The failed business of a young mother, or how I bought Korean cosmetics. Best Korean Cosmetics

15% - this is the part of the income that women are willing to spend monthly on the purchase of cosmetics. Some of them are willing to save on entertainment, clothes and food in order to spend this money on cosmetics. In this business plan, you will learn how to open a cosmetics store with minimum investment. We will conduct a detailed calculation and tell you how you can save money and achieve maximum business profitability.

Difficulties in business

When starting a cosmetics store, you may encounter some difficulties that will ruin your business in a few months.

The first thing you will encounter are competitors:

• large stores
• small shops
• Hypermarkets with a department of cosmetics and perfumery
• Online shopping

The market of cosmetics and perfumery cannot be called new. Major players such as L'Etoile and Rive Gauche have long understood how to attract customers, what range to provide and how to work with their employees. Smaller players are also on the alert and have occupied all the most advantageous places in shopping centers.

Also, if you want to open a natural cosmetics store or some other, then you will have to compete with hypermarkets, as very often they have departments that sell these products.

In addition to the usual offline competitors, you will also have to deal with online stores that sell their products cheaper, as they save on the number of employees, rent and utilities.

In addition to problems with competitors, other risks await you:

• The owner of the premises can increase the cost of the rent
• Suppliers may increase the cost of goods
• Difficulty attracting clients
• Due to the crisis, the purchasing power of customers may decrease and they simply will not have the money to buy your product.
• Incorrectly selected assortment that no one buys

As well as standard problems for any business:

• Business registration
• Recruitment
• Employee training and motivation
• Supplier search
• Location selection
• Repair

You must clearly understand that the opening own store cosmetics is a very complicated matter that requires you to major investments their time, energy and money. There are options to make your life a little easier, namely to cooperate with some kind of franchise that will help you at every stage, or to create an online store, then you can save a lot. First, let's talk about how to open a cosmetics store from scratch, and then we will tell you about franchises and online stores.

Business registration

The first step of our cosmetics store business plan that you have to go through is registering a business. You can register as an individual entrepreneur or LLC. For big stores you can choose LLC, and for small IP.

If the area of ​​the premises is not more than 150 sq.m., then we recommend choosing the UTII taxation system. It will be the best option for you.

OKVED codes for a cosmetics store will be as follows:

• 52.33 - " Retail cosmetic and perfumery goods;
• 52.33.1 - "Retail sale of cosmetic and perfumery products, except soap";
• 52.33.2 - "Retail trade in toilet and laundry soap";

If you are going to sell your products also via the Internet, then you will also need the following code:

• 47.91.1 - “Retail postal (parcel) trade services”.

With regard to accounting in this case, then on staff accountant you can save. You can do your own bookkeeping, but if you don't have the time for that, hiring an outside accountant is a great option.

Before starting a business, you will need to go through the following list:

• Open a bank account
• Obtain permission from Rospotrebnadzor
• Get permission from the fire department
• And get permission from the SES

If you choose an individual entrepreneur, then in total at this stage you will have to spend 3,000 rubles, for those who have chosen an LLC, the amount of costs will be slightly more than 20,000 rubles.

Location selection

The second thing we need to do to open a cosmetics store is to find the right premises. In offline business, this stage is the most important, since the location of the store directly affects the daily number of visitors and, accordingly, profit.

Like any other business, it is most profitable to place a cosmetics store where more people. For example:

• Shopping centers
• Close to metro or stops
• Densely populated neighborhoods
• City center

Most of the target audience of cosmetics and perfumery stores are women. Therefore, if you know some places in the city where there are a lot of them, it would be a great option to open there. For example, girls often visit beauty salons. It makes sense to open next to such a salon, then you will earn not only on visitors, but also on the employees of this salon, who buy consumables every week.

There are no important requirements for choosing premises for cosmetics stores. Usually a small room of 45 sq.m. is suitable for such needs. where most of it goes to the shopping area and a smaller one for a bathroom and a warehouse.

It will be a huge plus if large windows are inserted into the walls. The interior of the store and its assortment will attract buyers from the street, and pleasant sunlight will fall on those who are already inside.

Also, before opening, you need to take care of the repair and interior. If your budget does not allow you to hire a professional designer and make some interesting design, then you need to try to make everything minimalistic, but beautiful. The interior should create a comfortable atmosphere in the room and not strain customers.

In total, a simple repair will cost you 200,000 rubles, and the monthly rent of the premises will cost about 40,000 rubles.

Necessary equipment

After the premises are selected, equipment must be purchased. No one will give you a clear list of what equipment you need to buy for a cosmetics store. The exact list of equipment depends on the interior design concept. Some need to buy wooden display cases, some glass.
It is worth noting that closed windows will reduce the number of thefts in your store, but they have one major drawback. Potential buyers will not be able to twist and feel the goods, and this can lead to a decrease in sales.

Particular attention should be paid to lighting. When testing samplers, visitors should see all shades undistorted. Also, you need to place a large number of mirrors.

If you have a very small space in the room, then you do not need to force it with shelving and display cases. There is no need to turn the store into a warehouse, as great amount Illiterately placed goods will not lead to increased sales. The best option would be to reduce the assortment and concentrate on selling the most popular products.

Buying used equipment can save you a lot of money. The most important thing is that it looks fresh and does not make customers feel that the store is already a thousand years old.

List example necessary equipment you can see below.

Name	Sum
Glass rack (4 pcs.)	15.000r
Low showcase (5 pcs.)	20.000r
Showcase island (2 pcs.)	10.000r
Table and chair at the checkout	10.000r
simple computer	10.000r
Lighting	20.000r
Cash register	5.000r
Signaling	5.000r
Mirrors	20.000r
Air conditioner	30.000r
Total:	150.000r

Range

Some entrepreneurs want to open a Thai, Korean or Belarusian cosmetics store. You may well sell cosmetics from manufacturers of a particular country, but you should not focus on this. For example, if you name the store " Korean cosmetics”, make a huge sign with this name, design a site, banners, Korean-style interior and as a result, they will not buy cosmetics from you - it will be a complete failure. To change an assortment that is not in demand, you will have to change everything and start from the very beginning.

You will spend about 400,000 rubles on the first purchase, but until your store is functioning, you will not have data that you can analyze. You will not be able to know exactly which products will be sold and which will not. Therefore, before the first purchase, it is important to analyze the market and determine which products and manufacturers are in demand and which are not. If for some reason you are not able to independently analyze the market, competitors, websites, forums and social networks in order to understand what is in demand now, then we recommend hiring a specialist who will do it for you.

The first batch of goods should not be too large. It makes no sense to buy 100 pieces of one lipstick when you don't even know if it will be sold or not. The best option would be to purchase a small batch and in the future to buy well-selling goods, and not to buy additional goods that are not sold, respectively.

The range should look like this:

• Cheap goods - 50%
• Average cost - 30%
• Expensive goods - 20%

The percentage will depend on a variety of factors, including the size of the city's population, the location of the store, the economic situation in the country, and other factors.

Product categories:

• Makeup (lipstick, mascara, powder, etc.)
• Skin care
• Body care
• Cosmetics for adult women
• Cosmetics for men
• Perfumery

There is an option to purchase directly from manufacturers, but then you will not be able to boast of a diverse assortment and the target audience of your cosmetics store will become much smaller.

The purchase of the first batch of goods will look something like this:

Name	Price
Foundation	25.000r
Powders	16.000r
Blush	10.000r
Base for shadows	3.000r
Shadows	7.000r
lipsticks	15.000r
ink	20.000r
Pencils for eyes, eyebrows, lips	20.000r
Tonics	10.000r
Moisturizing cream	10.000r
Nutritious cream	10.000r
Body cream	9.000r
Anti-aging cream	40.000r
Hand cream	15.000r
Anti-cellulite cream	10.000r
Mask for the face	13.000r
Perfume for women and men	170.000r
Total:	403.000r

In addition to the cosmetics and perfumes themselves, we can sell various accessories, so you can increase your profits. Accessories should be selected based on the audience that visits you. For example, handbags, bracelets, simple jewelry, glasses, etc. can be offered to young girls. At the very beginning, we recommend concentrating on specialized products, that is, cosmetics and perfumes, and later, when the business is established, you can add some new products.

Merchandising

If this is your first business plan for a cosmetics and perfume store, and you have never done any business before, then you need to learn the science of product placement on the shelves.

It seems that this is not difficult, but nevertheless large companies Every year they invest huge amounts of money in research to determine which arrangement of goods will lead to the greatest profit. In our case, we do not yet have huge funds for research and the object of study itself, but nevertheless, a few rules are worth studying:

• Products must be in some logical order, they can be sorted by brand, purpose, or something else.
• The same type of product should be in only one place. For example, all the lipstick that is in the store lies on a particular shelf. It makes no sense to put 10 lipsticks on the other side of the store. An exception in this case can only be showcases where goods are located at a discount.
• The buyer should have a sense of a clear system. Namely, all goods must stand exactly on one straight line. If a product is bought, then some other one should immediately take its place.
• Goods that are located at eye or hand level are bought unconsciously. The buyer himself does not know exactly what he wants and chooses what is easier for him to get. Therefore, goods sold at a discount, or if the goods expire soon and need to be sold urgently, must be placed at eye or hand level.

Staff

To open a small professional cosmetics store, you need a small staff. As mentioned earlier, we hire accountants on outsourcing, and at first it is worth saving on the administrator. Until the organization of the business is brought to the ideal, you can perform the role of administrator yourself.

The most important employees of a cosmetics store are sales assistants. As a rule, these are young girls of good appearance who understand cosmetics. To get started, it is enough to hire only two sellers with salary 20.000 rub. To motivate them to help customers more, you can pay a certain percentage of each sale.

For sellers, it is worth coming up with a strict dress code that they must comply with. It can be some kind of dresses, t-shirts, shirts or trousers. Since this is a cosmetics store, then in the dress code you can do mandatory requirement that girls should do bright makeup.

Of course, no business is complete without a cleaner. If things go really bad and you don't have extra 10.000r. to pay for her work, then you can take over her duties.

In total, we will have to spend approximately 50,000 rubles. for employee salaries each month.

Customer acquisition

The final step in creating a cosmetics store will be to attract customers. The store itself, built in a good location, will attract potential buyers, but to have more of them you need to work a little.

The most important thing to do is to buy a large luminous sign, which will be located above the doors to the store. This is especially important if the entrance to the room is on the street. In the winter season, it gets dark very early and a bright luminous sign will attract your attention in the dark.

Also, the standard methods of attracting customers include the distribution of flyers and advertising on banners.

The Internet is a great way to get attention. It certainly would not be superfluous to create your own website or at least communities on social networks where you will post news about your store.

A good option would be to advertise in urban communities or on city websites. Most importantly, advertising must be original and attract attention. For example, just information that a new cosmetics store has opened on Pobedy Street 6 is unlikely to interest anyone. People need to be hooked with something, for example, a banal 25% discount.

To make a regular customer out of a random visitor to your store, you can offer loyalty programs. For example, at the first purchase, you issue a discount card for the buyer and the discount will increase with each new purchase.

You can see the marketing plan in the table below.

How much does it cost to open a cosmetics store?

Name	Sum
Initial Costs
Equipment	150.000r
First purchase	403.000r
Repair	200.000r
Business registration	3.000r
	40.000r
Customer acquisition	70.000r
Salary of employees for the first month	50.000r
Total:	916.000r
Monthly expenses
Room rental for the first month	40.000r
salary of employees	50.000r
Communal payments	4.000r
Total:	94.000r

As a result, the initial expenses will amount to 916,000 rubles, and the monthly expenses will be 94,000 rubles.

Income and payback

In this paragraph, we will figure out whether it is profitable to open a cosmetics store or not? It is impossible to answer this question exactly, since a huge number of factors will influence the success of your store: location, competitors, cost of goods, the economic situation in the country, trends and much more.

When opening a cosmetics and perfumery store, the following calculations should be taken into account: the daily income of the store is 9,000 rubles, the monthly income is 279,000 rubles, from here we subtract monthly expenses and get a net profit of 185,000 rubles. Also, we need to replenish the store with a new assortment, which means that we will have to invest approximately 85.000 rubles for the purchase of new goods, as a result of real net profit will be equal to 100.000r.

Monthly income— 279.000r
Net profit— 100.000r
Payback- 10 months

Franchise shop cosmetics and perfumery

Earlier we promised to tell you about the creation of a franchise cosmetics store. It should be borne in mind that by contacting the franchise throughout the entire period of work, you will encounter positive and negative sides. Therefore, you must be ready for this.

Let's start with the positives:

Of the minuses, it should be noted that you will have to share the profits and you will have to agree on all the changes that you want to make in your store. And this means that you can’t just change the uniforms of employees or put them up for sale new product like handbags and bracelets.

Before buying a franchise, be sure to read reviews about it. They can be found on the Internet in forums. Also, it will not be superfluous to find people who work or have worked with this franchise and find out how things really are there.

Franchise name	Description	Price
Danaco	Korean cosmetics	1.000.000r
Demeter	Perfume shop	1.600.000r
fresh line	Natural cosmetic	1.000.000r
Mixit	Natural cosmetic	2.000.000r
Tony Moly	Cosmetics store	1.000.000r
Yves Rocher	Boutique of cosmetics and perfumery	3.500.000r
Belarusian cosmetics	Belarusian cosmetics	1.000.000r
Flormar	Popular brand of cosmetics	500.000r
Holika Holika	Korean cosmetics	1.300.000r
Lush	Cosmetics handmade	2.000.000r
L'Occitane	Perfumes and cosmetics	4.000.000r

There are many other franchises, here we have listed only those with which it is worth starting the analysis. It is impossible to say for sure which franchise will be better and which will be worse. They all have pros and cons.

Cosmetics online store business plan

We figured out the usual store, but there is also the Internet. Business on the Internet is fundamentally different from the usual offline business. The most important thing in an online cosmetics store is the ability to attract customers. And if general store is able to attract customers by the fact that it is located in a convenient location, then on the Internet, attracting customers takes a large part of the budget. Entrepreneurs who do not have experience in creating online stores will have an even larger advertising budget, since they will certainly make mistakes in creating advertising campaigns leading to waste.

To create a full-fledged online store, you will need:

At least you have to spend 60.100r. to create the online cosmetics store itself, while you will not have customers at all.

Most of the budget will be spent on attracting customers and this amount can be much more than the cost of creating the online store itself.

Typically, there are the following ways to attract customers:

Marketing on the Internet is quite a complex activity that requires a lot of experience and funds to test advertising campaigns. Ordinary advertisements no one is attracted anymore, and in order to come up with an unusual and working way to attract customers, you will have to spend a lot of money.

An example of an unusual way to attract customers is the purchase of advertising from bloggers on Youtube. Cosmetics is one of the most popular topics on Youtube and it is really possible to find customers there for your store.

How to open an Instagram cosmetics store?

If you don’t have any money to invest at all, but you want to try your hand at business, then you can try opening an online cosmetics store on Instagram.

To do this, you do not have to buy a domain or hosting, at first you don’t even have to register an IP. All that is required of you is to create an account on Instagram, decorate it beautifully and advertise. Every month you can set aside some amount from your salary, for example, 10,000 rubles and invest it in advertising.

This is a very long and complicated way, but sooner or later you will learn how to buy ads that attract your target audience. As experience shows, Instagram stores always develop into full-fledged online stores with round-the-clock support and a large warehouse, or into ordinary offline stores.

A business based on the trade of cosmetics from South Korea brings a good, stable income. Quality at the European level and affordable price make this type of goods especially in demand. The most popular cosmetic brands in Korea are:

1. missha.
2. The Face Shop.
3. skin food.
4. beyond.
5. Innisfree.
6. Tony Moly.
7. Hanskin.
8. Etude House.

For the purchase of Korean cosmetics in large and small wholesale, you can contact trusted South Korean companies RICH TRADING CO. or THE BEST CHOICE

Ways to profitably purchase cosmetics in Korea

1. The purchase of cosmetics of popular brands can be made in branded stores that are in every major Korean city. There are especially many of them in Seoul (Gangnam metro station, Myeongdong district, large shopping centers). It is better to buy cosmetics during the 3-day discount period, which are arranged quite often. So you can save 20-50% on the cost. Marketing techniques are often used: “Buy one product, then you will get the second one for free!”. If a private person does not need two identical hair creams or foams at all, then a small business representative is of great help.
2. The second way is bulk purchases from the company. This will take a lot of effort, but it's worth it. Koreans on wholesale well reduce the price. In addition, they draw up all the documents for the export of goods abroad. However, becoming a dealer or distributor of a brand is not easy. To do this, you will need the services of a professional translator who will help draw up an appeal with information about the applicant company for cooperation and will help negotiate if the Korean side is interested in it.
3. There is also a third method. You need to contact an intermediary. Often ads for sale appear on the Internet. There is a risk of fraud here. We recommend using only trusted resources. On our site you can find not only intermediaries, translators, logisticians, but also the companies themselves in order to establish trade on an ongoing basis.
   Delivery from South Korea to Russia

The most popular and cost-effective, in relation to cosmetic products, are Container Shipping. Containers are most often transported using multimodal schemes, which involve a combination of sea and land transport. The container is transported by sea to a Russian port or to a port of neighboring states, after which it is delivered by car or train to the carrier's warehouse in Russia or to the specified addressee. If the volume of goods is small, use the delivery of groupage cargo. Sending scheme:

Assembling cargo from different suppliers at the consolidation warehouse of a transport company.

Consolidation of several cargoes in one container.

Transportation of cargo to Russia.

Delivery to the carrier's warehouse or to the specified address.

Those who are just starting a cosmetics business with partners from Korea need to remember the peculiarities of Korean cosmetics. In many products, Korean manufacturers add bleaching agents. This is due to the fact that in the view of Koreans, beauties and handsome men are distinguished by snow-white skin. Not all Russians share this idea of ​​beauty, so the purchase of goods should be made taking into account the diversity of the assortment, but not all products should be with bleach.

Text by Victoria Tsarenkova

Photo by Inna Ptitsyna

This story is full of entrepreneurial experience with all kinds of failures, setbacks and debts. But at the same time - the ability to analyze and learn not only from their own mistakes, but also with the help of other people's knowledge. Alena Aleshkova is a student of the course "The Path of Dreams", who was able to overcome the fear of disappointment and launch new project.

Alena Aleshkova

"KOKOS": about the project

"KOKOS" - stores of original certified Korean cosmetics in Kaliningrad.

The project started in 2016 with a small shelving unit in the basement of a mall. Now we have 2 offline stores in Kaliningrad and an online store. The plans are to go beyond the boundaries of one city.

We purchase the entire range from major dealers in Russia. When choosing which product to bring to the store, we read hundreds of reviews - our customers, bloggers and people who use Korean cosmetics. We have about 1,500 items of various Korean products.

The first business turned into a bunch of problems and almost ended in the collapse of friendship

»

For a year and a half, each of us earned about 5,000 rubles a month

»

The first problem is the lack of knowledge

Everything somehow did not add up. We had no knowledge of how to run a business, no understanding of how to attract customers. I tried to read something on the Internet, but there were few materials.

The production was outsourced to another agency, which made the whole process always slow. Their manager first processed the application and only then transferred it to production. At best, our order was ready in a day. I still had to call and find out if the product was ready. Then go and pick her up. If they did with the marriage, this cycle would repeat itself again.

I did the product design myself, and it was very lame for us, but we could not afford a cool specialist - we saved money. We generally found our first clients in a partisan way - we spammed people on VKontakte. But since we couldn't offer service High Quality, then the check for our services was very low. Because of this, there was no profit. For a year and a half, each of us earned about 5,000 rubles a month. It was hard, but we ourselves are to blame.

Problem two - friendship intervened

There was no money in the business. And against this background, problems began with a friend as a partner. The fact is that we did not discuss “on the shore” who is responsible for what. We thought that everything would work out anyway - we are such cool girlfriends.

But here our friendship only added fire to the fire of problems. After all, you know the closest people with all their shortcomings. It turned out that in business it is precisely the shortcomings that are most acutely felt. It can be compared to hiking in the mountains. I was told that when climbing, for example, Elbrus, all the sores of the body become aggravated and even something that you did not suspect could come out. Same in business.

We started arguing a lot. And this ultimately led to the fact that after a year and a half we parted ways as partners. And in fact, "as friends" - too. Although we discussed that everything was fine, we continued to communicate, but there was a lot of aggression, quarrels broke out over trifles. As a result, mutual acquaintances forced us to talk to each other. That conversation went on for several hours. School grievances and everything that dragged on for years came out. But, fortunately, we expressed everything, found out and still communicate very well.

Employees persuaded me not to close the project: they said they were ready to sit without a salary

»

There were cool clients who brought us high income. But there were few of them, and it was no longer possible to attract them - then there was not enough knowledge and strength for this. We had a bunch of small orders, and they took almost all the time and effort. So, on business cards, we earned 200 rubles for a minimum batch of 100 pieces. Despite the fact that the work here is a full cycle: discuss with the customer, agree on it, send the order to the printing house, as soon as it is printed, go and pick it up. Average check ended up being tiny. There wasn't enough money. You have to pay wages and rent. I also barely had enough for life - only for the bare necessities.

“That’s it, I can’t, we’ll close it,” I announced to the girls a year and a half later. They then persuaded me not to close. They said that we work so well, they like everything and that they are even ready to sit without a salary, that is, in debt. And we worked like that for another two or three months, closed in 2016.

I subconsciously did not want to earn. And hence the total lack of money: I did what I like, but the money did not go

»

Motivation "OT" - get away from poverty

It was hard for me to let go of this failure. I believed in this cause and was devoted to it for four years, but in the end I could not. Complete failure, I thought to myself. In addition, the project left me with a bunch of debts - about 200,000 rubles, which I still pay. From all this, I was seriously visited by thoughts of getting a job for the rest of my life on regular work.

But I can't do that. When I first started this business, I had a desire to achieve freedom and do something of my own. Now I realize: I need to do something, unite people around me, expand the boundaries of my projects, come up with something new and put it into practice. This is my essence, which cannot be taken away. Therefore, I did not go to a hired job, just to have money for a living. And began to analyze.

Money all my life was not a priority for me, I did not like them. At the same time, I wanted to buy something expensive for myself, to travel. Such a clumsy contradiction sat in me. And suddenly it lit up! Remember, in fairy tales, poor people were good fellows, and rich people were despots and petty tyrants. Brought up on such promises, I subconsciously did not want to earn money. And this total lack of money grew from here: I did what I liked, but the money did not go.

Gradually, my poles changed in this regard. I read blogs successful people. They said that you can earn with your brains and abilities. I learned about success stories: how people themselves created wealth. And I began to understand that there is nothing wrong with wealth. If you are talented, smart, able to develop and strive for something, then you can achieve a comfortable standard of living for yourself. But if you are lazy, apathetic, then most likely you will live poorly.

I don't mean to say that poor people are bad. Many of them are good and wonderful. And I can say to myself that I am still poor: I still like to buy goods on sale in stores. But I saw that rich people are much more relaxed about everything, more eager to improve themselves, to help others.

This motivation “out of poverty” pushed me forward. I am a confident person. Maybe even a little arrogant at times. And when I see what others can do, then I must do it too.

We spent a lot of time on small orders, but we had to give up everything superfluous

»

What my first business failure taught me

First of all, I understood what partnership means in business. How important it is to agree in advance who will have what role, who will be responsible for what, to discuss the personal goals of each. Goals should be common, and not when one is “burning” with work, and the second has other interests.

Also, the issue of trust in partnership is the most important. Perhaps here he stands as sharply as in a relationship with his man. Both of you must be both honest and completely trust each other, not to get into someone else's area of ​​responsibility. Without this, nothing will work in business.

You also need to build the right business model. Otherwise, everything in the project will suffer. I learned this later when I went to study on the course "Way of Dreams". This was our mistake - we worked with very small orders, and spent a lot of time on them. And it was necessary to refuse them and everything superfluous.

And I was too inexperienced to run a business. I wanted to build something serious, but there was no knowledge of how to do it. It was not possible to do well and efficiently. Couldn't manage. Some little things could easily unsettle me. Although I analyzed the problems, tried to come up with something - it didn’t really work.

How did I see the new project

I started thinking about what my next project would be. I took this matter very seriously.

• First, I decided to launch retail business, because she believed that it was easier to implement marketing chips in retail.

• Secondly, it is important for me to build long-term relationships with customers. To be so cool that a person buys once in my store and begins to come here again and again. Therefore, I immediately focused on products that are in regular demand.

• Thirdly, I also wanted to sell goods for women. Men are more practical, it is harder to hook them with their actions. And in social networks, they do not leave emotional reviews. And it's nice to work with women in this regard. Looking ahead, I’ll say that today girls constantly write to us that they are delighted with us. Many people say that they buy cosmetics only in our store.

• Fourthly, there was a desire to sell a quality product of the middle price segment. Before that, I worked with people who have very little money. Faced with the fact that they are nervous, it is difficult to part with money, they worry about every ruble. This was hard. So now I wanted to work with more affluent clients who were willing to buy such a product.

At that time, Korean cosmetics were in trend, and I paid attention to it and began to study it. cosmetic market in South Korea innovative, rapidly developing. There is a lot of quality control, because the Korean public is very biased. Even men take care of themselves. And if a company releases a bad cream, it immediately leaves the shelves and never comes back. I myself used two tools, and they helped me a lot. That's why I realized: the things are really cool - you can carry them.

The first store is a gloomy and impassable place. I tried to hire salespeople but they didn't last

»

Starting investment in a new project. point opening

In 2016, I opened a small point in a shopping center. It looked like this: a glazed rack with cosmetics on the ground floor, dim light and gray walls around, and there were practically no people. With the opening of a second business, my mother again helped me - she gave 150,000 rubles. We agreed that in return for this, she would be able not to work for 2 years, to be at home under my care.

I invested 100,000 rubles in the first purchase of cosmetics. In general, this is very little. Now we have 15 sq. meters, the commodity balance just for “survival” should be 500,000 rubles (in the purchase price), and then these will be half-empty shelves. I bought a rack for Avito for 50,000 rubles, paid 2 months of rent and very small expenses - for the Internet, lighting in the rack. Without lighting, the rack did not look functional, the “basement” light did not allow to see the goods.

I developed my Instagram account and group in " In contact with". It was through these channels that it was mainly possible to attract buyers.

I worked at this point for a whole year. It was hard. And the place itself is gloomy and impassable. She worked practically without days off. I tried to hire sellers, but they did not stay. The revenue was small - on average, about 3,000 rubles a day.

The main mistakes at the start

And here it was not possible to avoid mistakes. I did not analyze the market and made the first purchase as an ordinary girl - on emotions. I just liked one site - everything is in beautiful jars, and I ordered this cosmetics. It turned out that the brand is expensive for Russia. Yes, and it appeared recently, it has not proven itself yet. As a result, this product was sold poorly and for a long time.

Then I bought cosmetics from famous brands. But then I made a mistake again: I didn’t analyze the assortment - what people buy more often and more willingly, but chose what I liked myself. As a result, I ordered a lot of goods that took up space on the shelves for a long time.

Our favorite men at night collected racks for cosmetics

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The right decision: moving and a new partner

I thought about moving to a “normal place”. Girls who buy expensive products want to enjoy the whole process: come to a cozy place, see, try, hold in their hands. And I had jars and tubes standing in a rack behind glass. I had to get it and show it. Agree, this creates a certain tension for the buyer.

And a good place in another shopping center, so that it’s cozy and the traffic is high, it was expensive in the city, I can’t pull it. Moreover, the rent must be paid immediately for two months.

The question arose: how to find money to open a store. And then I made one of the most significant decisions - to team up with a person who is interested in related topics. I had a friend Polina. We saw each other once a year at the birthday party of a mutual friend. And every time she told me that she wanted to do something of her own. We met again at the end of January 2017. I told her: "I want to open a store." And she offered to join forces. Polina liked this idea. She said she had savings.

Throughout February, we discussed conditions and plans. I was looking for a place. Only in March we agreed with shopping mall. I immediately terminated the contract with the landlord, from whom I rented a place in the basement. We moved to a new place very quickly, literally in a week. Our favorite men at night collected racks for cosmetics, although both had to leave for work early in the morning.

And in April 2017, Polina and I opened our first joint store, paying rent for two. In general, the opening (without inventory) cost less than 100,000 rubles. Since all the commercial equipment was made by our men, it cost 3 times cheaper market value. On rent, they agreed to postpone the "security" payment for a couple of weeks in advance. By the way, today, for example, opening a third store (without inventory) will take us around 250,000 - 300,000 rubles.

How we rolled out "COCONUT" into the world

Initially we had a test drive joint business. Polina entered the business with an investment of about 100,000 - 150,000 rubles. Part went to pay rent, part went to buy her share of cosmetics. We agreed that we would purchase the assortment separately, each for itself. There will be just a common cash desk, and we will take turns working as sellers. With Polina, I shared the contacts of Korean cosmetics suppliers, and we started.

From April to September 2017, we worked like this. I also developed the store's accounts on Instagram and VKontakte. And Polina showed a gift for purchases. She assesses demand better than me and, as a result, more accurately selects the assortment. And I suggested uniting completely in order to enhance the effect.

We have distributed all responsibilities inside and out. I am responsible for marketing, promotion, personnel management. Polina is engaged in purchases, search for suppliers, communication with them and everything related to goods - placement on the shelf, price tags.

And we also set ourselves a salary. I just read in the book “Business as a Game” from the guys from MosGry that it’s possible to live on a salary, and invest everything else in business.

And then we had all the money mixed up before that. It turned out - you either infringe on yourself in life, or in business. Now our net profit is completely spent in development, in expanding the range, opening stores and purchasing equipment for them.

They began to consult with each other on controversial situations. In general, we have no disagreements. There are disputes - how to do better, but we always come to a consensus.

We thought for a long time what to name the project. I wanted something Russian, simple, memorable. And at the same time associated with Korean cosmetics. It has a lot of natural ingredients and we wanted to bring that into the name. And then once again - coconut! Here is another cool play on words: "COCONUT" - Korean COSMETICS.

When Polina and I decided to fully unite, I saw that we had launched the sale of the Dream Path course. And for about a year I have been reading the Womenbz portal and following its founder, Galiya Berdnikova. I also dreamed of getting into the Life.Business.Success course, but I had no money.

And then I see: "The Way of Dreams" has become an extended version of the course "Life. Business. Success." And the price is still the lowest - the start of sales, installments for 3 months. There was still no money, but I got out as best I could. Even asked to make the first payment not in set time and 2 days later. I was allowed, for which I am very grateful.

During this period, everything grew together so well in time that our "COCONUT" began to grow.

Let's try it ourselves first. We all have different type skin, and we can evaluate the product from different angles

»

The challenge is to stay ahead of the competition

An important decision that we made during my training: by all means to be ahead of competitors - cosmetics sellers. And for this we need the best assortment, and it is necessary to present it in the store so that the buyer understands what and why.

We have greatly expanded the assortment and put new racks in the store. By the way, when we choose a product to order, we do a tremendous job of finding the right one. Read reviews from our bloggers. We look and analyze which brands in Russia are already popular and often mentioned. Most often we order samplers, if they are available. First, we try it ourselves - me, Polina, the sellers. We all have different skin types, and we can evaluate the product from different angles. And if everyone does not like it, we will no longer take this product.

On the price tags, we wrote a mini-instruction for each product. The idea is that a person can come and choose for himself. Many buyers do not want to communicate with a consultant. Someone does not want to take tubes and jars from the shelves. And all the information in Russian is indicated on the back of the package. Some other brands write in detail and clearly, while others are general phrases, so it’s not really clear what kind of tool it is.

Our price tags look something like this: "face cream with a snail, suitable for oily and combination skin", and below - "smoothes wrinkles, removes pigmentation, heals acne."

Polina and I read hundreds of reviews on the Internet for each product. We took feedback from our customers on each product. It turned out that the translation on the label does not always correspond to how the product behaves on human skin. Often on the label they write - "suitable for all skin types." At the same time, the reviews show that this product is not suitable for people with dry skin, they complain.

The fact is that manufacturers write the compositions and the main components of the funds, but their effect depends on the ratio of the components added to the composition. In addition, the skin of Koreans is different from ours - it is more dense and elastic. Hence there may be some inconsistencies between the description and the result. This is all we identified and indicated on the price tags real information.

Clients write to us: "What an honest Instagram you have"

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We do not just sell - we carefully advise

As I already said, I wanted to build a business where I would build long-term and pleasant relationships with clients as with friends. In the instruction for sellers, in the first paragraph, it is written: “The client is a friend, and you should not advise him what you would not advise a friend, just to sell at a higher price.”

There is a wonderful book - "Korean Beauty Secrets" by Charlotte Cho. It tells about all the intricacies of care adopted in Korea, it is in our stores, and sellers regularly use it in their work. We also sell this book - it is not only informative, but also interesting, autobiographical.

In general, the Koreans have enough a complex system care - it can be from 5 to 10 steps. We try to present this information in an accessible way and not to scare buyers. We explain that the main thing for us is to cleanse the skin, prepare it with a tonic for applying the cream and then spread it with cream. Everything else is extra. It already depends on the needs of the client. We select a mask for the night, a remedy for the skin around the eyes or under the main cream when there are problems.

We also started writing on Instagram about the care and features of products: not only their pluses, but also minuses, if we know about them. Many clients wrote: “What an honest Instagram you have.”

Gifts to clients and other promotions

We have a chip - we give gifts regular customers. We have a ladder of success hanging in our stores. These are stepped shelves: on the first - a gift with a purchase of 500 rubles, then - from 1000 rubles, and so on up to 5000 rubles. The gifts are good. First up is a sheet mask. And when buying for 5,000, we give funds that retail at 1,500 rubles. We buy them from the supplier by shares. But the person is happy.

Another such approach increases the check. Our consultants say: "100 rubles is not enough for you to get a better gift." And a person can score not 100, but 500 rubles. This also happens.

Also, various actions began to be practiced. The offer worked well for us for two months - a 30% discount on the third product in the check. Buyers almost always take the third remedy. We also have a promotion: buy face cream - get a 30% discount on tonic. This leads the person to use the full set of care. For us, this is important not only because of sales, but also for the buyer to feel the changes in better side.

For people who are afraid to try something, we offer funds for 100-200 rubles. These are miniatures of products or masks. They are just for a few applications to understand whether the remedy is suitable or not. Sometimes we give samples when we see that a person is interested.

Earn 30,000 rubles per week

There was an assignment in the Dream Path course that really excited me. It's called "From words to deeds", but in my mind I christened it "Make money or die." Its essence is to earn 30,000 rubles in a week. Challenge yourself and accomplish.

At first I thought about what to do. Then I decided that it was possible to test our unique selling proposition. In other words, the “COCONUT” chip, because of which buyers trust us. We understand all the subtleties so carefully and in detail, we analyze many points that we can confidently position ourselves as professionals in the selection of Korean cosmetics.

I wrote a post on Instagram: “Leave a request for the selection of a full-fledged Korean care for this winter. I will try to offer 3 options in 3 in 3 hours price categories! Then we will discuss - it will be possible to change something and choose your ideal set of Korean products.

There were about 30 applications. I went through each one in detail and answered all of them. As a result, we earned 27 thousand in two or three days. People ordered a consultation, and then they came to the store and told the sellers what exactly they needed. Someone ordered delivery. Since then, we have been constantly writing on social networks that we advise.

We made a widget in VKontakte. A person enters our group and immediately sees a post offering a free consultation.

He presses the button "I want a consultation!" - and immediately a message box opens with the text: "Hello) If you have questions - write to us."

Previously, we were simply asked whether there is a product or not, or which is better. And now they ask to choose care depending on the skin or if there is a problem of some kind.

How do we deal with negativity?

I think we work well with negativity. Cases are different.

• So, one girl bought a mega-popular "grout" for pores. It costs 1300 rubles, that is, not a little. And for some it works great. And she posted a post that this is a terrible thing that they sell in our store. I wrote to her: “It’s a pity that it didn’t suit you. There are really controversial reviews on it. ” It turned out that the girl bought without consultation. We just talked to her, and that was enough. Later, she even asked us for advice on care.

• Another girl bought a brightening face cream, which is often used in Korea. He instantly whitens his face, but the girl emphasized all the peeling on her face. She writes: “Nightmare! The consultant advised me. I asked for the coolest." And we just did the testers. I answered her: “It’s a pity that it didn’t suit you. The cream is good. But we just need a tester for it. If you want, we will exchange it for another cream that suits you better. The girl wrote: “Thank you, I will not change anything. I'm just glad you answered me like that."

• Recently, a girl writes to me on Instagram: “I bought a serum with vitamin C from you, and my whole skin burns from it. I want to use it and don't know what to do." I asked her if she had sensitive skin. It turned out that the girl did not tell the consultant about it. Then I asked what resources she still had. After her answer, she suggested: “Let's not use this serum and another wash for at least two or three weeks - it is also aggressive. Most likely, your skin is still recovering after the winter. Then slowly start using these tools in turn.

We hire staff from our subscribers

We hired the first sellers from the immediate environment. Polina's mother and mine work for us. best friend who was my partner in the first business. She is the best consultant we have, her daily earnings are the largest. We even joke that she does some kind of shamanism or secret mailing in her shifts. That's how interesting life can turn. And Polina's mother is an accountant by education, and we recently handed over all our accounting pieces to her.

Although we are doing well, I do not advise hiring people from the immediate environment. Relatives and friends may take such work lightly, there is no subordination. Disagreements may still arise, and relations will deteriorate.

When we opened the second store, we hired employees through our social networks. Fortunately, we now have 11,000 followers on Instagram. It is worth posting an ad, a lot of resumes come at once - wonderful girls who buy cosmetics from us and love our store. It is important for us that the seller is imbued with our values, knows how to take care of himself, loves our store, and not just come to work.

Polina and I try to keep the team charged, striving to work and develop. Just before March 8, we expanded the team and invited everyone to the sushi bar. We talked, got to know each other, and Polina and I presented everyone with massage certificates.

We also have a general chat on VKontakte. We write there about problems - someone inadequate came and spoiled the mood. Or the girls brag - "I sold it to one person for 8000." From this, its own atmosphere is formed, everyone becomes closer.

Hiring an assistant and how it solved our problems

On the Path of Dreams course, several lessons in a row had the same thought: hire an assistant so as not to bury yourself in a routine. But Polina did not agree for a long time - the day before we took out a loan to significantly increase the range of goods.

I argued to her: “If we hire an assistant, you won’t make price tags for days, stand in traffic jams for two hours to pick up our huge orders. Development suffers greatly from this. And there is no personal time left. As a result, Polina agreed, and we hired an assistant.

It was very timely. Polina just left for the mountains for 3 weeks, and at that time we found trading area. It was necessary to urgently open a second store. And take it to another level. As a result, he turned out to be much prettier than the first. But I couldn't have done it without an assistant. I already worked for two weeks for 12-13 hours without days off. Plus, I was constantly in touch with Polina, and these chats on the phone and the Internet also take a lot of time.

I allowed myself to earn more, not be ashamed of it and at the same time respect my man

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Harmony and balance in life

In general, traveling gives me energy. When there is no opportunity, you just need to go to nature with my man, walk the dog. Or watch a movie or read a book. Helps to unwind when we ride on his motorcycle with a loved one. I can order a SPA for two in a hotel just to relax. Before, I could not afford such a relaxing holiday.

There was a very good lesson about relationships in The Way of Dreams. There Galiya talked about her personal relationships. This topic has always interested me. And what Galiya told me helped me reconsider my views.

She wrote that she earns much more than her man. At the same time, he provides her and all the needs for food and housing. And she has her own whims, and she spends on them - travel, a chic apartment. Yet the man remains a man.

I have a similar situation. I am already developing in business, and my man is just starting his journey. There are financial difficulties. Previously, I could also offer to pay for the rest somewhere, but I was uncomfortable, and I could not present it this way. And now everything is in harmony. I allowed myself to earn more, not be ashamed of it and at the same time respect my man.

It used to be: "as if I can no longer find where to spend the money." And now you do what is more comfortable, and not what is cheaper

»

It was on the “Way of Dreams” that everything fell apart for me. Performing tasks step by step, you understand what and why is happening in your business. You start to see how it should be. Understand your values ​​and accept right decisions. For example, we decided that we would never sell fakes - analogues of well-known brands, although there was such an opportunity that would bring good money due to the markup. But these are not our values. Money is important to us, but the benefits that our business brings to people are also important. The Dream Path helped build a strong foundation and self-confidence.

All new knowledge was reflected in monetary indicators in the most remarkable way. You have no idea how cool it is to feel like you're taking a taxi instead of a bus just because it's more convenient. And you park in paid parking lots, instead of trying to find a free space in free parking lots in the middle of the day. It seems to be trifles, but earlier for me it was from the series “as if I can no longer find where to spend money.” And now you do it the way it is more comfortable, and not the way it is cheaper.

I don't know when we will stop the development of "KOKOS". Polina is also a big workaholic and with the same principles. When we started, I had a little more experience in everything. Now we are almost on the same level in this regard. And it is very comfortable to work when you and your partner are at the same level of development and you have common goals.

Anastasia Osipova

bsadsensedynamick

The sale of Korean cosmetics became relevant as a business 2 years ago, immediately after the suppliers entered the global market. The project instantly gained popularity in Russia, which is why today the competition in this area is quite high. To create your own store, you will need about 700-900 thousand rubles. You can create an online store on Instagram, spending several times less money. The payback period of a business depends on many factors, but on average it is 1-2 years.

The relevance of the business idea

Korean manufacturers entered the European market 2-3 years ago, but cosmetics gained popularity in Russia relatively recently - just a year ago. The demand for products was created by Instagram bloggers.

Today, it is online stores that have gained popularity, and real outlets Hardly ever. Therefore, the business of selling Korean cosmetics, while proper organization, will bring income from 500 thousand rubles.

How to start a business selling Korean cosmetics

Like any project, a business in trade is built according to patterns, without which it will be impossible to open a Korean cosmetics store from scratch. Only the consistent execution of the algorithm will allow you to create an enterprise with a good monthly turnover. We will tell you how to start selling Korean cosmetics and reach a positive balance.

Search for a cosmetics supplier from South Korea

The business with Korean products is so relevant that over the past 8 months, about a hundred intermediary companies have appeared that are ready to resell cosmetics to Russian small wholesalers directly from Korean factories. For small companies, this is an excellent option, since difficulties with the language barrier, customs regulation can significantly increase costs. For large businessmen, it will be more profitable to establish contact with Korean manufacturers in order to avoid an intermediary markup.

There are three options for finding a supplier:

1. Independent exit. The most difficult way, requires compliance with certain rules business etiquette. Koreans prefer future customers to be represented by third parties.
2. Work through intermediaries. For instance, non-profit organization KOTRA was created to establish commercial relations between Korean and Russian business. The company selects suppliers interested in cooperation with Russia, organizes exhibitions, meetings and negotiations, accompanies clients at all stages.
3. Visiting business exhibitions with the participation of Korean suppliers. Many events are created specifically to build ties between the two countries. Delegations of Korean manufacturers to Russia are often organized to strengthen business relations.

How to choose products for the store

Korean manufacturers specialize in skincare and make-up, so each supplier offers a huge range of products. The products combine high-tech composition, reasonable cost and a wide choice (because we all have different skin types). It is difficult to name the number of existing brands and brands, so it will not be easy to choose the first batch of goods for the store.

Several factors must be taken into account during selection:

1. Preference should be given to products based on extracts, oils, extracts and essences. For example, a powder created to mattify skin irregularities, thanks to its therapeutic composition, moisturizes the epidermis and nourishes it with useful microelements.
2. Before buying, you should study all the nuances of the goods, whether advanced technologies are used and whether animal tests are carried out.
3. In Korean cosmetics, buyers are attracted by the unique composition, active ingredient which can become snake venom, snail mucus, volcano ash, green tea, aloe concentrate, shark oil.
4. The products have rightfully earned the highest safety rating due to their first-class quality.

The choice is made on the basis of existing demand. It is necessary to carefully study the consumer market, famous beauty bloggers who actively promote Korean cosmetics in their profiles will be of great help in this. Can be held competitive analysis online stores and identify which items are in high demand by the number of likes, comments and orders.

It is necessary to choose products based on the needs of buyers, their skin type and purpose of use. Displaying creams, masks and other products only for oily or dry skin is unprofitable.

When to buy goods

Korean cosmetics are products with a long shelf life, but with proper storage. It is better to start the purchase when the activity is already formalized. The delivery time of the goods depends on the chosen carrier, on average - 7-21 days.

After ordering the first batch, you can select premises for the future store, purchase equipment and hire staff.

Drawing up a business plan

Before moving on to the main stages of opening your own store, you need to write it down on paper: draw up a business plan, taking into account all the nuances. Create without it profitable project impossible.

Competitor analysis

Today the competition is high. But year after year, competition ensures the best offer of the product, and this is not only about the product, but also about the store itself.

When defining the concept of your own store, you can learn from the experience of a competitor, study the website, Instagram page or visit his store. Any business should have its own idea or chip. Therefore, market analysis is an important step on the way to profit.

It is not worth copying sites, pages or blogs completely, but it is allowed to study their functionality and take advantage of some tricks of competitors.

The study of pricing policy

Prices are set based on the target audience of the store. Like any cosmetics, Korean products are divided into budget, medium and premium segments. Initially, you can specialize in cheap, affordable products, gradually introducing more expensive products.

The more expensive the product being sold, the higher the requirements for store design and customer service.

Studying the target audience

The target audience depends on the location. If in Moscow women are not surprised with a cream for several thousand rubles, then for the provinces it will become a luxury item.

90% of the store's target audience consists of women aged 18 to 45. Most do not expect unprecedented results from Korean products, but want to try something new and unique. The remaining customers are ready to purchase a product with snail mucin for hundreds of dollars, which guarantees a real anti-aging effect.

Budgeting and cost accounting

Initially, it should be understood that the income received is not yet an indicator of the profitability of the enterprise, since investments are paid off in the first 2–3 years.

Budgeting - milestone. It can be done in an Excel file or a Google Doc. It is necessary to write down all the expenses by points, even taking into account the costs of buying packages for buyers.

You need to pay for the following items:

• rental of premises;
• purchase of equipment (stands, racks, online cash desk);
• consultant salary;
• site creation award;
• expenses for the purchase of goods;
• advertising costs.

It is important to leave funds for force majeure (computer breakdown, illiquid goods).

Approximate calculation of costs at the start

Approximate cost plan at the start:

Cost item	Amount of costs
Purchase of equipment, racks, shelves, boxes and stands	≈ 120–150 thousand rubles
Purchase of the first batch of cosmetics (volumes depend on the size of the store)	≈ 400 thousand rubles
Business registration	≈ 3 thousand rubles
Room rental (depending on the region of stay)	≈ 15–50 thousand rubles
Advertising campaign on the opening day with gifts, discounts	≈ 40 thousand rubles
Salary of employees (based on 2 people)	≈ 40–60 thousand rubles
Repair room + design	≈ 100–200 thousand rubles
TOTAL	≈ 718–903 thousand rubles

*the given data is approximate and cannot be taken into account when drawing up a real cost estimate.

Monthly costs

When calculating the profitability of a business, it is necessary to take into account the monthly expenses:

How to open a regular store in your hometown

Business is a time-consuming process, with many nuances that are important to study before launching a project. Opening a Korean cosmetics store has some peculiarities. For example, the amount of profit received depends on the color of the walls in the room, and the number of positions in one check depends on the location of the goods. The host city also plays a special role in business. Undoubtedly, opening a Korean cosmetics store in Moscow is several times more difficult than in the outback, because the competition or requirements of the metropolitan target audience are several times higher.

Choice of premises and equipment

The number of buyers and profit depends on the location of the store. Therefore, the premises should be selected with great care.

It is most profitable to open a store in a shopping center, densely populated areas of the city or in the center. Because target audience women are considered, it is worth choosing a room next to a beauty salon, solarium or cosmetology center. In this case, you can get a double benefit: earn not only on ordinary customers, but also on cosmetologists.

Ideally, the room should be at least 30 square meters. m. with a large shopping area, a convenient warehouse and a bathroom.

The next step is the purchase of equipment. The number of stands, slides and showcases depends on the size and store. The material is selected according to the design, in some cases, wooden equipment will load shopping room, and sometimes a glass showcase will reduce the price general form room. You should not download all the free space, it is better to reduce the assortment and concentrate on selling the most popular products.

Do not forget about good lighting and mirrors that visually increase the space.

An approximate list of equipment for a room of 45 sq. m.:

• Glass rack - 3-4 pieces.
• Low showcase - 2 pieces.
• Island - 2 pieces.
• Place for cashier + laptop.
• Lighting system.
• Cash register.
• Signaling.
• Mirrors.
• Air conditioner.
• Shelves and racks for storage.
• Toilet equipment.
• Video surveillance system (on request).

Recruitment

A small Korean cosmetics store will require a small staff. Until the organization of the business is brought to the ideal, the role of administrator, cleaner, merchandiser, storekeeper can also be performed by the owner.

You will only need to hire sales consultants. According to statistics, these are girls under 35 with a salary of 20 thousand rubles and a small percentage of sales.

You can place an ad about looking for an employee on any portal: Avito, Head Hunter, Job.ru, etc. During the interview, it is important to pay special attention to speech, appearance and the ability to present yourself. Before opening a store, it is necessary to provide employees with all the information on the products sold and monthly check their knowledge.

Store design

An incomparable advantage of renting a room will be a fresh renovation and full-wall windows, such a design will attract buyers. You can update the flooring, paint on the walls and ceiling yourself. For these purposes, it is better to choose light shades. For contrast, you can add a dark floor or bright paintings.

You can also ask the designer for help, but this is an additional cost.

Placement of goods on showcases

The store should have a clear display of goods:

• divide cosmetics by brands;
• distribute it appropriately.

The first option is not particularly suitable for a Korean product store, not all brands are recognizable. In this case, it is better to give preference to the second concept, according to which all facial products are in one place, body products in another, and lipsticks and mascaras are located separately, on a convenient island.

All cosmetics should stand evenly and be replenished in a timely manner. At the level of the eyes and hands, it is necessary to place those goods that need to be sold in the first place.

It is important to focus the buyer's attention on discounts and promotions, so a separate stand can be allocated for such offers.

Online store of Korean cosmetics

Today, online platforms are a promising direction in the field of sales. On the initial stage You can sell Korean cosmetics through your profile on Instagram, VK or on your personal website. In Russia, sales on Facebook are not as popular as abroad, so this option should not be considered as the main one.

Next, we will tell you how to create a selling website and open an online store for Korean cosmetics from scratch.

Site creation

A website is an essential aspect of online sales. It can become an additional sales platform if there is a real store. An important condition is a convenient and understandable interface. Light, soft shades in the design, font and clear grouping of goods are the key to the profitability of an online store.

Grouping products correctly will be a little more difficult. Ideally, make a division by brand and purpose. Separately, you need to add filters to easily navigate among the variety of products. Particularly popular are sections with promotions and new products. They must be placed on the main page in order to attract visitors.

It is important to specify additional information on delivery, payment and ordering in detail so that buyers do not have additional questions.

Turnkey website development will cost 35-50 thousand rubles.

Semantic core and directory tree

The semantic core is queries by which the user can find an online store. Initially, you need to download Yandex Wordstat Assistant in order to correctly group keywords.

1. Search by brand - "brand name buy", "facial serum brand name". Such queries are moved to the brand branches.
2. Search by appointment - "buy acne ointment", "buy facial peeling". They are transferred to the directories for their intended purpose.
3. Search by type - “buy a whitening face mask”, “buy vitamin C serum”. We group them in catalogs by types of goods.
4. The base queries will be the anchor for all your semantics.

To finally form a catalog tree, it is necessary to create a full-fledged semantics and structure. The profitability of the site will depend on how well this stage is completed. Work with SEO-parameters of the site is best left to an experienced specialist.

Filling content

Each product must contain a full description indicating the composition, volume and effect. Product cards can be ordered from experienced copywriters.

It is very important to implement a search filter on the site so that the buyer can find exactly the tool that suits him.

The blog is an important part of the site. Articles can be written for specific requests, for which buyers can access the online store. Each text needs to be associated with a specific product or brand.

Korean cosmetics shop on Instagram

Instagram is the most promising yet most competitive business platform of 2020. To open an online store, you need to create a page and link it to Facebook.

Scheme for creating a business account:

1. It is important to choose a simple and concise profile name. It is better to limit yourself to one word.
2. Write a description. Be sure to fill in the “Name” item by entering “Korean cosmetics store” or “Korean cosmetics”. It is by this request that the user will be able to find the account. It is important to beautifully design the “About Me” section with loud slogans or catchy, selling phrases.
3. Be sure to insert a link to the official website (if available) to increase traffic.
4. Upload logo. You need to create your own, not very bright, but not dim either.
5. Start posting. High-quality, bright photos are valued on Instagram, so for these purposes, you can invite a professional photographer to shoot products for several months in advance. Or, for example, purchase a camera and teach employees how to take pictures.
6. Write texts. Each article should be informative and catchy. Be sure to indicate the price and discount for the product.
7. Create a "Favorites" section. Save all stories in one folder, reviews in another, and promotions in a third. So the buyer can find exactly what he wants.
8. Run targeted ads. Initially, you need to focus on reach and subscribers, and only then move on to other areas.

Building a business selling Korean cosmetics on the Internet is a little easier than in real life, as there are no costs for premises, equipment and personnel. In most cases, an Instagram profile is initially created, then the site is launched, and after that a real store is opened.

Legal aspects of business

Any business in Russia must be registered, every citizen is obliged to bear responsibility to the state - to pay taxes on income.

Business registration

When choosing what to open, an individual entrepreneur or LLC, you need to think in advance about the scale and concept of the store. For small projects, an individual entrepreneur is enough, for large projects, an LLC is suitable. For an Instagram profile, you can choose the first option.

To register an individual entrepreneur, you will need to submit an application to the tax office and pay a state fee. Everything is more complicated with LLC, you will need a charter, authorized capital, director, meeting of founders, protocols.

Required documents for registration of an individual entrepreneur or LLC

To open an IP in 2020, you need to prepare:

• application in the form P21001;
• photocopies of all pages of the passport;
• paid receipt;

Documents for registration of an LLC depend on the number of founders and the method of obtaining legal address:

• application for registration of an LLC in the form P11001;
• if there is only one founder, then his decision;
• minutes of the meeting of founders (if there are 2 or more);
• an agreement on the establishment of an LLC;
• charter;
• receipt of payment of state duty;
• a letter of guarantee for the provision of a legal address or the consent of the owner, a certificate of ownership and the consent of the tenants.

Subtleties of accounting

OKVED codes for the store:

• 33 - "Retail trade in cosmetic and perfumery goods";
• 33.1 - "Retail trade in cosmetics and perfumery products, except for soap";
• 33.2 - "Retail sale of toilet and laundry soap."

To sell via the Internet, you will also need to use 47.91.1 - "Services for retail postal (parcel) trade."

At first, you can save money on a full-time accountant; a temporary executor will help you deal with accounting.

How to Advertise and Promote a Cosmetics Store

Korean cosmetics itself will never find its buyer. In the field of product sales, advertising is in the first place, so you always need to talk about the product.

Attracting customers: gifts and various promotions

• Discounts, promotions and gifts - all buyers love it. Announce a weekly sale on a specific brand or price reduction on a specific product line. Every month you can arrange a "Patch Day" or "Elizavecca Brand Week"
• Contextual advertising. A professional will select the necessary keywords for promotion and create a selling advertisement.
• Blogger advertising. The price depends on the number of subscribers. Newcomers to this business can order advertising by barter (for the goods provided).
• Blog site. Articles should be useful and unique to readers. You can talk about each tool individually or make collections.
• Reviews. On Instagram and on the website, be sure to highlight a section for feedback. You can ask your customers to leave reviews for a small discount or gift.

Tips for business newbies:

• When choosing a domain or profile name, give preference to a short and as simple name as possible so that the buyer will immediately remember it.
• Create a store in VK and FB, so you can increase sales at minimal cost.
• posts in each social network should be posted daily. Don't forget stories.
• Add only high-quality photos, they will bring success to your business.
• Use hashtags to help customers find specific products in your store.
• By observing the activity in the profile, set the optimal time for publishing posts.
• Create small video reviews in stories or IGTV.

A professional manager with the skills of a targetologist will help you to promote your Instagram account.

Income and payback

The success of the store depends on the location, the level of competition, pricing policy and quality of Instagram photos. If we consider an average store with a daily profit of up to 8 thousand rubles, then every month it will bring about 240 thousand rubles. From here, you will need to subtract monthly expenses, which amount to 165 thousand rubles (utility payments, rent, salaries to employees, updating the assortment, etc.). As a result, the real net profit will be equal to 75 thousand rubles.

In this case, if we take into account that 903 thousand rubles will be required at the start of the project, the payback period will be 13 months.

Possible difficulties

Difficulties of a novice owner of a Korean cosmetics store:

1. Competitors. The cosmetics market can hardly be called new, given that there are such large players as L'Etoile and Rive Gauche, the Golden Apple. In this case, it is important to understand that, unlike your business, these are not highly specialized points based only on Korean cosmetics.
2. High rental cost. From year to year, the liquidity of real estate can increase due to the demand for it.
3. Raising prices from suppliers. Growth can be driven by the economic situation or increased demand.
4. Difficulties in attracting buyers. High-quality advertising needs serious cash injections, which a beginner does not have at the start.
5. Wrong item. Many Korean novelties have not found their buyers.

Starting your own business is a complex and risky process that requires large investments. Before the start, it is important to weigh the pros and cons, so as not to face serious problems in the future.

Franchise shop cosmetics and perfumery

Today, three brands offer the most profitable terms for franchising:

• TONYMOLY ;
• DANACO ;
• HOLIKA HOLIKA .

The first TONYMOLY store was opened in 2013, and not a single point has been closed to this day.

Basic conditions:

• Shop area - from 25 m2.
• Location in the shopping center on the first floor.
• No down payment.
• Financial injections - from 1.5 million rubles.
• There are no royalties.
• The payback period is 1–1.5 years.

DANACO is a brand store that brings together several top Korean brands.

• Sales area - from 20 sq. m in a shopping center with a high flow of visitors.
• The minimum order amount from the Moscow warehouse is 30,000 rubles, from Korea - $ 1,000 for one brand.
• Only 100% advance payment.
• The amount of investment is from 1.5 million rubles.
• Payback 1.5–2 years.

HOLIKA HOLIKA is the Korean market leader with a network of stores around the world.

Basic conditions:

• Starting investments: from 1,300,000 - 1,800,000 rubles
• Payback period - up to 12 months.
• Monthly turnover - 400,000 rubles.
• Royalty, lump sum, there are no other current payments.

conclusions

Establishment of a Korean cosmetics store - profitable direction in sales in Russia. Today, there are three ways to implement the project: real trading floor, commercial account on Instagram or VK, website launch. Each proposed option requires its own costs and guarantees a certain amount of profit. You can buy a franchise Korean brand and avoid many difficulties at the start. The required investment in the project depends on the selected proposal and averages 1.5 million rubles. Payback period up to 2 years.