

At the end of 2015, I. Ismailov became the winner of the “School young billionaire", held annually by Forbes, and its project is recognized as one of the most promising.

Cooking at home: knives for amateur cooks

During the crisis, people began to visit cafes and restaurants less, but at the same time they still want to eat tasty and beautiful food. Entrepreneur Alexey Yakovlev noticed this trend and entered into an agreement with the largest manufacturer of steel and ceramic knives, Samura Cutlery. By promoting the products of this company in the middle price category, you can interest amateur cooks in them. The idea has justified itself: today the Samura franchise (TOP 5 in the Forbes rating of 2016) operates 250 points of sale (23 opened in 2015).

Initial Investment- 250,000 rubles: involves the cost of equipping a retail outlet and purchasing a starting batch of knives. The franchisee's revenue is 3.75 million rubles, profit - 2 million rubles (knives are sold with a 160% markup).

Good vision at a price

The demand for health products is consistently high. This explains the success of Icraft Optics, a federal retail chain of stores that sell ready-made glasses and make them to order (it has its own lens turning workshop). Franchise TOP-12 Forbes rating. Currently there are 130 of its own and 350 franchise points (120 opened in 2015).

Geography of business - more than 100 cities. There are no royalties or lump sum fees. For the starting fee (1.4 million rubles), franchisees receive retail, lighting, medical equipment and the base batch of goods.

The franchisor offers partners the opportunity to make up to 300% retail markup and as a bonus gives 50% compensation for advertising costs.

Revenue - 6 million rubles, franchisee profit - 3 million rubles.

For children's creativity

Most parents consider investing in the younger generation to be paramount and most profitable, therefore, among everything that is now profitable to trade, goods for children occupy one of the first places. Let's look at them in more detail.

If we talk about the offline format, the franchise for selling creative kits “Orange Elephant” is successfully promoting (TOP 15 in the Forbes rating): 10 of its own and 422 franchise points. Franchisors have their own production in China of kits for drawing, modeling, design, and decoration. Today it is one of the most recognizable and rapidly growing chains of goods for children, represented in 61 cities of Russia, as well as in the CIS, Europe, Asia, and South Africa. In 2015, 85 new Orange Elephant locations opened.

Initial investment - 250 thousand rubles. Estimated revenue - 7.5 million rubles, profit - 1.9 million rubles.

What is profitable to sell online?

Today, almost anyone can create their own online store. But not everyone knows what to fill it with. The editors of Segodnya invited experts to clarify this issue. Here are some of the categories they recommend for promotion and their marketing features that are worth paying attention to (see Table 2).

But not everything depends on the popularity of a particular product. In order for trading to be successful, professionals recommend selling what you yourself are well versed in. If the seller is an expert in his product, the buyer trusts him and quickly becomes a regular and recommends him to his friends. This must be taken into account when choosing your trading niche.

2. MAKE THE INITIAL MARK UP OF 100% AND HIGHER

It is a fairly common myth that the price should be as low as possible; it is better to make a smaller markup and make money on turnover. However, to earn the same amount at a lower markup, turnover must grow exponentially. For example: if you want to earn 10 thousand UAH of profit with a 100% markup, then the revenue should be 100 thousand UAH, and to earn the same amount of profit with a 50% markup, then the revenue should already be 450 thousand UAH. Now think about whether reducing the price by a quarter will give you a 4-fold increase in sales?! This leads to the third rule:

3. PLAN A BUDGET FOR PRODUCT PURCHASE

The experience of successful clothing stores testifies to an indisputable fact: they planned to buy goods on an advance payment basis, thereby receiving the lowest possible purchase price and increasing the markup. The costs of creating inventory make up the lion's share of all investments in opening a store and often reach 50-80% of this amount. Ignoring this truth and the eternal hope for “maybe”, characteristic of our compatriots, from the very beginning transfer the project into the category of stillborn. As the classic said: “Money in the morning, chairs in the evening.” If you want to sell a product, take the trouble to buy it first. If you do not have enough funding for this main expense item when opening a store, it is better not to open. But let’s say the financing problem is solved and you are ready to buy clothes. How much does it need to buy?

4. BUY MORE THAN YOU PLAN TO SELL, CONSIDER THE NEED FOR REMAINS

The law of the genre is the constant presence of sufficient remainders. It is unrealistic to sell goods “for zero”: a store cannot operate successfully with empty or half-empty shelves. A trivial truth, and the majority of already working entrepreneurs, having read it, will say: “Of course,” and move on to the next rule. But take your time: not everything is so simple. Let’s say, with a full display, you can display 100 pieces in your sales area. What do first-time entrepreneurs usually do? They buy just 100 pieces, promise the supplier to come in a week, and, happy, cut the red ribbon of the new store. Buyers on the first day buy 10 pieces, naturally the most interesting ones, the next 5 pieces, then 3 pieces... and the trade stops. Why? Because the Pareto law comes into effect, which states: 20% of the assortment gives 80% of the profit. But you did not replenish the product display on the sales floor in a timely manner, and now buyers are forced to choose the best from the worst. And 20% retail space you are idle. Conclusion: it is necessary to maintain the balance of goods on the floor every day, and for this you should have bought 150 or even 200 pieces, depending on how often you are able to receive new goods from the supplier. If you don’t have a warehouse, it’s better to fence off a part for it trading floor, but in no case reduce the exposure; bring and lay out clothes every day to replace those sold. In addition, nothing prevents you from finding out the customer's needs and offering him something special, especially for him, from the warehouse. Psychologically, this very well encourages the visitor to buy.

5. SYSTEMATICALLY INTRODUCE NEW PRODUCTS

Systematically means preferably weekly. Yours regular customers have already seen your collection and they will visit you as often as you update the exhibition. If they come again and don’t see anything new, they will be disappointed. If they get used to the fact that you have, for example, an update every Thursday, then visiting your store will become a habit for them. And your new supply is almost guaranteed to sell out. In addition, to bring new models into the hall, you will have to change the location of old models, and most likely, your visitors will see them in a new light and purchase them along with the new product. Systematicity in this case ensures stable sales and high customer loyalty. If, by the time of your next purchase, for some reason you have not managed to sell what was planned, then you should still update your assortment. Typically, entrepreneurs do not do this and wait until something is sold out before making another purchase. As paradoxical as it sounds, such an attempt to stay within the budget has an extremely negative impact on future sales and the profitability of the project as a whole. And so that you are not afraid to go against what seems like common sense to you, but in fact is not, we will tell you about the sixth, strategic rule:

6. LEFT LEFT IS NO PROBLEM! DON'T ATTEMPT TO END THE SEASON WITH ZERO BALANCE

It is known that businessmen understand that money invested in store renovations is not returned. They also do not expect to sell the equipment at the purchase price if the store closes or moves and are ready to make a very significant discount in order to get rid of it. However, few of them realize that recovering their investment in inventory is almost as difficult. The structure and composition of inventory balances will constantly change, but their value will constantly grow due to the remains of new seasons. Some part will have to be written off, and some will have to be discounted. But selling your stock completely and immediately is only possible at a price several times lower than its cost. Otherwise, there is only one option left: to give these clothes to someone for sale without any guarantees. Therefore, when assessing your business, we strongly recommend making a reserve to cover losses associated with the markdown of the minimum inventory balance. We usually do not want to think that any store will have to close sooner or later, deluding ourselves into thinking that if this happens, it will not be soon. But life usually adjusts our plans without our consent, and those who are honest with themselves can avoid unnecessary disappointments. The practical benefit of this rule is as follows: when the season comes to an end, entrepreneurs begin to reduce prices and stop current purchases in order to finish the season with minimal balances and use the freed-up funds to buy clothes for the new season. Everything is logical and such efforts are necessary, but within reasonable limits. You need to understand that it is impossible to finish the season without leftovers, and that such attempts lead to a sharp and unjustified decrease in turnover. Moreover, the decrease will affect not only the current season, but also the next one. For example, if you finished the summer season with balances equal to at least half of your product display, then in January-February, when winter sales begin to fall sharply, your visitors will be happy to purchase this summer product at a discount, which will help maintain trade turnover during the off-season That is, balances are not only not a problem, but their availability in sufficient quantities is vital to ensure good sales throughout the year.