WebWork series - Your own Clothing Line
The Traditional Way - Write a business plan, Get a lot of money accumulated, do lots of research into what the competition is like, work on the legal aspects of the business, decide on a brand name, design the clothes, produce design samples and start looking for stores that will buy your line [marketing comes in here].
The WebWork Way - Technology has come in to ease the process for you in several ways including:
- Design: You dont have to sit down and start sketching physically. There are numerous websites that have online software, which allows you to just drag and drop - yes! Drag and drop ready made designs, add colors, choose shirt or dress styles, with a visual that updates to show you what your creation looks like each second.
And there is no limit to what you can design - shirts, dresses, baby wear, even wedding dresses! So if you are not really a sketching kind of person, you can select pre-sketched designs! And if you are, you can upload your own designs to use in their site! Even if you need inspiration, you can just browse through their site first before designing - just like you would be searching for all those magazines to pore through, for topping your creative levels.
- Production: You don't have to start looking for a manufacturer to produce your designs. Simply go to their sites, sign up [for free], design, and ship some to yourself! What we admire about these sites is the What-You-Design-Is-What-You-Get policy, which means whatever you desing is what you will get.
- Promotion: After you design, and produce, the next step is to go round stores to market your clothes, but technology has gone a step further. Not only do these sites aid your design and production, they also help you promote your designs by including them in their marketplace or online stores. They also sign up affiliates by the dozens, who, in some cases opt to create online stores that will contain YOUR designs! And you get paid for it all! So, while you are targeting those physical stores in your county or area, they are also busy marketing your clothes to the WHOLE WORLD!
- Delivery: Say, the Buyer in that store you have been visiting finally decides to buy some of your designs. That good news, in the traditional way, usually means that you have to return to the drawing board, design, sew and package the orders - all a lot of work. Well, we are glad to tell you that these sites also handle receiving orders AND shipping and delivery! They handle delivery in the US and sometimes in the UK and Canada.
Now after your Clothing line goes from idea to a registered company, those three key areas that technology handles for you is very very important. In fact, with design, production, promotion and delivery taken care of, all you really need is a website to showcase your clothing line! No need for a warehouse to store your purchases, or an office space (at first) to show off the clothes, until you are financially ready!
Here are some of the links you will find very very useful!