Why being sustainable is good for your fashion business

In case you're new to the blog, I'll preface this post with the fact that I'm passionate about sustainability + have been for over 20 years. I've been delighted to see huge changes in consumer perception of what ethical + sustainable trade means + many have vowed to live differently over the last few years. But I also understand that some people simply don't care. I'm not one to preach, but I do like to put my 'business head on', so to speak + educate on this topic from a business perspective. This post doesn't aim to change your personal views, but shows how sustainability can help your business, whether you believe in it or not. 

Why now?

This is certainly a post that's been in the pipeline for a while,  but it feels particularly poignant right now. For one, it's my first post of 2018 + for many people that means reassessing their lives and/or businesses + there's positive changes that you can make quickly + easily, to set off on the right foot. Also, if you're in England, you'll have noticed some major new initiatives + laws coming into play, which aim to help the environment. Finally, I'm aware that there's going to be a huge amount of fashion startups launching this year + it's always great if you can start as you mean to go on, rather than having to frantically adjust later (more on this in a minute).

When I speak about benefits of having a sustainable business model, I'm sure the first thing that came to mind is 'marketing', however, I only partially believe that to be true. Yes, of course if you use sustainable fabrics for instance, you can use this in your advertising, but if you are someone who doesn't believe in sustainability, a word of caution. Sustainable shoppers are savvy + will likely see through any vague attempts at being sustainable if you haven't committed to it. Also, there's a growing number of consumers who are fed up with terms like 'eco-friendly' being used as marketing buzz words with little meaning. Steer clear of any attempts to market something as sustainable if it isn't - not only will you annoy consumers, but it's also illegal, meaning you could face hefty fines + with fines comes bad press. To avoid this, make sure that you can back up any claims (for instance, if you buy sustainable fabric this usually comes with documentation stating the details) + also explain what specifically is eco-friendly about your operation, the more information the better. If done correctly, advertising the sustainable aspect of your business can be very beneficial.

What other reasons are there for operating a sustainable business model?

Staying relevant

Not only are there an increasing number of shoppers searching for sustainable products, but a lot of retailers + media outlets are wanting to showcase their concern for the environment. With so much competition for buyers cash + the media's column inches, it pays to stay relevant to give your stockists an extra selling point + make your pitches interesting. The media are inundated with emails from designers trying to get some publicity. If you want to pitch to any form of media, including social media influencers, you need to have a story, something that their readers and/or followers will find interesting (more detail on this at the end of the post). Simply saying, 'look at my website, I have a great range of clothes' simply won't cut it these days. By staying relevant to not only fashion trends, but also consumer + world trends, you open up more opportunities to be featured + more ways for your range to be purcahsed. 

Keep ahead of the market/law

If you're in the UK, you might have seen a lot in the press about environmental concerns, including the ban on microbeads + changes to regulations on the use of plastic bags. With many more changes imminent, it pays to be ahead when it comes to environmental policy. Let's take the cosmetics industry + the use of microbeads for an example. Some brands decided to stop using microbeads a long time ago, they cause a lot of damage to the environment + even to humans, particularly as increasing numbers of us are inadvertently eating plastic (because it's in the water, the fish eat it + we eat the fish). Those companies didn't have to worry about the new legislation, as they already banned microbeads themselves. But what about the other retailers, the ones who continued to use microbeads, despite the advice? They'll now be scrambling to find a new supply chain who will be able to produce their products at a similar price + quality, without the use of microbeads. Finding a supplier is hard at any time, but especially when there is time pressure to be legally compliant + when there's such a huge demand for a product, because everyone is making the same change as you. There's going to be real pressure to make the changes before the law comes into action, otherwise they'll have to discontinue the product + loose the sales to another company. Would you rather be the company who is sitting pretty, or the one who is scrambling about trying to find a solution?

Reduce costs

It's common sense that using less creates less waste + also that using less means less cost, so think about what can you cut out of your business. What is unnecessary? For instance, do you send orders out with several kinds of packaging, such as, tissue paper, a poly bag and an envelope? Or do you print things off needlessly? Perhaps you throw away old samples, rather than sell them in a seconds sale? Reducing the amount of 'things' you use in your business reduces the amount you're spending + the amount of waste, so have a think about what you can cut back on. 

You can also look at making some small investments that are better in the long run. For example, if you keep buying cheap hangers that break, perhaps you should be investing in a better quality that you can keep for longer - you'll save money in the long run + reduce the amount of waste. Reusable things can also save money longer term, such as using a whiteboard for notes rather than paper boards, or taking your ipad to meetings rather than printing all of the sales figures off. 

I find that a lot of businesses can sometimes see all business expenses as a necessity + don't have the same guilt about making rash purchases in the same way they would their own money. Remember that the more you spend the less you can pay yourself! Make sure you consider what you're spending + avoid needless purchases, or those that are only a short term solution. 

More press opportunities

Let's face it, the inbox of anyone in the media must be overflowing. I get over 100 emails a day, so I dread to think what your average social media influence is getting. As I mentioned earlier, by giving your brand real values + a story, as well as 'just' making nice clothes, you're much more likely to get noticed. People are busy + rather than having to go to the effort of finding your website, clicking around + spending time to see if they *might* like it + *might* be able to write an article on it is often too much. Instead, by presenting your brand in a few lines of an email, in an exciting + engaging way, you increase your chances of getting featured, because you're saving the influencer/editor time. They know you have a great story, because you've already told them about it. A great brand doesn't have to be sustainable (at least, not yet), but, if you're able to show your innovation in creating a sustainable product, or how your business gives back, this is not only something interesting, but also something that people support + want to learn more about + get behind. Of course, this isn't a reason to be sustainable (you have to want to make it work), but if you are working in that way, it's certianly something that you can use to sharpen up your pitch.  

Opens up new sales opportunities

There's an increasing number of both consumers + retail buyers who won't even consider a purchase unless it has sustainable and/or ethical origins. The mentality that 'why buy something that harms people and/or the environment, when you can buy something equally appealing, that doesn't' is growing quickly. Why make your brand be immediately discounted from search results and consumer considerations, because you chose to use a cotton vs an organic cotton, or a polyester, rather than a recycled polyester, to name just a couple?

I hope this post has opened your mind to the possibility of sustainability as a profitable business - it's no longer something that's just for hippies!  Hopefully, it's got you thinking about what you can do to make your fashion label more ethical and/or sustainable. If you’re interested in launching a sustainable fashion brand, click here to register for my free masterclass on launching your brand.

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

Basics 101: Fit Sessions - feature on The Fashion Conversation

The third part in my series for The Fashion Conversation is live now! In case you missed it, I'm collaborating with the blog to create articles aimed at helping aspiring designers to make it in the fashion industry. The first post was entitled; 'Basics 101: Where To Start When Building A Fashion Brand' + I shared 5 steps that will take your business from daydream to reality. You can read the full post on The Fashion Conversation website, here. Next, we talked about technical drawings; you can learn all about them in this post. 

The third part of the instalment covers what fit sessions are, why you need them + what to do. You can read the full post on The Fashion Conversation website, here. If you want to learn more about how to have a successful fit session, there's more in depth info + a free checklist, here.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, or any ideas you have for future blog posts. Feel free to leave a comment below, or send me a message here. 

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

How to grow your fashion brand in 2018

Christmas and New Year is almost upon us! For a lot of people the New Year is a time to look back on the previous year + make plans for the new one. If you want to grow your fashion business next year, there's some things you need to review before you can make a plan to move forward. This post covers the steps you can take to prepare for 2018. If you've not got a business yet + want to start one next year, there's a similar post that's tailored to startups which you can read by clicking here.

Review

In order to move forward, you need to look back, see what's worked, what didn't (+ why) + what you could improve on. You should have some sort of tracking system, where you can compare information + review. Or, if you're like me, you'll have many systems in place that allow you to review data. If you don't, start something immediately! Data tracking doesn't have to be fancy, but many websites offer advanced analytics to help with online traffic + information about your customers. If your platform doesn't have this, Google Analytics is a free + powerful tool you could use. You should of course have information on sales + as well as tracking the product + value, you should add extra information such as customer location, referral, how much they've bought from you, etc. I do this in Excel. The other thing I do is keep track of any feedback I've received from customers, good or bad. This stuff is gold! Again, I use a simple Excel sheet to keep track of these. So, what should you look for in the data?

• Patterns in sales, for example, identify which styles, colours + sizes were most popular. Dig deeper here, don't take numbers at face value, what I mean is understand any factors that may have contributed to the results. For instance, if usually your bestselling size is a Large, but there's a particular style that sold best in size S, look into why this is. Could it be that the style wasn't fitted properly so that people had to go down a size, or perhaps that style isn't as flattering on a fuller figure.

• Requests for similar things. You do have to take customer feedback with a pinch of salt, as you can't always please everyone, but if you notice patterns in feedback that you receive from customers this is definittely something worth looking at in depth. For example, do you get requests for different lengths, sizes, colours? Or when customers return items, what reason do they give is there a problem with the fit, quality, colour?

• A really important part of any product based business + growing the profitability, is increasing your average transaction value (ATV)  + average transaction units (ATU). ATV is how much each customer spends on average. The higher the better, of course. ATU is how many items a customer buys from you in one purchase. If typically a customer is only buying one thing from you, you need to look at ways to increase this, usually by offering add on products. Does your product offering compliment each other as an outfit? Do you offer extra items, for instance a necklace to go with your top, or scarf to go with your coat? If not, chances are you're missing out on sales. 

Range planning

Next, when you've got useful data to use, you need to use this to improve your next range, even if you've already started sampling. Of course, there's not as much you can change if you've already started the sample stage without additional cost + most likely a delay, but you can still make changes to colours, the size range that you order + there's usually time to add accessories as these are a shorter lead time (less development + production time).

So how can you use data to improve the range?

• Make adjustments as nessarsay to your size break (how many units of each style to order). If you're not familiar on size breaks there's a full blog post on that here. 

• Check the colour balance, are you giving customers the right amount of colour vs the bestselling options (usually black, white + grey)? Do you need to consider offering the same style in several options? Could you make an item reversible, so you can offer 2 colours in one garment?

• Check over the fit of your garments if you've had lots of returns of a particular style, or if you've received any negative feedback on this. It's really important to make sure the fit is consistent across the range, especially if you sell online. 

• For the most popular styles, can you update them for the new collection? Perhaps if a Summer sleeveless top did well, you can add sleeves for the Winter range? Or could you offer the bestseller in a new season colour? If you don't want to do something so literal, think about what it is about the item customers liked. Was it the fabric, the details, fit, shape? How can you replicate this in a new item?

• Also look at the ratio of garments that you sold, for instance, how many tops vs bottoms, how many skirts vs trousers, etc. This will help you to grow your range + reduce the risk by increasing the number of items in areas that are selling well. Also consider how much people were spending + whether you're offering enough options at low, medium + high price points, whatever that may be for your brand.

The key here is using the data to make better decisions going forward. If you're growing your business from last year, this comes with increased risk + cost to produce more styles. By carefully going over data you can minimise the risk by creating a range that builds on your previous sucess + learns from things that didn't go so well. 

House keeping

I get it, life gets busy + standards slide. I'm guilty of this too. Take some time before the new year to do some tidying on your website, social media presence + behind the scenes. It'll set you up in good stead for the next year. What can you do exactly;

• Audit your website from a customer perspective; make sure all of the links work, make sense + are relevant. Do you need to update any information, or perhaps add new features - for instance, have you considered things like currency conversion, a loyalty programme or refer a friend capabilities? 

• Audit your website from a business point of view. Is your most exciting + relevant content/product in a prominent place? Are you trying to increase your ATV + ATU by encouraging add on sales? What about gaining follows to market to in the future, do you have social media links + an email list sign up form?

• As we spoke about, data is really important to have. So take the time to make sure that you're making systems that make it easy for you to log information. Set yourself up with Excel sheets if you don't have them already + reconsider your returns form. Checkboxes are a good way to get information on why someone returned something, as it's quick + easy to complete. Always leave space for additional comments too, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to give you feedback. 

• If you find yourself replying to the same emails all the time, is there a way you can answer this within your product descriptions, or terms + conditions? If not, could you create draft emails so that you can copy + paste a lot of the information, only having to customise some parts depending on the customer?

• This is also a good time to look into your supply chain, is it really working for you, or have you just been using it because it's too much hassle to move? Or you don't know where to start looking for an alternative. Also consider the processes you're using. Do you spend hours trawling though emails looking for information, or is everything easily organised in Excel sheets? Are your samples shoved in a draw, or organised on a rail? What can you do to make life easier + faster?

I hope this post has given you some insight into ways of building your business next year! I've covered some advanced topics here + you may be wondering how to implement them in your business. If you're considering getting 1-1 help, I offer a service that allows you to have your current range + ideas for expansion looked into by an industry professional. The consulting session included then gives you opportunities to ask questions + learn more about what you can do to grow your business + steps you can take to achieve success. For more info on this you can click here, or alternatively you can message me with any questions here. 

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

How to prepare to start a fashion business in 2018

Christmas and New Year is almost upon us! For a lot of people the New Year is a time to look back on the previous year + make plans for the new one. If you've been considering starting a fashion label + want to make 2018 your year, here's some tips so that you can hit the ground running in January. If you already have a business, this post will help those of you with an established brand to prepare your company for 2018. 

Decisions

As with any new business, preparation is key + as the fashion industry is particularly difficult to succeed in, you'll want to make sure you've got a solid strategy from the start. Here's some tips for what to consider + decide upon before you start your business, so that you can plan accordingly; 

• You need to ask yourself what type of business you want to create, for instance, will you sell online direct to the public, or will you wholesale to boutiques? Are your products high end designer fashion, do they serve a specific need or purpose, or do you want to appeal to the masses?

• There's lots of different ways to start a business + you need to pick one that will work for both your business aims + situation. For instance, if your fashion brand is a side business + you'll still be working at another job, you'll need to choose an approach that is suitable for someone with a limited amount of time. Therefore, your range is likely to be much smaller + take longer to produce than someone who is committing to the business full time. 

• When you've got an idea about what you want to achieve, you'll need to consider your target customer - one of the most important things when setting up a business. There's a lot to cover here, so I've written a full blog post to help you, which you can read by clicking here. 

Planning

Next, when you know what you want to achieve with your business, you'll need to plan to make it happen - successful businesses don't happen by accident!

• Time planning - Many entrepreneurs I work with are surprised to learn that it often takes around 6 months to get a product from initial idea through the manufacture process + ready for sale - even longer for more complicated products, or if you're working part time. Making sure you're aware of each of the steps is really important + asking the right questions to make sure you understand the time frame. I always add on a 'buffer' of 2-4 weeks to allow for any unforeseen circumstances - it's better for the stock to arrive too early rather than too late! If you're not sure where to start with this, my 'Quick Start Guide to Planning + Producing a Fashion Range' may be of interest, which you can learn more about by clicking here. 

• Budgeting - a lot of people will tell you that you have to have thousands in order to run a successful fashion business, but that's not always true. You can start with a much smaller budget, but you need to plan even more efficiently + put in more time + effort yourself. If you are wanting to work with a smaller budget, you might be interested to read about how I started my fashion business with just £150. It includes tips on how you can do the same + you can read the full post by clicking here. 

Visits

As you're probably aware, travel is considerably cheaper if you book in advance. Therefore, it pays to organise any travel as early as you can to minimise the cost, which is especially important for businesses that are on a budget. So where might you want to travel to for your startup?

• Trade shows are a really important part of running a business + as they are usually only every 6 months, you need to plan ahead to make sure that you don't miss an important event. There's a huge amount of different shows that you can attend; there's a variety of locations + some fairs are tailored to fabrics, some for manufacturing + others for wholesale buyers (where you might want to sell your collection). Start researching events as soon as you can to make sure that you go to the one that's most relevant to your business. 

• Seminars - many trade shows have great seminars,  but there's also independent ones of varying scale. For instance, you might want to go to a presentation on trends, or if your interested in things like sustainability or textile technology, there's events on for that as well.

• Networking events - throughout the year there's a lot of large + small netweorking events happening within the industry + it's always good to go to some if you can. Not only for the opportunity to make contacts, but also to keep your finger on the pulse + keep up to date with what's happening in the industry. 

Tip - for any events that you go to, do research in advance. For trade shows, as they are usually huge it's a good idea to map out who you want to see prior to the visit. For semiars + networking events, try to learn about any speakers or important guests so that you don't embarass yourself by asking who they are. Also be prepared to make a good impression, so try to have some background knowledge on the topic being discussed. 

Research

There's a lot of things that you'll need to source for your business + although at this stage you won't know what you need exactly, it is worth starting to do your research as early as possible. It can take a long time to source the perfect fabric, or the ideal manufacturing partner, so if you start making enquires early, you'll have some people to reach out to when you're ready with your designs. Examples of what you may need to source are;

• Fabrics

• Trims, such as buttons, zips, thread

• Manufacturing partner

• Packaging/label supplier

• Courier company, for the sample process, receiving the main order + sending orders to customers

• Hangers + signage if you're planning to have a store or pop up

• Business cards/advertising fliers/posters/etc

If you're new to the industry I'd also take the opportunity to learn as much as you can about the process. Key things to learn about are fabrics, the sample process + clothing construction/manufacture. 

Just start!

If you're really serious about having a fashion brand in 2018, the most important advice I can give you is 'just start'! So many people never start their label for fear of failure, or because they feel they lack direction. If you've started with the steps above you're already well on your way to starting your business + most importantly, you've taken the leap + not given in to procrastinating! If you're new to the industry, there's a lot to learn, but you won't do it by not making a start. There's lot of free help on the blog + you can always reach out to me in the comments, or via social media. 

Have a wonderful New Year + I'm looking forward to seeing some exciting new fashion businesses popping up! 

Basics 101: Technical Drawings - feature on The Fashion Conversation

I'm excited to announce that the second part in my series for The Fashion Conversation is live now! In case you missed it, I'm collaborating with the blog to create articles aimed at helping aspiring designers to make it in the fashion industry. The first post was entitled; 'Basics 101: Where To Start When Building A Fashion Brand' + I shared 5 steps that will take your business from daydream to reality. You can read the full post on The Fashion Conversation website, here.

The new post focuses on one of the most important steps; technical drawings + taking your idea + presenting it in a way that garment technicians (the people who bridge the gap between designers and factories, such as myself) can understand. Keen to learn more? You can read all of my tips by clicking here. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, or any ideas you have for future blog posts. Feel free to leave a comment below, or send me a message here. 

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

Costs to consider when starting a fashion business

I often get asked what the ideal budget is for starting a new brand and truth is, there's no such thing as 'ideals' in this industry! Unless you've got millions, there's always things that you will have to compromise on, especially at the start and the best way to decide what you need to invest in is by looking at your business plan. Don’t have a business plan yet? It doesn’t need to be fancy, but to stand a chance of success in my professional opinion, you at least need to know what kind of business model you’ll use. Need help with that? Click here to learn about my Fashion Startup Course.

This post covers some of the costs assosiated with starting a fashion business. The list is long, but don't panic! It's unlikely that you'll need all of these things for your particular plan and chances are you'll be able to do some of the work yourself - I just wanted to make sure that I cover a lot of bases and include things that a lot of startup and small businesses don't think of. Also keep in mind that you don't have to spend a huge amount on a lot of these things, for example a website. Some people charge £10k+ for a website, but if you're happy to put some effort in you can create a website for as little as £18 a month, like me.

Day-to-day expenses

These aren't necessarily things that you pay for often, perhaps even just once a year, but these are items that contribute to the day to day running of your business; 

• Phone

• Internet

• Computer

• Software (such as Excel, Word, Canva), etc.

• Electricity (obvious but a lot of people forget about it!

• Car/ fuel/ transport

• Insurance - super, super important.

• Legal fees - definitely not a regular expense, but something you’ll definitely need before you launch. If you don’t have a lawyer right now, I’ve partnered with Natalie Puglisi as she has a lot of great templates and services to help business owners. Click here for my affiliate link and see what Natalie has to offer.

• Accountant

• Books/ education/ information/ consulting help

Product expenses

These expenses all contribute to the cost price of your garments + include the components you need to make a finished product for sale;

• Trend reports

• Visiting events/ trade shows/ seminars/ suppliers

• Designs (more on that here)

• Technical drawings (read about those here)

• Tech packs (article on what they are and why you need them here)

• Patterns (you might not need these if you work with a factory, they may include them in the production price)

• Samples (as with the patterns, these may be included in the production price)

• Fit model

• Production cost - labour

• Fabrics

• Dying/printing

• Trims, eg thread, ribbon, elastic, buttons, zips, clasps, etc

• Labels, eg woven labels, size pips, card labels possibly with ribbon, kimbles or pins, barcodes

• Hygiene stickers if producing swimwear or lingerie

• Packaging, including poly bags, garment bags, hangers, shipping boxes

• Transport from the place of manufacture to you

• Taxes + customs fees may be applicable if the stock is made in another country

• Quality control inspections

• Stock preparation, eg steaming, scanning in, distributing

• Warehousing if you are using a company to store your stock and send out orders

Marketing and Sales expenses

Marketing is one area where you could literally spend limitlessly, but if you're a small business keep in mind that some of the best marketing methods, such as PR (getting featured in magazines/on websites) and social media can be done for free, you just need to put some effort in!

• Learn how to market your brand free in this course

• Branding design

• Website

• Business cards/ flyers/ promotional leaflets

• Social media scheduler

• Advertising, such as Facebook, in magazines, on blogs, influencer marketing, etc

• Photography

• Model

• Hair/make up artist

• Lookbook

• Events such as press launch, pop-up shop, fashion show

• Travel to sales meetings

• Line sheet

As I said, I know this is a long list but please don't feel disheartened, there's a good chance that you don't need all of these things and I'm sure that you can do some of them yourself, without having to hire outside help. The reality is that I’ve had some successful clients launch a brand with $40,000 and other successful clients had less than $1000 to invest - you can make either budget work, you’ve just got to be intentional about where you’re spending.

If you'd like some help identifying which expenses you need to budget for and which aren't so important for your brand, I'd love to help you with this. My signature Fashion Startup Online Course helps you to avoid the common pitfalls that new brands fall into, helping you to save time and money in the process. Click here to learn more.

PS - wondering what an affiliate link is? This may mean that I’ll earn a commission if you decide to buy something, but this is at no extra cost to you and it helps me to keep providing free content like this. Rest assured, I only partner with companies who I truly believe can help you!

Factory sourcing for fashion manufacture course - how to find a production partner

If you saw my blog post on Friday about factory sourcing, you'll know that it's a tricky subject + just because one factory was great for someone else, it doesn't mean they'll be great for you (you can read that post here if you missed it). You may remember that I mentioned I offer services to help clients, usually who are new to the industry, find factories. There's a few options to suit different needs + budgets + I can help with some training + guidance on approaching factories yourself, I can find some suitable options for you, or I can provide a mix of both. 

Unlike other companies offering factory finding services, I don't take any royalties or expect anything else from you. Other companies usually get money from the factory (which means their information can be biased), or they don't give you the factory name + you're required to place all orders through them (which means you pay up to 20% commission on everything you make, essentially forever which can cost thousands, as you are never given the factory details). I don't receive any commission from anyone, so I'm able to be impartial + make an unbiased analysis of the pro's + cons. You're also free to work with the factories however you choose, I give you all of the contact details so I don't have to be involved at all. 

All of my packages include consulting time, so that you can get all of the information you need + you also have the opportunity ask any questions you'd like to have answered by an industry professional. I work with clients worldwide + am able to arrange a call time that works for you + your time zone. I can call any phone, so you don't need to have Skype or any special equipment or software, just a phone!

Service #1 Help you to approach + work with a factory

This option is best for those on a limited budget, as it is the lowest price + gives you the knowledge to go out + approach factories on your own. It includes consulting time in which I provide training on where to start looking for factories, the best way to get in touch with them + things to ask. We'll also cover things to look out for, that might be an indication that the factory isn't a good option, as well as how to respond when you get a positive reply from a manufacturer. The call is tailored to your situation, so you'll receive personalised information. 

After the consulting session, you'll also receive notes from the call, so you don't have to worry about making your own. I'll also include any links and/or resources that will be relevant to your situation. As well as the notes, I'll also send you a copy of my simple Excel template, which helps you to track responses + compare your options.

You can learn more about this service here. 

Service #2 Help you to approach + work with a factory (extended)

The extended version includes everything in #1 + some extras. This is for people who would like a little more support with supplier sourcing. After we've had our first session, clients go + research factory options, based on the training they received from me. When they receive replies from suppliers, they send them on to me for review. I can review up to 5 factory options for you. When this is complete, we can have another consulting session to discuss the options, the pro's, con's + further questions that need to be asked (if applicable), or next steps to take. 

You can learn more about this service here. 

Service #3 Factory information + sourcing help

#3 is a separate option to #1 + #2 + is best either for those wanting the most help, or those who don't have much time. Finding a factory does require a lot of searching, emails backwards + forwards + often patience. Many of my clients are working on their fashion business part time + have other commitments such as jobs + a family + simply don't have the time to be chasing factories. This package includes consulting time to go over your needs + what you're looking for in a supplier. I then go + start looking for + emailing suppliers. As I'm dependent on how quickly the supplier can get back to me, this usually takes a few weeks, but I keep clients up to date with progress. I put my findings in an easy to use Excel file, so you can easily compare the options, but we'll also discuss the pros + cons of each. You'll also get notes following the call so you can go over the information at your leisure. This service gives you all the information that you need to make an informed decision about which supplier option is best for you. As I mentioned in my previous post, as a lot of the success of a supplier partnership is down to the relationship you build, I provide information for you to make a decision with, rather than tell you which one to go for as I believe this leads to better results. 

You can learn more about this option, here. 

I hope this has helped you with some info about how I might be able to help you. If you're not quite sure which service is best for you, or if you're not sure if I'm the right fit for you, I'd be happy to answer any questions you have in a free call. You can book a 'free 15min enquiry call' via the link below + I'll phone you at your preferred time;

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

Sourcing manufacturers for fashion; why there isn't one factory to fit all

I get lots of emails from people, some who I've done a bit of work for, others that I've never worked with, asking me to recommend a factory. The truth is, there's so much that goes into selecting a factory that it's not possible to just give out a factory name that you can confidently recommend to anyone. There's so many things that you need to know before starting to look at factories, the most important ones being how much you want to pay (please don't talk to a factory without knowing your target cost price (knowing but not telling them), it will not end well!), how many items you will make and garment specifics (tech packs). From there, you can start to approach + shortlist potential manufacturing partners. There's not usually one perfect option, especially if you're a small business, so it's then a case of deciding what you're willing to negotiate on, it might be the level of detail, price, number of colours, etc. Personality + the relationship you build also plays a crucial part in the success of the partnership. This is why, when clients work with me for manufacturing + sourcing help I give information about the pros + cons of factories I talk about, rather than my personal preference. People have different ways of working + some types of communication work best for some, but not others.

To explain what I mean further, I'm sharing some real life examples with you. For the privacy of the people/labels involved, I've changed their names, but the situations are actual events that I've witnessed during my time in the industry. These show how although a supplier may be great for one person, they might not be for others. 

Scenario #1 

A few years back I worked at the head office of a Womenswear retailer. As a buyer, one of my jobs was to organise the manufacture of our labels, which included card hangtags with our branding + barcodes + woven labels with the size on. The company had been working for the same supplier for years + I'd been dealing with them for 3. We built up a great relationship + even though ours was a fairly small brand, I got super fast help, great quality + competitive pricing. They were happy to do me favours at short notice + do all sampling for free. On the personal side, even though we never met in person, we got to know each other really well, with the supplier even sharing amazing photos of Chinese New Year + other events they attended with their family. All sounds great, right? Someone worth recommending? Well, when I left the company, my replacement Karen worked very differently to me. Karen didn't make the time for niceties + didn't take a collaborative approach (which for me, was one of the best things about this particular supplier). She made demands, she didn't take the time to understand what the factory capabilities were, or what the staff did exactly. This approach had done really well for her at other brands, where the suppliers expected blunt, direct information, but this didn't suit the label supplier. I still keep in touch with colleagues at this company + unfortunately, after a few label related disasters (yes, they really exist. Especially when the black label dye runs on white shirts), the companies parted ways. Karen then found a new label supplier that suited her style of business + has been much happier with their performance.

Scenario #2

When I was working with a high end designer we were struggling to find a new manufacturer at short notice, after the one we had been using closed down. Fortunately (or so it seemed) my boss was friends with a lot of people at other labels, who were happy to share information with her (very rare in the fashion industry, but they had been friends for 20+ years). They recommended a factory to us, that had been doing really well for them + had been manufacturing similar products to us. We immediately ordered a few styles from them + development was going well, but then after the final order was confirmed things really slowed down. Their communication became bad + the timeline was way behind. How could a factory that did so well for one company be bad for another? In this instance, it came down to order size. The other label was ordering lots of styles at 1000+, whereas we only had a few styles + ordered around 300 units. We hadn't built enough of a relationship with the factory to become a priority + our small orders made us insignificant compared to other customers. 

This can happen a lot with small labels in particular + you have to work extra hard to build the relationship + show the factory you are serious. If you're able to do this, the factory can see that there's potential for more orders + will spend the time on you + your products. If you're not putting in effort, or not giving information the factory needs, they won't take you seriously + therefore won't make you a priority, which can lead to poor quality + delays. 

Scenario #3

Coincidentally, I have several clients using the same factory at the moment. Surprising really, as the clients had already selected a factory before they worked with me + given how many suppliers there are in the world, it's amazing they all chose the same one! One client, let's call her Caroline, is getting amazing results from this factory. After a lot of backwards + forwards at the start to iron out all of the details + make sure everyone is on the same page, sampling + production has gone smoothly - the quality has been good + delivery is on time. Meanwhile another client, for this, we will call her Julie, has been waiting months for samples. Julie was excited to get started + didn't take the time to outline her expectations from the beginning, so since I've been working with her we've had to go back + look at things like acceptable quality + delivery timelines. Because Caroline worked these things out at the start, the factory knew what they needed to do + when to do it. Meanwhile they were confused about what Julie wanted + when she needed it, so other clients got ahead of her in the production queue. This can often happen if you're unclear about your deadlines; factories will prioritise clients who have a clear delivery date + are following up on samples. If you have a relaxed approach, you would be waiting a long time for samples. 

If you want to learn more about working with factories, I have a free Masterclass, ‘How to Get your Fashion Ideas Produced, without wasting your time and money’. You can click below to register free!

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

How I started my fashion business with a tiny budget | Start a fashion brand on a small budget

Over the years, many people have asked me how to start a fashion business with no money. There's several things that set me apart from other fashion business consultants, one of which is the theory behind your budget. You've probably heard people say that you need £20k to start a fashion business and the truth is, you really don't have to spend tens of thousands. How can I be so sure? Because I didn't. Sure, I didn't experience massive sales at the start, or overnight success, but I did create a business that could eventually support me full time, with happy customers and stockists worldwide. And I achieved it with just £150 (around $190US) from my part time job.

Now, at this point you're probably thinking, 'but you have a fashion industry background, so you could probably do loads of it yourself without spending any money' and while yes, that is true, there's still ways to make a start with a minimal budget and no experience. I’ve had clients who have been able to launch for hundreds, not thousands. Also, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Yes, I could make samples myself, but I didn't know the first thing about social media strategy or writing product descriptions when I started out, which many others can do themselves easily. This post explores some of the ways you can make a start on your business without having a lot of money in the bank.

Want a step-by-step guide to starting your fashion brand from scratch with a small budget? Register free for my ebook here;

How I started my business and how you can too

If you're on a small budget, your strategy is of course very different to those with more cash. Any ideas of factory production, glossy lookbooks or fashion shows have to go on hold for now. By starting small, you can minimise the financial risk (which is of course great), but do keep in mind that it will require a lot more effort on your part (and starting a business is already hard) and progress will be much slower in general, so don't have any ideas of quitting your day job anytime soon. 

Here's some of the methods that I used to start my fashion business with very little cash, which you can use too;

• Use my signature VSP Launch model (Validate - Sell - Produce, so you don't have to buy stock in advance)

• Learn as much as you can, particularly about free types of advertising (including social media), website building and sewing/fabrics - there's a lot you can learn on my website for free. There’s even a free ebook on starting a brand on a budget which you can get here.

• Don't be tempted to spend a fortune on a website, fancy computer or software, to begin with you can get by with the basics if you have to

• Start small, with a limited number of options; I started with 2 styles

• Enlist the help of willing friends and family; more often than not they want to see you succeed and are more than happy to help. For example, I borrowed a camera from my Dad (in the days when camera phones were awful - nowadays a smartphone can do the job and chances are you have one already!), a friend helped me with writing descriptions (not my strong suit) and a group of friends helped me to refine design ideas.

• Collaborate, this one was especially helpful; I worked with other people who also wanted to start a business and had a similar style to me, but a different offering. For example, I worked with models, photographers and make up artists - we all worked for free, but in exchange were getting professional quality work (I provided the products for the photoshoot) that we could use on our social media and websites. Also, we linked to each other online, to get exposure to a new audience, that had similar interests to our businesses.

The importance of planning

As with all types of business, planning is key and in this case it's especially important to make sure you know where you want to take the business and what you want to achieve so that you don't waste money on things that aren't essential. We’re starting a fashion brand on a budget, remember, so we need to make every penny count!

It'll also help you to reinvest wisely, so that you can grow your business effectively. Key things you'll want to decide on in advance are; 

• How do I want to grow my brand? For example, will you spend your time growing your Instagram following, working on getting press features, maybe you want to get your products into boutiques?

• Do I want to have exclusive designs, or would I be happy customising existing styles with my own prints (this is an especially good option for anyone wanting to start with t-shirts, sweatshirts, activewear and other casual products, but it can work for other products too - learn about this method in my free ebook)

• Do you specifically want to start with clothing? Accessories can often be a much easier way of starting, as you don't have to consider the fit and one size fits all in many cases, so you don't have to worry about picking a size range. The number of returns are often less as well, because people won't return due to the item not fitting, or not suiting them.

• I recommend being specific with your offering to any startup, but especially to ones with a limited budget. Don't try to offer lots of options on everything, as you'll need at the very least a photography sample made for everything and the more items you have, the more you’ll need.

Scaling up

When you've made your first few sales, you can then look at reinvesting the money you've made on that. Ideally, if you're able to support yourself with a full or part time job, it's best to invest most of the money you make, so that you can speed up your growth (keep some in the bank for any unexpected expenses though). Listening to customer feedback is really important and this can cover everything from actual comments that you've received, but also things like social media comments or, the most important one of all, the sales data. Look at what your most popular size, colour, style, etc have been and use this when making choices for new products. 

I hope this post has been able to reassure you that anyone can start a fashion label, no matter what your budget is, as long as you're willing to put in the work! If you found this helpful, make sure that you get my free ebook on starting a fashion business from scratch, even with a tiny budget and in just 2 weeks, which has even more tips for success;

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

Why it's Important to Know Your Target Audience - Feature on the Biz and Bubbly Blog

Last week I was delighted to announce that I'd been featured on Biz + Bubbly, a wonderful resource for female entrepreneurs with great tips on growing your business. It's particularly helpful for understanding aspects of marketing, such as social media, SEO + EDMs. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll also know that I did a stories takeover + did a video feed about the topic of the blog post I'd written - 'Why it's Important to Know Your Target Audience'. I'm not going to lie, I found the video rather terrifying as it's something I rarely do, but as I got into it, it was fun + an easy way to share information.  

If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I really value the importance of the customer + understanding the target audience is the very first step any new business should take. The post I've written for Biz + Bubbly covers why this is, what you need to know + how to use it. You can click here to read the full post if you'd like. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, or any ideas you have for future blog posts. Feel free to leave a comment below, or send me a message here. 

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

How to Start a Fashion Brand; Part 2, Brand Identity

First + foremost, I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get this post together! Last time, we spoke about the very first step in starting a business; identifying the customer. In case you missed it, the first part of the 'How to Start a Fashion Brand' series can be seen here. This time round, we'll look at how to brand your business in a way that'll make you stand out, connect with your target audience + create loyal followers. 

So, what is branding exactly? Contrary to popular belief, branding is much more than some graphics + a logo. Entrepeneur.com say that branding is 'the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products....Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from that of your competitors. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be'. I completely agree with them + consider brands as a personality that evokes feeling in people, rather than something 'quantifiable' like a colour scheme or font. Let's take the example of Nike for instance; we're all familiar with the famous tick symbol + can almost subconciously assosiate it with sportswear + the notion of 'just do it'. The logo alone didn't do that, the whole brand that Nike have created, from their products, to photography, social media presence + instore experience, we know what to expect from them as a brand + they've created something that resonates with their customers. 

How to decide on a brand

In the same way that you made decisions about your target audience, you'll also want to make decisions about your brand from the start. There's nothing to say that your brand can't evolve over time, but you need to start off with a clear direction, if you don't, there's a real danger of confusing people + not presenting yourself as a cohesive, reliable brand. Of course you can incorporate your own preferences, but you really need to focus on your target audience's expectations + preferences + also what you're offering. For example, if your dresses are £2500, you need to have a high end, luxury feel that people will associate with that pricepoint. Once again, customer research is really important for this to try + get inside the customer's head as much as possible. You could even try using surveys or focus groups to test your ideas on potential customers, to try + understand what will appeal to them; you could try different colour scheme ideas, logo options + 'mission statements' on them, to see what the reaction is.

Remember that in the digital age where you're competing with the whole world, you need to have something to set you apart from the competition (last year in the UK, 80 new companies were being registered EVERY HOUR according to The Telegraph). To have a successful fashion business you need more than just some nice clothing designs. Successful labels have a compelling brand story, which not only appeals to their customers, but also the press, meaning they can get extra exposure from the media. Think about what will set your brand apart, perhaps it fulfils a need amongst your target audience, it helps the community in some way, or provides some revolutionairy fabric features.

What you need to create for your branding

As well as graphic items, often known as 'collateral' (things like logo, colour scheme) you'll also need to create a personality + mood for your brand. Branding is the opportunity to communicate with potential customers + position yourself in the market. Good branding can help people to perceive your brand as an authority, good quality, a leader in your niche, often creating an emotional bond between your company + the customer. I'd suggest creating a moodboard for your brand, using emotive images that convey the personality of your brand (which translates into everything, from the products themselves, to the logo, customer service, advertising + more), which you can regularly refer to, to ensure that everything you're doing is in line with what you want your brand to achieve. I'd also suggest putting some written information together, including a mission statement. A mission statement should inspire both yourself + also your customers + as Goalcast.com puts it, your statement should include 'your company’s purpose, its reason for existence, and the difference it strives to make in the world should all be defined'. 

As a minimum, I'd suggest considering the following for your brand;

• The aesthetic - colour scheme, logo, product styling, etc

• The personality - think of this in human terms, for example, is it bold + fun like Boden, or perhaps classy + sophisticated like Reiss

• The tone of voice - how will you communicate with your customers, will it be formal, relaxed, corporate + distant, or highly personalised

• The values - for example, sustainable, ethical, family oriented, high quality, etc

• The USP (unique selling point) - what sets your company apart from others?

• Features + benifits - what makes your product/offering better than your competitiors?

• The 'why' - why are you doing this, what do you want to achieve?

What do I do with this information?

Basically, as with the customer, your brand must be the centre of everything you do. For a startup, here's some initial steps you can take to get your brand personality across to your target customers;

• Design a logo that expresses your brand + use it across your work - from social media profiles, to business cards + the labels in your clothes. 

• Create your brand guidelines, which include your colours, fonts + any effects or important icons you want to use - I have one of these + it saves so much time

• Develop templates for your social media posting. I have developed a series of about 20 templates for Instagram, which I use in conjunction with my brand moodboard. I can quickly put together Instagram posts using these, along with my brand guidelines by simply updating text + images. Another huge time saver that also helps me to keep my Instagram feed cohesive. 

• When communicating with customers in any way, (eg replying to customer emails, writing copy on your website, or annotating social media posts), ensure that you write in the same style + refer back to the work you did on defining your tone of voice. 

• Keep it up - whatever you do, make sure that you're consistent across everything you do for your brand, for example, don't design a fun + bright fashion range + have monochrome photography, or don't have a chic, sophisticated range + have kitch styling. Make sure it all makes sense, so you don't leave customers, or the press, confused. 

Remember, good branding really increases sales, visibility + often price points, so it's not something that should be left until later - there's a reason we're happy to pay twice as much for a Coca-Cola vs a supermarket option (which lets face it, tastes pretty much the same) - the branding subconsciously caught our attention. As always, if you have questions on anything I've said here, feel free to leave a note in the comments...

If you can't wait to get started on your fashion brand, all of the key steps, from design through to production are outlined in my 'Starting a Fashion Brand 101 Ebook', which you can learn more about here if you'd like to. 

Basics 101: Where To Start When Building A Fashion Brand - feature on The Fashion Conversation

I'm so happy to announce that today I've been featured on one of my favourite websites, The Fashion Conversation. If you're not familiar with it, I'd definitely recommend having a look, as it focuses on emerging fashion talent + is a great way to keep up with what's happening in the industry. Their Instagram account is full of stunning fashion designs + well worth following.

I've collaborated with them on a post called 'Basics 101: Where To Start When Building A Fashion Brand', where I've shared 5 steps that will take your business from daydream to reality. You can read the full post on The Fashion Conversation website, here.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, or any ideas you have for future blog posts. Feel free to leave a comment below, or send me a message here. 

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

Mistakes to avoid when starting a fashion brand; why you shouldn't cut corners in business

It's not often that I get frustrated, I'm generally very calm + collected, probably because I have a contingency plan for absolutely everything (for those who've seen Prison Break, think Michael Schofield). So, it's quite surprising that today's blog topic comes out of frustration! You may know that I do a lot of 1-on-1 coaching sessions, often with new entrepreneurs. One of the main things we talk about is planning, not rushing things + generally not going full steam ahead with a new business plan before you've really thought things through. It's hard, I know. You're excited, you want to get those ideas + designs up for sale now. But this isn't a 'get rich quick' scheme + it's certainly a marathon not a sprint. I've been trying to help a number of clients lately who I'd not worked with before, who were having various issues. I thought I'd share those stories with you today, as they are great examples of why you should take things slow, make a plan + do as much research + preparation as you can. For the privacy of the clients, their names + the product type has been altered, but the situation + outcome is the same.

Mistake #1; no contract

A  new client came to me a few weeks ago, who was extremely worried that she'd been caught out by fraudsters. For the purposes of this article, lets call her Ellen. Ellen had designed a range of clothes + had some professional drawings done, but had opted not to have tech packs or a contract drawn up, as she thought they would be too expensive. Tech packs + contracts go hand-in-hand, as you can set the 'quality' expectations in your contract to be based on what you've approved in your tech pack. If you're not familiar with tech packs, you can learn more about them here + how to use them to hold a manufacturer accountable. Instead, Ellen handed over $3600 (approx £2700) to the factory for 10 samples + patently waited for them to arrive (she'd been quoted a 2 week turnaround). She waited + waited + waited. 12 weeks later, she still hadn't received any samples + the factory had been totally unresponsive to her messages, simply saying that things were delayed and she had to wait. The majority of her items were basic t-shirts, there's no way they had a legitimate reason for the delay. That's when she called me in + I wish I could have helped. Without a contract, or any proof of what's been agreed, or a receipt to show what the money was for, there's not really anything anyone can do.

Lesson learned; always have a contract in place for any services that you pay for + ask for a receipt which details the amount paid + what it was for. Ellen's strategy to 'save' by not having a contract or tech packs (which would have cost approx £350-£500) ended up costing her over £2700 in money lost on samples.

Mistake #2; No tech packs

It honestly astounds me how many people decide to go ahead with production + don't have a tech pack. I'm so passionate about this that I'm currently recording a free video training on the subject! Customer number 2 that contacted me recently, let's say Luisa, opted against having a tech pack done, so that she could save the £35 tech pack fee. She got in touch, as there were a lot of problems with the sample she received from the factory + wanted to know how to approach getting the sample remade free of charge, due to the errors (many factories charge for samples if they've not worked with you before. In this case Luisa was charged $150 for sampling, plus a $22 courier charge). I spoke to Luisa + we talked about what she was unhappy with. For example, the sample wasn't lined, it used a metal clasp instead of a plastic one + the measurements were way off what she was expecting. The problem is, none of these features can be understood from a drawing. How would the factory know it was lined, the picture would look the same lined + unlined? How would they know to use a plastic clasp? + if they've not been provided with measurements, how can what they've provided be wrong? Not sending a tech pack is like giving the factory free reign to do whatever they feel like. If you have a good factory, you may end up with a nice garment, but not what you're looking for. Worst case scenario, the factory do whatever is easier + cheaper for them, not what's best for you + you end up with something that's completely unwearable. That's exactly what happened here + unfortunately, we couldn't ask for the next sample to be free, as a sample can't be incorrect if you didn't give any direction in the first place. So instead, Luisa started again, this time with a tech pack.

Lesson learned; think about it, if you received a drawing of something, what are the chances that you would guess the right measurements, fabric, trims, fastenings? That's why tech packs are so important, because they take the guesswork out of the process. So in this instance, Luisa thought she was saving £35 by not having a tech pack, but in fact she ended up spending an extra $172 (approx £130) on starting over with the samples.

Mistake #3; No planning

I'm going to choose the name Karen for my next example. Karen had a beautiful range designed that she wanted to release in October, with plans to sell it for the Christmas party season. She got in touch with me as production had been delayed + she wanted to ask me what she could do to get things back on track. In reality, it transpired, things were already on track, it was actually that Karen hadn't allowed enough time for production. I'd say on average the start up collections I work on take around 6-8months from start to finish, with some taking even longer. Karen had only allowed 3 months to make her collection, which meant that she was massively short of time. Unfortunately, there's only so much you can do to speed things up, so Karen is now left with the choice of either cancelling the range and loosing all of the money she has spent on samples (hard to say how much exactly, but I would imagine over £1500), or continue with the collection + release it after Christmas, which will mean it is much harder to sell given the styles she has + the marketing strategy she had in place. 

Lesson learned; good planning is the key to a successful production run. Make sure you look at all of the steps you need to allocate time for in advance + allow an extra buffer for any delays. In this instance, it's likely that failing to invest some time + as little as £25 in the 'quick start guide to planning + producing a fashion range' has cost Karen over a thousand pounds.

Don't make the same mistakes these people did, make sure you don't cut corners, plan effectively + add a little extra time + money in the budget in case of any unforeseen circumstances. There's lots of free articles on the blog to help you + you can always ask about 1-on-1 help via the contact page, here.

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

Why grade rules are better than a graded spec (tech pack requirements)

If you're at the stage where you're ready to send your tech packs to a supplier, congratulations, you've already made huge progress towards getting your designs made! This post focuses on a specific aspect of tech packs. If you're new to the industry, or haven't had tech packs made yet, I would suggest reading this post first, as it covers all of the basics, such as what's included, what a tech pack is + why you need one. So, what are grade rules + graded specs?

Grade Rules;

Grade rules are the difference in measurements between each point of measure on a garment. For example, below is a page from an example tech pack + the grade rules column is highlighted. So point of measure ('POM') 'A' measures 38.5cm with a grade rule of 2.5cm. This means that a size S would measure 36cm, L 41cm, XL 43.5cm.....+ so on. Depending on the type of garment your making, the market you're selling in + the number of sizes you're making, you may have more than one set of grade rules. For example POM 'A' might grade by 2.5cm for sizes XS-L + 3.75cm for sizes XL-XXXL. 

Graded Spec; 

A graded spec if essentially giving the factory the same amount of information as the grade rules, but in a different format. Below is an example of a graded spec + as you can see, there is a lot happening! This is one of the main reasons why I don't think using a graded spec is a good idea;

• Most people work with factories overseas's, whose first language isn't English. Communication can be hard + if a factory is confronted with this many numbers, it can be hard for them to know which ones to follow + it's easy for mistakes to happen. You want to make the process as smooth as possible, so by handing over clear measurements that you want the next sample to be made in helps to do this. You don't want to be losing time + having extra samples made because the factory followed the wrong measurements. 

• If you use a graded spec, you will have to update this every time you change a measurement on a sample (which happens A LOT during the sample process!). You could use a formula, but it's easy to accidentally override + it's still best to do a manual check of anything you're approving. By using grade rules instead of a graded spec, you save a lot of time in updating paperwork.

• Graded specs aren't usually needed these days for production. Technology advances have meant that most grading is done by computer, where you simply digitise any pattern pieces, enter the grade rules + allow the computer to work out the patterns for the rest of the sizes. Of course, there's still some skill + checking involved, but for the most part grading is a maths equation. It's not necarasry to enter the measurement for every size + every point of measure, because the computer will do the calculation from the grade rules. 

It's quite a short post today, but something important that I thought I should cover as there's a common misconception that a graded spec is required, but actually they can often cause more work + confusion! 

If you've read my other information on tech packs  you'll know they are very much an evolution + will continue to change right up until you're ready to approve the final order. If you're at the stage where you're waiting for your first sample to arrive, you might find this post helpful, as it covers how to use the tech pack for giving sample feedback. 

As you may know, most of the content on the blog is generated from your struggles, concerns + questions, so if there's something you'd like to see here feel free to let me know in the comments below, or via contact@thefashionbusinesscoach.com.

Textile technology + how it applies to you

If you've been following along on social media, you may be aware that I went to a number of seminars recently, including several on textiles technology + sustainability. The best thing to come out of these seminars is the knowledge that 'technical textiles' are no longer just for big name brands + that smaller labels can buy into this as well. Not only are sustainable and/or organic textiles becoming more + more available, but also fabrics with special features or properties that add extra benifits + value for your customers are now in the marketplace. These are a great way to promote your product + give you a point of difference when trying to pitch your designs to bloggers + media outlets. So what are 'technical textiles' exactly?

A technical textile is a textile product that has been manufactured to give functionality, rather than being purely aesthetics based (that's not to say that they can't be nice to look at!). Some general examples would be things like;

• Heat protective fabrics that are used for fire fighters uniforms

• Medical uses such as implants

• Car parts (did you know that textiles are used to make up the body of cars?)

• Protective fabrics used for things like bullet proof vests + spacesuits

These are very specific properties used by various industries to solve a problem, or at least improve it. The fashion industry is very much about the visual aspect + there hasn't been much use of technical textiles, certainly not in the mainstream. But, there are a lot of properties that you can consider + you may have seen starting to pop up at other labels;

• Stain resistant

• Anti bacterial

• Flame resistant

• UV protection

• Moisture wicking

These types of fabrics are known as 'Nano fabrics', which basically means that the fabric has been engineered with small particles that provide particular benefits. This is high tech development - for a fibre to be classes as a nano fibre it has to have a width of less than 1000 nanometers!

So, what can you do as a small business owner to take advantage of these developments in textiles technology? The good news is that you don't have to spend a fortunate developing your own fabrics. Fabric development is really pricey, so the better option is to work with manufacturers who are already creating fabric with these properties. What you're doing essentially is letting someone else pay for all of the development + you just buy the end product (the fabric) from them. Sure, this means that you'll be a little behind companies like Nike, because they will have the technology first, but as long as you keep up to date with what the textile mills are creating, there's no reason why you can't be ahead of your competitors. For example, you may know that I work with a lot of swimwear companies, many of whom do competitor research (as they should + so should everyone!). A lot of brands out there don't offer any special features in their fabric, which I find crazy! There's so many great swimwear fabrics out there that are open to small minimums. Think of how great it would be to tell your customers (+ the press) that your fabric offers UV protection, or it's recycled from old fishing nets that are harmful to wildlife, or it's fade resistant + won't be damaged by chlorine? How much perceived value do you think that would add for your customer? + the best part is, these fabrics aren't crazy expensive, as you probably thought they would be!

Let's look at some other examples, from the sustainability side. Did you know that currently fabrics are being made from;

• Mushrooms

• Orange peel (the leftovers from making orange juice)

• Old fishing nets

• Cow poop (yes, really!)

• Milk

• Soy

• Sea kelp

• Pre industrial waste

The exciting thing is that all of the above are either sustainable, or using recycled materials, which really minimises the environmental impact of apparel production + they are all available in the market place. They also have great performance + handful - you wouldn't recognise the source of the fibres at all! In fact, I have a lot of the swatches at the office + find many of them to be better than 'conventional' fabrics. 

I hope this article has opened your mind up to the possibilities + opportunities created by advancements in technical textiles. More posts like this are planned, if you're interested to learn more you can sign up to the mailing list below to receive occasional updates on new posts + you'll also get access to my free resource library (full of free downloads to help your fashion business). 

If you do sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

I always welcome suggestions for blog comments, so please feel free to reach out if there's a topic you'd like to see, or if there's something your struggling with + need some guidance on. 

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

Munich Fabric Start trade show review

If you're new to the fashion industry, you might not be aware that there are a lot of industry events held throughout the year. Different trade shows cover different topics, for example it might be for fabric sourcing, meeting manufacturers, networking amongst peers or seeing seminars on trends or technology for instance. I find these events very beneficial, as not only do they help you to have a better understanding of the industry now, but they also equip you with information on future changes in the industry, so that you can plan for them. The most successful businesses are constantly evolving + moving with the times + I think it's important for businesses of all sizes to realise this. 

This was my first time visiting Munich + I found it was very worthwhile; I'll certainly be going again next year. This is a manufacturing + fabric sourcing fair + as well as being able to meet with suppliers + factories, I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of quality seminars that took place, many of which were free. 

The event was on for 3 days + I went for 2, but in honesty when I go again I'll go for 3 days - there was a lot to cover (both in terms of physical ground + mentally lots to take in) + also the seminar schedule for all 3 days was really interesting. The thing I found most surprising was the focus on technology + sustainability, which had their own separate exhibition space. Although I'm not directly involved with the technological aspect of the textiles industry for the most part, it was really interesting to see where the industry is headed, how it will affect me + my clients + most importantly, how to prepare for it. Times are changing, customer demand for products to be more than just clothing (for example having specific properties or functions) is rapidly increasing + technological advances in production could create some drastic changes in the next few years. It's so important to stay ahead of these developments so that you don't get left behind. I think most people will remember companies such as Kodak - once the leader + innovator in their field, they refused to move with the digital age which cost them their company.  

Munich Fabric Start covered the trend info, trim + fabric suppliers, while the nearby Munich Apparel Source covered manufacturers. 

Graphic courtesy of Munich Apparel Source

At the Fabric Start foyer, 10 key trends for the AW 18/19 season were presented. Unfortunately  we weren't allowed to take our own photos, so this one is courtesy of Munich Fabric Start.

Pros + Cons of the trade show;

To be honest there were very few cons, but here's a few things to consider;

• There was A LOT of ground to cover + it's impossible to visit every stall, so I'd advise doing a lot of research prior to visiting. 
• If you're a small company, a lot of places did have high minimums which would be unsuitable for small businesses, so it would definitely pay to look at the exhibitor catalogue + make some enquires to companies prior to arranging a visit. 
• The organisation in terms of directions wasn't very clear. It told you which train to catch, but didn't provide directions to the venue, which is a 10-15min walk away, so make sure you have access to a map (on your phone or real!), prior to setting out. I found the Apparel Source was harder to get to than the Fabric Start. 
• Free lunch was provided (amazing!) but it was super busy, so you may prefer to take something yourself as there aren't any other cafe's around.
• If you're looking for suppliers in the Americas or UK this isn't really for you. Most exhibitors were from mainland Europe, China, India + Bangladesh.
• The timetable for the seminars changed last minute which was a bit inconvenient + the China sourcing one was cancelled very late due to lack of interest. This was annoying for me as I'd already gone to the location!

There were lots of pros + I would recommend this show to most of my clients, especially if you're open in terms of the countries that you work with/in;

• Wide variety of seminars, most of which were free. Highlights for me were the technology, sustainability + sourcing ones. I'd definitely suggest going to as many as you can, as I was pleasantly surprised after attending a talk that I didn't think was very relevant to me but it was actually one of the best ones. Keep in mind that a couple of seminars you have to book in advance, so make sure you check the schedule before you visit. 
• Although the manufacture section was comparatively small vs the fabric exhibits, I did make some good contacts there + this could be helpful if you're looking for a manufacturer.
• The trend forecasting information provided by the event was very helpful + provided a lot of value - the only catch was having to remember it all as no photo's were allowed. There was also a company selling trend info which I did purchase, but as you may be aware this type of information doesn't come cheap! 
• If you're looking for sustainable fabrics, the Keyhouse section was very useful as it gave an overview of all of the companies at the fair who had organic and/or recycled products to offer. 
• Denim had it's own section, which I always feel is very important as denim is so different to the rest of apparel, so it was very fitting that there was a specific denim hall, with relevant vendors + trends. 
• A hi-tech 'micro-factory' was set up to demonstrate how automation technology could soon allow customers to order a custom printed tee + have it completed within 1hr. It was great to see machinery working + production happening in real time.

One of the discussions I attended on sustainability + technology which was surprisingly universally relevant + very informative. 

The 'Blue Zone' (for denim) trend area. Photo courtesy of Munich Fabric Start.

I hope this post has given you a good indication about what to expect at this trade fair. If you have any questions on attending, please feel free to ask in the comments, or you can visit the official website by clicking here. 

If you're unable to attend yourself, but are looking for suppliers or manufacturers, you may be interested to know that I do provide a service whereby I share contact information with my clients. If you're interested in learning more, please feel free to get in touch by clicking here + letting me know what you would like help finding. 

If you're keen to learn more about my findings on trends, manufacturing + technological advances that affect everyone in the apparel industry, you can sign up to my mailing list below to receive occasional updates + fashion industry news....

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

What do I invest in to help my clients?

If you've been following along with the blog, you may be aware that I'm in Germany at the moment, having attended the Munich Fabric Start fair last week. This trade show was a good opportunity for me to meet fabric, trim + label suppliers, as well as manufacturers + some very informative seminars on topics relevant to fashion business + production. I attend several events each year + spend thousands on travelling to meet suppliers, trend information + education on the latest industry updates, so that my clients don't have to!

If you've visited the 'work with me' section of this website, you may have noticed there's a few different options to choose from. You can work 'a la carte', meaning you simply cherry pick the exact services you need + I'll work to your requirements, or you can select a package. The packages have been designed for specific needs that a lot of my customers have. For example, some are starting from scratch, whereas others already have design ideas + just need technical help. The pages are tailored to those scenarios + offer lower rates than the a la carte pricing + have also been tested to ensure that they provide a solution to your particular need. 

It doesn't matter if you choose 'a la carte', or a package, everyone I work (or even, anyone who subscribes actually!) benefits from the investments I make in research, education + networking. For example, if you choose to work with me on designs only, even though we don't have a consulting session on the phone, you'll still benefit from the insider information I have, for example, because I'll select upcoming trends that are relevant to your customer, or I'll suggest fabrics that are available at your price point. This is also a good time to mention that the more information you're able to provide (I send a short questionnaire to all new customers), the more I can tailor any work I do, specifically for you + your customer. Best results usually come from people who have taken the time to give me as much information as possible on what they are trying to achieve! 

Another good example of this is tech packs. If I'm working on your tech packs, a lot more goes into it than me simply filling in information. A lot of consideration goes into each section, so that the tech pack is not only factory + sampling ready, but it also makes the most of current methods, fabrics + practices, to make the sourcing + production process as simple as possible.  

Attending a showing of a fashion collection + viewing other ranges to see how the industry is working

Swatch cards that I collect from suppliers to help clients make informed fabric choices

From my experience, working with a consultant has always been worth it. I appreciate that most businesses want to keep costs down, but after having seen the benefits of having a consultant, I can see why this is a worthwhile investment - in fact I now have 2 consultants! One who specialises in systems for websites + emails + another who helps with getting traffic to my site + customers through the door. Although those consultants are a cost to my business, the cost would have been even greater if I hadn't implemented any systems, or got any traffic (+ therefore customers!) to my site. I mention this because, as you may know I also offer consulting for the fashion industry + one of the most common misconceptions that people have is that they have to spend tens of thousands of £ or $ in order to start a fashion business. You can if you want, but I certainly wouldn't consider this a requirement, in fact, back in 2010 when I started my fashion business, I only had £150 to work with. Of course, this is a much slower approach, but I was still able   to grow a business that shipped to customers worldwide, was stocked in stores on 4 continents + had features in magazines - so it is possible to start with a smaller budget. By knowing the best places to invest your money + how to approach manufacturing you can save yourself a lot of time, stress + money. 

One of the things a lot of clients need help with is finding a suitable manufacturer. I've designed a specific package for this, so that I can offer the best, most relevant help to those customers. There's an upcoming post planned around factory selection, but essentially when choosing a factory, this is very much a decision that has to be tailored to your personal circumstances. There isn't a one size fits all approach to working with a factory, as some will work better than others for one particular business + what one company might consider a 'bad' factory, is actually perfect for another. For this reason, I've been meeting with + talking to lots of potential suppliers lately in order to have the best possible selection to offer clients.

Hopefully this post has explained a little more about what I do! If you're interested in working together, you're welcome get in touch by clicking here.

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

Why do colours appear different when fabric is printed or dyed?

It can be really frustrating to have taken the time to carefully select colours for your range, only to find that when your samples come in, the colour looks different from how you imagined it. Most people think that dying or printing a fabric to match a colour is easy, but actually it can be very complicated + may take a couple of months to perfect the colour. Theres a few factors that contribute to customers being disappointed with colours that a factory or supplier have presented to them;

• Sometimes, the colour hasn't been communicated well enough. For example, people who are new to the industry may just ask the factory to dye the fabric 'blue', or 'black', or 'yellow' and so on, but there are hundreds of variations of these colours and this information is far too vague. Look at the 2 pictures below. The first shows a colour book (see how thick it is!) and the other is a search for 'Black' on the Pantone website, which generates over 100 results. 
• The colour may have been approved on screen. Keep in mind that on-screen colour can look very different, depending on your monitor settings. As a quick example that you can do now to see the difference, change the brightness settings on your monitor. Even changing this 1 or 2 places makes a big difference to how the colour appears to you. But, in the system, the colour details (that you may have chosen to print from) remain unchanged. 
• The colour may have been approved on a different fabric, or perhaps on a paper printout. Different fabrications absorb dyes differently + also the texture/transparency of the fabric has a part to play in how the colour appears as well. Just because you like the way the colours looked when you printed it out on paper doesn't mean that you'll be happy with how it looks on fabric. Something else to consider is that if the fabric is slightly transparent, essentially colours in the background will be mixing with the fabric to create a different colour. For instance, on a transparent sleeve, the colour will look slightly different on people with different skin tones.

So, what can you do about it? There's a few things that you can do to have more control over the colour of the finished print. In general (as with much of the production process), a lot of the success comes down to communication + making sure that you + your factory are on the same page;

• Testing the colour is always a must, I would never confirm a fabric order without having seen a test. For dyed fabrics you can request 'lab dips' from the factory. These are small samples of fabric that has been dyed following your request, often they will send several options + you can choose the best one. Don't be afraid to reject the samples if you're not happy with the colour, but remember to give the factory detailed information on what you did/didn't like + what needs to change so they can improve it for you. For printed fabrics, you can request a 'strike off', this is a test print of fabric. There's a full post about strike off's that you can read by clicking here. Ensure that any tests are done on the correct fabric that you will be using on the final garment to ensure the best results. 
• Give the factory a 'colour standard' to dye/print from. Different companies use different references for colour standards, but essentially this is a colour that the client gives the factory to print from. The colour is named + the factory know that (because you have briefed them well) every item with that colour name should be dyed to match (also written as DTM) the colour standard. You could give the colour standard as a swatch of fabric, digital colour code or Pantone reference;
  • Swatch of fabric - this method is often used in industry, but do keep in mind as mentioned above that different fabrics do dye + can appear differently. If you use a piece of fabric make sure it's a single colour fabric (i.e. the threads are all one colour) + try to avoid using anything with lots of texture or grain as this will make it harder for you to match + compare the colour. 
  • Pantone - the Pantone reference system is an internationally recognised colour matching system. They sell various products, such as colour books (even ones with cotton swatches, ideal for the fashion industry) + most large companies + factories that you come across will also have a Pantone book. This makes things easier as Pantone is so widely recognised + also saves time as you don't have to send a sample to the factory, you can just email the number to them. Pantone numbers also have digital colour codes that can be used in the creation of digital artwork. In my opinion (+ the opinion of lots of others too!) Pantone's are the easiest way to work, but it comes with a price tag - an entry level fabric Pantone book is around $600US (approx £465). 
  • Digital colour codes can often be found in print artwork + some printers will give you a reference guide, printed onto fabric, that you can work with to get an idea of what the print will turn out like. You can see an example of one of those below from Print & Press London.

I hope this post has given you some insight into the complicated process of colour matching! You may wonder why this matters, but it can actually effect sales. I used to work for a big company who sent out lookbooks to all of their customers, over 1 million of them. In the lookbook, all of the colours looked as though they matched perfectly, so people would by outfits to match. However, as the colour didn't match they would return the items to us. Not only had we lost a sale, but we also had to absorb the cost of the postage (in the UK if someone returns an item within 7 days you have to refund the postage) + also the cost the packaging + paying staff to return this to stock. So it does pay to get the colours matching! As always, if you have any questions feel free to pop them in the comments below, or message me directly here. 

I hate spam too - if you sign up to this email list, your details won't be sold or leased to anyone else. I will email you from time to time with helpful content and occasional offers, which you can unsubscribe from at any time. 

What is a Strike Off and Why is it Important for Designs Using Prints?

So, first and foremost, what is a 'strike off'? A strike off is a sample of fabric that has been printed to your requirements, so that you can check to see if you're happy with it before agreeing for the full order to be printed. I would never arrange for a large order of fabric to be printed without seeing a strike off first and encourage you to do the same. As well as picking up potential problems, there's other things that you might notice on a fabric printout, that you wouldn't see on screen. I always encourage people to print a paper version as well, but seeing the design on the correct fabric and in the correct colours is really important. 

Don’t forget that strike offs are a small part of the fashion production process! If you’re looking for an in depth step-by-step guide to manufacturing a fashion product from scratch, click here to check out The Fashion Startup Online Course.

What do I need to ask for?

Suppliers will vary in exactly what they give you and will often provide you with something that is most convenient for them. I like to request the following on all of my strike offs, as this gives me the closest representation to the real thing and therefore the most informed choice on whether I want to proceed with the design or not;

• Use the correct fabric, i.e. the actual fabric I will use for the bulk order - there's no point getting a strike off if it's in a totally different fabric. For one, different fabrics dye differently, so if you see a sample in cotton and the real thing is polyester, chances are the colours will look different. Also, the weave or knit of a fabric can play a part in whether or not a print is suitable. For example, if a fabric is printed on a smooth fabric for the strike off, but the final fabric is a cotton drill (which has noticeable grain and texture), the print might not look as nice. Also consider if your final fabric is sheer or semi-transparent and how this will affect the colour

• Provide a sample bigger than the actual repeat. There's 2 kinds of prints; placement prints, where the print is on a specific part of the clothing, for example a slogan print on a t-shirt and a repeat print, where the fabric is printed all over and the print lines up seamlessly. If you've got a placement print, you should ensure you receive an example of the full print. For a repeat print, you want a sample bigger than the repeat. This is so you can view the whole print design and check to see if you like it, but also so you can check that the repeat lines up seamlessly and looks nice.

• If you have any specific colour references, make sure you let the factory know before you have the strike off printed. The way colour is communicated varies between companies, factories and printers and there's several different ways of doing things that all work well, so it's up to you to outline how you want to work. Click here to learn more about this. The printing type also plays a part in this too. For example, if a print is being screen printed, inks are usually mixed 'by hand' and therefore a colour standard or Pantone reference number is used. For a digital print, many companies often just use the digital print file to print the colours from, as there's often hundreds of colours in the print, which would take too long to assign a colour standard to. If there's a predominant colour that ties in with other items in your range, you may wish to provide a colour standard or Pantone reference for this.

Here's an example of a strike off I ordered and colour guide. Some printing companies will give you a colour guide printed on to their most popular fabrics, or you may be able to request this on the fabric you would like to use. 

What should I look for on the strike off?

When you receive your strike off, take a close look at it and ideally compare it with a paper printout and also any colour standards if you've used them. This probably sounds strange, but look at it in different lights, in different angles, even hold it up against yourself and look at it in the mirror. These are the things I always look out for when assessing the strike off;

• Is the scale correct? There are some print methods which only allow repeats of a certain size to be used, for example rotary printing. I've had experiences where the factory hasn't told me that they don't have the correct size equipment, so they just scaled the print up without telling me. The print came in and was huge and didn't look right at all, so it's always worth checking the scale, just in case

• Do I like the colours and if I've given a fabric reference, do they match? The most important thing to keep in mind is, if this colour is different, will it affect anything else in the range? If you've got plain fabrics, trims and accessories all matching the same colour, it's really important to ensure that the colour is a perfect match. Otherwise, when everything is sewn together, it can look 'off' and a bit cheap if the colours don't match well.

• Does the print work with this fabric? Sometimes you'll find that a fabric just isn't doing the print any favours, or vice versa. For example, you might have seen me working on the print below. On screen I was really happy with it and printed on a smooth fabric, I thought it looked great, perfect for a swimwear range as it suited swim fabrics and also chiffons for cover ups. I also wanted to try the idea of a cotton drill beach bag, so I ordered a strike off. I've put a close up photo below, so you can see what I'm talking about. As you can see on the left, the grain of the fabric is causing visible lines in the print and some of the horizontal lines even look white. However the original doesn't have any such lines, as you can see on the right image. From this strike off, I can see that this type of print and this fabric aren't really what I was looking for and I won't have any further prints done on this fabric. This is exactly why we have a strike off - much better that I tried it on a small amount and realised I didn't like it, rather than spent money on the full order!

• Is the quality as expected? The same type of print can look great from one supplier, but awful from another, so it's always best to look at the details. Check things like the colour saturation (how well the colour has taken to the fabric - is the application even, or is the base colour of the fabric showing through?), the definition (are details getting lost?) and the handfeel (is the ink causing the fabric to feel stiff?).

I hope this has helped you to understand what a strike off is and why it's so important - don't commit to a print order without having seen a strike off that you approve of! 

If you're keen to learn more about the process of getting a garment into production, you might be interested in my free Masterclass with tips on taking your designs from idea through to production. Click here to learn more and register for the free masterclass

How to start a fashion brand; part 1

Lots of people ask me how they can start a fashion line and what’s the first thing they should do when creating their clothing label. Well, the best place to begin is the area that has the most impact on your business; the customer. Without the customer, there's not a fashion business - simple as that (in fact, the customer is so important that I’ve created hours of video on this topic in my Fashion Startup Online Course).

There's a common misconception that you should build a business and find customers to buy your products, I (and a lot of others!) don't believe that. Why? Let's look at it this way. Business is hard, especially these days; everyone is on a budget and you have to work extra hard to get people to buy from you, so you can't afford to be 'liked' by people. In order for someone to make a purchase, they have to love what you're doing and what you're selling in order for them to part with their hard earned cash. It's a lot easier to find a customer and design something they will love, rather than try and sell a product to everyone (because you didn't target a specific customer) and somehow get them to love it. 

How do I choose a target customer?

There's lots of different ways that you can select a target customer. Ideally, you want to offer a solution to a problem, or create a product there's a demand for, as it's a lot easier to sell to people if A. there's less competition and B. they have a genuine need for it.  Therefore, a good place to start is by doing some market research, either yourself or by working with someone like myself to help you with this process.

If you're doing market research, it's a great idea to ask people to complete a short survey, you can set one up quickly and easily with many of the free online tools available Good things to ask are;

• Which brands do you buy from

• How often do you shop

• How much do you spend on clothes a year

• Which brands would you like to buy from (if money was no object)

• What size do you buy

• Where do you get outfit inspiration

• Do you shop instore, online or both

• What clothes do you buy most often (e.g., activewear, workwear, casual)

A good idea is to use multiple choice answers where possible to make it easier for you to assess the results. For example when asking 'how often do you shop' have checkboxes saying 'weekly', 'monthly', 'annually'. Also, make sure you've written somewhere that your questions are in relation to clothes/fashion. 

What do I need to know about my customer?

The more information you have on your potential customer, the easier decisions will be. I like to split my findings into 2 kinds of information; 

Demographics;

• Age

• Location

• Gender they identify as

• Dress size

• Income

• Disposable income (i.e. the money left after paying the bills)

• Family

Psychographics;

• Style

• Beliefs/ Values

• Likes/Dislikes

• Where they shop

• Where they spend time in real life + online

• Personality

• Lifestyle

• Behaviour

What should I do with this information?

Another area of this process that causes a split decision is the concept of customer 'avatars' (not the movie!). An avatar is an imaginary representation of your ideal customer - this doesn't have to be based on a real person, but is the culmination of your research and findings. The other option is to consider your target audience as a whole and use a range of details. For example, age. Your avatar would have a specific age, whereas a target audience profile would have an age range. Personally, I do both of these options for all of my businesses and review them each year. Why? I find it really useful to have a customer avatar and I create everything for them. Decision making is so much faster when you have one specific person in mind that you want to 'wow' and if you're working as a team it makes it easier, as everyone has a clear vision of the customer, as it's not a range of traits that are open to suggestion. I also like to have a target audience profile, because when doing targeted advertising, such as Google Ads, you have to enter a range of information - you can't be as specific as a certain age, for instance.  

And that's it - the very first step towards launching your very own fashion brand! I really encourage you to spend time on this, it's definitely not something that should be rushed. I know you're probably excited to get started with your brand, but a job worth doing is worth doing properly!

If you're excited to get started and would like to get step by step help along the way, you might want to consider my Fashion Startup Online Course, which has 8 modules which explain the key steps when going from idea through to having your fashion range produced and sold. You can click here for more information on the programme.