business plan for bag company

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The fashion business is notoriously difficult, but if you start your own business with accessories such as purses and bags, you may be able to get your foot in the fashion door. Good planning goes a long way when you open a purse and bag business startup. Give a lot of thought to each aspect of your business plan before you launch to avoid missteps.

Startup Business Plan

A business plan helps you take a vague idea and turn it into a concrete plan. Include a section on your company's organization and management structure. Also, include market research, taking into consideration the current purse and handbag market size and customer demographics.

The business plan should include a financial summary and an estimate of the costs of running the business including the expected revenue stream. Include a section on business strategy and marketing plans. The purse market has many big-name brands. Look for a niche you can fill.

Licenses and Permits

If you are opening a store with a name different from your personal name, you need to register it with your nearest county clerk’s office and apply for a Federal Business Tax ID for taxation purposes. If you buy purses and bags wholesale, look into getting a reseller permit that allows you to buy the wholesale product tax-free and add the sales tax when you resell it. If you open a physical location, check with your local city government to get the proper business licenses and permits.

Selling Wholesale or Retail

Decide whether to sell your product wholesale or retail. By selling wholesale, you sell your purses and bags directly to retailers, which means you receive larger chunks of money at a time but a smaller profit per item. You also work directly with the manufacturers. By selling retail, you make a larger profit per item sold, but you hold on to your inventory for longer periods of time and you only sell a few items per customer.

Choose a Store Location

If you plan to open a physical storefront, choosing the right location gives you the best chance for success. Make sure to properly research multiple potential locations before picking one. The best locations are usually in retail-oriented areas with a lot of foot traffic such as a mall. However, malls are declining in popularity, so don't overlook smaller storefront possibilities.

Set Up an Online Store

You can set up a website or use online sales portals to create an online-only store or to complement your physical retail location. If you don’t know how to make your own website, look into using e-commerce platforms such as Shopify or Quick2Host. You can also create accounts with websites like Amazon, eBay and Etsy and become a third-party seller. These websites provide you with a well-established global customer base, ease of use and a supportive seller community.

Hire and Train Staff

Whether you run an online-only store or have a physical location, you will want to hire staff at some point. Look for people who represent the clientele of your handbag and purse brand, as they are the first people your customers have contact with either in a retail location or in an online customer service contact. Train them to be knowledgeable about the types of bags and purses you have so they can help customers with questions about their purchases.

Digital and Physical Store Presentation

Decorate both your digital and physical storefronts in an attractive and organized manner that properly represents your brand. The more comfortable your customers feel while shopping at your store, the longer they will stay, which means that they are more likely to buy a bag or purse.

Store Your Inventory

Properly store your bag and purse inventory as these products are your source of revenue. This means storing them in a cool, dry and smoke-free environment. Consider getting warehouse or inventory insurance to protect your investment.

Market Yourself Effectively

Use online marketing strategies to advertise your business. Pay-per-click ads can be effective as you only have to pay for the advertisement when someone clicks on the ad. Also, social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram provide easy, free ways to advertise your business. Provide interesting and informative content with lots of images of the bags you sell.

For example, you can show pictures of a businesswoman holding a purse while walking to work, children carrying their backpacks on their way to school, or a family carrying a bag while walking on the beach. Social media platforms allow you to talk directly with your customers and listen to their comments and suggestions.

• Business Know-How: Find Suppliers for Your Business
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• Post Planner: 5 Brilliant Ways to Promote Your Latest Product on Facebook
• National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors: Direct Sales Resource
• Thomasnet.com: Manufacturer Supplier Source
• SB Resources: Retail Trade Publications
• Maintain a database of all retail, wholesale or consumer customers, depending on your target market. Send sales letters and brochures to customers every month or two for more potential orders. Offer discounts or special deals on new products.

Michael is a writer in various subjects. He is a mechanical engineer and freelance writer, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. His articles have appeared mostly online.

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How to Launch a Profitable Tote Bag Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to start a profitable tote bag business in this step-by-step guide. Find a niche, design your bags, source materials, set up your business and start selling custom tote bags.

Are you crafty and entrepreneurial? Starting a tote bag business could be the perfect side hustle for you. Tote bags are a popular, practical item that many people use every day, so there is a built-in market for stylish, well-made options. If you have a knack for design and some basic sewing skills, you have the foundation to launch your own tote bag business. In this blog post, we'll walk you through the key steps to get started: •Developing your unique tote bag designs and styles •Sourcing high-quality, affordable materials •Creating professional samples and prototypes •Building your business and marketing your products •Selling on your own website, at local craft fairs, or wholesale to retailers

The Tote Bag Market

The tote bag market is broad, spanning mass market and luxury customers. Nearly everyone uses tote bags for activities like shopping, going to the beach or gym, or carrying items to work or school. Your target audience will depend on the specific styles and price points you want to offer. If you aim for the mass market, your totes can be more basic but still stylish, using affordable materials and simple designs. You can sell at lower price points, around $10-$30, and market to a wide range of customers. For a luxury or boutique market, use high-quality, unique materials and more intricate designs. Price points would be $30-$100 or more. Market to customers looking for an premium, fashionable product. You can also choose to focus on a local market, selling at craft fairs, local boutiques, and through your own website. This allows you to really tailor your products to your city or region. Or you may want to sell wholesale to national retailers to reach the widest range of customers. The options are endless, so think about what styles, materials, and business model match your skills and interests.

Developing Your Product

Your tote bags will be the heart of your business, so putting in the work to design unique, high-quality products is key. Some things to consider: •Focus on stylish but practical designs that appeal to your target audience. Simple prints, patterns, and textures are popular. Or create more intricate designs for a boutique look. •Use high-quality, durable materials that withstand daily use but are still affordable, like canvas, cotton, or faux leather. For a luxury product, consider leather, wool, or natural fibers. •Add custom details that make your totes stand out, like leather handles or straps, internal pockets, reinforced bottoms, or waterproof coatings. •Develop a collection of complementary styles in different sizes. Totes, shoulder bags, and crossbody bags are all popular. A range of options will give customers more to choose from. •Create professional samples and prototypes to photograph for your website and marketing materials. Get feedback from potential customers to refine the designs. •Source all materials and supplies from reputable vendors to ensure good quality at the best prices. Buy in bulk when possible to keep costs down. •Determine how you will distribute your products - selling online, at local retailers, at craft fairs, or a combination. Then you can set your price points accordingly. With stylish, well-made products, competitive prices, and a solid business plan, your tote bag business will be off to a great start. Focus on your unique designs and high quality, and your customers will keep coming back for more!

Business Economics and Finances

To run a successful tote bag business, you need to have a firm grasp on your costs, pricing, and profit margins. Some key things to consider: •Cost of goods sold (COGS): This includes the cost of materials, supplies, and labor for each bag. Aim for a COGS of no more than 50% of your retail price. So if a bag costs $20 in materials and labor to produce, sell it for at least $40. •Pricing strategy: For mass market, keep prices relatively low, around $10-$30 per bag. Boutique styles can go up to $50-$100 or more. Offer discounts for bulk or wholesale orders. You need to price high enough to account for all your costs while still being competitive. •Profit margins: With a 50% COGS, aim for a 30-50% profit margin. So if a bag costs $20 to make, selling for $40 would be a 50% margin. $30 would be a 30% margin. Higher margins mean more profit, but you have to balance that with competitive pricing. •Additional costs: Factor in overhead costs like rent, utilities, marketing, and transportation. You'll also need to account for one-time startup costs to get the business off the ground. Make sure to include all costs in your financial projections. •Financial forecast: Create a 3-year financial forecast including income statements, cash flow, balance sheets, and key metrics and ratios. This will help determine if the business can be viable and profitable. It's also important for funding, loans, and investment. •Funding: Consider using your own savings, taking out a loan, getting a line of credit, crowdfunding, or investor financing to fund your startup costs. Most businesses are not profitable for at least the first year, so adequate funding is critical.

Marketing Your Tote Bag Business

To reach your target customers and build brand awareness, you need an effective marketing strategy for your tote bag business. Some of the top options include: •Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimize your website content for search engines like Google. Use keywords related to your product, location, and target audience. Strong SEO will drive organic traffic to your site from people searching for tote bags and related terms. •Social media marketing: Create business profiles on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Post photos of your products, share blog posts, run contests and giveaways, and engage with your followers. Collaborate with influencers in your niche to reach new audiences. •Email marketing: Build an email list from your website and social media followers. Send regular newsletters highlighting new products, sales, and promotions. Offer subscriber-only discounts and flash sales. Email is a direct way to reach your customers. •Local event marketing: Apply to sell your tote bags at craft fairs, festivals, and other local events in your area. This allows you to meet customers face to face, get direct feedback, and make sales in person. Offer event-exclusive discounts and promotions to drive traffic to your booth. •Wholesale partnerships: Pitch your tote bags to local boutiques, gift shops, and larger retailers in your area or nationwide. Wholesale allows you to sell higher volumes, though at lower profit margins. Make sure to have a solid pitch deck highlighting your products, brand, and target market. •Grassroots marketing: Don't overlook simple marketing tactics like word-of-mouth referrals, reviews on sites like Yelp and Google My Business, and networking. Tell friends, family, and acquaintances about your new business and give out discount codes for them to share with their networks. With the right mix of digital marketing, local event participation, wholesale, and grassroots strategies, you can build brand visibility and drive sales for your tote bag business. Be consistent and persistent, and keep optimizing and improving your campaigns over time.

Sales Strategies and Fulfillment

To make sales and fulfill orders for your tote bag business, you need to have effective strategies and systems in place. Some key things to consider: •Your own ecommerce website: Build a user-friendly website to sell your products directly to customers. Include high-quality photos, product descriptions, and an easy checkout process. Offer promotions and discounts to drive traffic and sales. •Wholesale partnerships: Pitch local boutiques, gift shops, and larger retailers to carry your tote bags wholesale. Provide samples, marketing materials, and resources to help them sell your products in their stores. Offer wholesale discounts and promotions they can pass onto their customers. •Local events: Apply to sell at craft fairs, festivals, and other events in your area. This allows customers to see, touch, and try on your tote bags in person. Process sales with a mobile card reader, cash, or checks on the spot. Offer show specials to drive interest. •Third-party platforms: Sell your tote bags on sites like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, and Shopify to reach new audiences. These platforms have built-in traffic and handle the ecommerce infrastructure for you, though they do charge fees and commissions on sales. •Order fulfillment: Have a streamlined process to fulfill orders from all your channels. Keep enough inventory on hand to fill orders promptly. Package items carefully and include a handwritten thank you note. Ship orders within 1-2 business days via USPS, UPS, or FedEx. •Customer service: Provide friendly, helpful customer service to support your sales. Respond to questions, issues, and feedback promptly. Offer exchanges or refunds if a customer is not fully satisfied. Strong customer service will build brand loyalty and word-of-mouth promotion. With a multi-channel sales strategy and efficient order fulfillment and customer service, you can build a steady stream of revenue for your tote bag business. Continue optimizing and improving your processes to scale as your business and sales volumes grow over time.

Operations and Execution

To successfully execute your tote bag business operations, you need to establish efficient systems and processes. Some key things to focus on: •Source high-quality materials and supplies from reputable vendors at the best prices. Buy in bulk when possible to keep costs low. Always order more than enough to meet demand and account for delays or backorders. •Streamline your production process to efficiently cut, sew, embroider, print, and assemble your tote bags. Create a standardized process for each style to ensure consistency and quality. Track costs and labor for each step to determine optimal pricing. •Implement tight inventory control procedures. Keep enough materials and finished goods in stock to meet demand, but not too much excess that it ties up capital or storage space. Track inventory levels closely and reorder as needed. Conduct regular inventory counts to ensure accuracy. •Refine and optimize your order fulfillment process, including receiving orders, packaging items, generating shipping labels, and drop-off with carriers. Aim for same-day or next-day fulfillment and shipment when possible. Provide tracking information to customers. •Continuously improve your customer service procedures to promptly and helpfully respond to questions, feedback, issues, and complaints. Offer fair and reasonable return, exchange, or refund policies. Learn from interactions to improve products and the customer experience. •Review key business metrics and financials regularly to monitor the health and growth of your company. Make data-driven decisions to optimize sales, control costs, increase profits, and gain market share. Adjust strategies and operations as needed to achieve your business goals. •Consider business expansion when your company is stable and profitable. You can introduce new products, expand into new markets, open a physical retail space, increase online advertising, or other growth strategies. Expand at a pace that you can manage while maintaining quality and service.

Legal Considerations

Before launching your tote bag business, be sure to research all legal requirements and regulations. Some things to consider: •Business licenses and permits: Requirements vary by location, so check with your city clerk's office. You will typically need a business license or permit to operate. Some areas require additional permits for manufacturing or selling products. •Sales tax collection: If selling in your state, you need to register for a sales tax permit to collect and remit sales tax. Requirements vary in each state, so review the rules for your specific location. •Income taxes: You will need to pay income taxes on the profits from your business. Keep good records of all income and expenses to properly file your business taxes each year. You may need to make quarterly estimated tax payments. •Insurance: Consider business insurance policies like general liability, product liability, and commercial property insurance. These can help protect you from financial loss in the event of a lawsuit, property damage, or other issues. •Trademarks and copyrights: If using a unique business name, logo, or product designs, consider trademarking and copyrighting them to prevent others from copying or using them without permission. •Employees: If hiring staff, be aware of regulations like workers compensation, payroll taxes, minimum wage, overtime pay, and other requirements. Make sure to comply with all laws related to having employees. •Importing goods: If sourcing any materials or products from outside the U.S., review regulations from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. There are specific rules for importing commercial goods.

With stylish, high-quality products, a solid business plan, and strong operations and marketing, you have the foundation to build a successful tote bag business. Find your unique niche in the market and stay focused on your target customers. Sell through a multi-channel strategy, including your own website, local events, wholesale, and third-party platforms. Keep improving your systems and processes to efficiently scale your business over time. If you provide great products and service, keep costs low, and continue optimizing to increase profits, your tote bag business can be a rewarding endeavor.

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Things To Consider For Starting A Handbag Business

Handbags and purses are the main products sold in a purse shop. High-end designer bags, well-known name brands, specialized or custom bags, and even vintage or antique handbags and purses, may all be sold in a specialist store. A lot of the time, customers looking to shop at these establishments want distinctive, one-of-a-kind things.

There is no better moment than the present to realize your ambition of beginning your own handbag company. Find out how to start a purse busines s and whether it is the perfect career for you.

• Establishing A Handbag Manufacturing Company

You must design the items you want to make to manufacture handbags. Then, you must get the items made. You can create the design yourself if you are knowledgeable about fashion design, either through a college degree or short course or by employment in a fashion house. Alternatively, you may hire a person who does.

Once you have the design, you can sew the product yourself (perhaps if you plan to produce handmade ones), have a large manufacturing staff do it (mass manufacturing), or contract the labor out to a bag manufacturer. The next step will be to advertise and supply your range of goods to shops and boutiques.

• Launching A Handbag Retailing Company

Finding a wholesaler from which you can get materials at prices you can sell for a profit is your most difficult assignment if all you want to do is open a store selling handbags. Then you must consider how to start a handbag business . According to the kind of business you want to run. Your store would need to be tailored to the type of customers you wish to attract. If you plan to sell expensive goods, you should open a boutique-style store in an upscale neighborhood.

• Online Handbag Store

In either case, give the notion of creating an online presence some thought. Hire a web developer to complete the assignment on your behalf. If you are a fashion designer who is also a photographer, you can take images of the handbags, label them, and upload them on your website. Otherwise, inquire or hire someone. The easiest method to reach a larger market both locally and internationally is to spread the word about your business online.

The following information can help you start a handbag line: 

Selecting A Product

The initial step is to identify the ideal market segment for handbag products. Find out which products are selling the most by researching well-known online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. In general, your options are either casual or luxury-style purses business . Select the market that best appeals to you.

Market Research

It may seem straightforward, but it’s not. Your product concept should be appealing enough to your target market’s wants while also satisfying their needs.

There are numerous handbag designs on the market, including satchels, clutches, totes, saddle bags, crossbody bags, and backpacks.

Considering the product’s desirability, usability, and functionality can help you come up with a new idea. How will it improve the quality of life for your ideal customers? What distinguishes your offering from the competition?

Conduct extensive market, primary rival, and target audience research. You can improve your understanding of the kind of product you should make by conducting thorough research.

Establish A Business Plan

A thorough business plan is necessary for success on how to start a handbag business online . Your business plan should include a description of your operational, financial, and marketing strategy. To develop your company plan, you might use plan generators.

Build Your Designs

This is the exciting part about how to design your own purse line ! Regardless of your degree of design expertise, you can create the ideal bag. Use a tool like Illustrator to plan out your designs if you’re a skilled designer.

Working with a manufacturer to create a whole design that incorporates size, style, fabric, color, and unique improvements is another choice for those who are less familiar with design.

Product Sourcing

You can skip this step if you manufacture your handbag products. However, sourcing handbags becomes crucial if you plan to offer goods made by other businesses. You can either purchase goods from nearby wholesalers or browse online markets like Alibaba to buy goods in large quantities at discount pricing. You can get in touch with online vendors who will supply things that are widely available online.

Any online firm must consider pricing carefully. You must inquire with companies selling them about the range of costs for comparable goods. You can use value-based pricing if your products are special in some way. However, you must choose competitive pricing for your goods if identical products are offered on the market.

Make The Handbag Manufacturing Legal

To be legally compliant, your firm must be registered. If you want to distinguish between your personal and commercial assets, you can register as a proprietorship firm or an LLC. Consult with the appropriate local authorities and secure the necessary licenses and permits to operate the business.

Business Name

To establish a brand for your handbag start-up, you need a memorable and pertinent business name. To learn how to start a handbag business brand name that resonates with clients, consult this tutorial.

Establish A Website

WordPress is suggested for building websites if you wish to sell your things online. A nice alternative is Shopify if you intend to sell goods made by other businesses. The Oblerlo app, which allows you to source goods from online wholesalers who would drop ship those goods, is included with Shopify, thus not only are all the technical needs met by it but it is also encouraged. When building your website, you may also compare it against other drag-and-drop editors.

Promote Your Brand On Social Media

The next stage is to begin developing your marketing strategy to draw in your audience after identifying your target audience. Startups typically have small resources, so it is recommended to use social media as the cost of promotion is minimal.

The two most visually appealing social media sites are Instagram and Pinterest, which are excellent for showcasing wallets and purses.

Want Your Handbags Flying Off The Shelves?

Let us manufacture it for you, is a bag business profitable.

The purse and handbag market has demonstrated its profitability year after year, with a market that is still expanding. Instead of creating your handbags, consider selling wholesale handbags if you want to sell purses but would like to test the market first.

It’s doable to run a prosperous bag-producing company! If you’re looking for big business ideas, you can enter the production or retail industries. With strong daily, weekly, and monthly returns if you know what you’re doing, beginning a bag-making business may be quite successful.

How Much Does It Cost To Make A Handbag?

The cost of developing a purse business is determined by several factors. This may include your target market, your sector, and the general business strategy you’ve chosen.

Without detailed information about how big they anticipate their line to be and through which channels they intend to sell their products, that is a difficult issue to answer. Every brand of accessories is unique, using various materials, methods, and objectives.

The type of bag, the materials utilized, and the quantity being produced are only a few of the variables that affect how much it costs to make a bag. However, let’s look at this tiny case for this article:

The following table may show how much it costs to make the bag:

Materials : At $50 per square foot on average, leather is likely to be the most expensive material used to make the bag. The total amount of leather required will be about 120 square feet, costing a total of $6,000, assuming the bag is 15 inches wide, 12 inches tall, and 6 inches deep. An additional $2 to $3 per unit can be needed for materials like the strap and zipper.

Labor : The cost of labor will vary according to the number of employees and the time required to make each bag. For instance, the labor expense will be about $0.83 per bag if one person can create 10 bags per day and the production time is 5 days.

Overhead : Making a bag entails a variety of additional expenses, including rent, utilities, and insurance. Depending on the location and scale of the plant, these expenses can vary substantially, but for this example, we’ll estimate that the total overhead expenditures are $500 each day.

Total cost : Considering the aforementioned elements, the leather tote bag would cost $9,750, or $19.50 per unit, to produce 500 of them.

This is only one instance, and the actual cost to make a bag will differ depending on the particular elements described above. To accurately estimate the cost to make a bag, it is crucial for businesses to thoroughly analyze each of these aspects.

Final Words

Understanding the demands of customers is crucial if you want to sell handbags online successfully. You must be constantly vigilant and eager about learning about the newest trends and consumer preferences. The hand bag business is an enterprise that will undoubtedly provide you with big profits if you appreciate giving people what they desire.

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• '£2,000 landed in my account' - The people who say they're manifesting riches
• Iceland's new slogan and cash for grades: What our readers said this week
• Calculate how much your take-home pay will change this month with national insurance reduction
• Why are mortgage rates going up?

Best of the week

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• Virgin Media customers share their bad experiences of customer service
• More Britons paying inheritance tax after chancellor freezes threshold - so how can you beat it?
• 'More important than a will': What are lasting power of attorneys and how much do they cost?
• 'I have a mortgage offer - will it change now rates are rising?'

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By Jess Sharp , Money team

My journey into the world of manifestation (the belief that you can attract success in your life through positive affirmations and visualisation) has taken me places I never thought I'd go.

Like woods in Edenbridge, where I stood meditating under a tree in the pouring rain. I don't yet know where my journey will end (I've been hoping for an engagement ring but my boyfriend hasn't yet seen my visualisations), but it started with a conversation with Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, one of many people who say manifestation has transformed their lives.

"About a year ago, there was something happening and I thought we just need two grand to cover the expense," Jamie, a former dancer from London, told me. "The following day £2,000 landed in my account."

It sounded like a coincidence to me, too.

But Jamie was adamant. His husband calls him "the master manifester" because of his "ability to bring in money".

"It's happened on so many occasions, like four, five times," he said. "I've become very clear on what I want and the amount of money I need and literally it can be within 24 hours that I get a phone call for a job and it's almost identical to what I asked for money-wise."

When I asked the now-psychic where the £2,000 actually came from, he said it was payment for a modelling job he had been offered.

"With manifesting you don't get caught up in the how, and often it comes in ways that you don't expect," he added, explaining it could come as the result of a claim after being in a car crash.

"It's not always coming in the way that you think but money is out there for us to take in the world. It's just having the confidence to receive it and we are worthy of it."

"Even if it is a placebo effect, does it matter?" he said.

The 43-year-old also believes he manifested his husband Fiongal after being diagnosed with cancer. While going through treatment and dating "a lot" of people, he decided to take matters into his own hands, or rather his own head, and started visualising his perfect partner.

"I decided to spend a good couple of weeks getting really, really, super clear in my mind what this person looked like. Then I started creating lists asking about personality traits, and all the things that I wanted that person to be," the former dancer said.

"The day I got the all clear from cancer I randomly met my husband and when I look at the list of the things I asked for, he pretty much ticks every single box. I really, really believe that is because I got super clear on what I wanted and I put that out to the universe to bring to me."

Jim Carrey and manifestation

If you think this is a new practice, it isn't. Jim Carrey was doing it back in the 90s. He famously wrote himself a $10m cheque for "acting services rendered" and dated it years in advance. Then in 1995, he was told he was going to make the exact amount for filming Dumb and Dumber.

The idea shot up in popularity again in 2006 after Rhonda Byrne published her self-help book The Secret.

Since then, it has hit every inch of the internet and has resurfaced on TikTok with videos posted under #manifesting accumulating a huge 13 billion views.

I tried to learn manifesting - I felt like an idiot

After hearing Jamie's story and seeing the idea was popular with so many people, I thought it best to try to learn manifestation myself. I mean, who wouldn't want money landing in their account and a work promotion from the universe?

As I stood in the woods, in the pouring rain, being told to imagine roots growing from the soles of my feet, I felt like an idiot.

I was soaking wet (of course I had forgotten a coat with a hood) and while my mind kept wandering through thoughts about being cold, if I'd hit traffic on the way home and how dirty my white trainers were getting, a gentle, soothing voice kept bringing me back to what I was supposed to be thinking about.

"How we are all connected, how the trees and plants produce oxygen that we breathe, and we breathe out carbon dioxide which they need to survive"

While some people focus their manifestation practices on being grateful to the universe, Tansy Jane Dowman believes we need to get "out of our heads, into our bodies", connect with nature and find our true selves before we can practice it successfully.

My meditation in the woods was just one part of a six-hour workshop run by Tansy, which aimed to send me off with a clearer vision of what I truly desired.

Tansy charges anywhere from £25 to £580 for her courses, which range from one-on-one sessions and an online six-week programme, to forest bathing workshops and weekend-long nature retreats.

But some courses have popped up online which cost more than £1,000.

Tansy started practising manifestation in 2018 after going through a difficult period in her life. She eventually quit her job in events management and started teaching others how to do it successfully.

"The way I manifest is not to focus on material wealth or gain. I would ask my clients what an abundant life means to them in terms of feelings, experiences, connections, people and places," she explained.

"The more authentic you are, the more of a beacon you become for those things to find you."

After spending time walking in the rain and meditating under a tree, Tansy and I sat in her dining room and explored some of the happiest moments in my life and the feelings I experienced. It became clear I like feeling accomplished, needed and excited.

We also spoke about challenging times, but the conversation focused on the positives, like how I had overcome them and what I had learned.

"It's so important to bring in your values with manifestation because sometimes we can get really confused with what we want, with social media especially," she told me.

Throughout her house, Tansy has a number of "abundance boards" proudly on display - some she has made with her children, others are from her annual January tradition of setting out her desires for the year.

"I've had some really wonderful goosebump things happen to me. I did a board at the beginning of 2020... I put a picture of a microphone on it. I just thought I really like that image and I didn't immediately place any meaning onto it," she said.

"Then as the world was shutting down for lockdown, I did a press event and I met a lady who worked for Wellbeing Radio and she wondered if I would be interested in trying out as a presenter."

She explained that some people will be very specific with their desires, like selecting a photo of the exact car they want, or the perfect house, but that isn't how manifestation works. There needs to be an element of trust in the universe giving them what they attract.

As we created my abundance board, which Tansy describes as being like a "personal algorithm", she told me to select images and words from heaps of magazines that called to me intuitively.

As you can see from the picture below, mine calls for being "financially fabulous", travelling, getting engaged (coughs loudly in earshot of boyfriend) and living stress-free.

And while I'd love a big cash injection, Tansy explained to me that money is "only a stepping stone to a feeling" and, ultimately, I'm aiming to create an emotion with it.

Manifesters more likely to go bankrupt

While all the manifestation believers I spoke to said there was no downside to the practice, a researcher has been looking into whether it really does pay off.

Based in Australia, Dr Lucas Dixon (who specialises in consumer psychology) created a scale from one to seven to rank a person's strength of belief and found those who practice it are more likely to have been victims of fraud and declared bankruptcy.

He said there was a "danger" that manifesting could become harmful if taken to an extreme level.

He found those who believe in manifesting tend to think more positively and have a confident attitude when it comes to success, and while that can be helpful in business, it can also cause them to take unnecessary risks.

"They weren't more objectively successful in terms of having higher income or higher education attainment," he said.

"We also found that they are more likely to believe in get-rich-quick schemes, more likely to take higher risks... to have risky financial investments and more likely to have investments in cryptocurrency rather than traditional stock."

Using the scale he created, Dr Dixon found those who have "very strong beliefs", ranking at a seven, were 40% more likely to have gone bankrupt.

"The danger comes in a couple of different forms," he said, explaining that a "worst case scenario" could see people getting into financial difficulty by being encouraged to "just look at the positives".

"Someone might say it's not harmful because it is really just thinking positively but I think even that can be harmful because of what you might call an opportunity cost," he said.

"You're spending time, energy and money doing something that doesn't have a lot of evidence behind it. We found it does make you feel good but you don't need to pay thousands to do it."

Okay, so back to me...

I did my manifestation course about two months ago, and I have done as I was instructed - my abundance board is up in sight inside the flat, and I often have a cup of coffee in front of it.

But, so far I'm still using a credit card, the most travelling I've done has been to work and back and there is still no rock on my finger. I have been given an annual pay rise, though, and would say I am less stressed.

Perhaps believing that I'm just doing my best and there's a chance that I'll be rewarded for that one day, eventually, in the future, maybe, is making me feel better... who knows?

Each week, Money blog readers share their thoughts on the subjects we've been covering, and over the last seven days your correspondence has been dominated by these topics...

• Iceland's new slogan
• Rising mortgage rates
• Giving kids cash for grades

Iceland's new catchphrase

We learnt on Monday that Iceland had dropped its tagline "That's why mums go to Iceland", replacing it with "That's why we go to Iceland".

The move was made to reflect the store is for everybody, said brand ambassador Josie Gibson. Readers were split - with some feeling so strongly that they're prepared, they suggest, to sacrifice those frozen Greggs steak bakes forever...

I previously contacted Iceland about their slogan because I didn't think it did single dads justice, as dads can go to Iceland too. Their response was that people understood that it's not just mums that go to Iceland. It's about time they changed the message. Dave T  

Neither I, my wife or my children will shop in Iceland again due to this stupidness and woke attitude. To hell with you [Iceland boss] Richard Walker. John  

Banks hike mortgage rates

This week we reported that high street lenders such as Halifax, TSB, NatWest, Barclays, Leeds Building Society, HSBC and Coventry had all hiked mortgage rates. 

You said...

With house prices at already extortionate levels, now mortgage rates rising again, is there any hope for first-time buyers? Honestly, the situation is so bleak, people may need to consider other countries. GenZ 

Why would this happen? So many young couples struggling to get on the property ladder. I live in Dorset - a one-bedroom flat costs from £230,000. In Scotland, one can get a beautiful two-bed house for that price. Feel sorry for all couples living down in the South. Need huge deposits. Barbs

Why are they called high-street banks? Most banks in my town have closed. Martin J

Parents offering cash for good grades

A lot of views came in after our feature exploring the positives and negatives of parents incentivising good school grades with cash...

We had scores of comments on this - with a fairly even split...

We did it for our son at GCSE time. We think it made a difference of about a grade on most subjects. Got a two-grade lift on maths. Cost us £350. Thought it was good value as it has taught him how things work in the world. Andy

The whole world is built on a reward system which symbolises access to money commensurate with effort and excellence. The Nobel prize goes with a cash reward! Tom Deggs

Employees are offered incentives for achieving targets, so why not offer kids incentives for better grades? Claire228 

But others had concerns...

I think it puts too much pressure on kids who are under enough pressure at exam time. Parents should encourage their kids to do the best they can, not add to their stress levels. Emma

Children should value their education without it being monetised. My parents expected my brother and I to have the motivation, maturity and self-discipline to work hard for our GCSEs. We both achieved all As and A*s. Eliza 

When I was at school, from 1964-83, my parents never gave me money for good exam results, because "I should want to do well for myself". No matter what my grades were, they said that they would be proud of me if I had tried my best. Cash kills self-motivation. Nicola B 

National insurance was cut this month, for the second time this year, from 10% to 8% on employee earnings between £12,570 and £50,270.

The change, announced by the chancellor in his March budget, impacts around 27 million payroll employees across the UK - starting this pay day.

The cut is worth almost £250 to someone earning £25,000 a year and almost £750 for those earning £50,000

Use our tool below for a rough guide to what tax changes can be expected for most people, as there are other variables not included which might affect how much tax you pay including being in receipt of the blind person's allowance or the marriage allowance. It also assumes you are not self-employed and are under pension age...

There are also national insurance cuts for the self-employed. This includes the scrapping of Class 2 contributions, as well as a reduction of the rate of Class 4 contributions from 9% to 6% for the £12,570 to £50,270 earnings bracket.

These will impact nearly two million self-employed people, according to the Treasury.

While many campaigners welcomed the national insurance announcement last month, they pointed out that the tax burden remains at record high levels for Britons - thanks in part to the threshold at which people start paying income tax being frozen, rather than rising with inflation.

The money story of the week has been mortgage rates - with a host of major lenders announcing hikes amid fears the Bank of England may delay interest rate cuts.

Swap rates - which dictate how much it costs to lend money - have risen on the back of higher than expected US inflation data, and concerns this could delay interest rate cuts there. 

US trends often materialise elsewhere - though many economists are still expecting a base rate cut from 5.25% to 5% in the UK in June.

The reliable Bloomberg reported this week: "Still, while some economists have since scaled back their predictions for BOE cuts, most haven't changed expectations for a summer move.

"Analysts at Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group, Capital Economics and Bloomberg Economics are all among those still anticipating a shift toward easing in June."

The publication also quoted Sanjay Raja, chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank, as saying: "Markets have superimposed the US cycle on the UK, but the US and UK are on very different tracks.

"The UK is coming out of technical recession. Inflation is falling more convincingly. Pay settlements are following inflation expectations. And crucially, real policy rates in the UK will be higher than in the US."

None of this reassurance changes the fact that financial markets, which dictate swap rates, are pricing in delays.

This week's hikes came from Halifax, BM Solutions, TSB, NatWest, Virgin, Barclays, Accord, Leeds Building Society, HSBC and Coventry.

This is what average mortgage rates looked like as of Thursday...

The next Bank of England decision on rates comes on 9 May - and pretty much no one is expecting a cut from the 16-year high of 5.25% at that stage.

The Money blog is your place for consumer news, economic analysis and everything you need to know about the cost of living - bookmark news.sky.com/money.

It runs with live updates every weekday - while on Saturdays we scale back and offer you a selection of weekend reads.

Check them out this morning and we'll be back on Monday with rolling news and features.

The Money team is Emily Mee, Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young and Ollie Cooper, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. The blog is edited by Jimmy Rice.

The family home where Captain Sir Tom Moore walked 100 laps to raise nearly £40m for the NHS during the first COVID lockdown is up for sale for £2.25m.

The Grade II-listed Old Rectory is described as a "magnificent seven-bedroom property" by estate agents Fine & Country.

In a video tour of the house, a sculpture of Captain Tom with his walking frame can be seen in the hallway, while a photo of the fundraising hero being knighted by the Queen is on a wall in the separate coach house building.

Introducing the property, an estate agent says in the tour video: "I'm sure you'll recognise this iconic and very famous driveway behind me as it was home to the late Captain Sir Tom Moore who walked 100 laps of his garden, raising over £37m for NHS charities."

It comes less than three months after the demolition of an unauthorised spa pool block in the grounds of the property in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.

Speaking at an appeal hearing over that spa, Scott Stemp, representing Captain Tom's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, said the foundation named after the fundraising hero "is to be closed down" following a Charity Commission probe launched amid concerns about its management.

For the full story, click here ...

"Status symbol" pets are being given up by owners who get scared as they grow up, an animal charity has said, with the cost of living possibly paying a part in a rise in separations.

The Exotic Pet Refuge, which homes parrots, monkeys, snakes and alligators among others, says it receives referrals across the country, including from zoos and the RSPCA.

"They're a status symbol. People will say, 'OK, I'll have an alligator or a 10ft boa constrictor'," co-owner Pam Mansfield told the BBC.

"But when the animal gets big, they will get too frightened to handle them, and then the pet has to go."

She added people who want to get rid of the pets sometimes call zoos for help, which then call on her charity.

In some cases, owners don't have licences to own dangerous animals, she says, blaming a "lack of understanding" for what she says is a rise in the number of exotic animals needing to be rehomed.

She says people "just don't have the space" for some snakes, for example, with some growing to as much as 12ft and needing their own room.

The cost of living crisis has also forced owners to give their pets away, she says.

Her charity has also been affected by those increased costs, with the electricity bill rising to £10,000 a month at their highest, to fund things like heated pools for alligators.

Private car parks are accused of "confusing drivers" after introducing a new code of conduct - despite "doing all they can" to prevent an official government version.

The code of practice launched by two industry bodies - British Parking Association and the International Parking Community - includes a ten-minute grace period for motorists to leave a car park after the parking period they paid for ends.

It also features requirements for consistent signage, a single set of rules for operators on private land and an "appeals charter".

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

That comes after a government-backed code of conduct was withdrawn in June 2022, after a legal challenges by parking companies.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "We're flabbergasted that the BPA and the IPC have suddenly announced plans to introduce their own private parking code after doing all they can over the last five years to prevent the official government code created by an act of Parliament coming into force.

"While there are clearly some positive elements to what the private parking industry is proposing, it conveniently avoids some of the biggest issues around caps on penalty charges and debt recovery fees which badly need to be addressed to prevent drivers being taken advantage of."

BPA chief executive Andrew Pester said: "This is a crucial milestone as we work closely with government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists."

IPC chief executive Will Hurley said: "The single code will benefit all compliant motorists and will present clear consequences for those who decide to break the rules."

Sky News has learnt the owner of Superdry's flagship store is weighing up a legal challenge to a rescue plan launched by the struggling fashion retailer.

M&G, the London-listed asset manager, has engaged lawyers from Hogan Lovells to scrutinise the restructuring plan.

The move by M&G, which owns the fashion retailer's 32,000 square foot Oxford Street store, will not necessarily result in a formal legal challenge - but sources say it's possible.

Read City editor Mark Kleinman 's story here...

NatWest says its mortgage lending nearly halved at the start of the year as it retreated from parts of the market when competition among lenders stepped up.

New mortgage lending totalled £5.2bn in the first three months of 2024, the banking group has revealed, down from £9.9bn the previous year.

The group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland and Coutts, also reported an operating pre-tax profit of £1.3bn for the first quarter, down 27% from £1.8bn the previous year.

An unexplained flow of British luxury cars into states neighbouring Russia continued into February, new data shows.

About £26m worth of British cars were exported to Azerbaijan, making the former Soviet country the 17th biggest destination for UK cars - bigger than long-established export markets such as Ireland, Portugal and Qatar.

Azerbaijan's ascent has coincided almost to the month with the imposition of sanctions on the export of cars to Russia.

Read the rest of economics and data editor Ed Conway 's analysis here...

Rishi Sunak has hailed the arrival of pay day with a reminder his government's additional National Insurance tax cut kicks in this month for the first time.

At last month's budget, the chancellor announced NI will be cut by a further 2p - so some workers will pay 8% of their earnings instead of the 12% if was before autumn.

The prime minister has repeated his claim this will be worth £900 for someone on the average UK salary.

While this additional cut - on top of the previous 2p cut in January - does equate to £900 for those on average full-time earnings of £35,000, there are two key issues with Mr Sunak's claim:

• Once the effect of all income tax changes since 2021 are taken into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies reports an average earner will benefit from a tax cut of £340 - far less than £900;
• Moreover, anyone earning less than £26,000 or between £55,000-£131,000 will ultimately be worse off.

In short, this is because NI cuts are more than offset by other tax rises.

We explain below how this is the case...

Tax thresholds

This is partly down to tax thresholds - the amount you are allowed to earn before you start paying tax (and national insurance) and before you start paying the higher rate of tax - will remain frozen. 

This means people end up paying more tax than they otherwise would, when their pay rises with inflation but the thresholds don't keep up. 

This phenomenon is known as "fiscal drag" and it's often called a stealth tax because it's not as noticeable immediately in your pay packet.

That low threshold of £12,570 has been in place since April 2021. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility says if it had increased with inflation it would be set at £15,220 for 2024/25.

If that were the case, workers could earn an extra £2,650 tax-free each year.

Less give, more take

Sky News analysis shows someone on £16,000 a year will pay £607 more in total - equivalent to more than three months of average household spending on food. 

Their income level means national insurance savings are limited but they are paying 20% in income tax on an additional £2,650 of earnings.

In its analysis , the IFS states: "In aggregate the NICs cuts just serve to give back a portion of the money that is being taken away through other income tax and NICs changes - in particular, multi-year freezes to tax thresholds at a time of high inflation."

Overall, according to the institute, for every £1 given back to workers by the National Insurance cuts, £1.30 will have been taken away due to threshold changes between 2021 and 2024.

This rises to £1.90 in 2027.

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