Online start-up business - clothing brand

[Craig hogg]

Hi all! Very nice to be on the forum and meet you all.

Apologies if I offend anyone on here with my lack of knowledge on the subject of selling online and starting a new clothing brand - however the idea came to me out of nowhere and I am very excited to pursue the idea and hopefully improve my life! I have always wanted to start my own business and be my own boss - but from my upbringing such a thing seemed impossible.

Any way - on to my questions.

Can you guys provide me with advice on starting my own brand and claiming/copywriting a company name?

Also any other advice or links to websites would be appreciated.

Craig

 

[Matthew Gough]

Hi Craig, I have never worked in this sector, but a close friend of mind has a growing clothing brand. His background is in design. He's had a very tough ride and still is currently at a turnover of 5m, but the margins are very squeezed. There was also a few costly mistakes when initially getting manufacturing done in China. When he started he partnered with a local celebrity who is the face of the brand, basically local sports personality who has played for a national team, I'm sure that gave an edge in getting the ball rolling. Seems like a tough sector though

 

[Clinton]

Can you guys provide me with advice on starting my own brand...(my bold)

The best advice I can give you is to start by having tons of money. How much do you have?

 

[Matthew Gough]

The best advice I can give you is to start by having tons of money. How much do you have?

SO TRUE, my friend is still in a lot of debt, and I think his shares have dwindled through getting extra investment! Normal for this industry?? I don't know

 

[JamesWhite83]

There are thousands of clothing brands and you need to think about something, that will make yours one of a kind and really stand out. Getting original idea and designs is crucial, and be prepared to invest money and most of your time to keep your business going and be successful. Clothing industry is very tough and competitive. It is not impossible to succeed, but for sure difficult.

 

[UK Business Directory]

Not trying to put you off, but it's a very competitive market.

I have come across suppliers who are selling directly to the public via eBay.

As JamesWhite83 mentioned above, if you have an idea which makes your brand stand out, it may work.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Whilst agreeing with the above posts there is also the fact of about 60 odd million people in the uk all wanting clothes of some description, with the high street finding it hard to compete with the web

Plenty of niche area's where the competition is not as bad as others, but just keep well clear of fashion

 

[LowPrices.uk]

What is going to make your proposition unique? What consumer are you targetting?

 

[SDLBiz]

Marketing is everything, if you find someone with a large influence, preferably on social media, to associate themselves with your brand then you are off to a good start. However, this can cost a lot of money and isn't guaranteed to work. This is a tough business, everyone wants to own their own clothing brand nowadays, be prepared to lose a lot of money before you see a penny profit.