How to Become a Personal Shopper
If you have that fashion swagger, like to shop and wouldn't mind making clothing and other buying decisions for people, you are well on your way to a career as a personal shopper. It's not that difficult to become a personal shopper, but you shouldn't quit your day job at first. It will take a little time before you research the field and get a client list big enough to support your newfound career. This is like a dream job because you get paid to do what you love: shop!
Options
You can consider two main options if you want to work as a personal shopper: working for a company or working for your own clients. If you work for a retailer, your clients are the store's customers. An example of retailers that hire personal shoppers includes upscale department stores such as Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co. Some single-brand retailers such as J.Crew also hire personal shoppers. Besides retailers, some corporations employ personal shoppers to purchase products and services for their employees. Working for your own clients offers the freedom that comes with working for yourself. The type of clients you will work for run the gamut from those who are too busy to shop for themselves, people who don't trust their own judgment, busy executives who need your services to buy gifts for their employees and family, or even senior citizens who can't get around as much as they used to.
Getting a Personal Shopper Job
If you want to work as a shopper for a retailer, finding the job is as simple as looking on their Web site to see if they are hiring personal shoppers. You may also want to use the numerous job Web sites to search for a personal shopper position such as at Monster or CareerBuilder, where you can search for a job by title. A higher education is usually not necessary to become a personal shopper, however some retailers would welcome college interns and others who have had at least taken some courses in fashion, merchandising, purchasing or retailing.
If you prefer to start your own personal shopping business, setting it up will require some basic planning and research. As with any startup venture, it is imperative that you write a business plan, outlining crucial information such as what services you will provide, where you will locate your business, who you envision will be your clients and competitors, how much you will charge, how you will advertise, and most important, how much capital you will need to get started. You can find resources to help you with your business plan at your local library or by visiting the Small Business Administration's Web site. You will also need to consider legal matters such as will you be a sole proprietorship or a partnership.
With the mundane things out of the way, you can find yourself in the exciting position of consulting with your clients and finding the shops and companies where you can purchase the clothing or products your client wants, doing the shopping and arranging for gift-wrapping or shipping when necessary. The sky is the limit for personal shoppers, and as more people have less time to enjoy leisure time, it's a career with a lot of potential for the right person.
