Tag Archive for: startup advice

Live Show: Get Your Questions Answered about Launching a Sustainable Fashion Brand

questions answered

Happy December!

It’s the last month of 2021, so what does that mean for us? 

It’s time to start mapping out your business goals for 2022.

Is 2022 the year you will finally launch your fashion brand?

If that’s an emphatic “yes,” then I’m inviting you to ask me anything.

During tomorrow’s Live Show, let’s get your questions answered so that you can go into 2022 with a plan instead of uncertainty.

This is a free opportunity to ask me your lingering questions about how to get your fashion brand started, how to launch, how to scale or whatever else is on your mind.

There is so much about the fashion landscape, marketing methods and launch strategies that will change and continue to change next year.

How can you be prepared for what’s to come, so that you launch your brand successfully?

Let’s talk it out tomorrow, Dec. 2nd at noon ET during Factory45 Live. As always, there are two ways to tune in:

  1. Stream on YouTube here (ask your questions in the chat).
  2. Join me on Facebook here (ask your questions in the comments).

If you want to make sure your question gets answered (even if you can’t join live!) go ahead and reply to this email, ask your question and I’ll make sure to answer it tomorrow.

This is a free opportunity to get answers to some of your most pressing questions, so make sure to take advantage of it!

I’ll see you live tomorrow : )

 

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A Startup Conversation with Factory45 Alumni Catherine Huss, founder of siena & co.

Startup Conversation

I’m so excited about next week’s Live Show because I’m going to be interviewing Factory45 alumni, Catherine Huss, founder of siena & co.

Back in September, Catherine successfully pre-sold $31,830 on Kickstarter to fund her sustainable swimwear brand, and she’s going to share exactly how she did it.

One of the best ways to learn is by hearing from the fashion founders who have accomplished what you’re setting out to do.

So I hope you’ll join us on Friday, November 19th at 2pm ET / 11am PT – there are two ways to watch:

  • Stream on YouTube here. (This is the direct link!)
  • Join our private community here.

Startup Conversation

Have questions for Catherine? We’ll try to take some questions from the live audience, but feel free to ask questions in advance as a comment on YouTube or in our Facebook group!

See you next week!

 

 

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How to Use Blogging to Make Sales as a Fashion Brand

blogging

What do you think of when I say the word, “blog?”

Is a blog something you’ve thought about starting for your fashion brand?

If not, do you know how you can strategically use blogging to create a customer-base and make sales?

It was with the help of a blog that I personally raised over $64K to fund my own sustainable fashion brand.

And it wasn’t through advertising or affiliate links or sponsorships.

Blogging is a tactical marketing strategy that any fashion brand can use to make sales and grow a brand online.

And in this week’s Live Show I’m going to share how to do that.

blogging

As always, there are two ways to tune in on Thursday at noon ET / 9am PT:

  1. Join our Facebook group here.
  2. Stream on YouTube here.

See you on Thursday!

 

Did you miss last week’s episode of Factory45 Live about using Instagram to grow your fashion brand? You can watch the replay by clicking below!

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How to Grow Your Fashion Brand Using Instagram

instagram

As you start to build an audience for your fashion brand, one of the things you might be wondering is:

Do I have to be on every social media platform?

From Facebook to Twitter to TikTok, it’s normal to feel the pressure that you have to do them all.

But I’m here to tell you that you don’t.

Five years ago, would I have recommended that every new business be “omnipresent” across all social media platforms?

Yes.

But we’re living in a different time.

A time when quality is more important than quantity.

A time when I would rather see you master one platform and grow an engaged audience really well, than try to be everywhere all at once.

So, what’s that one social media platform I recommend for fashion startups?

Instagram.

This will likely come as no surprise — it’s the most visual, it has an ecommerce element and it has a track record.

The question is: with all of the noise and competition for attention, how do you use Instagram to grow your fashion brand?

In this week’s Live Show, I’m going to tell you.

instagram

As always, there are two ways to tune in on Thursday at noon ET / 9am PT:

  1. Join our Facebook group here.
  2. Stream on YouTube here.

See you on Thursday!

 

 

 

Did you miss last week’s episode of Factory45 Live about creating an email marketing strategy? You can watch the replay by clicking below!

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How to Effectively Use Email Marketing as a Fashion Brand

marketing

What’s your most important marketing asset as a fashion brand?

And often the most underused?

It’s your email list.

It’s the people who subscribed to hear more about your brand and buy from you.

And the truth is, most fashion startups aren’t using email marketing as often or effectively as they could be.

Yes, it’s a marketing strategy that can feel complex and time consuming, but it doesn’t have to be.

And that’s what I’m going to teach you in this week’s Live Show — how to effectively use email marketing as a fashion brand.

So that you’re not only building brand trust and awareness, but you’re also making sales when the time comes.

With just a quick Google search, the marketing experts agree: Email will continue to thrive in 2021 and beyond. 

It’s still more effective in driving sales than social media (yes, even Instagram), so you want to make sure you have a plan for it.

As always, there are two ways to tune in on Thursday at noon ET / 9am PT:

  1. Join our Facebook group here.
  2. Stream on YouTube here.

See you on Thursday!

Did you miss last week’s episode of Factory45 Live about building an audience before you launch? You can watch the replay by clicking below!

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How to Build a Following *Before* You Launch Your Fashion Brand

Build a Following

Here’s a mistake I see happening in the fashion startup space all. the. dang. time.

The designer spends months sourcing fabric, getting samples / patterns made and interviewing production partners.

Until finally, their supply chain is set up and they’re ready to launch.

Except for one little problem…

They don’t have an audience to launch to.

In all of those months of product development, they forgot to do any pre-launch marketing.

And do you know what happens when you launch a fashion brand without any pre-launch marketing?

You don’t make many sales.

It is imperative that you put in the work, months leading up to your launch, so that you have an audience of customers to sell to.

And that’s what we’re going to cover in this week’s Live Show on Thursday, Sept. 23 at noon ET / 9am PT.

build a following

I always tell my Factory45 entrepreneurs, “You can’t launch to crickets!” Make sure you’re not making this common (and potentially brand ending) mistake yourself.

As always, there are two ways to tune in on Thursday at noon ET / 9am PT:

  1. Join our Facebook group here.
  2. Stream on YouTube here.

See you on Thursday!

Did you miss last week’s episode of Factory45 Live about the five things you need to do after you choose a production partner? You can watch the replay by clicking below!

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5 Things You Must Do After Choosing Your Clothing Manufacturer

Clothing Manufacturer

Let’s say you’ve found the clothing manufacturer you want to work with to produce your products…

You think it’s going to be a great fit.

You have a good feeling about their communication style.

And all of the personal references were stellar.

Now what?

What questions do you need to ask before signing a contract? What’s the next step to get pricing? How do you get on their production calendar?

These are all questions I’m going to help you navigate in this week’s Live Show.

clothing manufacturer

There are certain things you must know how to do when you find your production partner. Make sure to join me this week, so you don’t miss any of those important steps.

As always, there are two ways to tune in on Thursday at noon ET / 9am PT:

  1. Join our Facebook group here.
  2. Stream on YouTube here.

See you on Thursday!

 

Did you miss last week’s episode of Factory45 Live about how to be an ideal client to clothing manufacturers? You can watch the replay by clicking below!

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How to Make Every Clothing Manufacturer Want to Work with You

clothing manufacturer

You know the expression, “The customer is always right.”

Well, I’ve worked in two industries where I don’t believe that phrase applies.

The first one is bartending.

(Spend 15 minutes pouring drinks at 1 am and you’ll know what I mean…)

The second one is clothing manufacturing.

Why?

Because when it comes to new designers, factory managers tell me how exhausting and slow it is.

“We have to do so much educating,” they say. “It really slows down the process when a startup comes in and they haven’t done their research.”

A lot of times, it’s not even worth it to the manufacturer. And that’s why so often you don’t hear back or can’t get in touch with them.

The harsh reality is: new designers get a bad reputation.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

And in this week’s Live Show, I’m going to tell you exactly what you need to know to make every clothing manufacturer want to work with you.

Because ultimately, the goal for you is to be an ideal client.

clothing manufacturer

These are some of the same tips that I teach my entrepreneurs in the Factory45 program, one of them who posted this in our private Facebook group last week:

“During a call with a design house yesterday they thanked me for being so prepared. They said most entrepreneurs don’t understand the process, how things work, timing, etc. I explained that I was in the Factory45 program and that I owe it to the program and my mentors…”

As always, there are two ways to tune in on Thursday at noon ET / 9am PT:

  1. Join our Facebook group here.
  2. Stream on YouTube here.

See you on Thursday!

 

Did you miss last week’s episode of Factory45 Live about negotiating fabric minimums? You can watch the replay by clicking below!

 

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How to Effectively Negotiate Minimums with Fabric Suppliers

Negotiate Minimums

Here’s a scenario that happens all too often:

You find the perfect fabric for your product or collection — it has the perfect drape, the perfect weight, it’s made from the perfect fiber…

It’s 100 percent the fabric you want to use until…

The supplier says:

“That fabric has a minimum order quantity of 1,000 yards.”

And even if you haven’t worked out your exact quantities yet, you know that for your first collection, 1,000 yards is too high.

You’re looking for more like, 250 yards…

So does that mean the dream of using this fabric is dead?

Not necessarily.

In this week’s Live Show, I’m going to teach you some creative ways to effectively negotiate high MOQs with fabric suppliers.

negotiate minimums

Every week, there are two ways to watch:

  1. Join our private Facebook group here. (This is also where I send out follow-up resources and continue the discussion online).
  2. You can also stream via YouTube here. (Make sure you’re subscribed to my channel here so you can get notified when we start!)

I can promise you, you’ll want to have these tools in your back pocket the next time you find the fabric you know you want to use but you also know is only available in high quantities. 

So, let’s get you sourcing and negotiating! See you on Thursday : )

 

 

Did you miss last week’s episode of Factory45 Live about sourcing sustainable fabrics? You can watch the replay by clicking below!

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How to Source Sustainable Fabrics for Your Fashion Brand

Source Sustainable Fabrics

Do you know which part of building a fashion brand takes the longest?

Fabric sourcing.

In some cases, finding the perfect fabric can take six to 12 months.

Why?

Well, not only are there tens of thousands of different fabrics on the market but in some cases, you’re looking for a needle in a haystack.

All of the stars need to align on the quality of the fabric, the fiber, the weight, the price, the functionality, the drape and more… 

This is why I recommend fabric sourcing as one of the very first things you do.

It’s why fabric sourcing is the first module of Factory45 and the first thing we focus on.

And it’s why I recommend prioritizing your fabric search right now — no matter where you are in the process.

And I’m going to help you get started in this week’s Live Show.

source sustainable fabrics

On Thursday at noon ET / 9am PT, I’m going to walk you through the steps of effectively reaching out to fabric suppliers and help you learn more about the sustainable fabrics available to you.

This is such an important topic for any fashion brand, because here’s the truth:

It’s not a fabric supplier’s job to educate you.

You are responsible for writing an email, getting on the phone or going into a meeting armed with the knowledge that will help them help you.

As always, there are two ways to watch on Thursday:

  1. Join our private Facebook group here. (This is also where I send out follow-up resources and continue the discussion online).
  2. You can also stream via YouTube here. (Make sure you’re subscribed to my channel here so you can get notified when we start!)

Don’t miss this week’s opportunity to learn more about the world of wholesales fabric sourcing and how you can set yourself up for success.

See you on Thursday!

 

 

If you missed last week’s Live Show on why you need a unique selling position as a fashion brand, you can watch the replay here:

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