21 May 5 Reasons to start a Professional Shoe and Sneaker Care Service Business in 2020
The recent Covid-19 pandemic has brought many unprecedented changes to many aspects of life & business in general. Amongst which is the short term prospect of a recession looming, but that said here is our take on the situation and why we think professional Shoe and Sneaker Care as a business that is here to stay.
Growing & Consistent Demand – People will always wear shoes regardless, and with that the need for keeping them clean (think laundry to apparel). Couple this with an ever-growing population, growing awareness and massively underserved market, there is plenty of room for growth.
Lack of Competition – As sneaker laundry is still considered a ‘boutique’ or ‘hipster’ service, it is yet to be adopted by the mainstream business operators yet, thus leaving the field open for first movers to grab as much market share as possible before. The closest service available is actually the cobblers or dry cleaners both which do not address the growing need for specialist shoe care (non leather at least).
Leave it to the Specialist – There will be 2 types of people, those who will attempt to clean shoes themselves and risk damaging the materials and those who would simply choose to save time (and heartache) by sending it to the professionals. This is where experience and brand reputation comes into play crucially.
Consumers Spending to Maintain Shoes Rather than Buying New Ones – Less disposable income due to the current pandemic will mean that consumers will spend less on purchasing new pairs of shoes and will likely grow the behaviour of caring and maintaining for their current shoes instead. Predict a growth in DIY products and value-for-money services.
Starting A Business During Recession – Like everything else, what goes down must come up, a recession is simply part of the economic cycle (crappy part). If your business can survive on being very very lean and scrappy during difficult times, things are bound to be much better when the economy recovers and when demand blooms. The only question that remains is if one is willing to be courageous when others are fearful and in turn reap the benefits when the economy recovers.
No one can predict or time the market accurately, for when the market would be back to normal or if the pandemic leads to an extended period of recession. That said, the only thing one can do is to plan ahead and make educated decisions with calculated risks.
Should you be interested, Shoe Mo is looking to partner up with individuals around the world who are interested in starting a Professional Shoe and Sneaker Care service in their cities. We will be happy to share our past experiences, strategies, branding & systems to new partners who would like to venture into this business, simply get intouch with us via email: jack@myshoemo.com
Happy planning!
Onwards & Upwards,
Shoe Mo
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