Starting A Clothing Business

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What Is Involved In Running A Clothing Business?

The owner of a clothing business must spend at least part of the day locating and purchasing inventory from various vendors and manufacturers. This is done over the Internet as well as through personal meetings.
The owner must also spend time on store displays. Clothes must be matched stylishly with the appropriate accessories.

A major part of a clothing business owner's day is spent making sure the customers are finding everything that they need. The clothing business owner must also spend time during the day taking care of the bookkeeping tasks. This may include paying bills, logging inventory or making bank deposits.

Randomly throughout the day, the clothing business owner takes the time to straighten up the store and fold clothes as needed. Even with the best customers, clothing stores tend to get a little messy from time to time.
In addition, a clothing store owner must stay on top of the latest trends by researching the latest fashion magazines, books and websites.

Special Requirements:

When you own a clothing business, it is important to dress the part. You need to dress in a business casual style that says you know a thing or two about fashion.

Equipment Necessary To Run A Clothing Business:

Acrylic displays
Countertop displays
Clothing racks
Clothing forms and mannequins
Display cases and counters
Glass displays
Gridwall
Hat racks
Jewelry displays
Slatwall
Shopping bags, tissue paper and gift boxes
Price gun
Tagging gun with tags
Size rings
Security mirrors
Shopping baskets

The Cons Of Running A Clothing Business:

Full-time job that may require you to work 12 to 14-hour days
A clothing business is a risky investment

The Pros Of Running A Clothing Business:

Running a clothing business can be fun
A versatile occupation

Skills Necessary To Run A Clothing Business:

Acute business sense
Knowledge of the clothing industry
Patience
Outgoing personality
Organizational skills
Ability to lift heavy boxes of clothes on a regular basis

Licenses Necessary For Running A Clothing Business:

You will need a business license. Check with local municipalities to determine which permits and licenses are required to run a clothing business in your state.

Associations:

American Apparel and Footwear Association

Employees & Job Requirements

Your need for additional employees will vary, however, a great rule of thumb is to hire at least one part-time and one full-time employee for every 1,000 square feet of business space.

Employees should have sales knowledge and a great personality. Employees will be trained to handle apparel and track inventory. In addition, they must also be able to manage the pressure of dealing with customers with a persuasive sense of humor.

Approximate Minimum Start Up Cost

Some clothing business owners have been able to start up with as little as $30,000, while others recommend no less than $50,000 to get the ball rolling. A number of clothing business owners have said it took them $150,000 to get their business off the ground.

Another business owner recommends that you have at least $200,000 for an average sized clothing business. Start up costs depend ultimately on the type and location of the clothing business you desire.

12 Steps To starting A Clothing Business

Before You consider a Clothing Business, see 16 Questions to Consider Before Starting a Business
1. Ensure A Clothing Business is for You!

You have a choice as to what business you're going to start, so start one that's right for you. Getting into the right business can dramatically increase your success. Get into the wrong business and your success rate drops. Read Five Secrets to Getting into the Right Business for more information.

2. Understand How A Clothing Business Operates

How can you run a Clothing Business if you don't know much about the business? What if you run into an issue that you can't or won't deal with? Then what? You're in a business that you hate working in and that's a problem. See Understand How a Business Operates for more information.

3. Make Sure there is a Profitable Market for Your Business

What's the use of starting a Clothing Business that is not profitable? You'll be putting all your effort in something that can't support itself or you. There are a variety of issues when it comes to setting the stage for profitability. See Tips for Identifying a Profitable Market.

4. Create a Business Plan For Your Clothing Business

A business plan is a must for any size business because it helps you stay focused, see the big picture, and get funding. It's something that you create when you start your business and then update as your Clothing Business evolves. Read our free online guide on How to Write a Business Plan

5. Set up your Business Team

Setting up your team includes finding the right employees and professionals that will help you run your Clothing Business.

You don't need to employ everyone you work with, but you will need a team of people you can depend on, which could consist of a lawyer, accountant, banker, and consultant, as well as professionals in your industry. See Creating a Business Team for more on this subject.

6. Get a Small Business Loan if You Don't Have the Money to Start

If you don't have the money to get started, then you'll need the necessary financing or you won't have the opportunity to start your Clothing Business. This can be done as a small business loan, a personal loan, or other small business financing options.

For more on financing your Clothing Business see our guide on Financing Your Small Business

7. Legalize Your Clothing Business

In order to run your Clothing Business legally you'll need to abide by government rules and regulations on the state and local level.

You'll need to do your research, determine what type of business (sole proprietorship, corporation LLC, etc.) to register, create and register your business name, and register your Clothing Business with state and local authorities.

To go through the business registration process, see Chapter 6: Making Your Business Legitimate, starting with 6 Easy Steps to a Good Business Name.

8. Get Equipment for Your Clothing Business

In order to run your Clothing Business successfully and efficiently you'll need to acquire the right type of equipment. How can you run an online business without a computer? You can't! This is an important issue. See Acquiring Equipment for more on this topic.

9. Insure Your Clothing Business

Make sure you have the proper insurance for your Clothing Business. Without the right coverage you could lose everything you've worked for. For tips on insuring your Clothing Business, see our free online guide: Insuring Your Small Business.

10. Prepare To Accept Money

You'll need a way to accept money, you can't depend just on cash or checks. You'll need to accept plastic: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. To do that you'll need to apply for a merchant account. See Setting Up a Merchant Account for more on this topic.

11. Set up Your Accounting System

Running a Clothing Business requires you to collect taxes, and report your earnings. So it's best to set up an accounting system in before you start your Clothing Business. See Setting Up Your Accounting System for more on this topic.

12. Acquire Customers for your Clothing Business

In order to exist, every business needs customers. Getting customers is one thing you'll need to be good at. If you can master the tasks of getting customers, it's just like turning on a cash machine almost any time you want. See Acquiring Customers for more on this topic

See Also: Our Free Online Guide to Starting A Business

Clothing Business Issues's:

Estimating Startup Costs - Find out if you're forgetting something

Business Location - Choosing A suitable one For Your Clothing Business

Build or Buy A Business? - Buying an existing Clothing Business

Clothing Business Research:

Here are some popular terms people are looking for online. These may help you during your research.

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womens clothing business
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Business Builders For Your Clothing Business:

Business cards for Your Clothing Business

Business Plan for Your Clothing Business

Business Insurance for Your Clothing Business

Small Business Loans: Finance Your Clothing Business

More Business Ideas:

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