Free daily tips, information, advice and ideas
to help you better manage your small business
Starting a business in the clothing aftermarkets can be relatively easy. Used clothing is readily available--think yard sales, flea markets, consignment and thrift shops.
Sweaters, tee shirts, denim jeans, women's and men's outfits and more are thrown away by everyone, all the time. There is an endless supply for these materials--and they can form the basis of a business.
Example: Jose is very creative and has a longtime interest in rugs and small carpets. He regularly visits consignment and thrift shops to search out and purchase materials. The expensive rugs he makes from all sorts of unusual and colorful materials, some cut into strips, others made into squares. Sometimes he dyes the materials. Then he weaves unusual rug patterns and sells to high-end gift shops and at shows he attends. Materials cost him next to nothing, and he prices to the market--some of his creations sell for hundreds of dollars.
Example: Eleanor began buying denim jeans at yard sales, flea markets and consignment shops. She accumulated quite an inventory. Her plan was to use the cleaned and cut up denim materials to make fashionable handbags, shopping bags, and caps for men, women and children. Some she embroidered. She began selling her creations online, promoting through social media. Pictures of her creations sold well, and she is looking to expand her small sewing staff to handle increasing sales--to individuals as well as shops.
Example: Irene uses sweater materials to make unusual hats and scarves for women. She uses tee shirts to refashion into leggings. These have provided additional sales lines for her small shop featuring fiber arts. Promoting on Facebook has extended her market reach.
Example: Pepe is an artist. He is always on the lookout for used men's belts and other leather materials. He finds a continuing supply at thrift shops, consignment shops, and flea markets. Pepe is specializing in creating hanging art pieces--some are framed in shadow boxes, others stand or hang as sculptures. But all are made from found leather materials--cut, twisted, refashioned. Pepe is making quite a reputation for his unusual art works. He sells at shows and online--using social media to attract attention to his website.
Using the clothing aftermarket as a supplier can form a good basis for a business. There is no end of materials--or what you can do with them.
Starting a business, or expanding into a new line of business, can be especially easy using the clothing aftermarkets. Use your creativity.
