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How to Start a Poshmark Business

Poshmark has become a driving force in expanding the fashion resale market by creating a user-friendly platform in the United States.  The company has now expanded to Canada and Australia, showing that this is a service needed globally and that customers are willing to buy new and used clothing right out of our closets.

The platform has over 60 million users. So, with all of the successes of online selling, why not try your hand at selling that dress you loved when you bought it but never wore, or that vintage handbag that no longer fits your style but is still perfectly functional.

Why Sell on Poshmark?

Poshmark is a bit unique when compared to other selling platforms.  It functions differently from larger platforms like eBay and Mercari because it is a social experience.  There are tools such as videos of sellers displaying trending outfits that are available, tagging based on style, and the ability to share items creating a high level of social engagement.

I’ve been selling on Poshmark for three years, and the following is what I have learned. I will discuss the many ups and downs I have had and how I have been successful. So if you’re looking looking for hustles to earn some side income, or want to eventually replace your full-time job, Poshmark is something you should take a serious look at.

 

How did I get started?

I first began by walking into my own closet and pulling out anything I no longer wanted or wore. Turns out, there were quite a few pieces.  I found some sweaters from Ralph Lauren, some Coach loafers I had purchased for a new job that I never had taken out of the box, and random purses and scarves that I no longer needed. 

I took all of the items into my kitchen, where I had a nice blank space with a lot of natural light.  I actually took a pretty ribbon and some fabric to create a design area for photographing my items. Since it was around the winter holiday season, I also wanted to make it festive and eye-catching!  First up, the Coach loafers.  They were cute but never my style, so I placed them next to a big, bright red Christmas ribbon and some garland.  Eight pictures later, I began to upload them on the site.  I wrote a description of “Never Worn Coach loafers in  Box.” 

Within minutes of my posting this listing, I had five likes.  I was shocked!  Within two days, they sold for $50.  This was more than I had paid for them. I was hooked!  I quickly ran back into my closet to see what else I could sell.  I didn’t understand why anyone would want to buy things from my closet, but I realized quickly that there is a vast market out there!  And it continues to grow.

 

What will you need to get started?

  1. A Poshmark account
  2. A printer
  3. Boxes
  4. A USPS account to schedule pickups-This service is free.

Signing up for Poshmark is free and easy. Although both are easily accessible and super quick to upload photos, I recommend the app over the website.  You will need boxes or envelopes for shipping. These are available through the USPS for free. You can either pick them up at the Post Office or arrange to have them delivered to your door.

A printer is also needed for printing labels and invoices. Labels can be purchased, you can get them free from the USPS, or do what I did: print labels out on paper and use clear tape to apply them to the packages.

I soon found myself running to the post office every morning with more and more packages to ship to buyers.  Eventually, I learned I could schedule USPS pickup online for free during my regular mail delivery. That took the pain of doing this during my lunch break or early in the mornings. 

In my first month on Poshmark, I made $1,000.  I had no cost of goods factored in because everything came directly from what I had owned for years, just laying around.  I had, in the past, just donated the items to the local thrift store. I never realized that I could actually make money from the items I already had. 

 

What Happens When All of my Clothing Sells Out?

I was doing incredibly well, then it happened.  Within the first two months of being on the platform, I had sold everything I could possibly sell. There was nothing left in my closet to sell. I had shopped at second-hand and thrift stores for furniture and household items, but I had really never checked the clothing sections. Maybe it was time that I did. The next day, I searched for any thrift stores in my area that sell clothing.  I made a list, determined to visit each one, find out if and when they had sales. I also made a list of things I wanted to purchase and how much I was willing to spend.

Some of the smaller second-hand stores will have Dollar Days, which helps keep your cost of goods low.  To be successful, you need to learn about trends and brands.  This can easily be done by following fashion bloggers and by finding the communities for Poshmark on Facebook groups and Instagram hashtags

To evaluate the saleability of an item, you can check the sold section of Poshmark while you are in the thrift store right on the Poshmark app.  Pick an item off the rack, search the app for the brand and style and choose Sold, which will give you instant results to know if the piece’s return on investment (ROI) makes it worth purchasing.

 

 

Succeeding on Poshmark

1. Poshmark Advertising

Poshmark takes care of this for you. The costs associated with advertising are covered by Poshmark, and they take a 20% commission for each sale.  For example, your item sells for $20, you get $16, and Poshmark gets $4.  If you purchased that item for $1, your ROI would be $15.  If you shop carefully at thrift stores, learn about trends and brands in fashion, and do your homework, you will be able to make Poshmark a very worthwhile venture.

2. Social Media and Search

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by MEREDITH-COPYWRITER (@cleverfinch)

While Poshmark advertises your item for you, you have the option to share it on social media. You also have the opportunity to make sales from Google traffic.

    • Choose the Right Platform – My best suggestion is to choose one platform you value the most and go with it. Hashtag the brand of your item. Many users also use Pinterest to make their items known to the public.
    • Engage with Poshmark Community on Instagram For me, the best platform is Instagram.  The community of resellers out there is impressive. By following #poshmarkseller, you can find anyone involved in this fantastic journey. 
    • Use great keywords – Search for the item you are selling through specific keywords, and your listing may show up on Google with a direct link to your Poshmark closet.

3. Utilize Bulk Sharing

Poshmark has a “sharing” button. This used to be very difficult in the past as item listings had to be shared one at a time, but now there is a bulk function.  To keep your listings up to date and more competitive with other listings, you must share your items.  This can be time-consuming, but with the bulk share option, it takes about 2-3 minutes to share your entire Poshmark closet, even if you have 100 items listed.

Conclusion

The extra income is not the only benefit to selling on Poshmark.  It has unleashed my creative side, a part of myself I did not know very well.  I started to enjoy photography, learned about social media, started creating on Canva and Snapseed, and shared my work.  I learned about scale and design, fabric and texture, and I found a group of passionate resellers willing to support and help me along the way. 

Poshmark is a wonderful selling app that is easy and fun and can be a great side hustle.  Allow yourself to take the leap by just taking a short walk into your closet and finding what you no longer need.  And remember, you can sell more than just clothing, but clothing can be the best place to start. Take a few pictures on your smartphone, upload them to the app, name your price, and sell, sell, sell!

Meredith Kiljan on Instagram
Meredith Kiljan
Meredith Kiljan is a writer and creative consultant for small businesses and focuses on quality management, streamlining businesses and social media integration. After years of teaching at the collegiate level, she uses her expertise and passion to take theory into practice. She currently lives in Arizona and has a passion for interior design, creative content design & helping others reach their goals in life.

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Find Your Way · Grow Your Business · Sales · Social Media · Your Mindset
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Meredith Kiljan is a writer and creative consultant for small businesses and focuses on quality management, streamlining businesses and social media integration. After years of teaching at the collegiate level, she uses her expertise and passion to take theory into practice. She currently lives in Arizona and has a passion for interior design, creative content design & helping others reach their goals in life.

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