Many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) want to venture in businesses but not everyone has the budget to start one.
A way to earn extra cash on the side, without spending any money, is by selling your used or pre-loved clothes online.
Today, there are over a hundred of small-scale entrepreneurs that sell pre-loved clothes online which have a following of over 15k to 150k users.
If you’re enticed by the beauty of this business type, here’s a guide to help you set up your own online ukay-ukay:
1. Go through your clothes and items
With years spent abroad, OFWs sure carry a lot of clothes and items back home—yet remain piled up in closets or inside boxes. Before you set up your online business, go through all your old clothes, bags, or shoes and sift which pieces are most suitable for online selling. If you want to focus on selling pre-loved clothes alone, pick the best ones among the clothes you no longer use to stand out (as there already exist many competitors in the business).
Make sure that the clothes or items you are about to sell are in good condition. Otherwise, it may cost you negative feedbacks afterwards for selling clothes with holes or stains in them.
2. Identify your market
First, it’s important to identify the product you will offer. Should you choose to sell pre-loved clothes, pick your potential customers. Will your shop be catering to girls with women’s clothing? Or will you be selling pre-loved jackets and parkas for both sexes? Know the type of business you want to pursue to set you on the right track.
3. Set up a bank account
Apply for a new bank account apart from your personal one, as you will be required to disclose your account number for online selling transactions. Open a business bank account with your bank of choice to help you manage cash flows more efficiently as well.
4. Create social media accounts
Most sellers of pre-loved clothes are found on Instagram. But take note that it’s not the only platform where you can make money out of your old clothes. You may also create accounts in other social platforms such as Facebook, Carousell, and Shopee to help you sell more.
5. Make your items look good
As most online users rely heavily on the visuals of a brand or product, ensure that your photos look appealing before posting them. One good way to do so is by doings flatlays or having a plain white background for your items.
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6. Make instructions clear
As all your business transactions will occur online, make a clear set of purchasing instructions for your buyers to follow. State in every post if the item prices already include shipping fee or not. You can also avoid bogus buyers by only allowing users to comment on the posts/photo when they are sure to buy it.
7. Choose a reliable courier
Unless you have the time and money to deliver all your products right into the customer’s doorstep, you will definitely need to ship out your items through a service courier. Make sure to pick a reliable courier to avoid delays or failed deliveries.
