Ten Key Resources You Need To Start A Clothing Business

There are ten key resources you need to start a clothing business. You can apply this process to any creative business that involves making a product to sell. Unfortunately, these processes are not one-size-fits-all, nor does this list constitute a step-by-step plan. To establish and run a successful business, you will need to engage in more than one aspect at a time to successfully get your clothing business off the ground and running. Nor can you finish one part then move onto the next. As you go through the process of putting your business into operation, you will frequently need to go back to the beginning and add another detail or adjust one of the old ones.  

The ten key resources you need to start a clothing business are: education, an idea, a plan, a team, manufacturing, backers, advertising, reputation, and record keeping. 

1. Education—This does not have to be formal education. Whether you are the product of a homeschool, or an ivy-league preparatory that has funneled into a PhD program, learning about your chosen industry is essential. Education, in this viewpoint, includes: knowledge of the industry, general business and basic bookkeeping practices, understanding of clothing creation/manufacture, acquaintance with various fabrics, knowledge of trends in manufacturing and business practices within and without the clothing industry (organic, fair trade, humane working conditions, etc.), customer contact skills, and continuous input of new ideas to keep your business product fresh and competitive.
2. A unique, creative idea: Whether you want to focus on a specific aspect of fashion or you want to develop a broader line that will embrace several different types and styles of clothing, you need one specific idea that will tie all the others together. You might be taking advantage of a specific type of fabric such as an eco-efficient artificial fabric or focus on locally and sustainably grown cotton, flax (linen), or sheered animal fiber such as wool. Or you might zero in on one of those neglected clothing features such as usable pockets vs. tie-on pockets or shoulder bags. Your big feature might be employing local workers under to create one-of-a-kind items while working in excellent conditions. Whatever it is, you need something that acts like a burst of color on a simple background, bringing your business into focus for the world. 

1. A business plan: to misquote a certain famous politician, you need a plan for that. A business plan is a written snapshot of your business, from your unique idea and top designers to the least of your support help. It needs to include your location, your target market, the materials you will require, and the mood/feeling/central philosophy of your company. Your company philosophy might range from “We’re just in it for the money” to “We want to save the world,” but your business plan needs to lay out the nuts and bolts that will fasten all the parts of your business activities together in order to create your product, advertise it, sell it, keep track of all the parts, and (one hopes) attract backers in the form of loans or share-holders. You might protest that you intend to be a sole proprietor; but in clothing manufacturing, that limits you to products that can be created by one person or their immediate family. That means your business will earn some money but will be limited in scope. Regardless of the type of business, you will need to register it, get all necessary licenses, and be aware of import/export regulations if your products (at any stage) are shipped internationally. 
2. A team: Making something to wear takes time, money, and actual hands-on work. Three-dimensional printers not-withstanding, we have yet to reach the age of the replicator. While you might start your product line with a computer model of a garment or accessory, someone, somewhere will have to cut the fabric and stitch the garments. In addition, someone (several someones) will need to crunch the numbers, keep an eye on working conditions, sell the products, keep up with the advertising, talk to the bankers/shareholders, make nice with social media, and more. Trying to do all of this by yourself leads to long hours, loss of sleep, and ultimately taking a medical vacation. Begin your venture with a reliable team of two or three and add people as you go along. The number of people you need will depend, in part, on your business plan. 
3. Manufacturer/manufacturing plan: Quality manufacturing is essential for any clothing business, whether it involves printing on pre-made garments or creating one-of-a-kind items tailored (in every sense of the word) to the buyer. Whether you select a company that already makes items similar to yours or you set up your own sewing shop, this will be an essential part of your business and the workers there are a vital part of your team. In today’s modern work environment, it is important that the people who make your clothing are employed in a congenial location, with their health and safety well protected. Let’s make sweat shops a thing of ancient history. 
4. Business Backers: Unless this is a family business, you will need backers to develop your clothing line. For that matter, even if it starts out as a family business, eventually you will probably want to extend your business, and that will require financial backing. This could take the form of loans, additional partners, or shareholders. You will want someone who understands business models and how they work in charge of this part of your business. This is also part of where education comes in handy. You can gain acumen in this are through formal classes or experience, cut someone in your clothing business should have an excellent grounding in this area. 
5. Advertising: It isn’t enough to have a great idea, you need to tell others about it. Furthermore, your advertising department should not be an under-funded stepchild of your business/backing department. You need someone running your public relations who understands how to handle it from public announcements of special operations to weekly flyers and customer coupons. 
6. Buyers: Who are your buyers? Are you targeting the ever-growing numbers of retirees? Or is your best audience upwardly mobile young corporate climbers? Maybe you’ve decided to create affordable, comfortable garments for practical everyday wear, or maybe you want departments that do each of those things and more. Your buyers are an important part of your team. You want to keep them happy because without them everything else falls apart. 
7. Reputation: While saying that you need to be a good world citizen might sound a bit crazy, there’s some real truth to the statement. You want to be known as a garment creator/maker who takes into consideration environmental impact, worker health, comfort, practicality, and beauty in your products. More than that, you want to be a company that stands behind its products. From the customer who ordered the wrong size to that faulty zipper or even abused carryall bag, you need to have a warranty policy in place, and you need to stand behind it. You want to be the company where people say, “It was perfect.” And also, “It had a problem, and they made good on it.” Not every garment will be perfect, no matter how good your people are. Not every customer will be honest about their problem with your product. To have a good reputation, you need to have a policy in place to be able to deal with both. 
8. Excellent record keeping: There’s a lot to keep track of in a clothing business. You will want a superb accounting department that will not only count all the “beans” but also make sure that your company is appropriately compliant with all city, county, country, and international rules. An excellent, responsible accountant is a valuable member of your team.

Related Questions

Is this everything I will need to start a clothing business? 

Probably not. And you don’t have to get all ten items together at once. But you will want to have them early in your business process.

I just want to knit sweaters and sell them at my local flea market. This sounds a lot more complicated than I need. Do I really need all these things?

Your handknit sweaters will require materials. You will need a clean, secure place for your materials and manufacture – no pet fur or spilled food, thanks. You’ll need buyers, your flea market is your selling platform, but you might need to let people know when you have new designs. If your business grows to other knitters, then you’ll need a plan for expansion. 

I want to create print-on-demand designs for ready-made items. Is there an easy way to do that without all these ten things?

Yes, there is an easy way, but you will still have all ten things going on. There are several companies that offer print-on-demand garments, hats, bags, and other items. The printing company provides the items, you supply the design, and use a process generally known as “drop shipping” to fulfill your customer orders. The printing company is your manufacturer and takes care of part of the shipping process. But you still have the designing, the advertising, the licensing, and all the record keeping for your expenses and income. 

To learn more about how to start your own fashion clothing line check out my startup documents here

Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.