1. By Lindsay Lewis

2.  Any small shop that sells a variety of items  Small shop or an informal business  Doesn’t take too much by way of investment or experience  Anyone can easily start and run a boutique.

3.  Classified in Small Business Venture  In Fashion  Dream to many people  Allows individuals to apply managerial skills in operating small business  Lucrative  Brings in good income

4.  Need to be up to date w/ ever changing fashion/people’s taste  Main challenge is mission and vision statements  Application of good leadership  In-depth knowledge on the running of the boutique  Requires employees to perform boutique work according to past knowledge and working experiences  Workers/employees who have knowledge on the tactics play a very big role in operations of a boutique as a career.

5.  Application of good leadership  Factors support the fact that most of the accomplished boutique owners are people who are successful in the field of managing small businesses.  Achieved through application of personal traits Determination Self-driven motive self-driven motive entrepreneurial skills basic planning management organizational skills

6.  Plan meticulously  Work out your strategy  Select the proper location  Items/Prices  Clientele  Promotion strategy  Put in best efforts to make it a success

7.  Many boutique owners have business degrees in small business management  Business does not require educational background(stylecareer.com)stylecareer.com  Bachelor’s or Master’s in Business or Marketing is safe  It is required for a loan  Accounting- even if you have your own  “Basic business accounting knowledge is important. Even if you hire an accountant, you need to be able to check your books and know if they are right (bellaonline.com). bellaonline.com

8.  One is required to have a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Fashion Retailing or Marketing as well as management when operating a boutique, when in need of a loan.  Many lenders/financial institutions will take applicant more serious if they have a degree  Masters in Business Administration is an added advantage since it attracts investors in form of partners as they may have a greater trust in your management capability.

9.  Person who is open minded in matters pertaining to ideas regarding different boutique issues  Requires a well-motivated individual who can use the combination of business skills and in depth the knowledge of the fashion retail industry to make profit  Exact knowledge that is needed to ensure that a boutique is well managed  Leadership skills and management skills for a nice and effective boutique to be effective  Planning should also be effective

10.  Requires you to look for employees with knowledge as well as the skills of a boutique  Required to have a substantial amount of start-up capital  The failure or success depends on the management style of the owner  Managerial knowledge and the leadership of the employees is also another factor that determines the performance of the boutique.  Extensive experience in fashion retail industry in a variety of positions from different levels of retail sales associated with experience as a retail store manager  “You will need to know how to price your product and how to display your product. You will need to know how and when to purchase what items, and how to do inventory (bellaonline.com). bellaonline.com  In connection with retail market place including trends and forecasts, flexible multitasking capabilities, excellent time management and communication skills in depth are important (Style career).

11.  Salary range is $33,000- $150,000 per year. The range is however not fixed as it can fluctuate depending on the level of profitability. “Salaries can vary greatly depending on the company, location, industry, experience, and benefits” (simplyhired.com). However, being in the fashion industry, the knowledge of current trends in the market will promise one an upper limit income.

12.  As we see, becoming a boutique owner can be a very rewarding job. With the right person, and the right staff, a boutique can be life changing, and very successful, as well as a very fun and exciting career!

13.  "How to Become a Boutique Owner, Start a Boutique, Start a Fashion Business." StyleCareer.com, How to Work in Fashion, How to Break Into Fashion and Image Careers. Web. 14 July 2010..  "Start Your Own Boutique Business - Small Office/Home Office." BellaOnline -- The Voice of Women. Web. 14 July 2010..  http://openboutiqueguide.com/become-a- boutique-owner.html http://openboutiqueguide.com/become-a- boutique-owner.html