Starting Your Own Clothing Line – 7 Steps To Take

January 20, 2009 · Posted in Business Planning, Starting a Clothing Line · Comments Off 

The Triumph of Couture.jpg
Creative Commons License 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

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Outfitting Your Business – Do’s and Don’ts

December 14, 2008 · Posted in Brand Promotion, Business Planning, Online Marketing · Comments Off 

Playa del Carmen fashion show
Creative Commons License photo credit: Alaskan Dude

These days, outfitting your staff with appropriate corporate apparel or promotional clothing has become a necessity. Sending out your sales people wearing custom logoed shirts not only makes them look professional but also greatly increases the credibility of your company. The right corporate apparel makes a small company look bigger, and a big company look stronger. Having been in the corporate apparel business for almost 10 years, I have sold shirts, jackets and other items to companies of just about any size! I will offer some pointers below to save you both money and time.

#1: Choosing the right shirt for the right occasion

Choosing the right shirt is the most important step in your decision making process. Ask yourself the following questions:

- How are my competitions outfitting their people? Are they wearing tee shirts, button-down shirts, polo shirts, vests, and sweatshirts? What should I do so my people will look better and smarter than their people?

- What is the climate like? Will my people be comfortable in the particular garment in consideration?

- Will my logo decorate well on the garment in question? You want your logo to look its best. You want it looking great after repeat washing, and whatever else the person wearing it will do to it!

Getting the right type of shirts will save you money in the long run. If a company logo shirt is mandatory for your staff, meaning they have to wear it everyday, you want to get a relatively good quality shirt so it will hold up for a while. Read more

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What to Include When Building Your Income Statement

December 14, 2008 · Posted in Business Operations, Online Marketing · Comments Off 

The Triumph of Couture.jpg
Creative Commons License photo credit: Tammy Manet

Often when a entrepreneur starts a business, he or she creates an income statement for the plan that is often built on unrealistic expectations and/or missing key elements. Understanding what goes into an income statement will help you create a realistic plan.

An income statement is separated into several parts. The first section is the revenue section, which can be one line or several lines if you want to break out your revenue by product or service. In general, your revenue can grow as quickly as you would like, but you must understand the drivers behind your growth.

For instance, if you have developed a new product for a semiconductor manufacturing process, it may be eighteen months before you see your first revenue because that is how long the semiconductor manufacturing cycle lasts, and your product will not become part of the process until the next cycle.

If you’ve created a revolutionary anti-aging skin cream, you may be to grow your revenues exponentially, but there will be a significant marketing and sales budget behind that growth that will have to be accounted for in your expenses. And note, those sales and marketing dollars will have to be spent before you see a dime of revenue. Read more

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