Launching your own clothing line?
I’m sure at some point in our lives most if not all of us have had a dream. Maybe you’ve dreamt of being an astronaut, an engineer, the prime minister or maybe just launching your own business. We’re in a world full of opportunities, so why not make that dream a reality? Today, fashion has become even more diverse; people are more comfortable to express themselves through fashion and to own their style. So why not launch your own clothing line? Here are some useful tips for launching your own clothing line.
Find Your Niche
A niche is a segment of the market that you will focus on or a particular segment of the market that is not being addressed. To identify this, you will first need to know what you are passionate about; the more passionate you are about something the moreenergy you will put in to make it a success. Ask yourself these questions what type of fashion are you most enthused about? Maybe you are passionate about printed apparel, matching outfits, fitness apparel or custom-made garments. Be sure it’s something that you can add value to! Once you have found what you are passionate about you will have to find out if there is a demand for it. Without a demand for your product, you cannot make sustainable profits from it. To evaluate the demand, you will need to do some research which is the next point that we will address.
Do Some Research!
It is very important before launching any business to do some research. Entering a market without adequate research is like throwing a bird into the ocean expecting it to swim when it is genetically wired to fly. You want to make sure that your business can soar in that particular market segment. Doing research allows you to know what to expect upon entering the market for clothing. Through research you will be able to identify potential consumers, their needs and demand. You will be able to identify your competitors and gather information about them. You can find out the number of businesses you will be competing against? You can find answers to the following questions: What clothing line/s is currently doing well in the market? What are customers currently saying about your competitor’s goods? You will be able to identify current market prices. Research will help you to make the decision on the design and location of your business; you can decide whether to have an online clothing business, or a physical structure by researching the pros and cons of each. Some useful tools that you could use in your market research, include, surveys, in depth interviews, the internet, overt and covert observation, among other tools.
Differentiate
Once you have done your research and you have identified your competitors, customers, etc. you will need to differentiate. You want to stand out from your competitors and to do that you will need to offer something unique, something that your competitors are lacking in. Maybe your competitor produces cheaper apparel but lacks in quality; in this case you can differentiate by producing higher quality apparel, perhaps with thicker and more lasting fabric. You can also offer a more bold and graphic design than that of your competitors or offer more variations in your product.
Find a Reliable Supplier
You will have to find out how many potential suppliers you have to choose from. Make sure to explore all options, including foreign materials for import. Chances are the more there are the more likely for you to find a cost-effective supplier. You will need to have a reliable source for your raw materials such for example, fabric, or if you are launching a line of printed apparel then you will need a source for plain T-shirts or pants. If you are interested in printed apparel you may want to find a reliable printing company such as rgbproprints to print your designs.
Advertise
Once you have found your niche, done your research, differentiate and found a supplier then you will need to advertise your product. One major, cost effective way to advertise your product is through social media. In this day and age people are almost always on their phones scrolling through social media. I would suggest launching a business page on as much social media platforms as possible. Share your business pages; get friends and family to share. There are also popular vloggers who you can pay to advertise your products for you. Radio advertisement is another option, get an attention grabbing advertisement to air on popular radio stations such as Irie FM, preferably times when most people are tuned in.
Customer Service
It is important for business to deliver good customer service, and you do this by going above and beyond to ensure that your customer’s needs are met. Studies have shown that there is a direct link between customer satisfaction and profit. If you really think about it, if you don’t have customers then you cannot earn from your business. If your customers are dissatisfied, it’s highly unlikely that they will return to do business with you. Dissatisfied customers may give bad reviews about your business or discourage other customers from doing business with you. On the other hand if, customers are satisfied, they are likely to return for business, customers may even recommend your business to others and become brand ambassadors. Good customer service consists of but is not limited to; providing fast, efficient and reliable service, deal with customer complaints quickly and provide reasonable solutions and go the extra mile for your customers. You can never go wrong with good customer service.
Lastly, in the 21st century it is important that you keep up-to-date of changes, adapt to them and be innovative. Reach for the stars; go confidently in the directions of your dreams. If you are considering launching your own clothing line or just about any business, consider these useful tips and apply it to your business. I leave you with this quote by Henry David Thoreau: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined.” Best of luck!
