Comments on: Style Numbers revisited

By: meilin

meilin — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 01:46:50 +0000

“As I said before, naming styles rather than numbering them is a way that you’ve drawn attention to the fact that you’re a newbie and consequently, either a target or someone who is too green to understand the value of our services and products. So why would we go through the hassle of working with you?”

I was reacting to the above statement. So if someone is a newbie, and let’s assume makes a few innocent mistakes which is inevitable since a newbie may not know everything, then that bars them from getting access to manufacturing?

There are more neutral ways the manufacturer protects themselves from hassles… isn’t that what the minimum order requirement is for? Or putting the newbie on the last place in the manufacturers production schedule… Or having higher prices for lower orders?

There was nothing in my statement that implies a manufacturer is obligated to take a newbie on, but simply not being so hasty in their judgment ‘oh this person is a newbie, forget it’.

The Dip as a concept applies generally to all sectors.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:57:21 +0000

I am well aware of who Seth Godin is (and as my visitors know, have linked to him many times) but I don’t think you understand my point (the day Seth knows as much about my business as I do, I’ll acquiesce). For many of us, a newbie is not our customer so it is pointless for us to market to them or do the heavy lifting for them. It’s my understanding that Halliburton is also in the concrete business but good luck trying to hire them if you need a concrete slab poured. I don’t know why it is that people assume that just because they can find us, that we are somehow obligated to take them on as a customer. This is why so many contractors hide, they never advertise or market themselves. That’s their choice. You can say it’s stupid or that it’s hurting their business but this is not the case in my experience. Rather the opposite is true. Start up contractors who will take anyone go out of business fast. To survive, they become more discriminatory in the clients they choose to accept.

Let’s look at it your way, you assume that contractors should be in the education business. Veritable colleges don’t take just anyone so I don’t understand why people think businesses should. It would be something else if contractors got tax money like public schools and so have to take anyone but even state colleges who get tax money don’t. Or how about, you go to a nursing college but you insist that they teach you fashion design? Good luck trying to get that college to change their entire curriculum and basis of operation with your point: “At first it’s more effort than it’s worth, but over time, you get over the dip and you build a business relationship which pays off over the long term. It may be good business policy.” Most of us are in the business of providing production services. We are not in the education business. That we may choose to help someone out, someone WE decide is worth the effort (see below) is not the same thing as being obligated to help everyone. We don’t owe it to anyone.

The viability of a client -how we decide someone is worth helping- is usually determined by the quality of the questions they ask. It might be more productive were you to spend some time to read and learn more. The more you know, the better your questions will be.

By: Meilin

Meilin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:11:44 +0000

The concept of the Dip written by Seth Godin who is a world class marketer also refers to the fact that initially it may be a pain for a manufacturer to deal with a newby. At first it’s more effort than it’s worth, but over time, you get over the dip and you build a business relationship which pays off over the long term. It may be good business policy.

Of course I’m not referring to a newby who only hands you sketches. Although there are famous designers in the interior world who have done that… and what they lack in technical expertise they may make up for it in connections or taste or whatever. In business it’s good to be flexible and not to judge things too quickly.

anyway I found your blog helpful :0)

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:54:43 +0000

Meilin, you’re making some grave assumptions. Many of us don’t have the time or resources to hold people’s hands, we only have time to work with newbies who’ve done some heavy lifting on their own before they get to us. This is not any different from someone who has decided they’re going to open a surgery clinic only they’re not even a doctor. Is the local hospital supposed to be “gracious” and train them for free? I don’t understand why people think our industry should be any different, that just because someone can draw a picture, that we’re somehow obligated to spend hours of time, on our dime, to teach them how to work with us. That’s why I wrote this book and write this blog, so you can learn. I don’t see anybody else doing it so it makes no sense to me that you criticize the one person who is doing something about it and at no cost to you.

Business is not a democracy, we choose our customers just as you will. Maybe you would feel it is okay if a new store came to you and said you have to sell to them on credit, that it’s the only gracious thing to do, but you wouldn’t last long if you did making this whole discussion academic. No one owes anyone anything.

By: Meilin

Meilin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:41:23 +0000

you would go through the hassle of working with newbies because of ‘the dip’ concept by Seth Godin. Everybody is a newby at something, it’s only the gracious thing to do.

By: kevin

kevin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:23:53 +0000

thank you for clairfying the information of style numbes & letters valuable insight always leads the way

By: Michele

Michele — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:08:15 +0000

Okay…so I have a line of children’s sets which are available with long or short sleeves, and with pants, shorts or skirts…and all sets are available in a wide range of fabric prints. SO, I am thinking I need to have a style number for each variation on the set, and then a second string of numbers to denote the print? (i.e. 101-901…101 being a short-sleeved skirt set for example, and 901 referring to the print…) Does that make sense?

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 22 May 2007 20:00:36 +0000

I am just trying to read all the old posts.I am sitting here snickering about this post and the PN number posts Ha! if only
as previous mentioned I worked at import and domestic manufacturer in Canada. They have been around over 65 years. The number system for style is soooo messed up.

first the style number were 6 character long
first four for style last two for line and sizing ie XXXX16 the 1 for regular regular size and 6 for specific brand or customer. now they did start all the parka in say “2300″ section but they keep that for all lines i.e. the mid price and higher priced line therefore leaving only 99 style for type of garment for both lines ha ha ha
fortunately they are business who does not change it product a lot it is work wear very basic stuff

when they added import 10 years ago they insisted the first character be turned into “i” therefor leaving only three character for style – at first the imports were small, eventually thing picked up and in the three years I was there, we went through over 999 styles. so when I left we using numeric and alpha like I5j412 ha ha ha ha

now you ask why only 6 character – because the computer system which is written in basic or some other decrypted old language and could only handle 6 digits – kinda the Y2K thing memory space.
Now you ask just up grade the system ha ha ha ha when i joined they said in three years the have a new system up and running. I been gone 8 months still no system even on the horizon.

additionally some major customers have transposed and added characters to our repeat style numbers They now do not fit into the system and the customer won’t change back so we had cheat sheet to know what style is what. ha ha ha ha

By: Summer

Summer — Mon, 21 May 2007 16:25:20 +0000

I am a designer working on my line. Can anyone suggest a manufacture that I can use to have my pieces produced once I receive orders? My line is small so a small production will do for now. Also what are usually the minimums that designers have for boutiques price wise? My friend suggested $1500 min. order amounts. Is that too high or average?

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 20:14:45 +0000

A clue to the answer to your question can be found within the entry How to issue style numbers pt. 128:
Then, the coding system is useful for other kinds of specialization. Let’s say you stick with women’s apparel but you branch into pricier or lower cost lines than the one you launched with. You’d need a numbering series for a higher price point and to distinguish it from your existing one. Similarly, if you add a modest price point, it’d need it’s own series too.

10000 = existing women’s line
20000 = pricier women’s line
30000 = modest priced line

If your product line became so successful and had such longevity that you’d have produced 999 skirts, chances are excellent that well before that ever happened, you would have introduced an entirely different label/category, if not 2 or 3 others by then.