How to Sell Socks

Even an inexpensive sock selling business can be profitable, if you choose the right sales location and market your product in an innovative way. You can start your sock business from just about any location, including your home. People sell socks in flea markets, online, in mall carts, street stands, consignment shops and craft stores. However, before selling your socks you should get all your state and city business licensing requirements taken care of. These include registering the business name, getting a state sales permit and applying for an Employers Identification Number from the IRS.
Instructions

1 Find quality wholesale socks to sell. Look for wholesale providers online at websites like Global Sources, 4 Wholesale USA or Wholesale Directory. Look for innovative sock designs or quality made socks that differ from others that your competition is selling.

2 Get a state sales license. Apply for the license at the county clerk's office. The license will allow you to purchase socks at a wholesale price without having to pay sales tax on your purchases. It will also allow you to charge and report sales tax on any sales you make.

3 Decide on the type of customer you want to sell your socks to. Decide whether you will sell children's, men's or women's socks or a combination of any of these.

4 Market the socks in an innovative way. Market a particular color, style or way. For instance, Blacksocks is an extremely profitable company that only sells black colored men´s socks, but the socks are sold as a subscription service, with customers receiving a certain number of socks at different times in the year. Other traditional wear stores allow you to customize your garment in certain ways.

5 Visit locations or decide on the place you will sell your socks in, if you plan on selling them directly to the customer. Visit flea markets, the mall, store, consignment shop or craft shop. Look at what other vendors are doing to promote their business. Think of how you can do it differently. Find a location where there aren't other sock vendors or where there are fewer sock vendors.

6 Build a sock website where you can sell socks from. Promote the website with information on socks. This information can be about styles, history, ideas or other information that is of interest to potential customers. This content will help list your website on Google in a first page position. Promote the website on social networks like FaceBook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

7 Set your sock prices. Tag or write down the prices for the different styles. Price your sock at double the price you paid for them.