On many occasions, one thinks about “how to start a clothing business” as an initial step in a home-based business which one hopes will get them out of financial dependence. People dress for all occasions as a requirement of their society, and thus fashion at large is another kind of demand as it grows. Statistics show that this sum may even exceed $1.2 trillion by 2027 from $820 billion in 2023.
You may be someone who possesses enough aesthetic and fashion sense to predict upcoming trends. Or you are someone who did jobs connected with the fashion industry. Or you could be a new entrepreneur on the road to starting a business with this always-in-demand product.
The eCommerce fashion market is big enough to develop, while there are many niches to choose from such that you cannot stray into any trap. In this regard, the article below will give you an idea on how to start a small clothing business from home.
Contents
1. Can you start a clothing business from home?
In short, you absolutely can. Small or large investment capital, inventory or not, all have their options for you. With the development of eCommerce and accompanying services, along with social media, building a digital store and approaching customers is quite easy. Or at least it won’t be as difficult as before.
What you need to do is create a proper business plan and marketing strategy, and determine your niche. That niche is the product you will sell, and make sure your business can grow in that niche.
Which business model do you want to choose – wholesale, retail, or dropshipping? Do you want to develop a physical store? Which eCommerce platforms or marketplaces will you choose for your store? On which social platform will you promote your store?
Almost everything about advice on the best business ideas is available on the internet. Finally, the adaptability, expandability, and affordability of the apparel industry will allow you to start a clothing brand from scratch.
2. How to start a clothing business from home: Step-by-step
2.1. Research the market
When it comes to famous apparel brands, almost everyone can name some. However, if you consider the apparel market as a large iceberg, those famous brands only contribute to the tip of that. This remains formed by local brands, and smaller fashion labels as well – similar to your store once established.
Learning about the market is the initial step of figuring out how to start a clothing business, to have the most comprehensive view of the business you have chosen usually includes researching 3 main components: Market, target audience, and competitors.
Simply put, a market survey should be aimed at finding out if there is any space left for your business among numerous clothing business ideas. Is such a gap large enough for your business to be competitive?
It covers every aspect of your business from market size to your target audience – their gender, age, occupation, buying habits, and their demands. Besides, research thoroughly other companies of comparable size out there. You may adopt their strategies, such as marketing strategies, pricing, promotions, offers, and sale channels for your apparel store.
2.2. Determine your niche
In this step, you will identify the products that you’ll sell. One cannot handle many products at a time – only consider that when your business kicks off strongly and you can manage a wide product catalog. If you have to make an overall assessment when researching the industry, then determining the niche for your business requires you to identify narrow focused potential gaps.
It is not necessary to look for some unexplored niche, as it is very complicated in the highly developed industry of fashion with its long traditions and constant innovations development. What your store will be specialized in will result from your knowledge and passion while another part is taken into consideration by market research.
Sometimes it does matter less whether you find a unique niche with few competitors than whether or not your business could succeed in it. Here are some examples of products you can choose to sell:
- T-shirts
- Plus-size clothing
- Activewear
- Vintage apparel
- Casual wear
2.3. Create your business plan
Creating a business plan for a clothing brand will cover all the answers to the question ”how to start a clothing line?” in writing, whether it is on paper or a computer screen. It can be considered a dress rehearsal – pun intended – for launching your clothing store when you set out the most detailed steps possible for your business.
Typically, a business plan consists of the business model you opt for, an executive summary that entails a mission statement or goals of the brand, a market analysis that gives a breakdown of existing and upcoming trends as well as potential revenues, operation plans, financials plans which answering the question ”how much does it cost to start a clothing business?”, coupled with sales and marketing.
Other elements depend on the business model and niche you choose, for instance, rent a warehouse in case you want to create your own clothing line, look for manufacturers if you are considering a print-on-demand business, and so on. Don’t forget to list out some perfect name ideas for the clothing business.
2.4. Choose an eCommerce platform
If it is about growing your apparel business from home, there are high chances that you will need to conduct business online, which you definitely should, as this is the time when one can practice online shopping every day. The selection of a marketplace or an eCommerce platform for hosting your digital store involves similar considerations as picking a premises for your physical retail outlet.
You could simply sell through markets such as Amazon, eBay, or Etsy which would already have a wide range of customers, without requiring you to undertake lots of activities such as customizing, or managing your online stores. Nevertheless, it impedes if one desires a distinct brand identity and differentiated images for one’s website.
On the other hand, the use of eCommerce as a platform for online shopping is increasingly common. It naturally follows that your choice of a specific platform is based on your budget as well as the peculiar needs of your business. Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms with 25% usage in the American online markets according to BuiltWith. For beginners or startups in the apparel field, selling clothes online on Shopify is a reasonable choice because of its customization, feature-rich, and scalability.
2.5. Set up your store
Rather than stocking and organizing physical stores, the online store requires setup with a nice storefront and well-designed categories for clients’ convenience.
- Set up an account for your online fashion store.
- Make sure you customize your store with themes, designs, and layouts so that they reflect your brand. Ensure that they will look visually appealing on all devices, like smartphones, TVs, tablets, e-books, etc. Use only high-quality images for logos, photos, or other visuals.
- Develop essential pages that will make it easier for customers to search for information and improve the brand name for your online store. Essential pages would include About Us, FAQs, Delivery & Return, and Privacy Policy pages among others.
- Write engaging, appealing, attractive titles and product descriptions for clothes.
- Set up payment methods and shipping options. Try placing a few false orders to test different payment methods, and also to check whether the selection of product variants is smooth or not.
2.6. Develop a marketing strategy
Ok, now, the next year is 2024. In this era of social media, you cannot undertake door-to-door marketing and local advertisements by word-of-mouth marketing. Simply opening an online store and believing that in such a manner, you can draw consumers is impossible.
A marketing campaign will originate from the business plan and be conducted before, amid, and following the launching of your clothing store.
In any case, social media will make it easier for you to find potential clients and expand your customer base and market. Another option is influencer marketing – contact them about a win-win situation with partnerships like affiliate marketing, paid posts, or reviews of your products.
SEO is the core of online retailing and can lead to more organic traffic to your digital store. Then, if your store is hosted on an eCommerce platform, consider installing useful plugins for SEO.
In addition, you can select various sales channels depending on your consumers’ demand, the market size, your store’s scale and budget, and many other factors like this. These types of sales channels may include such as retailers, online retailers, pop-up shops, boutiques, etc.
2.7. Start selling from your store
Make sure you have covered all the legal issues and paperwork before you launch your online clothing store. Once you launch your online clothing business, quickly adjust yourself to the workload that involves managing and handling all store activities on your own.
The steps above are meant as guidelines, and some other issues would come up and need to be addressed. For instance, get more employees and train them, or find an artist or designer who will customize your garments, and cooperate with print-on-demand service and manufacturers. You could also attend fashion shows and sell your products at trade fairs, events, etc., to ensure that you remain connected to organizations in this field.
3. Clothing business from home examples
3.1. Sarah Donofrio
Sarah Donofrio is a fashion designer who has a successful clothing brand called by her name. She started by gaining most of her experience in corporate retail in the fashion industry, before starting her clothing brand using the little collections she did at home, as tests for the designs.
At first, she made all her apparel. When the business developed, she collaborated with local sewers. After 11 years Sarah eventually opened a pop-up and then a proper retail outlet.
3.2. The Outrage
Economist and women’s rights activist Rebecca Lee Funk started operating The Outrage brand – which sells print-on-demand t-shirts – from her home. The business was conceived as an ethical clothing line for women with a focus on giving back to groups working towards social issues such as women’s rights and gun control. She hit the market with a bang. The Outrage became an online sensation and a profitable business.
3.3. Blue Skies Boutique & Co
Katlyn, who founded Blue Skies Boutique & Co, renewed her passion for crafting, which led to the birth of an online fashion business. She first began stamping jewelry as a casual pastime and shared her creations through an Instagram account. After responding to the custom orders as well as taking part in a city’s small business occasion, she understood there was an opportunity to transform her hobby of crafting into a successful business.
In just a few months through Blue Skies Boutique & Co, Katlyn doubled her income while extending her clientele throughout the USA.
4. Conclusion
”How to start a clothing business” is the right thought when considering a business that can grow your income. The fashion industry originates from society’s needs for garments and dressing, so it always tends to grow sustainably – just like the future of your business.
What you need to do is choose the right niche in the market, create a detailed business plan, and stay updated with changes in the market. After all, fashion is an old industry that is always evolving and innovating almost every day.
eComStart provides a full range of business starting guides that ensure full coverage of entrepreneurs’ questions, from how to start an online clothing business to how to start your own clothing business. In addition, at eComstart.io there are also business ideas for you to consider – from the food and beverage industry, fashion, plants and furniture, etc. You will have the most complete view of your business, right from your own home.
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