help on getting started

[drobe1971]

i've been trying to start a shoe store for quite sometime. everytime i ask "how to get started?" people give me the run around. so i ask (beg) the question "how do i get started and where do i start at?" if some one could please help me i would really appreciate it. i just would like to start a shoe store selling nike,addidas,reebok,asics,and puma tennis and clothing. i would like some good advice on where to obtain these items in order to sell them and the best way to go about it. i would really appreciate some direction if someone could help me. thank you very much.

[stlsmoore]

My only advise is to research exactly what you said via internet or any other means. Plan and write down what you wanna do and how you're going to achieve it. There really isn't a universe answer on "how to get started". The only way is to jump right in the trenches and start one step at a time. There are more than enough resources on the internet alone to find and gather just about everything you need.

[paul2145r]

You'll have to provide us with some insight as to specifically what type of store you are wanting to own.

Will it be primarily on-line, or brick-and-mortar?

What is your startup budget? Are you wanting to keep an inventory in-house, or to go through a drop-shipper?

If you want, PM me a description of what you're looking into doing, and I'll see what I can do with getting you in touch with my connections in the production industry.

[ltressel]

Paul nailed it. You need to determine the simplest of things. You need to put together a business model. That should give you good map to follow what you are trying to accomplish.

Here's a good website to start you off-courtesy of another member here.

business models and business modeling

[drobe1971]

You'll have to provide us with some insight as to specifically what type of store you are wanting to own.

Will it be primarily on-line, or brick-and-mortar?

What is your startup budget? Are you wanting to keep an inventory in-house, or to go through a drop-shipper?

If you want, PM me a description of what you're looking into doing, and I'll see what I can do with getting you in touch with my connections in the production industry.

i'm just trying to start a small shoe store. selling the latest brand in tennis and other athletic apparal. i want to start off small and work my way into bigger things.i'm trying to also figure out how do i go about getting the shoes to sell. i would really apprecite it if you could help me find the right direction i should go . thank you.

[adkot]

It seems to me...
You are simply going off a dream and have no clue what you really want.
You may be expecting others to hold your hand.
You have done little to no research on your own.

Do you know what it takes to start a business?
Do you know what a certificate of resale is?
Do you know the manufacturer, distrubutor, retailer chain?
Do you know what your startup costs will be (inventory, working capital, lease, etc)?

If you don't know the answers to the above... google it or find it on forums. In doing so, you'll learn a lot. That would be a good way to get started.

Then when you come back, ask more specific questions.

regards

[paul2145r]

Eh Adkot, you are being a little harsh. We have all been there- dreamers make some of the best entrepreneurs.

If you need help, I still provide small business and startup consultations in my spare time. I give discounts to anyone that approaches me from the forums that I am involved in. If you like, PM me for additional contact information, and I'll see what I can do about helping you make your dream into a reality!


Ooh, that was a corny pitch... but it works, lol. Seriously though, feel free to ask us questions here- you shouldn't be chastised or singled out for wanting help. The best suggestion I can give you, though, is to be as clear as possible when asking a question. If you want to know how to get started, then explain Exactly what you want to do, along with figures detailing Exactly how much you are willing to put on the line in order to succeed. Simply having an idea is never enough- idea's are a dime-a-dozen (in a fair market). If you want to succeed, you have to be willing to put forth the effort that it will require.

[adkot]

Eh Adkot, you are being a little harsh. We have all been there- dreamers make some of the best entrepreneurs.

Hey Paul, wasn't trying to be "harsh", just a bit of a bite in the rear to get 'em going.

You asked him specific questions in which he only gave a general reply. Being a dreamer is great and necessary, but effort can be of equal importance. That's all I wanted to see.

If we all stayed in the pure dreamer stage and never faced the reality of how much hard work would be involved, we'd probably get nowhere.

No hard feelings OP. You'd just better not come back and ask for a 3rd time, "So, how do I start a business?" !!

[BusinessAdviser]

Many people often confuse reality with harshness. In the end, a dose of reality, whether it comes across as harsh or not, can save a lot of wasted time, money, and effort.