[LeslietheGreat]

I am located in Lexington, SC and I want to open up a thrift store. I don't have much in the way of money or collateral for a business loan, so I'm trying to figure out what I can do to get some start up money. I don't owe anybody any money, either. Is there someone besides the bank (or dear old Dad) that can help get me started? Thank you so much!

[Clough]

Hi, LeslietheGreat!

Do you have a business plan alreay formatted and written for the thrift store, please?

Thanks!

[LeslietheGreat]

No, I sure don't. Here's what I do know:
- I'm pretty set on the store benefitting global disaster relief. Basically, I want to send clothing and any other supplies needed to whomever is in the most trouble at the moment, be it Haiti, New Orleans, Mongolia or Tennessee.
- I don't want to specialize in clothes and I don't want to do consignment. We'll take anything as long as you donate it.
- I play in a very successful local band here in Columbia, and I know a LOT of people. I'm not concerned with stocking the place with inventory or getting the word out... between my connections with the local press and radio, I'm going to advertise the heck out of this thing.

I know I can do it, I've got a lot of people who want to help, and I'm a great saleswoman. Unfortunately, having been in a band for several years has left me looking like a hobo on paper. I'm never going to get a decent loan with my numbers alone. I just lost my job at a thrift store (which is a huge part of my drive to do it RIGHt- you wouldn't believe the perfectly good things they threw away all the time) so I do have experience.

[Wondergirl]

you wouldn't believe the perfectly good things they threw away all the time) so I do have experience.

Your ideals are noble, but have you really thought this through? Most often, the recipients need money to purchase what they need in their own country or state, not someone's castoff wool dress or cotton knee socks or purple table lamp. Have you discussed this with your potential recipients? Do you have a link to a shop in the disaster area, or where/to whom are you planning to send "stuff"?

Better might be a "one-trick pony" and send a lot of one kind of item, say winter coats of all sizes, once you have identified a need in, say, Mongolia and have a place to send them. But again, even Mongolians would probably prefer money.

[LeslietheGreat]

I apologize for coming off as someone who hasn't thought any of this through. I was just going for a condensed version of the whole idea. I do, in fact, realize that Mongolians don't need purple table lamps or sweaters. Thanks for the pointer, though.

I've worked at a thrift store, but I have never started my own business. Hence submitting a question to your site "askmehelpdesk.com."

I think I'll just look elsewhere for assistance, maybe from a site that doesn't give me a response that blatantly assumes I'm a complete moron. Or uses so many sarcastic quotation marks.

[Wondergirl]

I think I'll just look elsewhere for assistance, maybe from a site that doesn't give me a response that blatantly assumes I'm a complete moron. Or uses so many sarcastic quotation marks.

You didn't say what stuff is being thrown out that you believe can be used. You didn't give us much to work with or chew on. There seemed to be unbridled enthusiasm (and I did compliment you on that), but you offered no plan or understanding of the needs of people in distress. I too have worked in thrift shops and also for my church whenever it pulled together its resources to help people in need.

I never indicated you are a complete moron. So many sarcastic quotation marks? Where? I recommended that you be a one-trick pony because it might work better than making the project so huge that it will fail. And I just wanted some serious answers to some realistic questions.

As far as how to get money to open such a store, you're probably going to have to go about it just like every animal shelter, horse rescue farm, and homeless shelter I know about in my county had to do -- by asking for monetary donations (lots of them) and volunteers and then become a non-profit by filing for it (you'll need a lawyer for this).

[Clough]

Hi again, LeslietheGreat!

If you have a definitive business plan, you'll be more likely to get funding from not only a financial institution, but also others.

Also, would you want to be donating items for global disaster relief and what sort of building would you be requiring for the store, please?

By the way, Wondergirl was just looking for some information, just the same as I am.

Thanks!