Starting a Business Help!!

Hi i'm curious about starting my own business selling clothing maybe but am at a complete loss where too start really.

I have a some skills in Photoshop and have took a class on clothing creation with NCI just in case and am starting on making a few things now i just need too know really where too start really inworld.

I'm on a very very low budget as i'm currently unemployed so i'm unsure if i'll be even able too open a small store.

Though i did find this page in the forums about a Guy offering free space too designers and am wondering if it's a good idea, would others do that?

http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/business-land-economy/17567-totally-free-land-new-business.html

So please any guidance on opening a small business is greatly appriciated i need major help.

Thank you in advance

P.S I'm reading through the Advice on Sales Thread aswell just in case.

IM me in-world and then let me see some of your creations. We have some of the top creators on Stella Isle and I will find you a free shop for 4 weeks there if your range fits in with what we have now.
I would say presentation is everything. Stella, my partner, would offer advice on that. Take a look around the mall and see if you would like to take-up the offer.

Ding

Go to Etopia and join the group - JoJogirl Bailey seems to do classes in this area on a regular basis.

Thank you both for the advice.

Ding - I don't actually have anything made fully yet still tweaking so too speak am just really gathering ideas and tips at the moment but as soon as i get a few things done i'll be sure too add them onto here through SLX or Onrez.

Curtis - I'm heading over too Etopia right now too join the group. Thanx for the tip

Ok something quick too add.

It was suggested too me too just start by adding things onto SLX and Onrez and work on getting a store maybe later.
What do you think, does SLX and Onrez work for you?

You might also like to think about sellig your items on one or both of these two web sites

www.onrez.com
www.xstreetsl.com

Both are very reputable and a great source to browse through and see what other clothing is around, popular, price guide etc

Youd need only 2 prims to keep their boxes inworld, one prim for each, relatively simple to set up. I think Ive seen people offering places free to store your boxes ..but cant recall where now.

Someone smarter than me will come along shortly and tell you no doubt

Hi send me and im in world and when im in again ill be happy to drop you some notecards with text of my classes. I am also teaching another one on this coming Tues on how to increase traffic at 5p slt on etopia.

just another point...when i first started out, i rented a tiny shop and then did every single free yard sale, market etc i could find. that was a good way for me to find out what was popular etc. Then as i made more money i rented more space. I dont advise going crazy and incurring alot of expense up front like buying land, renting huge spaces, buying alot of gadgets etc. You will only be disappointed.

maybe i should teach a class in how to start with no money like i did...hehe

I see you're already reading through the Advice on Sales thread, which is a great place to start. I haven't kept up with it, as I'm not a business owner, but when I've poked my head in there've been a lot of knowledgeable people offering up good advice.

Don't forget to look around and see what's already out there, and I always recommend taking classes!



I can't tell you whether it's a good idea for you, but Elanthius is a stand-up guy and I'd trust him to do right by you if you took him up on the offer.

On the other hand, you might do better to find spaces in malls and yardsales or established businesses (like the one earlier in this thread) as long as you can keep your costs low. I think there are other places that offer free space to beginning designers, but don't know any off the top of my head.

Good luck in your endeavors!

Faithless - mmmm i've been told too use both them places and i plan too though i'm a little curious if they actually work. I've gotten quite a few mixed signals really about them really, people saying they work then others saying they don't. So i'm very curious too find out if they do or not.

JoJo - Hi Jojo ty i'll send you a IM as soon as possible and i'll try too attend the class if i can i live in the UK so i'm only online till certain times
I'll try doing the yard sales and i'll look around for free markets, i've found one at Monkey Mall but if anyone can suggest anymore please do

Nic - Yes reading through now only on page 11 lol so a long long way to go lol. I've joined the Etopia group and NCI group so i get class announcements so i'll be attending whatever i can

Thank you for the advice on the free business space, i was a little unsure about it. Giving a out full perm item i don't mind i guess, i just don't like the idea of everyone getting it full perm especially when i put so much work into it. I'll contact him though and see how he works. Though if anyone has taken him up on his offer please feel free too contact me and let me know how it worked for you

Ok so i've added a store on Onrez not on SLX at the moment though, for some reason i can't get my account validated so i've contacted them to let them know.

Anyway if anyone would like too see my things and tell me what they think i'd be very grateful

http://shop.onrez.com/Haruka_Zsun

Thanks again too everyone who has helped me

I vote for that one

There's the Big Dog Free Market (not in world atm - if you have trouble finding it in search, drop me an IM and I'll send the landmark to you). That one has about 8 or so free stalls. They are cleared twice a month, on the 15th & 30th iirc. Then you can just set your items out again. I did that for a month or so.

I started using Xstreet. When I had enough to pay six months rent and had steady sales I opened up my inworld store. It took a while but I didn't have to invest much.

Hi Czari, ty for the tip i'll have a look as soon as i get in world
I'll let you know if i have any probs

I've opened up a store in Onrez, still trying too in SLX for some reason i'm having problems validating my account. I'm gonna try again in a bit, ty for the info though. I'll keep that in mind

I wouldn't really give out full perm items to pay for a business space just yet, get a little better handle on what you are doing before you do that.

Hi Ralektra, thanks for the tip though i am still thinking on the matter. I don't like the idea of setting out a full perm item too somebody but i think free rental land is a pretty good deal for just one item a week really.

I'm going too have a little chat with him in world i think and see how he runs things but thanks again Ralektra i will keep in mind what you say.

Ok so i've made up a test ad so too speak and i'd love some critic on it if possible. I've put it up on the SLUniverse forums aswell for a little advice from them too so if possible i'd love too have your opinions aswell.

Thanks.

Oh almost forgot too ask, textures where does everyone go for fabric textures. What are good places that you can use for free?

Your ad format is perfectly adequate. But you want to be careful posting links to that in RA because someone might say you are trying to advertise here which is a no no.

Hey Haruka - Congrats and welcome to "Pull-my-Hair-out-why-aren't-I-Making-Sales???" world. As long as you have an easy going attitude about it and realize that no matter how much you learn there is always something more, you will do just fine.

Not sure if you have gotten this far yet on the other thread: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dfz3dk33_0d2dvsbgx but Skell made a great compendium that shows in one concise spot much of what has been discussed there- do jump ahead and take a look at it.

As for textures, I walk around with a camera so I shoot my own mostly but you can draw them yourself or purchase legal ones in world.

I followed your OnRez link but it took me to an empty page.....?

And your dress is lovely, btw -

Enjoy always what you do and don't ever take your self so seriously it prevents you from having fun with it. When it starts to feel like work you need to take a break.

Good luck!

A few points....first, I dont like then idea of giving anyone full perm versions of my items also. No offense to the person who offered since I dont know them, but I feel like if i do that, then that item will eventually become one of the freebies around SL and completely out of my control. I think you would do better to build your biz from the ground up using low cost methods to distribute the items and build as you go. You might get a 1000L per week space for free by giving away one full perm item a week, but those items are your inventory for your store. If you give them away, you will constantly be creating and those items could make you far more than 1000L over time.

I love textures and playing with them...my fav places for textures are Twisted Thorn, SND, Lfox, and a couple of other smaller places- one is called USD i think. I like that the textures are not so coookie cutter and that you dont see them all over SL. I usually shop for textures once a day by going to SLEX and searching for "textures" then sorting by new to old. That way i can see anything that has just come out. I also look at the clothing textures and use the words "draped" "pleated" etc. to find cool ones. I also dont go for way overpriced textures no matter how good they are, but i do look for good value for what i purchase.

I just graphed my various unique visit numbers- the numbers have definitely risen- now if I could just get them to part with some L's

I am trying to see the impact the advert in Honey's blog has on visits. I am also tracking visits per store to see where I am getting the most traffic. I do feel the malls are basically an advert for your main store if you can have one, since not all places will go the extra mile and put up signs for you - which thankfully many mall owners do. Another thing - to the OP- to look for if you rent a spot, is whether they have set landing points- Personally, I hate landing points because they are seldom anywhere near your store!

Agreeing with the no full perms in exchange for rent- there are many helpful folks that will cut out a slice for you for free- and in high traffic areas I might add. Keep your ears open in the Biz Owner Group- you never know what might come up there.

Phew i'm glad it looks better now lol. I was having major issues with my shape and the non prim skirt so i had too completely redo my shape over for this lol. I did not realise that it might be classed as a form of advertising i'll try remember that in the future, ty for the tip Ralektra.

LOL Amarathin, certainly a good name for a thread that one *giggle* and ty for the link, i'm not sure if i've got that far yet. Don't remember seeing the link lol i'm only on page 30 so it's gonna be awhile before i reach the end. Oh and i know about my Onrez page, i completely removed everything too redo over my ads, just making signs up now too put inworld etc. I'm slowly making things up. Got 4 outfits made upto now lol.

Ty for the tip Jojo i'm still deciding on it. Like i say i'm a little unsure and even if i did do it that way it's not like i'd be doing it forever and he did mention that i could give him whatever i make. It's my own choice so he says. Like i say still mulling it over. At the moment i've found a place that does small plots of land for 500L a month, maybe once i get more things up and made and have a SL job i could rent a plot of land.

I'll have a look at them places you suggested. I think i have seen Lfox before on my wandering and if i remember correctly i did like them.

Ok ty Amaranthin, i've joined that group so i'll keep an eye out etc

Many people in SL are happy to lend a hand.

There are some nifty things folks have made and hand out for free- let me know if you have or need the skirt maker. It is NOT a substitute for doing the work your self- but it is a great learning tool and a labor saver once you learn how to manipulate the prims yourself. And that's just one item! There are many similar things folks have made and then freely shared. Some one gave me a very cool particle emitter HUD last night, for example - saves the extra tweaks and I can use it to learn how to change the scripts myself.

Edited to add interesting side note- Harukah is jumping in with both feet! http://recommenditdsl.wordpress.com/
Congratulations Harukah- and good luck - this is a difficult thing you have taken on, especially with limited experience in SL commerce and design.

Hi again Amaranthin, i'd love too chat inworld please feel free too IM me at any time

I have the prim skirt builder someone sent me it ages ago lol, i've noticed quite a few little tools out there for free i'm just looking through SLX and getting a few things now lol.

*giggle* thanks hun, well i decided too give it a go. I spent alot of time playing The Sims 2 and IMVU before joining SL so i know a little and it's something i've always wanted too do lol.

I see you were in my shop today and thank you very much for the donation you made to SHINE

Yvw Ralektra, i loved your store very well set out and your designs were so cute.
I also popped over too Rha's yesterday aswell. I loved it, very Christmas Grotto at the moment there *giggle*

Oh before i forget i rented out a small stall at Big Dog Market only got 4 products up at the moment but i'm working on more. Once i get enough i'll get that main store and a freebie out