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When you start your own clothing brand, there are a number of things you need to learn. People frequently return to school for a degree in Fashion Design in order to gain knowledge about everything coming ahead. They conduct significant studies by reading books, blogs, and speaking with other freelance designers.
Many people believe they have the necessary level of expertise and that now is the time to dive in. You may, however, be missing some big-picture notions. There are achievements, losses, little victories, failures, hard nights, new customers, Facebook likes, Instagram unfollows, complaints, lost clients, hangovers, and the list continues on and on.
There are days when you want to give up and days when the dream appears to be within reach. You’ll be closer tomorrow than you were yesterday if you stick to it. Here are a few things you might wish someone had told you before you started your own clothing company.
1. Create Fans Forget Customers
You’ll need to do more than convince young buyers to buy a shirt from you on Instagram. The goal should be to provide your customer with cool clothing, an inspiring message, or a wonderful value. It should make him persuade their 10 closest friends to adore the brand as much as he does.
Take an extra second to say thank you, to show the consumer that they are valued, and to maintain that habit. People will return for more if you establish a relationship that is more than just a sales transaction. Make that extra effort that others don’t bother to make.
2. Meeting People is Critical
You can have top-notch quality, a top-notch website, and top-notch social media. However, we strongly believe that you should get out there and meet individuals in the apparel industry in person. You will always meet someone who knows someone, and the cycle goes on.
We can point to specific sales that were successful as a result of someone the seller met or worked with. Because of the people they’ve met, many ideas have come to life. Although social media has a big presence, we believe that the person-to-person connection you have (that isn’t through a phone) has a lot of value.
3. Stay Loyal to Yourself
Trends are easy to be misled by. Keep an eye on what’s popular right now, but don’t stray from what your clients desire. To establish brand recognition, you must be consistent. That involves integrating some trends while ignoring others. When you follow this principle, you can do a lot of work.
4. Body, Mind & Business
You don’t become a doctor without putting in a lot of time and effort into learning how to do it. Anyone can figure out how to call their local screen-print shop and pay them to print shirts for them. But you’ll need to do some research to start and develop a business.
On the other hand, studying to be a surgeon for ten years seems pointless if you never use a knife. Find a good balance of learning and doing, and both your talents and your knowledge will improve over time. On a more personal level, we’ve discovered that exercising out regularly is also linked to growth.
5. The Difference is Real
You’ll have to do something new to stand out in a world where every 20-something has at least considered starting a clothing business. No one wants to buy a shirt with a plain logo on the front unless the emblem has a meaningful significance. But everyone would love to buy a high-quality custom down jacket which complements their taste.
Larger brands are able to do so because they have built a reputation through many years of hard effort. So, Gucci, chill down, and let’s start building a brand image before we try that one.
6. Just Do What You Like
It’s time to sell your first batch of shirts now that you have them. This is where things start to get complicated. There are a million different ways to do it, but you must figure out what works best for you. You have the option of running Facebook advertising.
You can write articles, network with individuals in the same industry, put up a booth at a local art show, or go to your local college and distribute flyers. What will work best for you is mostly determined by who you want to sell to. Our point is that whichever method you use to distribute the message, DO IT.
7. Keep Your Faith High
You’ll have to work hard, and this is something very serious. There will be instances when you will have to decline invites due to a lack of time. You must rest and listen to your body; you must also listen for God, the cosmos, or whatever it is that propels you ahead.
Make that time as often as possible by writing it down in your calendar. Your company is well worth your time and effort. A few minutes of it is worth your health and sanity. Last but not least, if you need to, consult a counselor for any positive therapy.
8. Get Ready to Spend More Money than Expected
It is possible that the development of your line may be pricey. The obvious examples are the textiles, a reputable china sourcing agent, interlining, material, and trimmings. But keep in mind that you’ll have to pay your pattern maker and sample sewer eventually, as well as cover the price of your initial production run.
Don’t forget about lookbooks, as well as paying for CAD drawings if you can’t do them yourself. A website and business cards also come in addition to these expenses.
Final Thoughts
These are the eight major items that could have rescued someone from a major heartbreak. What other tips would you provide to a budding apparel designer? We hope this information is useful to someone.
Please forward this article to your entrepreneur friends. Especially those considering a career in the fashion industry. Perhaps someone is in desperate need before making a poor choice.
