If you’re a fan of grillz or part of a community where grillz are a popular kind of accessory, opening a grillz shop can be an attractive business venture. There are a few different ways to operate a grillz shop. One is to sell premade grillz purchased from a wholesale manufacturer like DHgate.com. Another is to create custom grillz using mold kits. Some entrepreneurs opt to sell both types of grillz, and among them, some create the custom grillz themselves, while others outsource grillz production.

Create a Business Plan 

Your business plan is a comprehensive document that outlines everything related to your grillz shop. This includes but isn’t limited to:

  • The corporate structure of the shop
  • The type of inventory the shop sells
  • The location of the shop
  • How the shop will be financed
  • The shop’s day-to-day operations
  • Your marketing strategy for the shop
  • The shop’s leadership team
  • Projected income from the shop
  • Projected shop expenses
  • Your goals and objectives for the shop
  • Information about the shop’s customer demographics and market trends

After creating your business plan, it can be helpful to have an experienced business lawyer review it to ensure it complies with state and federal law. Although most states do not have laws in place against creating and selling dental grillz, it is possible to face legal challenges when selling grillz. In a 2018 Florida case, a goldsmith faced an unlicensed dentistry charge for making and selling custom grillz.

Register the Business

The next step in opening a grillz shop is registering your business. The business needs to be registered with two entities: the state where your business will operate and the IRS.

When you register your business with the IRS, you are issued an employer identification number. This is the number used to identify your business for tax purposes. Registering with the state enables you to operate within the state and subjects your business to all state-level taxes.

At this stage, you will also incorporate your business. Many small retail businesses are registered as limited liability corporations. Incorporating your business renders it legally distinct from you as an individual. This grants many legal protections and tax benefits, such as protecting you from being personally liable for the business’s tax obligations and any lawsuits filed against the business.

Buy Professional Liability Insurance

Because grillz are worn in the mouth, there is the possibility for the wearer to be injured if a set of grillz breaks inside the wearer’s mouth. As a grillz retailer, especially a custom grillz dealer, professional liability insurance can protect your shop from financial hardship related to a buyer's injury.

Laws regarding professional liability insurance vary from state to state, so check your state’s laws to determine the insurance policy your shop needs, if any.

Find a Grillz Shop Location 

The next step is securing a location for your grillz shop. If you plan on operating a brick-and-mortar retail shop, search for vacant retail spaces for rent among local storefronts and shopping malls.

Don’t discount how valuable an online store can be to your grillz shop. With a platform like Shopify or WooCommerce, you can set up an e-commerce store to complement your brick-and-mortar shop, or it can even be your shop’s sole location. Operating online can help your store reach more customers, and it can make social media marketing simple because you can direct social media ads directly to the shop.

If you’re ready to start operating your business before you’ve secured a brick-and-mortar location, you can launch your online shop to start bringing in profit and to build hype for the physical location.

Stock the Grillz Shop

The last step to opening a grillz shop is stocking it with grillz. Order grillz wholesale and/or create a few custom pairs to put on display for potential buyers to see.

In addition to grillz, you can stock jewelry and accessories that appeal to the clientele who buy grillz. This inventory could include T-shirts, athletic shoes, hats and outerwear.