{"id":12409,"date":"2022-03-22T07:00:09","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T12:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/?p=11806"},"modified":"2024-08-17T07:41:12","modified_gmt":"2024-08-17T12:41:12","slug":"the-quick-start-guide-to-launching-your-fashion-brand-pt-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/the-quick-start-guide-to-launching-your-fashion-brand-pt-3\/","title":{"rendered":"The Quick-Start Guide to Launching Your Fashion Brand (Pt 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<iframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=MPNL6736620088\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Episode 262 The Entrepreneurial You Podcast<br>The Quick-Start Guide to Launching Your Fashion Brand (Part 3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Part 3 of this <a href=\"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/the-quick-start-guide-to-launching-your-fashion-brand-part-2\/\">series<\/a> looks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creating Samples &amp; Production:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After carefully thinking through your idea, doing your market research and business plan, it\u2019s now time to create showroom samples to start seeking out prospective retailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your fashion collection is simple like t-shirts, for example, you may source ready-made blanks from white-label sources and have them embellished with your custom designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may also choose to identify a manufacturer to have them custom made according to your specifications as in the case of Patwa Apparel. I will go into more details about how to identify a supplier\/manufacturer later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If it is more elaborate, consider whether you will be the one designing or whether you will you employ a fashion designer. Can you make your own patterns or will you identify an expert to do this if this is not your area of expertise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may consider connecting with a final year fashion design student from your local university to intern with you. Final year fashion design students are usually a great source of help as they need the experience. They will be willing to start at a lower fee than a more experienced designer. This is a win-win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Will you be the one manufacturing or will you outsource this to a production facility?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your samples are complete, you may opt to have the line produced on a larger scale by the facility that created your samples. If it wasn\u2019t cost-effective, there is always the option of manufacturing in Asia, for example, where production cost is usually relatively low compared to other places. The key to getting the best results from these sources, which may be very far away from you is to ensure that you take the time to research them properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Identify other businesses that have worked with them in the past to get testimonials and references. After you\u2019re comfortable about their potential, send them your sketches or your samples and ask them to produce from what you\u2019ve sent them to verify the quality of their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re satisfied, negotiate the terms to ensure it is a win-win for all parties. Make sure all fine prints are read properly before you sign any contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It may be necessary to take a trip to their establishment when they have completed your first order. You want to ensure the quality is the same for the final production as was the sample. If this is not possible, you can employ an Agent who is based where the factory is located to have them do the assessment for you. This is sometimes necessary where language or other cultural barriers exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some suggestions and tips for identifying suppliers\/manufacturers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705Use search engines such as Google and Bing to identify suppliers in your territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705If you decide to produce overseas because of pricing and other factors, Alibaba is one of the largest platforms where you can find suppliers. If you want to consider a territory in Latin America and the Caribbean, Connect Americas is the LinkedIn of trade directories for persons looking to do business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705Trade shows in your particular niche is another great way to identify suppliers. Before you go to any show, make sure you plan ahead and create a strategy for how you will engage potential suppliers. You can easily become overwhelmed by the scores of vendors who are showcasing. Proper planning will help to alleviate this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Packaging<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your product packaging is as important as the product itself. Now that you have a product, you need to consider how you intend on creating eye-catching packaging which is in keeping with your overall brand strategy. Your packaging is part of your brand\u2019s story. It is the first thing your customers see before it pulls them into the product although, in the case of your fashion, they may actually see the clothing first. Notwithstanding, you must aim to create an overall WOW experience. This will help to turn them into raving fans for you and your brand. As part of the packaging, take care to create labels that are appealing and reflect quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to have the right packaging to generate customer excitement and positive brand perception. Here are a few considerations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2747\ufe0fKnow who your customers are (remember what we covered in the Idea Development and Research chapter);<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2747\ufe0fWhatever the concept for your brand, the packaging must tell that story, it shouldn\u2019t be a stand-alone item but part of the experience as a whole;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2747\ufe0fMake your packaging very personalized, even if it is cheap you can make it chic;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2747\ufe0fConsider options that are eco-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enjoy this Podcast?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Post a review and share it!<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends, colleagues and fellow business owners, so they can feel empowered and encouraged to pursue their business interests.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Have any questions?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You can contact me through email (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">henekawatkisporter@gmail.com<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) or find me on<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/henekawatkisporter\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCthlb8oQJnJKfI4DlyTAyzw\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">YouTube<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheEntrepYou\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/heneka_watkis_porter\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/henekawatkisporter\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Thanks for listening!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more updates and episodes, visit my<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You may also tune in on<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-entrepreneurial-you\/id1219606421\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apple Podcasts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9oZW5la2F3YXRraXNwb3J0ZXIuY29tL2luZGV4LnBocC9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3QvP2xhbmc9aHk?sa=X&amp;ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwjA8JXI8tbtAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Podcasts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/show\/the-entrepreneurial-you\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stitcher<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/49cGqY7I7hxhjrJo7ui636\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spotify<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Some episodes are also available on YouTube<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you go,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I have something I want to share with you to make your social media management easier. It is way less time-consuming than anything else you will ever try. You will be able to improve your team and clients&#8217; collaboration and productivity. I am talking about eClincher. You can finally get around to doing that project you&#8217;ve always wanted to work on.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Signup for a free 14-day trial using my <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eclincher.com\/#_r_heneka20\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">affiliate link<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Whether you are an SME, Agency or Enterprise, eClincher is for you. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eclincher.com\/#_r_heneka20\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sign up today<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay inspired,<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heneka<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Episode 262 The Entrepreneurial You PodcastThe Quick-Start Guide to Launching Your Fashion Brand (Part 3) Part 3 of this series looks: &nbsp; Creating Samples &amp; Production: After carefully thinking through your idea, doing your market research and business plan, it\u2019s now time to create showroom samples to start seeking out prospective retailers. If your fashion [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[65,788,106],"class_list":["post-12409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-fashion-brand","tag-fashion-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12409"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12409\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henekawatkisporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}