How To Start a Fashion Business 101
Learn How To Sew A Seam
Learning how to start a fashion business is not such a hard thing to do. With the right training and the right resources, a person can start earning anywhere from fifty to eighty thousand dollars a year. People that design garments for celebrities make much more than that. If a person knows very little about fashion or how to operate a business, there are certain things that can be done to learn more about the business. Learning how to sew is a great asset because otherwise a person would need to hire a seamstress or garments from outside sources. Learning how to sketch ideas is something a fashioner designer would really benefit from. Finding out the latest trends and learning all about the industry will help tremendously. Having a business background especially in marketing is a plus. There are many areas that would help a person interested in a career in fashion. Each person is different. Some people are naturally knowledgeable in certain areas and will not need any extra training but each individual has to decide where there are strengths or weakness. Below are areas listed that are helpful for people pursing a career in fashion.
Creativity
Dare to be different. Sure there are many garments out there that people are capitalizing off of because something comes in style that everyone likes and who in the fashion world would be crazy enough not to duplicate a similar style. However the creative eye is edgy and smart enough to create a new idea that attracts.
Study The Market
Study the market closely and carefully to see what trends are in style and what people are buying. Also find out who is buying what. There is a lot of data already available online. Try to see what people are paying for certain items. This will help you see if you are over or under charging people for garments.
Learn How To Sew
Not every designer has to learn how to sew but one can save a lot of money this way. Learning how to do alterations is a great way to add income to a fashion business. There are people that can't even hem their own pants. Often they take their clothes to the cleaners to be altered. If a designer learns to sew, the business expense of having to hire a seamstress or purchase garments for sale will not be so high.
Trademark Your Work
Make sure that you do not allow someone to steal your name and logo by having your work trademarked or protected. Any unique ideas that there may be a concern about anyone taking can be patented. Without taking these precautions, it will be very hard to prove that your work belongs to you. Online applications can be done. You can learn about patent and trademarks for a business here.
When ever you get an idea, try putting your ideas on paper in the proper format of a business plan. Why write a business plan? A business plan helps a person bring their ideas and thoughts to reality. A person can set goals and actually create a budget for their business. The person is able to put short and long term goals into action and be able to take a look at that plan to actually see how far they have progressed. Learn how to write a business plan here.
Invest In A Mannequin
When a person learns how to sew, It is very easy to see if the garments that are being made are fitting or hanging right. The mannequin can be used to pin alterations and to properly measure certain areas to see if the fit is right. A seamstress can get a better outlook of the whole vision before they finish it to see if it is really what they are looking for.
Take Drawing Lessons
By sketching ideas on paper, this will help the creative mind see just what will work and what won't. For many, sketching and drawing is not so easy but a person can learn to draw enough just to get the main idea of what something will look like. If there is a natural ability to draw, I still suggest a person learn the proper way to sketch because their are some sketching pencils that will give better results.
Organize Fashion Shows
So now you have a new fashion line but you need people to see what you've been up to. You really do not have to put on fashion shows but they are a great asset to anyone with a fashion business. If you can get friends and family members to model for you without pay this would really help you a lot. There is no need to put on a huge show at a large place that will sink you financially before you even get started good. You can use small buildings or other places to put on such shows. Remember we must crawl before we walk.
Learn How To Market Your Business
Now that you have your garments in line you should continue to get the word out about your business. Think of places on and offline where you can advertise your business. Word of mouth is always the best advertisement. This means a very pleased customer. Get business cards and brochures or catalogs and make sure you get your business a new logo. You can have this made by a graphic designer or if you are creative, you can do it yourself. You will need professional tags to go inside your clothing line. These tags will include size and care labels on the inside of your garment. Tags will also include the paper tags with pricing information attached onto you garments.
Get A Degree In Business Management
If you have no real knowledge of how to operate a business, you should take business management courses. This will help you learn how to establish a business legally with the right licenses and how you will go about paying your taxes at the end of the year. Also this gives a person insight as to how to calculate expenses and revenues so that the business owner can actually make a profit.
Create A Catchy Name For Your Business
Have you thought of a name for your fashion business? Try to think of something catchy and trendy that sounds fierce and edgy. Something that is elegant, not too wild and crazy and attracts attention. Take a look at how others are naming their fashion businesses but make sure you do not use other peoples names. Having your business name and logo trademarked will help protect your business.
Earn A Fashion Diploma Online For Less Than $689.00 In Less Than A Year
If you feel that you are clueless about the business and you would benefit from earning a diploma in Fashion Design, you can learn everything you know from the comfort of your home. I did not take the Fashion Design Course but I have taken other courses through Stratford Career Development Institute. They also have a course in business management. They are by far the cheapest online school, they are accredited, and they are very professional. You can get started here. http://www.scitraining.com/Fashion_Merchandising_And_Design
Starting a career in fashion is fun and exciting. You may not need to do all of the things listed above but think about what you can do to enhance your business. Ask yourself what can you do to make your new or old fashion career better and more rewarding. What ever you choose to do remember that there are many ways to accomplish your goals.
copyrighted by Victoria Sheffield/All rights reserved 2014 Hubpages Article
