Want to start a nonprofit thrift store but don’t know where and how to create it?
We will help you learn ten ways to start your thrift store to benefit your charity, assisting churches, children, schools, people in need, and more.
Nonprofit thrift stores are operated by all types of charity organizations to fund their missions. Some are small and some are larger like the Assistance League, Salvation Army, or Goodwill.
Remember, you don’t need to have a brick-and-mortar location to raise money by selling donated items anymore. It’s possible to do all that online with your own website. Our e-commerce inventory management software promotes your products across the Internet with just a few clicks with our custom Shopify integration.
Ten Steps to Start Your Online Thrift Store
- Create a business plan
- Have an excellent t consignment software
- Create your brand
- Set up shop
- Source products
- Store your products
- Take great product photos
- Price your products
- Set up shipping
- Create a marketing plan
You can run your online store for less than $10 a day with Aravenda Consignment Software and resale inventory management tool. Our software quickly & easily takes resellers’ inventory online and calculates payouts seamlessly integrating Shopify POS with first-class website design.
- Create a Business Plan
Creating a business plan is important for planning and running your store even if you don’t plan on raising money. Most of your business plan will apply to any type of business but there are a few sections you’ll need to focus on to make your online thrift store a success.
- Have a Great Consignment Software
Consider having the best software to manage your inventory, calculate payouts, and integrate Shopify and a website design. You should be able to manage whose items are sold at what price. Your consignors can upload photos of the items from home onto the software platform— pricing assistance tools with shipping labels and consignor payouts right from the system. Software with services to assist you in your startup, like Aravenda offers, give new business owners a one-stop-shop, making your business launch much easier. Aravenda does everything to create your Shopify website so you can start selling right away.
- Create Your Brand
This is the time to think about your name, logo, website, and social media pages – and on top of that think about who is your target audience. Gender, age, interests, and lifestyle.
- Set up Shop
- Use an eCommerce Platform like Shopify
- Have a website
With Aravenda software, you add items remotely, just like Swap and ThredUP do. You can also power swap meets and special resale events for your charity.
Start your own website and allow people to purchase items from there. You can use your proceeds from the online shop to open a brick-and-mortar store, or you can continue to operate the business from your home. Let us link your inventory with your eBay store, Poshmark closet, Tradesy account, as well as Google Shopping, Facebook, and Instagram. Sell more than you ever imagined.
- Source Products
Stick to a niche of products like collectibles, clothes, or antiques. This will not only help you better understand how much you can get for items, but you’ll spend less time running around town to find them.
- Store Your Products
When you first start out, a spare room should work fine. However, it’s good to have something more permanent in mind from the start. For most online retailers, that means renting a storage unit. Here’s how much you can expect to pay for a storage unit.
- Take Great Products Photos
No matter what you are reselling, one key to successful online sales is to take good pictures with accurate measurements. Shoot multiple photo angles in good light including front, back, top, and bottom, as necessary with a white background if possible.
- Price Your Products
Now you can price it to sell. Don’t forget that even if the item is pretty much new. You will want to list it for less than retail.
Research and compare your item with similar items to determine an accurate number, check out the competition, and know the worth of what you’re selling.
Aravenda Software has pricing assistance tools with shipping labels and consignor payouts right from the system.
- Set Up Shipping
Most consignment store owners use software to help them manage their inventory and shipping. Aravenda offers leading consignment software designed to help sellers and resellers manage their inventory and track their sales.
- Create a Marketing Plan
Optimize your website for SEO – give your site the best possible chance of showing on a one on Google’s search results. Use keywords to help people find your page on Google and consider adding a blog to your site.
Being present on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can offer great opportunities to advertise your thrift store.
Aravenda offers consignment store software you can depend on for all your selling needs. Check out our quick start guide to learn more about Aravenda’s unique features, or start your free trial today.
Schedule a time to talk about your needs here.