I'm trying to get a shoe store (women's) up and going. I did the DBA, license, sellers permit, tax ID,etc.?

Question

I'm attending a shoe trade show soon hoping to get merchandise for my store, is this a good route or how should i go about getting my merchandise.

Answer 1

This is a great route, it will give you an opportunity to get an over view of the industry and see the trends. Most trade shows will offer seminars for people in your situation, talking about marketing, trends in retailing, how to deal with employees, how to avoid/manage "shrinkage." Attend as many as possible. Remember, the people who make and import shoes want you to be successful. They need you to get their merchandise to the end customers.
Spend time in the booths and showrooms looking at a lot of merchandise. More importantly, spend a lot of time asking the sales reps questions. Get their cards and tell them what you are planning. Ask them if anyone in your town is showing their merchandise. (You don't want a competitor in the next block selling the same thing.) After you get home, you can call them back with additional questions. Sales reps can be your biggest resource.
Ask them for the names of some successful retailers IN OTHER CITIES. People in the business are often willing to give you tips so long as they won't be used in competition against them in the same marketing area. Ask retailers for their biggest mistakes so you can learn what NOT to do. If someone seems especially knowlegeable, ask if they would be willing to mentor you, and maybe let you call a couple of times a year with questions.
When you get back home, call your local chamber of commerce. They want to encourage successful businesses in town, big and small. They may have some sort of small business incubator programs or small business mentor programs. The Small Business Administration can point you to retired business people who volunteer to mentor young business people. They will have been down your road and can be a real help with what's critical and what's not.
Remember, you don't just need shoes, you have to have a store front, utilities, advertising, an employee or two, a way to accept credit cards, some place for customers to sit while they are trying on shoes, good lighting, add-on merchandise like hand bags, accessories, etc. You have to have something to wrap or bag sold merchandise that can serve as additional advertising.
Consider having a professional graphic person design your logo and signage. If it's chic looking, then a fairly simple store interior will seem chic as well.
Visit shoe stores and departments in fashionable cities to see how they do it. Notice where they are located--what sort of stores they are close to and what sort of traffic drives past.
(Never, never, never, locate your store next to a popular lunch restaurant. Their customers will take up your parking and your shoe clients will have trouble getting in between 11:30AM and 2:00PM. Try to locate near a complementary clothing store or better still a good hair salon.)
Most critically, you have to have enough funding or credit to see you through the first 6 to 12 months of operation.
Finally, go make friends with the business librarian at your local library. She can direct you to all sorts of business information about vendors and customary percentages for your type of business. It's dry nuts and bolts information, but it's the sort of stuff bankers and creditors will expect from you and your business plan.

Answer 2

Ask your customers what shoes they like and contact the makers of the shoes and other items that go with the shoes.

Will you sell over the Internet or retail at a mall?

Also I advise you incorporate; short answer an LLC and report on your 1040, schedule C; check with an attorney and CPA.