Guide To Starting Your Clothing Brand

Starting your personal clothing brand has become more of a trend and most start-ups have been plagued with making the wrong move, which is due to the lack of guidance and assistance through their start. The technological advancement has played a major role in catalyzing this generation of clothing brands compared to other generation.

It is rather normal to come across obstacles when starting your personal clothing brand but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to step away from the mouth of the shark. Having an effective guide to help you navigate through the complications will come in handy as you start up your clothing brand which is why we have taken our time to come up with this guide to place you ahead of your competitions early on.

Before kick-starting your label, here are some details of your business you may want to review over again and create if they don’t yet exist.

Where to Begin

When starting a personal clothing brand, or whatever you may be starting in life, it is important to always start with the basics. Starting with the basic is as simple as theorizing what you want to do; I want to get 4 so I could add 2 and 2 or 1 in four places, or even 2.5 added with 1.5 will definitely give me 4. Take a pen and write down what you want. Begin setting goals (they might be revised later on so do not worry about being sure or not). Note the ideas you had in mind that could help your clothing brand standout. You may from here go ahead to write up a business plan.

Understanding your audience is a key factor that will definitely help you stand out so before diving in, ask yourself what you are bringing to the table, what are you offering exactly?
Lastly, find out the closest sources of authentic materials around you. With this, you can monitor the quality of your products from scratch. Remember that before even launching, it is crucial to be ahead.

Choose your label’s business model

There are currently many types of business models and for start-ups, depending on your goals and capital you may research on the best model that works for you. Meanwhile, the most common models that start-up clothing lines go for are either the private label, Print on demand or the cut and Sew clothing line.

Private Label: The private label model in the clothing line business involves buying plain materials in bulk although this means you will be needing a physical and conducive space to stock these materials. These materials should be of a standard quality which you can trust just in case the business moves slower than anticipated.

Print on Demand: This business model is the cheapest and the most common approach for start-up lines. This is because this business model is fully automated. The only problem with this model is that you may not have the opportunity to produce diverse designs, which may lead to less profit. This business model requires zero investment and can be set up quickly and easily.

Cut and Sew: This type of business model involves unique customization done by your company, which means you will be in charge of the designs, patterns, fabric and even production. This model requires huge capital as well as time and labor. But still, this business model allows your line to stand out in the market thereby serving as the best foundation for your brand. Choosing this model may also lead to higher profit margins compared to Print on Demand.

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Determine The Capital you need
As stated earlier, the business model you choose to follow will go a long way in determining the capital you will be needing to get your business running. Also depending on the designs and styles, you are looking to run with your startup collection will also determine the cost you may incur.
The design of both the logo of your brand and the collection would require the utmost creative touch which you may need to hire professionals for in case you don’t have the relevant skill.

Evaluate your Raw Material sources
There is a market for every type of brand. Where the likes of ZARA and H&M fashion brands offer the latest trends at an affordable price but at the expense of the quality of their product, you may choose to charge a bit more from your customers in order to provide better quality products. Balancing quality and price is the constant struggle in the fashion industry and it will definitely be helpful for you to quickly find a balance for your label.

Unlike the general assumption that higher quality products are always more expensive, it is actually possible to find affordable materials that will lead to a good quality product. It all comes down to how much effort you put into finding the perfect source to get your materials from.

Make a list of sources and start comparing, as well as eliminating those that may not be up to par with what you want. Test out some of these sources but not at the expense of spending extravagantly.

Finding the Right Manufacturer

Finding the right manufacturer also has a lot to do with the business model your clothing line is working with. The three major checkboxes for the right manufacturer represents the quantity, quality, and delivery respectively. Also, remember that manufacturing companies charge less for wholesale purchases. So again, your business model determines how you make your decisions at this point.

Find the manufacturer that has the best interest of your business in mind and establish a detailed agreement from the start of your working relationship. This is to ensure you know what to expect and your manufacturer is well aware of what to deliver.

You may be surprised to find out that Eastern countries are where some western brands look to for mass production.

The Right Design for your personal Clothing brand

As stated earlier, creativity is crucial in this line of business. The vision you have for your brand is key to igniting the spark of creativity in your designs. Take your time to understand the theme you would like your brand to represent, and who your target audience is, including what they may love to wear.

With reference to our earlier suggestion, it is important to hire a professional to get your designs done if your skills may not be up to par. The cost of hiring a professional will definitely be better than producing designs that are not up to par.

Marketing Your Clothing Brand

Your logo is that face of your clothing brand. It is what represents what you stand for and it is the first point of contact with your brand. Creating a memorable logo that will stick in the memory of your audience is the first step to marketing your clothing brand.

Unlike what most people believe, the name of your brand also goes a long way. It should be sharp and haunting (In a positive way), something that rings a bell when customers hear it. Again, you can opt to hire people to do these creative types of work for you.
We live in the age of the internet where you could advertise your label to a stream of audience, completely free. Social media is a perfect start for any brand and taking advantage of SEO would definitely go a long way.

There are several approaches to launching your brand but first, find where your audience is located and focus your energy towards satisfying their needs as well as expanding your reach.

The start of any business is rocky but as long as you know where you are heading, then it shouldn’t take too long. Here at T-shirt Florida, we help business owners produce the best quality designs on cloth through several methods.