Ok if you’ve been living anywhere other than under a rock you know business is really tough for a lot of folks right now.  Hey one of those folks could be you.

However it’s no time to drop the ball.  Right now…you can’t just freeze.  You have to Keep moving…Keep developing and Keep improving your product and your company.

One way to do this is sharpening your skills as well as the skills of your employees.

Right now at the FBI we have two programs available where you and/or your employees can update or learn new computer skills at little to no cost.

Whether you’re an individual or a company owner…if you’re in the state of California government funding for job training could be available to keep you in the game.

Give us a call at 213.892.1669 or shoot us an email at info@fashionbizinc.org for more information.

After you’ve spent months or even years slaving away on your new line you’re likely to just want to hand it off to a showroom to handle sales.

Well not so fast….

In this business as I’ve mentioned before, you don’t just go “get,” a sales rep….you partner with your sales rep(s).  And before you even get to that stage you need to be perfectly positioned acquire great sales representation that believes in your brand and in you.

Fashion Business Inc. now has a great new seminar where you can learn more about the sales rep/brand relationship,  merchandising, common commission rates, showroom/tradeshow participation and more….Directly from a showroom owner.

Join us at the FBI Resource Center, Tuesday December 8th from 4-6 pm.

Hosted by Showroom Owner:  Mirana Ojeda of Miriana Ojeda Showroom

Click Here Register

New designers doing their own sales are in a bit of a tricky predicament. Their product is their creation so they obviously love it–hence they have little room to appear objective when they are trying to sell it to someone else.

So, how in the world can you convince buyers to purchase your product if you’re understandably biased?

Well lets stop there.

Convincing should never be a part of wholesale sales.  This is not retail..where customers may not be able to see through a smiling salesgirl telling them everything looks good on them.

A smart boutique owner knows their business and at the end of the day they should have a pretty good idea what they can or can not sell.

Your job is to put things in context, provide information and call attention to things you’ve noticed that may take them a little more time to recognize.

Are you doing anything to drive customers to their store for your product…maybe some upcoming  PR or advertising?  Has your product been successful in another store that sells similar brands?  Do you have any key selling points they can relay to their floor staff if they should decide to give your product a chance?

The point is…always attempt to suggest and provide perspective. Never try to convince buyers they can sell something they don’t believe they can sell.  Put your best foot forward, make a stratight forward case…then let the buyer do the rest.

Scientific research suggests that when people are offered too many choices (even when a lot of them look good), they become paralyzed…and often lose the ability to make a choice at all.

In merchandising there is a fine line between “just enough,” and “too much.” As a merchant it is your job to make the big choices…so your customers don’t have to.

So before you print up your line sheets…instead of wondering what you’ve missed….you may want to take a closer look at what you may want to get rid of.

Like a good story your collection should have a central idea that reads well and keeps people interested.   People who just glance at your materials should see something eye-catching that intrigues them enough to want to see more.

Make it clear what designs you stand firmly behind and only present your customer with the best of the best.

If you’ve been in the U.S garment industry a while you’ll remember the days when the product life cycle took a year at best.  We were trained to think it took that much time to design, manufacture, ship and prepare quality product.

Then we saw inexpensive and super speedy manufacturers like Zara, H and M and Forever 21burst onto the scene.  Their speed to market left traditional companies in the dust.  Consumers got excited…and their demands for fast fashion upped the ante for all manufacturers.

Retailers like our cheap and Chic friends mentioned above somehow managed to take that year long design to point of sale cycle and chop it down to 4-6 weeks.

Technology, Company Culture and a Trump Tight infrastructure all add to a company’s ability to sprint their product into stores.

When’s the last time you took a look at your capability to turn trends around?

Even if you are a small manufacturer I’m sure you’d be surprised at what advanced software or a little extra organizational planning could do for your turn around time.

Big and Small manufactures are picking up speed…. and consumers are expecting trends to arrive as often as US Weekly.

Think about what you need to do so you don’t get left behind.

As we deal with increasingly sluggish sales across the apparel industry many companies are being forced to think of new ways to use their existing capacity for additional income.

One growing idea is subleasing extra space in your warehouse or office.

Almost no space is too small.  If you have an approved manufacturing facility you may investigate the option of leasing space to other licensed contractors.  Many independent sample makers or cutters can function with just a table and a small storage area.

If you’re a designer with your own studio you could put some feelers out to see if any other designers may be in the market for an away-from-home workspace.

Even on a temporary basis sharing space could give a new designer that professional touch of office space while they get off the ground…and help you with some passive income as the industry rides out this recession…

Need to sharpen up your retail math skills?

Want to Learn How to Properly Calculate Markdowns…Sell Through…and Analyze your Sales?

Whether you are a retailer or a manufacturer… understanding the concepts behind retail math are imperative to the financial success of your business.

Join Henry Cherner this upcoming Wednesday at the Fashion Business Inc. Resource Center in the Los Angeles New Mart….for:

Retail Math For the Apparel Industry

Friday, November 19th from 6:00-8:30pm

Click Here to Register and for More Information….

An excellent place to source fabric is right in downtown Los Angeles in the LA Fashion District.  Even if you aren’t a LA local….LA offers 90 blocks of sourcing fun plus 70 degree weather in the middle of winter.  Sounds like a nice work-vac combo to me.

Tips for Shopping for Fabric in Downtown Los Angeles:

1.  Let Your Fingers Do the Walking–Go to www.fashiondistrict.org and search through “textiles and notions,” which is located on the left navigation bar.  There you will find a list of upcoming textile shows as well as a list of vendors and jobbers (places that sell discontinued or overstock fabric at reduced prices.)

2.  Pick up the Phone, for real–Call and ask if the vendors in the list if they have the type of fabric you’re looking for.  Some may specialize in woven fabrications (such as what would be used for a classic mens button down shirt), or knits (the family of fabrics used commonly for tee shirts).  Some may have a variety of silks, or only sell home furnishings.  Call ahead and verify they have the category you’re sourcing just to make sure you’re starting your journey in the right spot.

3.  Ask For Referrals–If one place doesn’t have what you’re looking for don’t be shy about asking for referrals.  Many of the fabric vendors have been down there forever….They know each other…and if you’re looking for something they just don’t have…it’s quite possible they know a place that does.

If you’re visiting the fashion district for the 1st time…just a few words to the wise…

1.  Go early..when you call see what time places open.  If you’re looking for something specific you want a salesman to be readily available to help you.

2.  Always..Always… Wear Comfortable Shoes…. Parking can be bananas and it’s much easier to find one good place to park and walk around rather than parking multiple times.

3.  Bring a Bit of Cash.. You never want to carry around a big wad of dough in your pocket…however in the downtown fashion district you always need a little bit of cash. Parking can range from $3-$9 and I’ve never seen a place that accepts credit.  Also do what you can to avoid the meters.  If you’re one second late the heavy supply of traffic cops down there will hit you with a $45 ticket so fast it will make your head spin.

Happy Hunting!