Building A Great Clothing Web Site – Things to Consider
photo credit: Tammy Manet
Building an online apparel business is not as easy as you think. I know this because I started my online apparel wholesale business in 2002, after my “off-line” apparel business failed. I built my 1st web site with Microsoft FrontPage. There were 300 products on my web site. I did my own graphics, my own design, and my own marketing. I worked 24 x 7 for over 6 months straight. 5 years later, my web sites (I have 4 store fronts) bring in a steady stream of business. I no longer need to cold call to find customers, and frankly I don’t work that hard anymore to make a pretty good living.
The following elements on an apparel web site will make or break your business.
#1: The overall look and feel of the store front You can always tell between a professionally designed and executed web site from one that is done by amateurs. If you are selling originally designed clothing that is not branded, the look and feel is a very important factor. Does it look different from everyone else? Does it look creative? Does it look like quality? Check out your major competition’s web sites. Keep in mind people can not touch the fabric of your clothing. They need to feel comfortable enough to give your products a try. Read more
Use Government Grants to Start a Business Now
photo credit: Tammy Manet
Many entrepreneurs have problems finding the startup capital that they need in order to start a business. The idea is there and the business plan is there but not the money. In this article, you are going to learn how to use government grant to start a business.
True enough, there are a lot of venture capitalists out there that are willing to put money in startups. However, there are too many startup ideas nowadays and sometimes, they will just deny your plan over and over again. As for government grants, not many people really know how and where to apply for it.
Benefits and Overview of Government Grants for Starting a Business
Government grants are often given to startups to motivate entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. In return for that, you need to comply to some terms. These terms can be certain location to start your business, type of business and compliance to laws and regulations. To be honest, the terms will not be that strict after all if you know the ways to fulfill it. Read more
The Entrepreneur’s Business Model for a Startup
photo credit: David Locke
What is your business model? Amazingly many people who start a business can’t answer this question. In its most basic form, the business model is the diagram of how you will convert your product or service into money in your pocket.
Many entrepreneurs suffer from the Field of Dreams affliction. They are sure that their product or service is so fabulous that everyone will want it without taking into account how their potential customers buy things or even how they will finance the gap between the sale and the cash coming in the door.
To create your business model, you need to answer the following questions:
* to whom are you going to sell your product?
* what problems does your product or service solve for the customer?
* how you are going to reach your customers?
* how and when the customers will pay you?
* how your products will get from concept stage into your customers’ hands?
* who are your competitors and how are you different? Read more
Business Planning – A Good Business Development Strategy is Crucial for Success
photo credit: Tammy Manet
As part of my consulting practice, I read and review business plans written both for venture capitalists and for grant applications. The weakest part of every business plan is always how will the company get from today to “the dream” five years out.
Usually, there is a pretty good description of what will happen in the next six months and a decent description of what will happen in five years, but there is nothing in between.
Technical entrepreneurs have a good handle on what product development they need to do to get the product into a usable form. They understand the costs and the time involved. However, once the product is developed, they seem to be at a loss as to what to do next.
The lack of a business development executive early in the process often leads to the product being developed in a vacuum. There is a bit of a chicken and egg problem here: start-ups don’t feel like they can afford a business development person until they sell product and they can’t figure out how to sell a product without business development.
Also, I’ve noted that a number of engineer or scientist CEOs tend to discount the role of business development, as if the science behind the product is really what sells the product. This is just not true – if it was true, universities would be a lot richer. Read more
How to Prepare Properly For a Business Loan and Get Approved
photo credit: Alexander Somma
You have to convince the lender that you are a good deal, since the lender is the one that is at the highest risk, they are not ready to throw their money away, therefore it is your duty to convince them to give to a try, anything short of this, you would be denied the loan.
If you understand the process of loan application, it will be to your advantage as it will increase your chance of being approved for the loan and also getting the loan term that is best for your business. You must be sure of what you want to use the loan for before starting the application process
Purpose of loan: You have to clearly state what you want to do with the loan that you requested and it must be done by putting forward a loan proposal, as this will give the lender a clear vision of what you intend doing with the money if granted, anything short of this your chance of getting the loan will be reduced.
How much do you need: Make sure the amount of money that you require is stated, but remember the estimated loan you are requesting should not be too low or too high, as lender will not give you a loan if they think the amount of money you are asking for is too low and when you ask for what is unnecessarily high, since lenders are out to make profit, they have to be sure that they are also going get some nice returns from the money you are going to be given. Read more
Business Fundraising – Network With Your Capital Providers Before You Need The Money
photo credit: Tammy Manet
Often entrepreneurs will be in the process of building their businesses and suddenly be struck by a need for cash. The business wins a big contract or general growth has increased in speed. On the down side, the slower economy slows sales growth or customers slow down their payable cycle. Either way, this is not the time to go looking for capital.
If you ever believe you may need capital, the time to start the process is now, be it debt or equity. Take the time to get to know your banker. If you bank at a large bank, such as Bank of America, get to know the local branch manager. Find out how they process business loans. If there is a local loan officer, ask to meet with him or her. Find out what the lending standards are.
Large banks may allow the branch to approve loans up to a certain amount. Higher amounts may be kicked up to the regional or corporate offices. It would be a shame if you were denied a $60,000 loan by a corporate office, but you could have gotten a $50,000 loan approved by the local branch. Read more
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
Business Starting Grants – Using Grants to Start Your Business
photo credit: Peter Duhon
Many people are looking into starting up their own business but many do not have the funds to do just that. Small business owners usually look into getting a business starting grant. That way they would have to means to purchase and start up the business they prefer.
There are numbers of different types of business that can receive grants such as brokerage, photography, construction, food and restaurants, retail and decorating. There are more but it would take quit a while to list all of them. There are tons of ways to a business starting grant and many ways to find one.
There are tons of different types of grants that are offered to business owners today such as government grants, individual grants, organizations and business grants. Read more
Small Business Loans- Secured Business Loan – Providing A Conducive Atmosphere For Business Growth
- Business Loans – A Source of Finance for your Business
- Business Loans: Translating Potential for Financial Success and Independence.
- Business Loans: If You Know How To Make Good Use Of Money And Expertise
- Secured Business Loans – Equipping Your Business Blueprint With Concrete Groundwork
- The common reasons for business failure
- Successfully Closing the Strategy Gap
- A Lesson in Leverage
- Startup Company – What Are Accredited Investors and Why Should I Only Raise Money From Them?
- Choosing the Right Business Model for Your Startup
- Private Business Loans
- Private Loans for Every Situation
- Private Lenders – How to Use List Brokers to Find Money For Real Estate Deals
- Real Estate Investors – “7 Step Formula” to Secure Private Money
- Why Apply For a Private Loan?
- The Benefits of Federal Loans Vs the Benefits of Private Loans
- How to Apply For Private Student Loans
- Private Loans – The Alternative Education Loan For Students in Need of Additional Financial Aid
- Small Business Credit Cards – Let’s Analyze Them
- Economy Recovering – Bank Loans Still Scarce
- How to Get $5000 Personal Loans From a Private Individual Lender
