As an influencer, you got where you are by knowing what is hot and what is not. Your followers go to you for the best advice because you can point them in the direction of the best fashion. So far you have been able to use this skill to help others, but did you know there is more to this power than you originally thought.
Influencers are able to make money by sharing their fashion tips, but why not try to earn more money by getting into the fashion game yourself. Lots of people are having success with their own clothing company, and we are here to show you how you can too. You do have a built-in customer base after all.
Step 1: Know Your Market
For a lot of starters in the clothing business, this is the most difficult step. Finding a new audience to cater to can seem impossible. What’s more, they will also need to find a way to make their own sense of style appealing.
However; as mentioned before, as an influencer, you will have a sizeable head start in this department. You already have the followers, so look to their tastes to get an idea of how you should proceed. These individuals trust your opinion, therefore they are likely to get on board with your fashion ideas.
Carve out some ideas for a clothing line using this insight to get your initial plan started. You can even ask your followers for feedback if needs be, making it a more collaborative endeavour.
Step 2: Raise The Funds
Now that you have your initial design ideas in place, you need to figure out how you are going to make them a reality. Every new enterprise comes with its own set of start-up costs, even those in the fashion industry.
Budgeting should be within your wheelhouse already, given how you have managed to create a business of your own from the ground up. However, a clothing company is a very different animal. There are much bigger costs to consider before you start making a profit on your investment. Make sure that you consider every expenditure before going ahead. It may mean saving up for a few years but at least you will have a safety net for any surprising costs that crop up in the starting phase.
Step 3: Put Your Plan In Motion With A Location
The first thing that you will need to find before you start creating your products is a place to work from. Looking at your intended market and budget should give you an idea of how widespread your operation needs to be. This means that you should have an idea of the type of office space you require at this stage.
You will need a space large enough to create your designs, store your stock, and ship them. Some start-up businesses are able to accomplish all of this from the comfort of their own bedrooms, but you must always look to expand once you are earning. Again, this should all be planned out in the budgeting phase.
Step 4: Find Your Materials
Once your workspace is set up, you will then need something to work with. Your clothing company is perfectly unique to your style and tastes; however, this does not mean that you can’t start with cost-effective wholesale clothing. Companies like Stylewise Direct are perfect for newcomers to the fashion industry, and they can provide you with all the wholesale clothing you need to get off the ground. Chop and change outfits, and style these outfits to get the best start for your business.
These materials aren’t just relevant to your fashion ideas. There are also extra expenditures such as sewing equipment, boxes, and labels that you need to account for. Finding the right provider shouldn’t be too hard, but try to weigh up these costs against your budget and the scale of your business to get the best deal.
Step 5: Get To Work
By far the most fun step of the plan, creating your own designs should be a breeze. If you have gone into the business of fashion with the right intentions, you should find this stage the easiest of the lot.
While stretching your creative muscles is an enjoyable experience, try to remember that you are working for a customer. You may think that an extra embellishment will work well on a piece; however, your client base may not see it this way. Try to keep a finger on the pulse of your audience when creating your designs to make sure that you don’t stray too far from your initial business ideas. After all, it was these ideas that got you started in the first place.
Step 6: Spread The Word
Any business worth knowing about has always come out of the gate with a strong marketing strategy. Otherwise, you would never have heard of them. Again, you will have most of the brand-building work done in your career as an influencer, and you should utilise this brand as much as possible during your initial marketing. However, this does not mean that all of the heavy lifting has already been done.
Your next step in building your brand is communicating to your audience about your new ideas. This can be done in any way that you see fit. It is most likely that you engage with your followers on social media, which makes this the best place to advertise your new clothing brand. However, you will need to expand beyond your social media following to become truly successful in the fashion industry.
It is important to stay close to your roots as an influencer, but also try to distance yourself from that one identity. Use your marketing to promote the other aspects of your personality, sticking to the design work as much as possible. Advertising isn’t easy, but you have had a head start in this aspect of the business.
Step 7: Protect Yourself
Having a clothing business of your own is the dream of many, but it can all come crashing down if you do not prepare yourself correctly. Setting up an office and gaining the right materials is all well and good, but what if something unexpected were to happen. New businesses do not have the funds to recover from disaster, which is why it is so important that you look into business insurance. It may not seem necessary for a company as small as yours, especially when starting out. However, this insurance can offer you the protection that you need in the event of a disaster. Therefore, you can pick yourself up and carry on with little issues.
It is sad to end on this gloomy note, but so many businesses fail because they aren’t prepared. The most important thing you can do is expect the unexpected and you will have a much better chance of succeeding with your new clothing line.
Conclusion
This article has drawn a lot of lines between the efforts of an influencer and the things needed to start a new clothing line. If this is a dream of yours, let this be your guide to getting your company off the ground. Influencers are smarter than many people think, so why not show the world what you are capable of by developing your own clothing brand.
