How to Start an Antique Business 1-2-3
Opening an antique shop is not cheap (you can pay more than of $20,000 for inventory). However, many people
get started in this field because selling antiques can be very profitable, and of course interesting.
Since many antiques are generally unusual, rare items, they can ask higher prices. At the same time, many
buyers are skeptical because there are so many fakes on the market. The key to making your antique business
successful is to build trust with clients so that they will buy from you.
Location is important when deciding where to set up your antique store. Besides the foot traffic you can
receive from a great location, highly effective promotion tactics include referral and word-of-mouth marketing.
If you set up shop from home or sell over the internet, advertising becomes even more important because you
lack a high visibility storefront.
Get a website where people can browse your inventory online. You can hire a designer or build an ecommerce
website yourself and manage it for less than $200/year. This is especially important for part-time or
home-based business owners.
How to Start Your Own
Antique Business
The FabJob.com Guide to Become a Antiques Dealer is a step-by-step guide which will teach you how to
get your antique business off the ground and how to run it successfully.
Antique Business Owners Nancy Benson and Gillian Hobbs share their experience so you can minimize your risk
and maximize your success in your own business.
These antique experts and business owners can show
you insider tips that you can't find anywhere else.
See what you get >>
- Multiple ways to obtain antique inventory and how to evaluate price before buying
- Store design and location advice, equipment you need, financing, leases, etc..
- How to increase your profits by selling to museums, interior designers and film sets
- How to spot profitable trends in the antique business and how to avoid losing money by knowing how to
spot fakes
- Plus samples of business forms, checklists and lots more
How to Start an Antique Business
Advertise Your Antique Business and Get Customers
Get Free Publicity
Besides advertising in your local yellow pages and running ads, you can save money by writing a short press
release or "letter" to your local paper announcing the opening of your antique shop. You can also use press
releases on an ongoing basis to publicize events, news and activities within your shop. (This is a free
resource!) See more on How to Get Free Press.
Postcard Marketing
Do a postcard mailing to announce your antique store grand opening - with an open house! Using low-cost online
services makes this an easy marketing task. First, choose a special offer that you want to announce to
potential customers. Second, design your postcards online using professional postcard templates with
VistaPrint (you can get 50% off here). And
third, get targeted leads from a lead generation company like Resource Nation.
Offer discounts in neighborhood mailers or local newspapers to attract new customers to try
out your service. You can use mailing services or design your own coupons using online coupon creators.
Advertise with
Signs
Use a car magnet to advertise your business while you are on the road, a yard sign to announce a sale or a
banner to promote your store's grand opening. You can design and create your own signs cheaply online using
SignsBannersDecals.com.
Submit Your Website to Search Engines
If your business has a website, it's important to get listed in the search engines, because that is where most
shoppers start looking for products and services. There are several ways you can do this, and it doesn't have
to cost a lot of money. In fact, you can submit your site for free. Submit Your Website.
Antique Store Business Resources:
