Business Start Up Advice Thread

Arnathor

Arnathor

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ITT I would like to start a business and if anyone with knowledge in starting business plans, etc; your help would be tremendously appreciated.
 
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Arnathor said:
ITT I would like to discuss pocket sqaure patterns and get members' thoughts on a suite of products I wish to carry as i develop an online store.

Anyone with knowledge in starting business plans, etc; your help would be tremendously appreciated.
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You seem to be asking a few disparate questions here. Do you want to talk about pocket square patterns, what sort of products to carry, or starting a business? If all that is fine, but you need to break it out into clear sections instead of a run on sentence.
 
I have Two broad topics I wish to discuss, all members are welcome to share as much as they wish about any of the three topics:

1) Business start up advice

2) What ranges to carry
 
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You should really either edit this thread title or keep this about squares and their caring and start a new thread for the store.
 
Changed the title, Rambo. Better?

Jimmy, I'm in Ontario, Canada. I'm sure that your advice is good up here.
 
Piece of advice #1, there isn't much money in pocket squares if that's all your thinking of carrying. I'd think about branching out a bit.
 
Buy new and cheap
sell as ancient thirst and expensive
buy a range rover
find a 500kg-wife. big status symbol
 
Business start up advice:

Do what almost all successful people do

1 Be born into a wealthy family but pretend you weren't.

2 Fuck your way into a Fortune - (in polite parlance known as Marrying into Money) but don't mention it

All other approaches involve extremely hard work, luck and/or criminal behaviour

Hope that helps.
 
JimmyRustler said:
It's only criminal if you get caught. And even then, with the right lawyer you could be ok.
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not lawyer
stupid
you take your cash...a bit of it! and talk to the judge... like that part of it goes back into the governmental system.
and you are free... just paid back a part of it
so now you can take more
and next time you also know whom to tlak to
 
HenryC said:
Piece of advice #1, there isn't much money in pocket squares if that's all your thinking of carrying. I'd think about branching out a bit.
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I intend on selling a bunch of different accessories, shoe care, hair care, things I've searched high and low for that I need to shop internationally for.
 
Well, I really would like to see the wider community actually care for what they own and I would like to supply them. My city has an influx of yuppies, jr. lawyers and accountants who like wearing slim cut suits and wear nice shoes but lack a great classic style, that is where I can help.
 
Arnathor Arnathor , are you targeting online customers or are you looking to have a bricks and mortar establishment? Is there enough of a customer base in Hamilton and radiating to Toronto?

Despite its size, Toronto is still a sartorial wasteland compared to Montreal and there must be a reason for there not being more
 
I'd like to target online and then have pop up shops. It's tough writing a business plan about online because the customer could be anyone
 
Arnathor said:
I'd like to target online and then have pop up shops. It's tough writing a business plan about online because the customer could be anyone
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Well, depending on what you're going to stock, I assume that you'll be targeting a particular type of person, primarily an iGent/dandy/online connoisseur of menswear etc etc?

Therefore, whilst it's true that you're not going to target a particular group in a particular geographic location, you're still going after an identifiable group.

Create an identity on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, put up a decent website with good e-commerce checkout facilities, put up some posts about your products on various internet discussion boards, perhaps offer freebies to iGent bloggers to get favourable reviews/publicity and so on.
 
I think you should do a deal with Sarto to sell his ties. He needs some good pictures and you can do that.
 
Thruth said:
I think you should do a deal with Sarto to sell his ties. He needs some good pictures and you can do that.
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In theory, that actually sounds like a really good idea - Arnathor gets some good-quality ties to sell and Sarto gets someone to take good pics of his neckwear.

In practice, it would depend very much upon whether real-life Sarto is anything like internet Sarto and whether Arnathor can deal with him without going mad.
 
I have no funding for this though. That's why I want to get this business plan written so I can approach groups that fund start ups. I've had one meeting with a rep of one of these groups that can give me 5K + if my business plan checks out, he likes the idea, thankfully.

But both of you are correct. Sarto's work looks very nice and I do want to sell to the folks who care for their wardrobes.
What I'd really like to do is be able to have some products that aren't easily available in Canada so I can appeal a little more to my countrymen.

Anyway, I want to emulate the webstore Grunwald - True Style and I expect no-one to know this shop, but there is a little shop in Montreal called Savoie Fils that inspired me to get this far.
 
Gunwald has some nice niche things. Was unaware of Savoie Fils. So you would do a uniquely curated collection of menswear or are you thinking of SWD too?
 
Journeyman said:
In theory, that actually sounds like a really good idea - Arnathor gets some good-quality ties to sell and Sarto gets someone to take good pics of his neckwear.

In practice, it would depend very much upon whether real-life Sarto is anything like internet Sarto and whether Arnathor can deal with him without going mad.
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I think Sarto may be more reasonable when it comes to business.
 
Well, initially it wouldn't even be menswear, I'd like to focus on accessories and care products for men and things they own: Saphir, Obenauf's, Layrite, Sarto's ties/PS, Opinel Knives, Kent Brushes, Nice shave brushes, a bunch of different things, my wish list is pretty long, but it is all stuff that in my view is functional, affordable and/or of great quality.

I would love to have a store stocked with items that a guy who loves his wardrobe or a wife/girlfriend/mom could come in and easily find things most men like. Imagine someone bringing you nice chrome knobbed cedar shoe trees, with tins of Saphir shoe polish, an EDC kit and a couple pocket squares all nicely put together.
 
Arnathor said:
Well, I really would like to see the wider community actually care for what they own and I would like to supply them. My city has an influx of yuppies, jr. lawyers and accountants who like wearing slim cut suits and wear nice shoes but lack a great classic style, that is where I can help.
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prepare for your first #chapter11
people buy cheap
not #dandyelegant
 
Yeah me neither.

Arnathor you should be budgeting about 20k for start up funds at a guess (mostly stock, packaging and website) plus I understand Canada has pretty hefty duties and taxes to account for.

Speaking as someone who does this and knows a few pro photographers there's a lot more money in photography than menswear.
 
Thank you for the words of caution, gents. I'm 26 and i live at home, If I'm going to take a risk I'll do it now rather than later.

What also makes me hopeful is that people in my city are getting behind new business.

But, in case i don't make it, at least I went for it.
 
Arnathor said:
Thank you for the words of caution, gents. I'm 26 and i live at home, If I'm going to take a risk I'll do it now rather than later.

What also makes me hopeful is that people in my city are getting behind new business.

But, in case i don't make it, at least I went for it.
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please let us know when you have your final final sale in about 6 months
might snipe some cheap early xmas gifts
 
I guess what you are saying is somehow business advice, so I won't ask you to cut that out because that goes against the spirit of DW, dissension squashing is for SF. But please, at least state some friggin' reasons why instead of acting like a god-damn asshole about it.
 
LKP, I love reading your posts, they are funny as hell, I want to like you and I want to help you with your shopping needs, bro. :iamdetermined:
 
LKP said:
I do not buy things in stores; I have things made for me
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But cheap early xmas gifts!

Have you thought of how to handle shipping? I have no particular insight on that, but know that customers loooove the free shipping which kills margins.
 
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