Summary: This Fancy Dress Hire Business is not only for Halloween. All year round this type of business can earn you profit. Here are some tips on how to start one.
If you think that the only time a fancy dress hire business becomes profitable is during Halloween, boy, you’ve got it wrong.
Fancy dress hire business is always in demand the whole year round. Halloween isn’t the only time that people have this inexplicable urge to dress differently from the norm. Somehow people always find themselves seeking that princess dress or that policeman attire or that 70’s white suit ala John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.
For most fancy dress hire business owners, starting this business came from collecting costumes and wearable memorabilia from popular movies. Sooner or later, they started renting out one or two costumes until finally they have this shop choke full of costumes circus-style, Halloween costumes, fancy dresses, fairy tale inspired costumes, pirate costumes, fake body parts, wigs and assorted head wears, fun jewelries and neck wears, shoes, accessories, and even fake weapons to go along with the costumes.
Starting this kind of business takes a little luck, a little pinch of business sense and a whole lot of creativity. Here are some things to remember.
- First of all, as part of your business start-up, you would need something to rent out, and that means of course, the fancy costumes, the dapper dress clothes and the accessories. Some fancy dress hire businesses make their own costumes. Others accept donations or buy second hand goods from movie and theater outfits. In any event, before you can open your own fancy dress business, you may want to stock up on supplies first. Not only do you need one costume, you will need several copies of the same costume – preferably in different sizes. You may also specialize in movie costumes, pirate costumes, fairy tale costumes, etc. complete with accessories, gadgets, headgears, fake jewelries and foot wears. There are some businesses who even offer prosthetic or fake body parts.
- Second, you must choose a location for your business. Your business may either be a “brick-and-mortar” business where your potential customers may walk in and out of your shop as they please. Or, it may be an Internet type of business where customers order what fancy dress or attire they desire via the web. In any case, you need a place to store and/or showcase your wares.
For a brick and mortar business, you need someplace both prominent and accessible to people. This makes the shop more attractive to potential customers, or at least, one or two curious pedestrians. This type of small business hardly needs a large staff or crew and maintaining the office space is relatively inexpensive.
For an Internet business, you may need to capture your wares and post them in your website. The more people see how good your products are, the more likely you will have an inquiry or two. Make your site as creative as possible, and yet make sure the site remains as efficient as any business website should be.
- Thirdly, make a list of terms and conditions you can hand out to your customers as they rent your wares. It is essential that you have a clear set of rules as to how your products should be returned and in what “condition” they should be returned it.
Your list of terms and conditions can also include your pricing and special discounts, if ever you choose to offer them, to senior citizens or students or for people who do bulk orders.
Would you want clients to post a deposit before renting? Would you accept credit payment? What conditions can you impose should a costume be damaged? Does the client have to dry clean the item before returning? These are only a few of the relevant questions you have answer when creating your list of terms and conditions.
- Fourth, think about how you can maintain your wares in their top condition. With some costumes, regular dry cleaning is required. With some, regular washing can do. A few businesses like these have their in-house staff that repairs damaged fancy costumes and the like. The bulk of your operating expenses will basically fall on maintaining your goods.
- Lastly, advertise anywhere you can. The local press classified section will do fine, or you can post your own selling site on the Web. However, on many accounts, the best form of advertising is that if your clients are more than satisfied with your wares that they keep coming back for more.