How To Start A Shoe Business

Shoe manufacturing business is a very profitable business venture at the moment.

The most exciting thing about this business is that there’s already a market for it. In other words, the demand is high already; and all you have to do is meet those demand by coming up with something trendy.

However, there’s one problem with what I said which makes it 50% true.

Let me explain…

Everybody wear shoes right?

Well at least almost everybody if not all leverage shoes…

But that doesn’t mean you should focus on producing shoes for everybody.

There’s a saying that if you focus on targeting everybody, then you’re targeting nobody. In essence if you want to sell your shoes to everybody, you’ll end up selling to nobody.

So my point is this…

IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE.

Now, that’s one thing people often fail to take into serious consideration when they want to a shoe business. And it’s why many struggle.

Therefore, to go into the shoe manufacturing business world on the right note, ensure you pin point your target audience.

How do you then identify your target audience?

Your answers to the following question below would help

Do you want to produce and sell casual or formal foot wares ?
Are you focusing on males or female?
What’s the age bracket of those you really think your shoes will suit a 100%?
Are you producing for adults, youths or children?

Although there are more, I believe the above are enough for you to get my point. And will also help you figure out who you really want to patronize.

Having said that, let’s now get into how you can start a successful shoe making business in Nigeria.

Step by Step Guide On How To Start Shoe Manufacturing Business.

1. Learn to make shoes.

First things first…

For example: to start a pizza business, you need to know how to cook pizza…

So, do you know how to produce quality shoes?

If your answer to the above question is no! I want you to know that you’re not yet ready to start a shoe business.

That’s because for you to get into the shoe manufacturing business industry on the right note, you need to get a decent training on how to make quality footwares.

However, if you want to get a decent training right away to start this business that’s good.

Therefore you should consider the following before settling for any trainer.

Years of work.

There’s a saying that the older the wine, the sweater it gets. And that philosophy should be applied here.

You want to settle for a trainer that has been in business long enough. Someone that truly understands in and out of shoes manufacturing.

Lastly, one of the major reason you want to get a good training is basically to understand the challenges of the business and how to overcome them.

Niche

Even in the football industry people still niche down. Young strikers usually choose more experienced and successful strikers as role models. It’s almost impossible for a promising forward to choose a veteran defender as a role model. It just doesn’t add up.

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And the reason for that is simply because they want to be inspired by someone who has gone through the path they seek. In other words, they want to learn from someone who has done what they want to do.

Therefore, you should embrace the same philosophy.

Are you lost?

Allow me make you under my point in a few words.

All I have being saying is that you learn how to make shoes from someone who is targeting the same audience as you.

It doesn’t make sense to get trained by a sport footware expert when you personally intend to produce formal shoes.

That’s it for the first step on how to start shoe manufacturing business in Nigeria.

2. Source for a business location.

So after acquiring the knowledge of producing shoes, the next meaning action (on how to start shoe making business) is to source for a business location.

Now the location is the place you’re shoe business will be sited right? So you want to make you’re doing the needful to making sure you choose the right place.

Therefore, I will advice you choose a location based of the following criteria below.

Nearness to market

By market, I mean your target audience. Ensure you look for place your target audience are located to start with.

However, in a situation whereby you can’t find the right place your audience are located, try a place patronized them.

In other words, what I’m trying to say is that start looking at place your target audience normally visit to hangout, learn or get entertained.

For example, let’s say you’re into produce sport / football boots. What do think about renting a space around a stadium? Good right? I thought so too.

Between

Because those who patronize stadiums and viewing centers are not just sport lovers but aspiring football players themselves, they’re more likely to patronize you. That’s the idea.

3. Get a shop.

Needless to say, the next step on a how to start shoe production business is to actually get shop. Now that you’ve discovered the best location for your product, you should do all you can to secure such a spot.

I can bet a couple of business individuals are looking towards the same direction as you. That’s in relation to the location you pin pointed. So to avoid loosing the place so someone else, you need to secure it as fast as possible.

Pro Tip: A good spot or location is necessarily needed not mainly for the sake of producing or manufacturing your footwares.  You can manufacture footwares from home while you strategically position them very close to your target audience. And this can be achieved by opening a shoe room (at that location) to display your shoes for your potential customers.

So right now work on securing the location as soon as possible.

Needless to say, that all on third step to start shoe production business.

4. Source for capital.

The reason this step is coming up now is this…

While someone else can easily snap up your desired spot if you don’t act fast, its never the case while sourcing for capital to start a shoe production business.

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If you have a compelling business plan and possibly a strong collateral, your bank will always grant you loans of any amount you need.

Now that’s aside…

In relation to how you can start shoe manufacturing business in Nigeria;

capital sourcing is all about look for the needed money to start the business.
Below are some of the ways to raise money for a business.

Savings

If you don’t have this already, you can achieve it by getting a job. That way you can save up your weekly or monthly allowances to a reasonable sum in other to start your shoe making business.

Bank loans

As insinuated earlier, this can be achieved by meeting up with your preferred financial institution. From there, details on what you’ll be needing to secure the loan will be communicated to you. If you happen to meet their criteria for a bank loan, you’ll have it.

Financial assistance from friends and family members.

This is pretty straight forward. So there’s no need to stress the point on any further. Just meet up with your loved ones, share them your idea of being an entrepreneur and let them know any form of financial assistance will help you go a long way. Plus, it will be very much appreciated for life.

5. Buy the necessary equipment and raw materials for production.

This is one area your training comes in handy. Because during your training, you must have been exposed to the finest of equipment needed to make shoes.

Aside that, you know that low quality materials can’t produce quality shoe right?

Therefore, you must also be able to spot and differentiate high quality equipment from low quality ones based on your training experience.

However, some of the equipment needed to start shoe manufacturing  business in Nigeria include

Shoe former
Sow
Shoe gum
Punches
Shoe model
Knives Sand paper
Filling machine
etc…
6. Choose a business name

In a few words, a business name is basically that which your shoes or shoe business would be called. And no matter what, ensure your business name is simple and easy to pronounce. Example of those include: Nike, Adidas etc.

7. Register your business name

A lot of shoe makers or manufacturers in Nigeria choose to be myopic.

They literally do not see themselves making their own big break. So Instead of focusing on building their own personal brand, they often rather settle for less by only imitating top brands.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad in imitating… In fact I do believe in saying “it’s ok to imitate before you innovate”.

However, majority of Nigeria shoe manufacturers would rather imitate forever.

Most importantly, that’s why majority see no need to get and register their business name so as to go pro.

When you eventually start shoe manufacturing business, don’t be myopic.

8. Design a business plan

Over the years, I noticed the thought of having a business plan often scares most people. Meanwhile, its no big of a deal. In fact, a business is just a guide that clearly states your objectives and procedures you shouldn’t stop following in other to achieve them. That’s it.

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Read Also: 13 Key success factors for small business owners.

Just see it as a guidance to your success. Because if you really get your hands on a well designed business plan for your self on how to start a shoe business and you follow it, it will definitely make you successful.

9. Start shoe production

Now that you have everything in place, including a guide that clearly outlines your vision, get to work already.
However, you want to really know what your target audience want. so ensure to ensure you know that, prioritize market research.

Market research in relation to how to start a shoe business is simply the process of collecting information regards the wants of your target audience.

Technology changes things really fast, what work when you were an apprentice may not work now..

Therefore, its advisable you get your hands on the know.

Most importantly, your shoes should be of high quality and you affordable of course.

Note: I didn’t say cheap, I said it should be affordable. Don’t get it twisted.

10. Market your shoe

Firstly, congratulations for coming this far.
Secondly, after successfully competing all of the above, its time to let those you made the shoes know you’ve got something great for them. After that, make them own it.

Show room comes in handy if you want to create awareness for your product.

However another method you can adopt that work really well in this new age is social media advertising.

If you don’t know how to carry out social media advertising yourself, you can actually hire an expert to help you go about it.

I know someone who get interior decoration gigs thanks to Facebook advertising. For him, he has to leave his comfort zone for his customer’s in other to successfully render his service. What makes yours even better? You don’t have to leave or abandon your business at all.

However, you could use a hand by hiring someone to help you get the deliveries done and that’s it.

Most importantly, get your shoes delivered on time, in the right quality, and in the right quantity too.

Round Up

Summary on how to start shoe making business.
Learn to make shoes
Source for a business location
Rent a shop
Source for capital
Buy the necessary equipment and raw materials for shoe production
Choose a business name
Register your business name
Design a business plan
Produce your brand of shoes
Market your shoes

So that’s it on how to start a shoe making business.

I believe with all of the above information, you’re set to take action on this business idea as soon as possible.

With that said, if you need additional information on how to start shoe manufacturing business Or there’s anything you like to add or ask, feel free to drop a comment right away.

Thanks for stopping by.

About AjeeOluwa 1272 Articles
An Interior Designer | Blogger | Web Designer | Promoter | Latest Music, videos, New & Other Files Updater

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