Comments on: Designer’s guide to a business plan

By: Carla

Carla — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:45:10 +0000

Kathleen said:

“I think it’s best to stand alone and position yourself against your own best effort. You already have a personal mission, write it down. What’s important to you? Write it down. Develop your own definition of integrity with regard to your people, product and practices. Then stick to it. If you’re good enough, you don’t need to borrow somebody else’s hype.”

…and a great example of this is a wonderful book called “Let My People Go Surfing” by the creator of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard. It’s a short, but brilliant look at a company that did exactly what Kathleen recommends!

By: sarah

sarah — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:18:22 +0000

I can’t believe I overlooked this post in the past. Maybe because it makes so much sense for me to find now. This is where the glamour of being a fashion designer could wear off for many! I’ve made a lot of mistakes getting to this point, luckily before I really sold reproduced cut and sew goods to multiple retailers! It is scary to think about making more mistakes once you get in stores. Being an equipment dork, computer geek, learning patternmaking and sewing have all helped me to know and present my products in and out and communicate to the production people, who really are the backbone and I promise to listen very closely to anything they tell me. I don’t know if I would ever stop sewing up the samples myself, as I can learn and innovate the whole time.

Just now entering, in earnest, my first ever round of sales (in this economy). I’ve been looking up tips on cold-calling and sales, crafting a script and practicing out loud while doing the dishes. I won’t be attending a tradeshow just yet. But I am launching with a very small collection, as per KF’s advice. Acting on another’s advice, I guess you could say, I’m going door-to-door. It seems a good way for me to keep initial expenses low and have a manageable project with containable misjudgements or miscalculations. I could be wrong! Although, something seems very charming about visiting the actual stores and with product in hand “that will improve your life and social standing!”

I do feel with the market I’m striving to be in, I do have to have the branding just so. It helps that I’ve gotten some press and the chance to work with other talented people, for next to nothing, to get the look my company needs. This meant gutting my entire website and rebuilding, it hadn’t been changed or updated, in about ohhhh, 3 years. Who cares, no one was looking at the time anyways! I finally went to a template model so I can update when and where I want. Control, total control, ahhhhhhhh. I then shot and created my lookbook, which included building an order form and technical drawings in PDF form. I’ve been sourcing fabrics, calling contractors and forging a database of stores in a 6 or so hour drive radius. Also, considering fella’s who would go with me on the mission to model the garments. I haven’t made a sample in every size, like a totally on point salesgirl would. There’s always next time… I see tradeshows in my future, but I’d like to grow slowly. No rush to make the millions. I’d be happy just paying the bills, traveling and dining well! Peace!

By: Sonia Levesque

Sonia Levesque — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:39:02 +0000

This 2006 entry, resurfacing in 2009 is COMPLETELY relevant for me at the moment. But really; what ISN’T on that site? *big smile*

Thank you for the tips and “real life knowledge”. This new business plan of mine will be so different than the first one I did 4 years ago… for a business that failed.

By: Jade

Jade — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 21:01:48 +0000

I have designed some very unique, sexy, funky shoes (on paper that is) and I was wondering how do I get a company to finacially back me and manufacture my shoes?

By: Deborah Goodwin

Deborah Goodwin — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 21:39:16 +0000

I am the Director of Sourcing for the Garment Industry Development Corporation in New York. I work with Young Designers (DEs) daily, and the advise I’ve been reading here could have come from my mouth as well. Too many of my designers focus on their “branding” efforts rather than their product, and also seem to overlook a key to success – SALES. You need sales to drive your business. You need cash flow to finance your operations. Try to decide how and where you are going to sell your product before you spend a cent on samples, press packs, labels, shows, etc.
Focus on your product development. What is it that will make your items special? What is the market you are trying to reach?(Really,none of you are couturiers, even if you are making custom items)Learn every detail of your product – I can’t tell you how many come to me with something they want to make, but they haven’t even sourced the fabric. Who do you expect to do that for you – you’re the one who has to know exactly what you want, or you won’t get it! If you don’t know, ask. People in this industry love to talk and share information.
Most importantly, take a deep breath, and make an action time-line, so your launch can be achieved by taking one step at a time. You don’t need to worry about spending on trade shows before you’ve made a sample.
PS – I’m going to buy the book and tell all my designers about this blog. It’s great!

By: Cinnamon

Cinnamon — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 23:14:09 +0000

I completely agree that buyers will wait for quality made products. Most of my orders are received via my web shop and when I receive an order I email the purchaser an inform them when to expect an email from me letting them know that their bag was shipped and when they should expect to receive it.

Be advised, that unless you say otherwise on your website, you’re legally required to ship the product within 4 weeks. As long as you have it stated on your website that it may take longer, you’re fine.

By: Eric H

Eric H — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 19:56:32 +0000

The concept of overdeveloping (paralysis by analysis) is treated in the book, Developing Products in Half the Time. They specifically direct you to move to prototyping as early as possible so that you can learn quickly and get the product designed and out the door. Something else your readers might consider is to go through the process of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) (examples here , here (Powerpoint), and here). This is a formal process of mapping customer desires to your processes and process inputs, and comparing those to your competitors. It is important to plan, but since you can never have all of the necessary and accurate information locked up in your potential customers' heads, you should develop the plan quickly with a formal system such as QFD, identify the quality of your estimates, identify contingencies, and then WORK THE PLAN. Don't forget to update it as you go, documenting the lessons learned, but doing work is as important to the process as laying the plan once you have the basic outline down. Remember that everyone has a plan until they get hit, so get hit, get up, and get back into the fight. Toyota's planning and testing started when they got into the truck business even though their fundamental desire was to produce a sedan. They got hit then, they got hit again when the Occupational Force forced them to accept a union (the owner apologized to the workers because he felt the union added a level of bureaucracy to their relationsip), they got hit again when they subsequently had to lay people off, they got hit again and again. Today, Ford and GM are PWN3D!

By: Big Irv

Big Irv — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 18:27:31 +0000

This is about as accurate an interpretation of the industry as I have read in many years. Your take on “consultants” was right on. From a manufacturers viewpoint, I have had great difficulty working with some consultants that DE’s have hired to help further their business. In many cases, basic technical knowledge is evidently lacking, and their actual contributions can impede growth, rather than stimulate or streamline it.
Choose your consultants wisely. Many are great at “self promotion”, and the handsome fee they demand is better used in other parts of your growing business. Thanks Kathleen. I’m emailing your post to a couple of people I know that should invest in your book. And soon.

By: anna

anna — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 09:52:25 +0000

this is so good. i’ve been worrying about asking clients to wait potentially 4-6 weeks for made-to-order knitwear, but as you say, it can be made to add to the cachet of the product. thanks for a wonderful blog.

By: Carol Kimball

Carol Kimball — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 03:02:37 +0000

If you’ve read this far, you’ve demonstrated that you think this site is worthwhile.

If you haven’t already, buy her book.
If you’ve bought her book, buy her DVDs.
If you’ve bought her book and her DVDs, send her a donation.

No, I don’t get a cut of the action, other than the stimulation and learning of everyone Kathleen’s collected here, led (far out in front) by herself.

You say you will, but you won’t. Do it now.