Starting Your Own Clothing Line – 7 Steps To Take
photo credit: Tammy Manet
Many people dream of becoming a fashion designer. They dream that supermodels will 1 day walk down the runway wearing their dresses, or blouses, or $200 denim jeans. I applaud their ambition. Having been involved in the apparel business since the age of 17, I have seen my share of successes and failures. Here are some pointers that might help you become 1 of the success stories.
#1: Define Your Customer
To be successful in the apparel business, it is vital to first define your target customer. Remember that you can not be all things to all people. Let us face it, a 50-year-old lady from rural Kansas probably will not buy a pair of skinny, tight-fitting jeans at $270 a pop. But a trendy 25-year-old professional woman living in Los Angeles just might! Defining the following characteristics of your customer is crucial:
1. Where do they live? You probably should not try to sell bikinis in December to someone living in Minneapolis. But you might want to market your bikinis to cities in Florida. 2. How old are they? Age is perhaps THE most important factor in defining your market segment, as the skinny jeans example above demonstrates. 3. Where do they shop? Someone living in urban cities is much more likely to shop online. Read more
Hot Tips For Apparel Marketing – Making the Appointment That Sells
photo credit: Peter Duhon
So you are ready to start marketing a fashion line but you just don’t know where to start? While getting a business off the ground can seem like a daunting task, it only takes some practice and research. Apparel marketing shouldn’t be a stressful process, but it’s definitely a systematic process that requires a bit of legwork. Here are a few hot tips for everything from preparing for appointments with store buyers all the way to what it takes to make the sale.
1. Know your Target Audience
I cannot stress this point enough. Think about what you are marketing — really think. If you’ve been hard at work designing a colorful, retro stiletto, ask yourself, “Who is more likely to buy this product — a modern woman in her 30s, a stylish teen or a working mother”? While we are all tempted to say, “Everyone will want my product,” avoid the urge to do so. While it may be true and you may have created the best thing since outlet stores — try to put yourself in the shoes of the buyer, literally. A funky stiletto might not be the best choice for a busy toddler-toting mom but it might be just the thing for young twenty-somethings who thrive on fashion. The more specific you can be about your buying demographic the better. Be prepared for other related questions so you can answer at the drop of a hat. Write all of your answers down for easy reference. Read more
Building A Great Online Apparel Web Site – The Technical Aspects
photo credit: tompalumbo
Building a great apparel web site is more than just pretty pictures and fancy Flash imageries. Believe me! I have built over 8 of them in the past 10 years. From the 1st apparel site I built myself with Microsoft FrontPage to the latest one running on ColdFusion and built by professionals, I think I could tell you a thing or 2 about the subject matter. This article deals with the “technical” aspect of it.
There are 2 approaches to building an apparel web site. One is to use a total solution provider such as Volusion, which is the best provider I found so far. They provide complete e-commerce packages that are very easy to use, can get you up and running in literally minutes. If you are selling apparel items at the retail level, this is a great way to get started. All you have to prepare are product images, product description, and pricing. Their service even handles payment processing. You do need to setup your own merchant account that links to your bank account. There is a small setup fee. Other than that, all you pay is a month fee for the service. Of course, the merchant account will incur separate fees (a monthly statement fee), and the credit card processor will charge you based on the number of transactions ($0.35 to $0.50 per transaction) and the amount being charged (~2% to 4%). This is a great way to go if you are selling to consumers who are buying no more than a few items at a time. Read more
Small Business Loans- Secured Business Loan – Providing A Conducive Atmosphere For Business Growth
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