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Before You Start a Fashion Business, Ask Yourself These 6 Questions

April 23, 2021 by Jane Hamill 2 Comments

Before You Start a Fashion Business, Ask Yourself These 6 Questions

If you’ve been THINKING about launching a clothing line, now is the perfect time to start. With so much uncertainty in the world, wouldn’t it be amazing to be in control of your own destiny?

Your own business gives you flexibility, freedom, and an unparalleled feeling of accomplishment.

Let’s get you started on your journey! Our BRAND NEW and completely updated fashion startup course is OPEN for enrollment! The “Launch a Line” course is a self study course that includes a rockin’ community of like-minded entrepreneurs + access to LIVE Q&A to get all your specific questions answered.

The business you’ve been dreaming of really IS possible. All you need is the step by step blueprint, a chance to ask questions when you get stuck, and support from other like-minded folks who are willing to share resources. I hope you join us.

“The dream has to be bigger than your fear.” -Steve Harvey

So you want to start a clothing or accessories line.

That’s great! But why?

There are a lot of reasons to start a fashion business. For instance…

You’re tired of your job.
You have a lot of creativity and you want to use it.
You have a fantastic idea that you know everyone will love.
You have a need for a product that’s not available and you think others will want it too.

Some of these reasons to launch a business are good and some are, well… not so good.

In today’s episode, we’ll cover this + the 6 questions you should ask yourself BEFORE you start a fashion business.

I wish someone would have made me listen to this BEFORE I started. 🙂

Have a listen…

You can also listen on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Soundcloud, or Spotify

Before you start a fashion business, ask yourself these 6 questions:

What do you want to start a business? Is it because you hate your job?
Are you willing to be VERY uncomfortable?
Do your family and friends support you?
Do you realize that a successful business is NOT about how great your ideas are?
If this failed, would you regret it?
Are you ready to commit to imperfect action?

Mentioned in this episode

The complete “how to start a clothing line” online course for new fashion designers, Launch a Line
Do your friends an family support your new fashion business? Video: Get support for your new fashion business

Let me know how you answered these questions and if this podcast helped you. I love hearing from you!

Jane

VIDEO: The IDEA of Owning a Fashion Business vs. the REALITY (#MondayMotivation)

July 25, 2016 by Jane Hamill 24 Comments

The IDEA of Owning a Fashion Business vs. the REALITY

If you design a product and own a small business, what’s your REAL job? Sure, we start because we’re good at making and creating something. Then you launch an actual company based around that skill and wait a sec…

Turns out that the IDEA of a business and the REALITY are 2 different things.

Watch the video now for a reality check and some helpful #MondayMotivation…

Every week I get asked about ways to sell more stuff – shortcuts, simple strategies, and the insider info on what’s working now.

I get it. We all want the easy button.

And it’s TRUE that there are shortcuts and simple strategies that can help. It’s also true that selling your product is a big job. It’s not something you can just do “when you get to it”, “after the product is perfect”, or “when you’re ready”.

Many of you don’t want to hear it, but in many ways, selling and marketing your line IS the job. It’s not just about creating products – not even close. And if you really want to JUST design, you can get a job as a designer. If you own a small business, you have to do be willing to do more and do it well. When I had my womenswear line I spent about 15% of my time on the actual collection and the other 85% on other stuff.

If I were to start over again, I’d still spend 15% on the line and I’d bump marketing and selling my line up to about 75% of my time. The other 10% would go to professional development in the form of learning new skills that would make me money — like taking classes to learn how to sell more stuff that would, you guessed it, result in making more money. Then I’d use that money to outsource the tasks I didn’t have time to do.

Because, ya know, all my time is spent on either the product or the sales. That’s it.

In the video, I give you an assignment.

1) If you’re an established brand – when was the last time you emailed your list and kept in touch? DO IT TODAY. Then leave me a comment below and tell me what you did.

2) If you’re a startup – GOYA (get off your arse) and head to the nearest place where your “perfect” customer hangs out. For me, it would be a Starbucks in a fancy part of town. WATCH THE VIDEO for specific instructions of what to do, then leave a comment with what you did!!

As always, thanks for watching and reading,

Jane

Startup Fashion Designer “Hot Seat” – which product should I make?

July 24, 2014 by Jane Hamill 3 Comments

Uncertainty sucks.

We all struggle with it. It’s hard to know what to do NEXT in business. Which product should I launch next? What if I don;t know what it will cost me really? What if my idea isn’t really that good? What if no one buys my clothing line – accessories – jewelry – widgets?

In this video clip, you’ll meet Anne as she takes the “hot seat” during my live startup Bootcamp and I coach her through:

Kicking around the idea of launching for a long time but “life happens”
Having 2 great ideas for products but unsure which to choose
Afraid if she starts one that means the other business idea is closed forever
Feeling “stuck” with indecision (and fear) and tires of feeling like this
After the hotseat coaching session, feeling “10 pounds lighter”

Anne is honest and direct in this HOTSEAT coaching session – and she puts it out there for all to see. I wish every designer I met was willing to take a risk like this.

This is a clip from a LIVE event for startup fashion designers. Future event dates are here.

It’s hard to pick my favorite quote from this video…

“I’ve been kicking around the idea of going into business for a while now but life happens…”

“I feel 10 pounds lighter already!”

“I finally feel like I’m ready for that…”

“I wanted to start out doing an entire collection inspired by the beach…”

“Can I compete on price?”

“My other option – instead of doing the beach inspired line – is to start with a line of…”

Which quote do you like best?

Please pick one and tell me in the comments below. Also, if you have one piece of specific advice for Anne, PLEASE leave it in the comments below and show me you’re alive!

As always, thanks for reading and watching,

Jane

P.S. The next Live startup event, the “Launch a Line” Breakthrough Bootcamp – is happening September 12, 2014, in Chicago. If Anne can get clarity from a one-day event, why not you too? It’s your chance to get a PLAN for your business. Check it out here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/events/

Podcast #8: How to Turn Your Good Publicity into Profit

May 16, 2014 by Jane Hamill 4 Comments

Podcast episode #8 gives you 5 things you can do to get your publicity to translate into profit. I mean, what’s the point of going after media placement if it doesn’t result in sales?

Turn your publicity into profit >>>

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

How to turn “lookers” into buyers
What to do when a prospect doesn’t want to buy just yet
How to make sure you keep in touch with web traffic
How one simple website tweak can increase qualified leads by 20%
What to ask yourself if you get traffic from media placement but no sales

So here’s the thing…

We don’t always know what press placement will result in more traffic to our sites. And we definitely cannot always predict what sales will come from press.

What you CAN do is be ready for the website traffic that publicity will send your way. You want to do EVERYTHING in your power to use that press to convert lookers into buyers. Today’s episode gives you 5 simple, actionable steps you can do right away to boost sales.

And tell me this… Did you like this podcast? If so, will you please click the LIKE button and share the love? I would very much appreciate it!

OK, it’s time to take action. Which of these 5 strategies will you start with? What specific action (however small or large) will you take right now? Let me know in the comments below.

Podcast #7: What Retail Buyers are Thinking But Won’t Tell You

May 9, 2014 by Jane Hamill 9 Comments

Podcast episode #7 gets down and dirty with the truth – what’s inside the buyer’s brain that they’ll never tell you.

Click here to get inside a buyer’s mind >>>

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

Why you need to hear the truth but buyers won’t tell you
What keeps a buyer from writing an order for your line
3 pet peeves about working with emerging designers
The #1 reason I didn’t write an order with a new designer when I owned my boutique
Why retailers are not completely honest with you
Ways to overcome buyers’ objections

Here’s the thing…

Most people want to be nice. They don’t want to hurt your feelings. Which often means they don’t tell you what they really think.

This works well in polite society because no one really wants confirmation that their hair is frizzy today, or that my butt looks fat in these jeans, or that I talk too much, or… you get the idea.

But a lack of honest feedback can hurt you when it comes to selling your line to boutiques.

You NEED to hear the truth.

So you can tweak your line.

So you can learn what (if anything) you’re doing wrong.

So you can get the order.

So listen in to today’s podcast as I spill the beans about what buyers are thinking but NOT saying.

Brutal truth and all.

And if you want to learn the entire process of selling to boutiques, I recommend my online course, “How to Sell Your Line to Boutiques”. It goes through the process of approaching a boutique (my proven postcard method), how often to follow up, and what to say.

Did you like this podcast? If so, will you please click the LIKE button and share the love? I would very much appreciate it!

Jane

P.S. Now it’s YOUR turn (and my favorite part of doing a podcast).

Will you PLEASE tell me in the comments below?

A: Has a retail buyer ever turned you down but you have no idea why?

B: What will you do differently if that happens again?

C: Do you have ONE great tip to share with others so we can learn from you?

P.P.S. Here’s the direct podcast link if you have any trouble listening in: http://bit.ly/fbapodcast7

Podcast #6: My 3 Biggest Mistakes as a Fashion Designer

April 24, 2014 by Jane Hamill 3 Comments

Click here to listen to the podcast >>

I don’t think I can even count as high as the number of mistakes I made with my clothing line and retail store. I mean, I was GREEN when I started! Trial and error was just a way of life for me back then and it really cost me — in terms of time, money, and energy.

I have to admit that it was pretty tough to come up with the top 3 mistakes (so many to choose from, ya know?) but here they are…

Fudging my cost sheets so I didn’t have to see the real numbers
Being a wuss about my pricing because I didn’t have the confidence I needed
Working like a dog without planning so I often worked on the wrong projects

Can you relate?

I hope this little confession helps you! I’d love to see you learn from my experience and use it to make your business stronger and, well, less hard.

Click to hear my 3 biggest mistakes >>>

Now I KNOW you’ve made some mistakes, right? Can you share with me in the comments below a specific example of what happened and what you’ll do differently next time? Just scroll down to the comments section, OK?

As always, thanks for reading and listening!

Jane

P.S. My New Designer Program is a mistake-bashing dream come true for startups! I recommend it if you want to learn the steps involved in launching a fashion business. Find it here: http://bit.ly/1g7ZfgG

P.S. I’ll be putting the Podcast on iTunes in a few more weeks. To download the podcast to your phone or mobile device, go to the podcast here. Then follow these instructions:

1. Right click on the recordings link (to right click on a mac, hold down the “Control” key while you click the link).
2. Select “Save link as”, “Download linked file as”, or “Save Target as”, depending on your web browser.
Chrome Users: Left click on the link, then press Control S (Command S on mac) to download the audio.

Podcast #5: Why Did You Start Your Fashion Business?

April 11, 2014 by Jane Hamill 4 Comments

Why did you start your business? Do you ever wonder why other designers take the plunge?

Behind every business is a story. There’s a big WHY for each and every one of you reading this right now. And your story is unique and valuable.

Today’s podcast (12 minutes) tells some of those stories and peeks behind the curtain of 14 entrepreneurs and their WHY.

Click here to learn why other designers got started >>>

When it comes to the WHY, what motivates one person can be completely different than what motivates another.

Here’s my story.

I was 25 and living in Chicago. I moved here from Manhattan where I had worked as an assistant designer on 7th Avenue. I didn’t particularly love my job designing coats, but it was a job and I was learning a lot.

About a year into my Chicago job with the same company, they announced I would have to move back to NY, actually New Jersey (which felt like a foreign country to me) if I wanted to keep my job.

I wanted to stay in Chicago but I knew that good design jobs in the Midwest were rarer than a Chanel jacket at 80% off. A long-time Chicago fashion industry person (whom I trusted) told me “If you ever want to make over $30,000 in this town, you’ll have to start your own thing”. Start my own thing? No thanks – I wanted a job.

So I started looking and actually landed myself one of those jobs. About a week before my first day, I had a disagreement with my new boss who wasn’t even technically my boss yet.

Here’s what happened… My boyfriend’s brother was getting married in Colorado in 3 months and I wanted to take a week off for the wedding. I was giving my boss 3 months notice which I assumed was pretty cool. She said no. It was “during the busy season and company policy dictated that there would be no vacation for 6 months”. Ummmmm. Company policy?

I was about to be the very first employee in this small startup clothing line. She WAS the company. They didn’t even have any sales yet. So I asked again, nicely, and promised her, “I’ll start early and work late the weeks before and after the wedding week” not to mention that it was 3 months away and we could plan around it.

A resounding NO. That was when I decided I didn’t want to work for her – or for anyone really. I turned down the job and started the process of starting my own fashion company. I had no idea how to do it (and no money) but I figured I could always waitress if things didn’t work out – a major advantage of being 25 with no one to worry about but myself.

I guess you could say that I started because I deemed myself unemployable. Or maybe I started my own line because the idea of making only 30K – ever – was unacceptable. Why I STAYED in business 14 years (and thrived) is another story that includes loving my work, making a profit, and working my butt off (maybe another podcast on that).

So listen in and hear the story of other designers’ WHY. I think you’ll like it! I think my favorite is the woman from Kenya – or mabye the one from the designer who realized what she was doing was really what her parents wanted and not her passion.

Click here to hear other designers’ stories

So now I want to hear from you. In the comments below, tell me this — why did YOU start your business? And if you haven’t started yet, tell me why you want to start! If you’ve been in business for a while, why to you stay? What keeps you going?

As always, thanks for reading and listening,

Jane

P.S. To download the podcast to your phone or mobile device, go to the podcast here. Then follow these instructions:

What’s the Best Way to Photograph Your Clothing Line for Your Online Store?

January 5, 2014 by Jane Hamill 3 Comments

What’s the Best Way to Photograph Your Clothing Line for Your Online Store?

Hey there!

A lively discussion is going on over on the Fashion Brain Facebook Page.

Q: “I have a question for other designers who sell online: do you find that your clothing sells better when shown on a model, or when shown as a product image against a white background?” – Molly Marie

A: Check out other designers’ answers below as well as my 2 cents at the bottom. I’d love to hear what YOU think so check it out and let me know below.

Post by Fashion Brain Academy.

Definitely on a model! I found that my designs on FB get more response when they are on a model. I’m think people can relate more to a model and can see themselves wearing it. At the moment all my designs on website are on mannequin heads, so will definitely spend the cash to have a model wearing them.

I think it depends on the product. I might buy a tee or something basic without seeing on a model. I like to show both, personally.

I actually love both styles, edited the right way they both do the job.

I’ve had this same thought/question?! Additionally, dress form vs real model

I started out without models, but then when people started emailing asking to see how the product was worn, the light bulb went off. I spent some money on live models. I actually learned from the models as well- they wore the ” Skirt the Issue” with their own style incorporated!

Model for retail, model and product for wholesale

I think models are a great way to build a business. Put the clothes on them, photograph them for others, and have the perfect word-of-mouth testimonial for the garment…win win!

P.S. My models are always happy to accept clothing for payment!

Interesting discussion,right? Here’s my 2 cents. I believe your sales will go up if you have things on models. Less risky for the buyer – they know what they are getting.

P.S. A few weeks after this post, I heard back from Molly Marie (who posed the initial question) and she wrote:

“Thanks for posting this for me, Jane! I find that Facebook users respond well to “invisible mannequin” images, but wholesale accounts, Instagram and website retail buyers like to see the entire brand image (on models).”

What do YOU think? Please leave a comment and tell us what works for you. What have you tried? What got the best response?