As an entrepreneur, opening your own storefront can be an exciting, yet nerve-wracking, experience. So many challenges come with setting up shop: the zoning and town guidelines, getting the word out to a prospective customer base and considering what advertising initiative will make a positive representation of your store’s identity are all basics to contend with.
It can be even trickier if you’re planning to open a New Age store, which comes with a built-in clientele of like-minded customers but leaves much to your own imagination and creativity. Here, we’ll look at five of the most important aspects of opening a New Age store, covering the pragmatic ownership tips and those that can help spark your unique creativity.
1. Design with your own creativity.
Let’s face it: if you’re opening up a New Age shop, the odds are you have a spiritual, creative streak. Why not let your store speak volumes about you as the owner? If you’ve already looked at similar stores, you’ll know the types of witchcraft supply and Wiccan supplies that customers will expect. Of course, customers seeking guidance as beginners will look to you for advice, and an easy way of guiding them in the right direction is by having a vast selection of books on witchcraft and Wiccan culture or history is a perfect starting point. Topics such as spell casting, sacred space, magick, and ritual rites are all subjects in which you should specialize.
2. Consider your store’s stock.
Secondly, a comprehensive Wiccan store should also offer the supplies needed for intermediate and advanced-level magick enthusiasts: tarot supplies, crystals, spell kits, charms, altar tools, and altar cloths, as well as various candles for meditation, protective magic, and religious and ceremonial needs, are ideal items to keep in stock. For more gift-minded customers, Wiccan jewelry, herbs, incense, and fun shirts, magnets, and greeting cards with magick themes can prove to be popular as well.
3. Repeat customers love in-store events.
A third tip: if you’re a Wicca enthusiast or practitioner yourself, you can increase your customer base by offering in-house workshops and classes on related topics or by hosting monthly special events like psychic readings. In-store events are a sure-fire way to welcome new customers, and many will inquire what the next event will be. Hosting themed classes and workshops helps you build up a great network through word-of-mouth.
4. Master the art of online selling.
The fourth tip for making your New Age store a success is to keep customer outreach in mind, preferably by offering mail orders and a website for making delivery purchases. In today’s business world, most people prefer to either shop online or use a store’s website to conduct their initial browsing. If you’re unfamiliar with Etsy, it may be worthwhile to see their custom stores and independent online shops to get ideas. With your own official website, you can also keep track of online traffic, shopping trends, and other informative analytics that can aid in educating you as the store owner for further efficiency. Many small shops have found additional success with online selling, opening the door for expansion and longevity.
5. Offer customers great shipping options.
The fifth and final tip is related to your online presence, as a successful website will lead to shipping and packaging needs. Don’t worry, however, as everything you need is attainable for high-speed customer service and custom options. A cursory glance at packaging equipment can provide you with the needed tools to meet sales and shipping demands (and you may want to not only invest in case erectors for potential high-volume packaging, but also the cost efficiency to offer customers free shipping, as well), and some employees with packaging and shipping experience. Even if you’ve learned the proper operation of packaging machines in the past, having a solid team of employees knowledgeable in both Wicca and online selling and shipping can cut down on prospective labor costs and the future need for a third-party distributor.
