I’ve heard the saying …”Do the Best You Can then Detach from the Result.” This sounds good but it may not be an easy pill to swallow after spending thousands of dollars to attend a trade show.

Some people don’t write any orders on their first show…especially if they are selling themselves. I’ve heard other stories of people booking 20K depending on their price points. This is definitely an “it depends” answer.

But I will saying doing the best you can starts with knowing exactly what to do. Start by doing your research. You may want to check out books like Frances Harder’s Fashion for Profit or you may want to invest in a consultant to give you more specific direction. You can find a list of fashion industry consultants on the FBI website.

Often in the contract you have with your showroom they or you will outline how you choose to handle show related travel expenses. In many cases a showroom will make you responsible for in and out of town trips including airfare and hotel and maybe even a per diem.

However, if the showroom has multiple lines the cost may be split across all of its clients and may not be that show-stopping of an amount.

The best way to handle this is before you sign. Get an idea of what shows they plan on attending as well as an estimate of expected cost so you don’t have any last minute surprises.

Plus you may be able to negotiate a flat amount but you’ll have the most leverage before you actually commit.

A Wholesale Permit is also commonly known as a seller’s permit.  In California they are issued through the board of equalization and can be obtained in person or by mail.  Click the link below for more information and the California application.

Sellers Permit Application

If you are preparing for a show and your samples aren’t yet true to fit or are lacking in some other SMALL way…don’t fret. Buyers are used to seeing things before they are final.

Of course do the best you can to get things up to snuff….but don’t hold back from selling product because its not production ready.

As we’re marketing our products it’s important to ask ourselves the question.

What are we really selling?

Are we selling tee shirts….or fond nostalgia?

Are we selling jeans….or a great butt?

Are we selling handbags…or status symbols?

Most apparel choices outside of underwear and socks are made from a place of emotion rather than need.

Therefore, effective marketing requires an emotional connection. Take some time to think about the emotional value of your product…and let your customers know exactly how you can fulfill their desires.

It’s time to take a closer look at what may be happening in your site.

First of all make sure you are tracking your visitors. Using a free tool such as google analytics allows you to see how many visitors are coming to your site.

If you don’t have many visitors you’ll have to focus your efforts on driving traffic to your site through search engine marketing, advertising or other marketing programs.

If you have a lot of visitors but no one is buying it’s time to work on your conversion. Meaning the number of unique viewers that are becoming buyers.

If you are not converting at least 3% of viewers to buyers start thinking about what you can do on your website to make purchasing more appealing. This may mean cleaning up your website image, launching a new promotion or having a sale.

Understanding your web stats will give you a good idea of how you can jump start your sales.

Interestingly enough creating a business plan is not always at the top of a new business owners to-do list. It can be quite daunting to think about composing one especially when all you really want to do is get started!

That said…I suggest a happy medium which is that you create an Action Plan or a Tactical Business Plan. This is typically a 2-3 page document outlining what you want to do and writing out the steps of how you will do it. Getting everything on paper helps you sort out your thoughts and make sure no stone goes unturnned.

You should also brainstorm and research all your expected expenses for both start up and continuing operations. Merging these numbers with what you actually have in your budget to spend will help you level set your expectations and get your business off to a healthy start.

Catherine Deneuve and Yves Saint-Laurent, 1966

Legendary designer Yves Saint-Laurent died today at his home in Paris at age 71.

A design priodigy Saint-Laurent became the head designer for the House of Dior at the ripe age of 22. After launching his own label in 1962 he was a trailblazer in popularizing the ready-to-wear category and became the first designer to use black models in runway shows.

His “Smoking,” tuxedo jacket debuted in 1966 and became his signature piece which updated yearly until he retired in 2002.

He was an icon, a legend and an inspiration that will live on through many designers today and designers for decades to come.