How to Start a Shoe Repair Business

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Starting a shoe repair business is a smart idea today. Most people want to save money and extend the life of their footwear at the same time. So, they also prefer getting their shoes repaired rather than buying expensive new shoes. As a result, it creates strong demand for quality repair shops. 

If you want to start a low-cost business and enjoy hands-on work, this can be the perfect venture. How? By stepping into this industry, you can grow steadily and build a loyal customer base. All you need is the right shoe repair skills, a great plan, right team, and consistent effort. 

Also, don’t forget to equip shoe repair shop software as it will help you manage every ongoing process. Thus, you will have less hassle, and avoid all the manual errors, boosting efficiency. Let’s dive in so you can understand how to start a profitable and stable shoe repair business. 

1. Do Market Research

If you are stepping into the repair industry, you need proper market research. It will help you outline vital aspects. 

Demand 

If you are starting a new business, and there is no demand for it in your area, you will be just sitting on a chair and waiting for the customers. According to the stats, there are 3,400 shoe repair businesses in the US. This means there can be quite a few cobblers’ shops around. 

So, you should look around your city and check if they are making enough money, and whether people want more of these services or not. For that, you can visit local markets, shopping areas, and residential zones. 

Competition 

Study your competition carefully. You need to look for the services they offer and the prices they charge. It also includes understanding their strengths and weaknesses, and if there is any room left that you can cover. For instance, you can target the area where most of them are not performing well.

These gaps will surely help you offer better solutions. Additionally, you must be well aware of customer behavior. Find out what type of shoes people usually wear. Strong research helps you avoid mistakes. After studying demand and competitors, the next major decision is selecting the right location for your shop.

Good Location Matters 

When you run a repair business, you can’t go wrong with the location. These types of businesses are the ones where people randomly pay a visit without searching them on Google and social media. 

Therefore, you need to pick the right location where your shop is noticeable, and shoe owners can see your shop. If you pick a suburban area, you can charge a high price. Otherwise, a shop in a township would do just fine.

2. Get the Right Tools and Equipment

Now that you have picked the location, and researched the market, it’s time to look for quality tools and equipment. The essential shoe repair tools will help you efficiently do all the repair jobs right on time. You need 

• A sewing machine
• Stitching tools
• Cutting tools 
• Polishing equipment
• Glue
• Dyes
• Brushes
• Awls
• Shoe repair hammers
• Nail pullers
• Paring knives
• Insoles

All these tools are a must-have for your cobbler shop. If you don’t have any of them, you may not be able to finish some repairs perfectly. Along with that,  ensure you understand how to use each tool, and fix all types of shoes. 

Before handling real orders, you should practice your skills. Your tools and expertise will build your reputation. Once your tools are ready, you must also stock essential repair parts to complete jobs without delays.

3. Have all the Parts Used in Shoe Repair  

After having all the tools, now it’s the time to order essential repair parts such as soles, threads, heels, etc.  When you have these parts, you won’t need to order them every time a shoe comes for quick repair. However, ensure to track your inventory. 

For that, relying on manual methods like a notebook is not worth it anymore. Now, you can use inventory management software. It will help you stay on top of your stock. Whenever a part or accessory falls below a certain limit, the software will notify you. Hence, you can timely place an order to your supplier and never miss another sales opportunity due to low inventory. With tools and inventory prepared, your next step is making the business legal.

4. Register Your Business

As a business owner, you should know and follow legal rules. And without registering a business, you cannot run it. Thus, register your shoe repair shop according to the laws and legalities in your area, city, or country. 

Apply for the required licenses and certificates. Do some paperwork and keep it with you as it saves you from future problems.

5. Hire Skilled Cobblers 

Building a strong team is crucial if you want to grow your shoe repair business. If you don’t have skilled and experienced technicians, you will struggle to build a successful venture. Look for the right fit for your team. Hire an experienced cobbler even if he asks for a higher salary. Because ultimately, they will be the ones helping you get more trust from your customers. 

You can also leverage employee management software to better track the performance of your cobblers. Using this software, you can view their attendance, working hours, and repair jobs they complete in a day/week/month. Moreover, it can help you calculate commissions and process payroll on time. So, every employee gets paid fairly and on time. 

6. Choose Prices That Match Your Market 

Offering the right price for shoe repair services plays a crucial role in determining whether your business will last for long or not. As the customers have tons of other options, they will not be interested in your shop if you overcharge them. 

Therefore, do not keep prices too low or too high. Low prices can hurt your profit margins, and at the same time, high prices push new customers away. Always charge a competitive price, as it helps remove confusion and builds customer trust. 

7. Promote Your Shoe Repair Business

Lastly, to build a successful and profitable business, you need a solid marketing strategy. It will help you reach more people, and build a strong customer base. For that, you can place banners outside your shop, and leverage social media. Also, you can create a Google Business Profile for online visibility, and ask customers to leave reviews. 

You can promote your services and boost sales with RepairDesk marketing automation tool. It will help you send promotional SMS and emails to specific customers. So, you can let them know the services and accessories you offer.   

You can also send customers a review link 24 hours after the repair. Thus, you can gather more positive reviews, helping you build more trust for your customers.

Final Words 

A shoe repair business is more than a small shop, where you just fix footwear. It’s definitely a high-demand service with good potential. You do not need huge investment or complex systems, but good skills, a great team, and strong planning. Focus on quality work and customers will stay with you for years. Along with that, leverage a reliable automation tool like RepairDesk. It keeps your tickets organized, tracks your inventory, manages employees, and saves you valuable time. With better control, you can focus on what you do best: great repair work. 

Start today and walk confidently toward a successful future in the shoe repair business.

FAQs

1. How Viable is it to Open a Cobbler Shop in Today’s World?

Opening a cobbler shop is still viable these days. People want affordable repairs instead of buying expensive new shoes. So, as a professional shoe repair service provider, you can offer quality shoe repairs, helping you keep attracting steady customers.

2. How can You one Become a Successful Shoe Repairman/Cobbler?

You can become a successful shoe repair business owner by learning the craft, investing in the right tools, offering quality repairs, and great customer service. When you deliver consistent results, it will help you grow quickly.