As a small business apparel owner...I get asked a lot to meet and advise on how I got started. I am happy to help anyone I can because it always helps me! Also I love being around other people that are willing to take the same Leap of Faith that I have taken!
Typically some of the same questions come up. Here are some of the most common and some links to help you get started! I have made mistakes along the way and learned from them but I also am a work in progress...so this blog reflects where I am at currently!
*Disclaimer...this is for North Carolina. If you live in another state you will need to find your state's departments to file these same articles.
*Disclaimer...I am not an expert, lawyer, accountant or professional consultant...so if you are unsure you should consult these professionals. This is just the dumb version what has worked for me!
1. Do I need to file and LLC or Incorporate? I was advised to filed an LLC. You can always incorporate at a later date after your business grows. You can file it online and it is pretty simple.
Carly's dummy meaning of LLC- The LLC basically states that your personal property or wealth can not be used if you are sued or held responsible. It is to protect you and state that your business is a separate entity. In the beginning of starting a business it is hard to think about what may go wrong...but it is an important part of the process.
2. What other paper work do I need to file? You also need a Sales and Use Tax and a Tax-ID.
Carly's dummy meaning of Tax Identities-Sales and Use is to say that you can buy wholesale and will charge the tax to the end consumer. Tax-ID is basically your SSN for your business. The LLC is separate of both of these.
3. Where do I start with my line of clothing? This is the hardest question to answer and why I ask for a face to face meeting most of the time. I would need to know at what point you are at. Meaning...do you have a design in your head? on paper? digitized? Is it one design or an entire line? To be honest I wish I had done more planning from this side of things. Once you launch you will find out that everyone has another idea for you. "You know you should really add...." It can be overwhelming...so have a good plan. But also listen to what everyone is saying to you! They may have your best seller in their head!
4. How do I find production? This is also a complex question. And it depends heavily on how you answer #3. There are some amazing people who help with this as a profession. Typically there are some full service production partners that can take your concept and bring it to life. They are out there....you just have to do the work to find the right one. The first one...may not be the right one forever. I have a loyalty problem and do not like breaking up with a partner! But this is business and it is just business...so you have to do what is right for you. Like any good break up and new relationships...there will be bumps in the road until you get it right.
5. I have a line, I have production...where do I go from here? ONLINE...you have to create an identity and the easiest way these days to do that is online. Build a website, and embrace social media. Help your future customer find you....do not be afraid to get this set up early and build anticipation for your launch. Shameless plug...join us at our Queen Bees meeting to learn more about social media!
6. What goes into my identity online and otherwise? Ahhh...this is probably 3-4 blogs worth of information. So again here is Carly's dummy version on where to start. You need a logo-small and large. You need supporting graphics. Lifestyle graphics we like to call them. You need a full photo shoot. Do not skimp on the photography. You need a personality. Decide early the vibe that you want to create...and stick to it. Your customers will appreciate it.
7. I have customers...because I have lots of friends and family. I am the first to say that I could have never gotten this far without the support of my friends and family. They are the best....but they can not support your business to the point that you will need them to, to make it successful. My advice is to seek out customers that are not in your circle and treat them like you would your family. Be strategic and choose wisely. If you get the right ones the word of mouth will take you a long way. Still use your immediate circle...just don't depend on it.
8. How does pricing work? I think that I will go into detail on this in a separate blog next week. This is a complex question and takes lots of thinking ahead. I am sure that I have not mastered it but I do have some thoughts and tips that have helped me.
9. Where do you work from? Logistics can be challenging in the beginning. I started in my house, rented a space, then moved to a keyman office, which I am quickly outgrowing. It is expensive to rent a space in the beginning and probably not necessary if you have some available space. I would save that money for marketing and when you need more space you will know. Also it your business model can affect how much space you will need so again..make a plan. Have a plan for shipping 1 item a day and 1000 items a day. When you start shipping a significant amount there are warehouses that ship for a fee. This would be the level to achieve for!
10. Outsourcing? I feel the best thing you can do for yourself when starting your own company is to know who you are and what you have to offer. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Spend some time on personality testing. I suggest the Workplace Big 5 ( http://www.centacs.com/workplace/). You can also contact a career coach. This will be the biggest time saver -hence money saver- for you. To know that accounting, or analytics are not a subjects you enjoy or understand, will make it easy for you to outsource these subjects, getting better results. I can also guarantee that you will be happier outsourcing these subjects. Having just enough knowledge on every subject is important but at the end of the day you will cannot and will not have time to be an expert at every part of your business. Find good support and use them!
I feel like I have just given you a taste of each of these subjects. I plan on writing a few more blogs to support some of what I have stated above as well as copyrights and a few other subjects that I have neglected. If you have any questions or items you would like for me to discuss...please comment below! Thanks!
