Before you consider getting into the fashion business and starting your own fashion label, you should be aware that the glitter and glamor of the great designers that you see in magazines and online will initially be absent, because every beginning is difficult. In the following article, we get to know about How to start a clothing line? So don’t skip the article from anywhere and read it carefully because it’s going to be very useful for you guys.
Apart from that, you should keep in mind that you will have less time for the design yourself since as a self-employed person you also have a lot to do with corporate management: from production management to logistics to public relations. If you are aware of this and still want to get started with your own fashion label, you will find the next steps here.
Know-how: what do I have to bring with me?
If you want to start your own brand, there are numerous ways in which you can become self-employed to start a clothing line. In the end, it does not matter whether you have completed what is considered to be the ideal training by studying fashion design or the fashion trade or whether you have completed another training with, for example, another label because you can start your own fashion label even without this training to start a clothing line. Despite the passion, trust in your abilities, and a lot of self-confidence, you should also attend founder seminars. If you want to start from an apprenticeship, the following professions are particularly well suited to founding your own fashion label later:
- (Change) tailors
- Fashion draftsmen, sewers, or tailors
- Milliner
- Production mechanic textile
- Textile laboratory technician
- Clothing technician
- Product tester textile
Establish a fashion label: Register a business
Regardless of the legal form you have chosen, you must register with the trade office responsible for your company headquarters. If you open your fashion label as a sole proprietorship, business registration is sufficient. After registering with the trade office, the tax office will automatically contact you for tax registration. As soon as your documents have been viewed and checked by the tax office, you will receive your tax number and can issue invoices.
Establish your own brand: Chamber of Crafts
The Chamber of Crafts, like the tax office, informs about your establishment by the trade office. Contact is made by the HWK. When registering a trade, membership in the HWK responsible for you is mandatory. Get advice from the Central Association of German Crafts.
Employer’s liability insurance association for the establishment of a fashion label
Employers’ liability insurance associations are the providers of statutory accident insurance for companies and their employees to start a clothing line. The Federal Cooperative for Energy, Textile, Electrical Media Products (BG ETEM) is responsible for companies in the textile sector.
What belongs in the business plan for my fashion label?
When starting a clothing company, a well-developed business plan requires when it comes to financing your “self-employment” project to start a clothing line. The most important points in a business plan:
- Market analysis: what does the competition look like?
- Target group: Which customers do I want to address?
- Competition: What is the competition doing (better)?
- Marketing: Which advertising media do I want to use?
What will this cost me?
You should get a precise overview of the costs incurred:
- Capital requirements for the start-up phase to start a clothing line (e.g. for renovation work, targeted advertising) and to secure your livelihood
- Possible consulting and bureaucracy costs in the start-up phase
- Capital for the purchase and procurement of goods, logistics, and storage
- Taxes and various insurances
The heart of your label: the products
Before you even start designing and making your own garments, you should be clear about your target audience and the niche you are trying to occupy to start a clothing line. The fashion market is highly competitive and so it is all the more important to be able to come up with a great idea or a very good unique selling proposition to start a clothing line. If you want to develop more than just simple motifs that you can print on T-shirts or other textiles, it is important to keep an eye on the competition and current trends.
Starting my own clothing company: do I need staff?
If you work from home and only sell the clothes online, you may not need staff at the beginning to start a clothing line. However, if the demand increases, a change of location or the hiring of employees can call for quickly. After all, it is important to first produce the products on offer, then pack and ship them to start a clothing line. Tailors or fashion sewers can be very helpful to you, as can possible cooperation with a shipping and logistics company.
Marketing and sales: how to get your label out there
As a newcomer to the fashion label business, it is initially advisable to sell your own products online. Either via your own online shop on eBay (using your own eBay shop). Or on self-made portals such as Etsy. Where designers can offer their pieces worldwide. Use online sales to save costs, especially in the beginning, and wait and see whether your online sales are successful at all before opening your own fashion boutique.
You can also market your products directly online. You can advertise your clothing cheaply on portals such as Facebook or Instagram. Depending on your budget, you can also pay so-called “influencers” to wear your clothes and post pictures with them. This can suddenly increase your awareness.
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