Thats a good plan. Don't grow beyond your means. Will you be making set stock items or will this be a custom order type thing?
Wallets made in advance, belts would be dyed and oiled but would need to be cut to size and punched per order. Thought I could do set sock and charge extra for custom stamps or work a customer might ask to be done.
Great plan. So here are a couple of recommendations for wallets. Make wallet shapes and sizes that are hard to find. Passport wallets, checkbook wallets, wallets that don't fold money, etc. It took me 4 months to find a wallet that didn't fold money because no one makes em. If you're going to make a product that's already widely and cheaply available you have to set yourself apart.
Your quality may be better, but people can't see that online. Uniqueness and functionality in your product will draw customers. Have the basic bifold and trifold wallets of course, but have stuff other people don't have as well.
As far as online sales, Facebook marketplace and Craigslist for your local area sales. You said you wanna stay away from Facebook but that's a bad plan if you're just starting out. Use marketplace to get local interest. Go to some clothing stores in your area and see if they are interested in consignment or wholesale. Build an online site. Etsy is ok but honestly the cost is a bit high. It's cheaper in the long run to get a website and online shopping portal instead.
An entertaining idea just popped into mind. Belts with exactly one hole in them. Doesn't fit? Loose weight fatty!
Maybe some day, I'll name it "yuppers fat shamer for whoopin yer step kids"
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