If you do want to get into a fashion business there will always be
opportunities as I do believe that the internet has made the pathway
a little easier and certainly more cost effective in terms of getting
your goods and brand speak out to market. So definitely look into
this as the first pathway to introduce your clothing line. Regardless
of whether you consider yourself to be a digital dummy or not, it is
not negotiable to not up skill yourself technologically as we do so
much of our research, customer promotion and engagement on the
social media platforms.
Our website is one of our strongest performing stores and I know
that the statement - if you are not digital now you will not be relevant
is VERY TRUE! Google is the new business card so make your
business count in this space (I am extremely surprised people still
proffer business cards when meeting as often the meet is initiated
via email and phone so you have all the details you will need).
Here are three simple steps to take
when endeavouring to start up your
fashion business dream
1. Firstly I suggest that you ascertain that the clothes/ collection
that you are looking to design truly does have an end market. Have
you really discovered a gap or are you just creating an extended
wardrobe for yourself and your friends? Do you really think you can
take something that has been done hundreds of times before and
present it in a way that will re-engage a potential market and build
you a sustainable business? Yes I know you possibly think there is
a gap in the market but how well have you done your research
2. Always have your commercial hat on. Look at designing clothes
that will sell across a broad demographic. Your measure of success
is not the number of celebrities that ask to wear your clothes, it is and
should always be money in the bank and to achieve this you need
to sell clothes not lend them (NB: we don’t really have a celebrity
culture in NZ and Australia).
3.
Make sure that you know about the business of fashion.
Remember that fashion is 80% about business and 20 % about
the creative outcomes so take a small business course, or partner
with someone that has this skill - Without this you are unlikely to
succeed.
And finally embrace failure! So many people never make a business
start because they fear the what if and what others will think it and
it all goes pear shaped. Whoever learnt to ski without falling over?
There is no sigma in failure. In fact, quite the opposite. Failure is
the foundation stone of success. Life and business are about risk so
you will need to take them. Fail hard, fail often, try stuff. The brave
may not live forever but the cautious have not lived at all - Richard
Branson.