In this blog, we are going to talk about what supplies you're going to need to get started and this can vary greatly depending on the business that you are in or starting. 

The first thing that always comes to my mind is a computer. I feel like everybody needs to have some kind of computer. Every business person needs a printer, and obviously, you'll need your paper. One of my absolute favorite things that I have for my business is an iPad that comes with a pen. If you don't want the iPad with the pen, you'll want notebooks, pens, sticky notes, or a planner. I have my planner on my iPad and my note shelf, but you definitely need a planner or a big calendar or somewhere that you are planning everything out. For your desk things like scissors, tape, paper clips, staplers all that kind of office stuff. You want to have a desk and a comfortable chair to sit in. You need your own space. Even if you're doing your business out of your home and you don't have a lot of areas, you need a space that's yours. So make that comfortable and somewhere that you want to be. And most likely you'll need cleaning supplies. You'll need things like toilet paper and paper towels. Then I feel like everybody in business needs some kind of ring light or a phone holder because there's a good chance you're going to be marketing your business. But pretty much I feel like everybody needs some kind of a folder. 

Now for some more niche-down businesses. If you're starting any kind of salon, whether it's a home salon or a great big salon, pretty much what you'll need is kind of the same, just on different levels or skills, right? So you'll need a styling chair. You're going to need a sink to wash your hair and a sink to wash your hands or your equipment. Next are combs and brushes, your shampoo and conditioner, your styling products, and then whatever retail products you offer for your clients. Aprons for you and your stylist, mirrors,  gloves for color, foil your bowls and brushes, applicator bottles, disinfecting barbicide and barbicide jars, and other professional products that you like to use, retail displays where I put on here point of sale. Any business that you're in, if you're selling anything, it's gonna need some kind of a point of sale. And I'm gonna circle that back up to where I said that most businesses are going to need a computer. And then your point is cell program or app is going to vary depending on your specific business. 

If you do a food type of business like a restaurant. You'll need obviously, some decor for your restaurant. Add decor menus, ovens and stoves, refrigerators, warming counters or lights, tables and chairs, and tablecloths however you're wanting to set up your dining area. Utensils for your guest, cooking utensils, and pots and pans. Your menu planning charts, to know what grocery items you're going to need. What are you going to need to order? You'll get to where you can forecast. You know how many of each menu item you're gonna cell and be able to get those orders to put together your seasonings. Cups to serve water or sodas, wine glasses, champagne flutes, and beer mugs depending on what your restaurant is and what you're going to be serving. Serving plates, bowls, napkins, aprons, shirts or uniforms for your staff, gloves, and hairnets. 

If you're planning to cater either from your restaurant or just catering. You’ll need almost the same things, but many of them will need to be more portable. Think about your plates and utensils that are not easily broken. If you're more of a casual type catering like BBQ places you might even do paper plates or maybe some different serving dishes and utensils, probably uniforms if you are catering, especially if you're doing the serving and the catering is not just drop off catering. Warming trays, cooling trays, beverage dispensers, and of course, you'll need big coolers to transport. Those are the food items that came to mind. 

If you're going to be in an office space business, most of the things that I mentioned at the very beginning are going to hold true, and then also you'll want to feel like whenever you're in an office, business cards are really important. Flyers and whatever visuals you want for your customers. A lot of times you'll want you know, little swag-type items, pens, magnets, things like that with your name and phone number on them to make it easy for your customers and potential customers to get ahold of you. 

If you're going to open any kind of a floral type shop, you'll need probably to order from something easy for you or your employees to take down phone orders, display cases, floral tapes, and wires. If you want you can give specific shirts for your staff with your logo. Your tools like scissors, knives, and thorn strippers. Floral cages for your arrangements, ribbon cellophane, floral picks, little cards, or big cards, however, you're doing that and I know that there is some kind of adhesives and sprays that a lot of florist use. 

If you’re going for a boutique and you're going to do any of that online, you'll definitely need shipping supplies. You want your retail bags and packaging. Whether that's just cute or regular bags, with tissue paper, however, you want to present your items to your customer. You'll need display racks, mannequins, price tags, and bar homes, however, you want to label your items. I like to make sure you get the ones that have the easel-type bag so that they're easier to put around. You'll want some full-length mirrors if you're selling clothing for sure, and maybe some smaller mirrors if you're doing like sunglasses and hats. And then obviously whatever you plan to sell, earrings, clothes, house goods, you'll need to track down your vendors for that. And then a lot of boutiques will put a little either business cards or a comeback 5% off next time or a little thank you gifts or cards that you wanna put in your packaging. 

If you wanted to start something like a podcast. The only thing you really need to get started is a phone and your headphones, and there are lots of ways to get started with just those couple of things.

If you want to do coaching there are different ways that you can coach somebody. Whether you're a business coach or a life coach or any kind of business or coaching program that you want to put together, the things that you'll definitely need is a great planning tool. You need something to help you, whether that's a calendar, planner, or file folder for each of your clients or customers because you want to be able to plan out exactly. But you are going to help them with nowhere. They're starting and have clear goals for them. So whatever apps or programs that you need for that, I'm sure you can research that. And then something to help yourself stay on track and stay focused on each of your customers and their individual goals. 

If you're wanting to get into or expand any kind of direct sales type of business, whether you wanna do this full-time or that side hustles. You'll definitely need whatever supplies from the company you represent. Whether it's a company that have you keep inventory on hand or online, you'll still want cards or flyers or whatever visuals that you can have to show your customers. You will want a great filing system. You want to be sure that you have your customers information filed away. You wanna know what they ordered when they ordered it if your products are beats that they may run out of like candles, makeup, skincare or anything like that. Then you wanna be sure to follow up. You know when those things may have run out. Thank you gifts, packaging, fillers, and anything from little hair scrunchies or nail files. And then whatever packaging supplies you need, whether they're shipping supplies or however you are going to get your products from you to your customer, if the company that you represent doesn't do that for you and then go for thank you cards.

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