Opening up a ClothDiapering store, questions for WAHMs and anyone who owns a store!

[thoughtfulmama]

please delete...

[mariamommy]

I think you might have more success being a cloth diaper consultant with Abbyslane or something...Team Cloth is what she calls it. You buy your own "inventory", don't use it, and only use it for showing/demonstrating purposes when you are hosting cloth diaper parties. You end up getting a portion of what other people buy from them.

There are big upfront costs to having your own store, if you don't have that $ you'd have to borrow it, and having nobody interested in cloth seems like there is a dismal market.

[March]

I wonder if you'd consider a home-based business. I am the Social Media Communications Director for eLeMeNO-Pee, Ltd. and we have reps all over Louisiana and Texas who have home- or office-based cloth diaper businesses. We are recently under new ownership and I expect an expansion to come in the future, including hiring in other regions. It wouldn't hurt to contact our Home Office just to establish a connection: contact@elemeno-pee.com. The Web site is being renovated, but it can be found at www.elemeno-pee.com, and my blog is at www.elemeno-pee.blogspot.com. We're also on Facebook, and our reps really shine there.

When I was a rep, I made a nice income for my family because I didn't have much overhead, being a home-based business. I did sometimes rent a midwife's office in town when I didn't want to take appointments in my home, but the rent was significantly lower than a retail storefront would have been. I did parties, baby showers, and individual consultations and usually sold at least two stashes per party and one stash per shower or consultation, so $500-$1,000 for about an hour and a half's worth of work; obviously that's the sale total, not the profit total, but I'm bound by contracts not to reveal profit margins.

There's training on how to get business without cold-calling, extensive product training, etc. And a brick and mortar store can expect to sell a diaper or two at a time, but a consultation is like the full Mary Kay makeover, you know? You're getting someone interested in but nervous about cloth, teaching her and giving her confidence, and she walks out of there with a full stash of 12-18 diapers, accessories, detergent, your washing magnet, and the promise that you'll help her with any and all issues that arise.

[m&m&m]

I have been a home-based in home/classes teaching/online retailer cloth diapering business for almost 2 years. While I love doing it, I have not made 1 cent yet. The amount of money it takes to stock a "store" is huge to have a decent variety to where customers will want to buy from you (we are talking $10,000-$15,000). Not only that but as a brick and mortar, you would also have the rent etc. It would be VERY hard to get a business loan for this type of business, banks just don't see any profit in it (and they are right, it is more about advocacy than making a living, I have 2 side jobs now in addition to the cloth diapering business). I too would recommend looking into the "consultant" option where you are essentially building another cloth diaper retailers clientel by offering classes and demos.