Part 4 of this series looks at Shipping & Distribution + More
Shipping & Distribution
You finally have your designs and you’re anxious to get them to market. After all, what good is a product if it is not in the hands of a customer? A very important part of the process is the logistics of how this will happen.
Depending on where you plan on shipping to, ask your production facility if they engage in dropshipping. This is where they store your product and ship to your customers from their location to reduce the time it would take to have them ship the final product to you then you in turn ship to customers (assuming you are dealing with overseas customers).
It is important to get familiar with the International Commercial Terms (Incoterms). This will aid in preventing any undue stress that can accompany the shipping process. Being aware of this is important to making a decision about whether you will ship via sea or air.
You’ve read this far. Great, it means you are still interested in starting your fashion business. Here are some options to consider in getting your product out to customers:
❇️Are you targeting boutiques styled retail outlets?
❇️How about department stores?
❇️Will you sell direct to customers or direct to businesses?
❇️Will it be offline or online or a combination of both?
What about channels such as eBay, Etsy, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Craigslist and Shopify? While this list is not exhaustive, the platforms mentioned are great options to consider as you build your brand.
❇️Will you decide to open your own boutique to offer your unique experience to your market?
It’s not going to be enough to create your collection and just place it on any of the platforms mentioned above. You will need to start an active marketing campaign. Your potential customers must know about your business.
“Where am I going to find customers?”, you ask. Start with the lowest hanging fruits such as your friends and families that helped in your brainstorming process. What about the social clubs that you have membership in? Church organizations, community and interest groups are great options too. Don’t be afraid to share what you’re doing with them. Most people will really be happy for you. The ones that will try and discourage you are the ones that may want to do what you have built up the courage to do yet, they may be afraid to do it. Don’t let them dampen your enthusiasm.
You may have heard this before, ‘it’s all in the list. Signup with free Customer-Relationship Management (CRM) tools such as Mail Chimp, or Constant Contact and start creating a mailing list with the persons you already know. Ask them to help spread the word by telling others in their network. They want you to succeed and will be happy to help out.
Importantly, once you have your list, be very relational with the persons on it. Treat them like humans, the very way you would want to be treated. Avoid reaching out to them only to sell. Share interesting updates about what you are doing in conversational language.
Create content around things that interest them and share, that way when you want to sell something, it won’t be a turn-off. Try finding ways to stand out from the noise too. Be mindful that they are already bombarded with tons of emails from day to day. Take note of important milestones in their lives like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and send them a special email on those days, letting them know you are thinking of them.
Building Your Audience
In addition to creating your list using the strategies above, a simple landing page to create anticipation can precede your launch date. This is a one-page platform explaining to prospective customers what you are about. This will be temporary but will be enough to provide some insight until when you launch.
If you are starting out with a website, ensure it is optimized with your keywords for search engines to find you. You will need the assistance of someone who specializes in this area to get it right. Create a regularly updated blog on your website to draw customers in from the get-go.
During the pre-launch phase of your fashion business, create some buzz around your product, such as:
- Start a coming soon campaign;
- ‘Leak’ information to the media;
- Give a free seminar on your area of expertise that relates to the business;
- Write and submit a press release to your local press.
It is important to note that social media and social media marketing are not the same things. There is going to be much effort placed into marketing your product online. Do some research and experiment with what will work for you. Pinterest and Instagram are exceptionally great for clothing brands.
You should try and ensure you use your brand name across all social media platforms that you will sign upon. You can use programs such as Namechk and KnowEm to search for the availability of the name you want to use. You don’t want to get an Instagram account with your name and then later find out that name is already taken on Pinterest for example.
Research and use key hashtags to form part of your marketing strategy.
Network like a Rock Star
In order to grow, you’re going to have to get comfortable doing what many entrepreneurs fear. Many of us would rather stay busy creating than to be out connecting with other business people. Truth is, growth is impossible without it.
Trade Shows are a great way to connect with buyers. Shows such as Magic in Las Vegas is one of the major shows that happens twice a year attracting more than 60,000 industry players. Of course, there are several others that may be more suited to your budget and market.
You can also host a fashion show to get your collection introduced to your market. Write a press release about this and share it with your local media houses, inviting your media contact. They will be happy with the information and of course free pass to an excellent show.
Get fashion bloggers involved; bloggers love to be in on the action and forging a genuine relationship with them from the get-go is a way to help kick start your brand. Consider sending them samples as well so they can blog about it. As you grow, they will be interested in keeping up with your progress and writing about it. This is free publicity for your work.
Business as a Source for Good
You should not be all about profit. Consider the three Ps (Profit, Planet and People) as you develop your business. Ask yourself, ‘How can I make a profit while protecting the environment and being socially conscious?’ Align your brand with a cause that is close to your value system. You will get noticed for serving people other than yourself.
Final Thoughts
I have imparted what is necessary to get your fashion business going. You will also need to invest time into attending seminars, conferences and short training courses while you’re on your entrepreneurial journey.
Your success will be totally up to you. It won’t come overnight. Enjoy the path – the ups, downs and everything in between. Let me warn you, there are days you will feel like quitting, rest if you must but don’t quit. Pivot as necessary but never give up.
Seek help when you need it. You can continue to get inspiration and motivation from me by visiting my website, listening to my podcast, reading my blog and so much more.
Continue being awesome. It’s time to go dominate the world with your brand.
Have any questions? You can contact me through email (henekawatkisporter@gmail.com) or find me on Facebook, YouTube Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thanks for listening!
For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You may also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. Some episodes are also available on YouTube.
