If you're looking to get into the throne chair business, take note.
The first advice I want to give you is, if you want to be successful in the throne chair business, you must be patient and plan ahead. By planning ahead, you can avoid a lot of frustration. The primary distributor of throne chairs holds sales 3 to 4 times a year. They offer the chairs at a much lower price with a disclaimer that clients will receive their products in a few months.
The reason is because the distributor uses the cash upfront to finance their next containers. One container costs as much as $30,000 and it needs to be sold before it even reaches US soil. So the money the customer pays upfront keeps the distributors from ever using their cash reserve to buy chairs.
When you purchase a chair at pre-order price, you must understand that the distributors has to pay the manufacturer to make the chairs. The manufacturers of the throne chairs are located in Indonesia. The chairs are handmade by workers. To fill an order of chairs to ship to the US, it can take nearly two months. The chairs are then placed in a container and shipped via boats to the US. The trip takes at least 40 days. Once the containers arrive to the US, they must clear customs. The distributor pick ups the container and begin distributing orders to clients. You must understand that the distributors has clients all over the US. All the orders must be fulfilled. They are not necessarily fulfilled on a first come, first served basis. The distributor will cancel an order if not enough customers placed orders to fill a container. If you’re ordering one to two chairs, your order might not be a priority if they are still waiting on more clients to place orders.
When you order a throne chair for $199 or $299, understand that the average wait time is 5 months. You cannot start booking clients hoping your order will arrive on time for your client’s event. Many people have extra cash during tax season and tend to buy a lot. This means your wait might actually be no longer. Do not be surprised if you receive your order two seasons after you’ve placed it.
If you want to start renting and make money right away, it’s best to avoid larger distributors and go with smaller retailers of throne chairs. I sell them in Randolph, Massachusetts and have never had an issue delivering to a client on time. This is not the best business practice but small retailers like myself fronts the money for the throne chairs at least 7 months ahead of time. I keep the most sought after throne styles in stock to fulfill customers’ orders right away.
I’ve had clients purchase a throne chair from me on a Thursday and had their first customer on Friday. Granted purchasing a chair from me is not $199 but I deliver to you right away. You can make your profit within two weeks time. I have had clients who have done it time and after time. They’ve returned to me weeks later to make another purchase.
If you want to be in this business, you must understand your chair is an asset. Once you put your money out, you want to get revenue right away to buy more assets. If you place an order for $299 and wait 6 months to earn interest on it, you’ll get discouraged and will probably quit before you even begin. With a smaller retailer, you will pay a higher price but the turn around on your profit will be almost immediate. You’ll build a reputation with your clients and grow faster.
If you need more information on starting your own throne chair business, email me at bostonthronechairs@gmail.com.
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