Entries by Shannon

Your First Step to Successful Fabric Sourcing

“I have my designs on paper, but I have no idea what type of fabric I need.” The world of fabric sourcing can feel like a black hole. Maybe you’ve started searching for fabric suppliers on Google. Maybe you’re lucky enough to live in a design hub like NYC or Paris where you can see […]

What To Do When You “Don’t Know Where to Start”

“I don’t even know where to start,” I thought to myself. It was three weeks before my maternity leave was ending, and I was looking at a calendar next to my to-do list. Pack for Cape Town, finish the baby’s daycare applications, schedule a photoshoot, hire someone to run digital ads, get a haircut for […]

5 Tools to Help You Run a Smoother, Easier Fashion Business

December is one of my favorite months of the year as a business owner. And it’s not because of the holiday shopping or smells of pine and cinnamon or waking up to the first snowfall. We’re getting to that time of year when many of us stop to reflect on how we’re running our businesses, […]

The Minivan vs. The SUV: A Fashion Branding Lesson from Interstate 95

“You know what I just realized?” I say to my husband as we’re cruising down I-95. “What’s that?” “A minivan and an SUV are, like, the same thing… they’re just different shapes.” “Uh huh…” he replies in his best ‘where are you going with this?’ voice. “They’re pretty much the same size, they provide the […]

Success Stories from The Crowdfunding Factory

If you know anything about me (and what I teach) it’s that I unapologetically love crowdfunding. Kickstarter, Indiegogo, iFund Women, pre-sales on your own website, whatever the platform you use I truly believe that launching your brand through crowdfunding is the smartest and most efficient way to go to market. Why? Because you can test […]

10 Do’s and Don’ts for Launching a Fashion Brand on Kickstarter

This is a guest post by Factory45’er Dina Chavez who launched a Kickstarter campaign this spring for her womenswear line SixChel. Dina raised over $17,000, exceeding her goal amount, and learned a lot along the way. Today she’s sharing her “do’s and don’ts” for launching a sustainable fashion brand through crowdfunding. Here’s Dina: It’s been […]

Should You Tell Your Boss You’re Starting Your Own Business?

A couple of weeks ago, this question came up in our private Factory45 Facebook group: “Does anyone have tips for communicating your ‘side hustle’ to your current employer? I want to start talking about my business online, but my bosses follow me and I am worried about their perception…” If you’ve started a business or […]