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Does anyone have any advice on how to get started on personal shopping? I love shopping and helping people find the items they’re looking for/finding things that people love to wear, so it would be an ideal business for me. Sorry if this isn’t the right place to write about it.
Becoming a personal shopper takes more than loving to shop. Look up online articles on this type of business.
My friends friend was a personal shopper but worked for a high end department store. She was trained by them and worked in designer for years before she moved on to this title. Basically she had a large book of clients from years of working who trusted her from past work experiences so they expanded her duties to shop the whole store and not be limited to a few departments.
Finding clients would be difficult without a proven track record with connections. Also a person who does this has to have extensive contacts with sales people and high end stores if they are doing this more independently than for a store. I had a few friends who used personal shoppers in Palm Beach where they lived. Their personal shoppers were dressed in the latest designer collections head to toe, spoke more than one language and knew the customs of different nationalities. They also had manners and carried themselves as society women. They had the image to be the person you were shopping for. They dealt with celebrities too and also were exposed to rudeness and temper tantrums of the very wealthy. It is not as easy as one thinks. People with money can be more difficult to please and they are always right. My friends in high end retail dealt with this daily.
I know some fashion schools have courses for this area of business but it might also be another money making opportunity for schools to make people think this is a easy business to get into. Have you talked to and personal shoppers and asked them about their job and how they became a personal shopper? Finding clients to me would not be easy unless you are in a circle where people need this service and know you are capable of providing it to them. Personal shoppers can be found at any high end or designer stores so many people do not have to go look for on themselves.
