Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2010, when personal shopping was described as an emerging profession in Spanish-speaking countries; its claim that it was one of the most profitable and best-paid businesses reflects that moment.
For a more select clientele, or for a more specific group of customers, there is an emerging business opportunity: the personal shopper. If you are passionate about fashion and have good taste, this may be a business worth starting. It requires practically no investment; the hardest part of this profitable business is building a good reputation among this kind of clientele.
The personal shopper was born in the United States as a luxury, very well-paid profession. Obviously, pay in Spanish-speaking countries isn’t comparable, but the first professionals offering image and protocol advice for certain kinds of meetings are already appearing.
A personal shopper’s duties are as varied as the services you choose to offer, since, depending on what the person knows, the service can be sold in one way or another. The most basic service in this profession is going shopping on behalf of clients who lack the time, or simply going with them and advising them on what to wear for each situation.
An elite personal shopper advises clients not only on clothing but also on etiquette and protocol for meetings and dinners with certain kinds of people. They teach clients how to behave, how to walk, how to use the cutlery in a luxury restaurant, and so on.
Without looking any further, the people who advise our princes (Spain’s Prince and Princess of Asturias) on protocol and dress are personal shoppers. Here they may be called advisers, but the duties are exactly the same.
At first glance, you might think the clientele is quite select and small, but in reality it keeps growing, thanks to executives who have to negotiate with institutions, the newly rich, and the children of parents with a high socio-cultural background.
See also: Inditex moves online in a new bid to conquer the market
To get started in this business you don’t need a degree, but you do need culture; you don’t need money, but you do need a good image, because what the client sees is what you are selling. You certainly need to know the most refined protocols and have good taste in fashion.
That said, you can take a course in styling, fashion and personal image.
The tricky part of this business is the first clients. Once you have them, and as long as you do a good job, you’ll be in one of the most profitable and best-paid businesses around today.
Further reading
- Innovative business ideas: virtual assistant
- Business ideas around special food
- The businesses of the next decade
- Business ideas related to love
- How to be a successful entrepreneur
Featured image: Artem Beliaikin, CC0 1.0, via Flickr.
