Simply put, tags are keywords used to identify an idea. Just click on one of the tags below to find like-minded ideas.

• Respond

  Q1: Funding! Money is the number one problem in our company. We have many opportunities and have been featured on the cover of the Philadelphia Weekly. We have had exposure and a great response to our line from across the nation. Funding will enable us to push our line into a household name. (0 pieces of advice)

  Cancel
• Advise

  What advice do you have to help me grow my idea?
       (10 pieces of advice)

  Cancel

  by kathleenfasanella 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  2

  05.27.08 | 02:00 PM

  I work in the garment industry helping designers launch clothing lines.
  
  Over the past ten years, many things have changed. The prevalence of "push" manufacturing has increased. I think it's no small coincidence that bankruptcies have followed. Marketing has come to dominate rational thinking. Iow, the idea is you sell sell sell an image or brand. The clothes are a mere manifestation or expression of the brand.
  
  It didn't used to be this way. Rather, people created products worth buying for their own merits. You bought a product, not a brand. This is called "pull" manufacturing. The process is, make some samples, schlepp those around, take some orders and only then do you cut and sew based on orders. You plow money from the first season into the second and so on. People really didn't market much. Brand recognition grew via consumer satisfaction with the products (longevity, styling, sizing, quality), after which consumers would look for the label and view it favorably based on past experience.
  
  Therefore when you say "Thi…mores $10k would be used primarily for inventory to launch our clothing line.", it makes me all kinds of nervous. There's a concept in manufacturing called LEAN (aka "pull manufacturing"). Inventory is a big no no. You can't spend money if it's aging on the shelf. Why produce in advance of orders? You can't always divine the market. To sell stuff nobody wants, you'll have to mark it down -which dilutes the value of your brand in the market. If you become known for that, consumers are "trained" to wait until it's on sale.
  
  The largest manufacturer in the world is Zara. They are a lean (pull) manufacturer. They run very small lots (defined as 300-500 units). They deliver products to stores twice a week. Their products are never on sale. They don't re run styles. Consumers know that if they see something they like, they have to bite the bullet and get it then otherwise, they won't have the chance later. Guess how much Zara spends on marketing? Less than .01% of gross. That's right, less than point zero one percent (.0001).
  
  Another matter of sustainability. How sustainable is your product line if you're producing in advance of orders? To be truly sustainable, you should only produce what people have ordered. Otherwise, it ends up in the landfill (worse case scenario but not going through a clothing broker or two who dramatically discounts it along the way). I feel it's a matter of responsibility to only produce what you have orders for. It makes more sense in every way. You don't have money tied up in inventory that you don't know will sell and you're not tying up resources that others may use. Here are some entries from my blog about fashion and sustainability:
  http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/is_fast_fashion_sustainable.html
  http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/organic_vs_sustainability.html
  
  I also write way too many entries about lean manufacturing to link to them all here but the category can be found here: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/lean_manufacturing/

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No

  by jmholmes23 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  0

  04.23.08 | 03:09 PM

  This company totally deserves to win, I worked for them as an intern and the line is a hit!! Come on VINTAGE BLUE!!!

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No

  by inspector_wendy 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  0

  04.23.08 | 02:40 PM

  It's not just sportswear however, correct? I think I went to the correct site and saw vintage dresses? Or was that a different company? I really loved the dresses!

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No

  by DrC 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  0

  04.23.08 | 05:41 AM

  Funding for this venture is probably limited to family and friends.
  
  Your market is probably too limited and does not offer enough growth potential for traditional equity investment (angels and VCs). Not enough growth potential, especially using a movie that is several years old as your theme. Don't feel bad about this, as they actually only fund a fraction of a percent of deals in the US.
  
  Banks will only loan you money on your personal credit for a start-up like this. If you have homes that you can borrow against you should be able to get some help from a bank.
  
  So that leaves friends and family. Treat their money as a true outside investment. Set up terms and conditions. Be realistic with them about potential returns and all of the risks. Thanksgiving dinner comes every year, so let's avoid creating family problems that center around unrealized expectations of any investment. Families can be complicated enough as it is!
  
  

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No

  by CurlyFatAngry 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  0

  04.21.08 | 03:16 PM

  Have you considered partnering with one or more of the charities in your area? I think they use lots of t-shirts for marathons and what not, maybe a good way to sell some and get your brand out there.

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No

  by easyeboy 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  0

  04.19.08 | 02:43 PM

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No

  by duckling 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  0

  04.18.08 | 03:47 PM

  Have you looked into venture capital? There are a lot of Philadelphia based firms that concentrate in local investment. It's worth looking into.

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No

  by schlaf55 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  0

  04.18.08 | 11:52 AM

  Many universities across the country have business plan competitions where they award start ups anywhere from $1K - $50K. Sometimes anyone can enter the contest but there are some where you (or your business partners) must be alumni of the institution.

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No

  by dildimes 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  1

  04.16.08 | 10:20 PM

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No

  by dildimes 

  This is helpful advice

  You found this helpful

  2

  04.16.08 | 10:18 PM

  good luck I wish i could donate $10000

  Report Abuse

  Are you sure you want to report as abuse?
  Yes No