What a great concept!  When I think of clothing that’s made to measure I think of men’s tailored suits or women’s couture gowns.  I don’t typically think about a functional, beautiful item of clothing for my own personal use.  I do now, however. 

Last year, I was wandering around the West Hollywood/3^rd Street area and came across a beautiful boutique.  I walked in and was taken with all of the beautiful fabrics and designs hanging from the racks.  While there were many dresses, sweaters and tops to choose from, each item hung neatly from a rack and nothing was cramped or crowded.  The sales floor was open and spacious and the accessories were carefully chosen and displayed in tasteful, functional cases.  If you’ve ever studied retail merchandising, you’ll understand why I was so blown away by this store.  If not, let me summarize…the art of retailing is more like a science.  You need to know how best to display your products to their full advantage.  Your customers need to walk into your store and flow easily and naturally through the entire space.  They should be able to see your products in a logical way without having to dig through racks or piles of clothing.  And best of all, they need to be able to see themselves in your products and, if you’re selling accessories as well, how best to accessorize their outfits. 

I wandered through the store and the sales clerk let me take my time before asking me if I had ever been to this store before.  When I replied “No,” she said something like “let me explain our concept to you…” “OK,” I thought…”what’s your concept?”  She informed me that the tops and dresses were available in a variety of fabrics, so if I found one I liked but they didn’t have my size or the fabric I wanted, one could be made for me within a short period.  If you read this blog, you know me… I’m a fan of anyone who is producing locally, so of course I was excited by the idea.  Now I just had to find a dress or two.  I found several, tried them on and found one I really liked.  It was a bit too long, but the sales clerk mentioned that they would have it altered for me.  Great customer service, I thought, but actually the store is called “Masse Made to Measure” so it is actually part of their concept.  Needless to say, I bought the dress.

Here’s the thing, every time I’ve been out shopping for a dress, I always come back to Melissa Masse and Masse Made to Measure.  Why?  Because I’m not someone who can buy a dress off the rack and expect it to fit me perfectly.  I’m petite and find dresses in the Petite section don’t always fit the way they should and dresses in the Regular section are always too long.  Now I get a dress that’s custom fit to my body.  Better yet, I might find a silhouette I like but in a print or color that’s not my taste.  Now I can pick the fabric or color I want.  Yes, I know I’m going to pay a bit more, but I’m more than happy to do so.  I’m supporting a local business that is manufacturing locally and employing skilled workers in the garment industry.  It’s a win-win prospect, if you ask me.

The last time I was in the store, Melissa Masse was there as well.  I was happy to meet her and have a chance to find out more about her and how she came up with the concept for her store.  “When my friends complained that they couldn’t find anything in the stores that they liked, or more importantly, anything that fit them properly, I realized that they couldn’t be the only customers who felt that way.” I couldn’t agree with her more.  

Trying to figure out your next steps in the apparel industry?  Check out our upcoming seminars or come by during Textile Week September 27 – 29 for free seminars, networking and more.  Fashion Business, Inc. is located at the California Market Center 110 East 9^th Street, Suite C786, Los Angeles, CA 90079

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

A big thanks to everyone who attended FBI’s Meet the Resource Members event on July 28,2010.  If you’ve ever read this blog before, then you know I’m a HUGE fan of networking.  Really! And FBI networking events are a great opportunity for those in the fashion industry, or those who want to get into the fashion industry, to make connections and meet a lot of talented, knowledgeable people. 

Due to traffic, I didn’t arrive until after 6:00 p.m. so I missed a number of people I would have enjoyed meeting.  However, since this was a Meet the Resource Members event, it was the perfect chance to meet new resources and find out about their products and services.  Each resource had a table with their marketing materials and a display of their products or services.  This gave our attendees the chance to meet with each resource one on one, or just mingle with other members and catch up on industry news. 

Frances, Erin and Egle were hard at work making the evening a great success.  I, selfishly, had a chance to catch up with Resource Members Staci Riordan of Fox Rothschild, LLc - author of one of my favorite blogs, ”Fashion Law” as well as new resource members Nouvolution and Visual 2000 - both are ERP software for the apparel industry and both are great additions to FBI’s Resources. 

I also had a chance to catch up with the hardest working woman in the apparel industry - and that’s saying a lot, because I’d like to think of myself as pretty hard working, but I have no idea when Arlene Battishill ever sleeps.  Don’t believe me?  Check out her Twitter feed for LA Scooter Girls.  Her Go Go Gear and Scooter Girls products have gone from 0 - 60 in the blink of an eye, and it just keeps growing.  When she asked me if I had a few hours to come over and help pick orders, I don’t think she was joking.  OK, Arlene, let me know what day to come by and I’ll pick, pack and ship for you.  Seriously. 

Another one of our members, Korena Ellis, needs to be the next 0 - 60 success story from FBI.  She has a unique idea, with great designs and an inspirational story.  Her curent line consists of jewelry, made from lost wax casting, which gives each one of her pieces a hand made look and feel and sets it apart from many other brands.  Her designs are empowerment pieces and are meant to create personal inspiration in the wearer while also creating a fashion statement.   The designs are unique and will translate very well from jewelry to apparel - screen printed tees are a natural next step, but the symbols work well as prints, on hats, as logos and more. 

What Korena needs now is a business partner, someone who can help take her ideas and products to the next level.  In any situation like this, it requires an investment of time, energy, effort and probably some money.  If you, or someone you know, is looking for the opportunity to get involved with a growing brand and has the business acumen to merchandise and market a brand like this, get in touch with me or contact Korena directly. 

I actually connected Korena with Arlene in the hopes that Arlene had a few words of wisdom to get Korena to the next level.  Then again, I know what Arlene went through to get to the next level and I don’t know if taking that same path will lead to the success of Scooter Girls.  So network, if you’re out there and listening, do you have any ideas for Korena?  I know we’d all be interested.

Don’t forget…come by the Sourcing at MAGIC seminars August 16 - 19. FBI will be presenting 4 seminars and you’ll want to attend them all! 

Jill Mazur is an apparel industry consultant with Fashion Business, Inc.  email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

Wow!  It’s been a busy, busy week and it’s only Wednesday (as I write this).  FBI is in the middle of a week full of seminars and networking events for Textile Week and, if that wasn’t enough, we’re doing a fashion show with the California Market Center in conjunction with the Focus Apparel and Accessory show on Saturday, March 20 at 4:30 p.m. in the CMC penthouse.   

I walked the Textile show twice, once on Monday and then again on Tuesday.  One of my clients is looking to source some fabrics and trims and I was happy to help her out.  I know, I’m a sucker for fabrics…last GlobalTex show I was blabbering on about Modal© and how soft and drapey it is.  Now I’ll blabber on about Tencel© and how wonderfully absorbent it is. 

I had the good fortune to chat with textile industry expert Walter Meck of Fessler, U. S. A. He took the time to show me some of the latest fabrications and discussed some of the different properties of the fibers they’re using.  I’m a huge fan of their products, especially after having visited their facilities in Orwigsburg, PA.  You know how some people like to know where their food comes from?  I like to know where my clothes come from - watching fibers spin into yarns, yarns knit into fabrics and fabrics turned into garments truly makes me smile.

I’ve also had the opportunity to sit through some of the seminars this week and had a great time meeting some new FBI members at the networking event Monday evening.  Our series of seminars during Textile Week are free for members and everyone is welcome to attend.   I’m looking forward to attending Frances Harder and Dana Fried’s Apparel Business Workshop on Thursday, March 18^th.  I know a lot about the business of fashion, but I’m always eager to learn more and I know I’ll pick up a ton of useful information tomorrow.  This workshop is not a part of the Textile Week seminars, so there is a fee, but it’s one of the best investments you’ll ever make if you want to be successful in the apparel industry. 

Speaking of being successful in the apparel industry, I came in at the tail end of Staci Riordan’s “Legal Strategies for a Profitable Fashion Business” seminar yesterday and was reminded of a number of important things.  Check out her blog to find out about the legal side of the apparel industry. The detail that stuck with me was how important it is for businesses to build a great team of industry experts to rely upon.  If you’re dealing with a copyright infringement on one of your designs or international trademark issues with your apparel brand, seek the counsel of an apparel industry lawyer.  If you need capital for your business, find a factor who deals specifically with the apparel industry and understands your retail environment.  Want to know more about how to make your apparel business profitable?  Talk to the experts.  I wanted to know more about fabrics, so I went to one of my experts. 

The FBI has so many resources available for products, services and consulting, it never ceases to amaze me.  Membership starts at $250 per year and with the membership, you get one hour of free consulting with one of our experts along with a whole host of benefits including free seminars, discounts on many services, great networking opportunities and the chance to participate in our fashion shows at a greatly discounted rate.  Hey, if I wasn’t already a member, I’d have joined a long time ago.  Just because I’m considered an industry expert doesn’t mean I won’t jump at the chance to learn from another industry expert.  How do you think we become experts in the first place?

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology expert working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

Well, of course it does!  Especially if you were at the Neiman Marcus “Fashion Rules” event last week in Beverly Hills.  I’ll admit I’m not really a Neiman Marcus shopper.  My budget may allow for an occasion splurge at one of their very fine restaurants or bars, but that’s about it for me.  However, I have a great appreciation for the store, the merchandise and the value of the brand “Neiman Marcus.”  I was grateful to have the opportunity to attend the event and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The store was packed with NM’s loyal customers and a few curious onlookers (me included).  Events were staged throughout the store as well as food and beverage stations.  A makeshift runway was setup on the second level with models wearing the newest looks and accessories for summer.  There was a terrific display of NM’s photographer, Matthew Rolston’s, latest images and signed copies of his newly released coffee table book. 

My favorite part of the evening was Ken Downing’s presentation via video-conference, straight from the Paris runways.  The poor man was up at 4:30 a.m. in Europe to broadcast live to Beverly Hills with the latest, greatest trends for Fall, 2011.  No, I’m not going to reveal them here.  You’ll just have to wait and see, or better yet, subscribe to one of the Trend services available.

While walking around the store, I kept thinking about how well the Beverly Hills Neiman Marcus store is arranged and merchandised.  Aside from the fact that the merchandise is beautiful and of such great quality, there really is an art to creating a directional flow in a store and how the products are displayed.  The display cases, racks and shelves are never over crowded with product, allowing your eyes to take in the details of each item.  Nothing is crammed in or fighting for space. Yes, I realize they have multiple thousands of square feet to work with, but so do other department stores whose racks always seem to explode with product.  Boutiques are a different animal altogether, but the best ones follow the same principles.  Ever stopped by the Prada store in Beverly Hills?  The sleek, Rem Koolhaas designed store is an excellent statement in minimalism.  Each piece is given enough space to “speak for itself” and shines brightly among other jewels on Rodeo Drive. 

Don’t forget, FBI is doing a number of seminars next week at the Los Angeles International Textile show March 15 - 17 in the California Market Center.  Stop by our office at suite C786 for three days full of informative sessions as well as a mixer on Monday evening starting at 5:00 p.m.  Meet some of our great members, employees and contributors (including yours truly) and get to know us, if you don’t already. 

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

It’s tradeshow season in Los Angeles. This week, FBI was at the GlobalTex show at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For those of you who haven’t attended, GlobalTex is more than a textile show, its main focus is on textile and fashion trends. I attended the inaugural show in October, 2009 and blogged about it here. This time, there were a number of great seminars, FBI included. We presented a panel discussion on “Turning a Changed Economy into a Profitable Business Opportunity” which included Frances Harder as moderator, Bobby Hines – International Trade Specialist with the U. S. Department of Commerce, Ken Wengrod – President of F. T. C. Commercial Corp, Susan Brandt – Internet marketing expert, and Dana Fried - apparel industry expert and owner of Delphic Consulting. It was a lively discussion regarding the ups and downs of starting your own business in today’s economy.

My favorite non-FBI seminar had to be Fiona Jenvey’s Men’s and Women’s trend focus seminars from MUDPIE, Ltd. As someone who is not on the cutting edge of fashion trends, I’m always interested to see how designers, stylists and retailers translate the trends from the couture runways to desirable, saleable products. I’ve bumped into Fiona at GlobalTex, but I’ll admit it right here, I follow her daily through her LinkedIn page and Mudpie group postings. I like to think of these seminars as a designer’s or merchandiser’s cheat sheet. Taking a sneak peak at colors, fabrics, prints and textures as well as designer’s inspirations and global influences is one of my favorite things to see at tradeshows or on-line. Trend and color forecasters like Design Options, MPDClick and Style Sight do the research, follow the fashion shows and focus on the next, great influences to allow mere mortals to focus on key ideas and colors for future deliveries. All of these companies provide pay-for-service websites and newsletters for their subscribers to stay in touch with all of the latest trends, even if they’re far from the runways and tradeshows.

So what else did I learn at GlobalTex this time? Well, I made sure I wore comfortable shoes.

1. I’m looking forward to Spring/Summer 2011 for the colors and trends. If you’re not paying attention, or haven’t subscribed to any of the trend services above, I’m not going to it give away.
2. Tradeshows are the best place to gather a lot of information in a small amount of time.
3. Trade shows are still the best way to see and feel new products, colors and designs. I’m a big fan of technology, don’t get me wrong, but nothing beats holding something in your hand to really understand the product. (This isn’t new, I cribbed this from my previous blog, but it’s still relevant.)
4. Take advantage of seminars whenever you can. You never know what you’ll learn. FBI has a number of free or low-cost seminars coming up at L. A. International Textile Week. Stop by and say “Hello.”

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated. Email: jill@fashionbizinc.org

I had lunch with a friend recently. I mentioned FBI was presenting a number of seminars on Sourcing at MAGIC, February 16 – 18, 2010. When she asked me what sourcing was, I had to think long and hard about how to describe sourcing in general. It seems easy enough to describe: the supply of resources as required by a business process. I’m sure that’s not what she wanted to hear, so I thought about it for a while. She is a screenwriter with no experience in any sort of manufacturing or service industry. I realized, however, that sourcing can be applied to almost any business process. In her case I related it to her wedding, I asked her to think of her wedding planning as sourcing. Think of the logistics, planning, purchasing, deliveries, setup, payments and tastings as sourcing.

Unless you’re doing everything yourself, including sewing your own dress, baking your own cake, growing your own flowers and playing all of the instruments in the band, you’re sourcing. Many brides hire a wedding planner – let’s call that the agent. The agent’s job is to facilitate the sourcing process. They smooth out the bumps, they help ensure shipments are on time, they deal with customs and suppliers and manufacturers to make sure everyone has what they need to get the merchandise manufactured and delivered on time. In the case of a bride, however, late shipments, extensions, customs holdups and shortages aren’t acceptable at all, so the wedding planner has his or her hands full just as much as an agent. Throughout the wedding planning or sourcing process there are a number of vendors supplying goods and services. A bride might have a caterer supplying food, a photographer, a DJ or band, florist, clergyperson, venue and more. A manufacturer might have fabric or trim suppliers, cutting and sewing services, shippers or freight forwarders and more. Retailers can be as demanding as a bride, so keep in mind your retailers requirements throughout the sourcing process.

That’s not the half of it, however. You don’t just start sourcing, just like you don’t just start planning a wedding. First, you need to think of your budget. How much do you have to spend to bring your products to market or to get yourself and your spouse-to-be to “I do?” Second, what should the end result look like? Third, what is the timeframe to get to the deliverable? How long do you have to plan this? In the wedding world, it may be months or years, in the retail world weeks are better than months and rarely can anyone get away with years. Fourth, how do you find a reliable, high quality agent or wedding planner that fits your requirements - budget, personality, location, contacts, etc.? Do you work off of recommendations, advertising, Angie’s List? How do you know that the person you entrust with your business will provide the services you need? Fifth, how do you begin to execute your plan? Where do you find your suppliers? How do you know the designs and fabric swatches you sent months ago will be delivered to your specifications and quantities? Can you get TOP samples? A bride can’t. But she can have her gown custom altered and chances are good, you can’t do that with your production run. Sixth, what about logistics? What are you doing to track your purchase orders, customs clearing, quota numbers and containers? Let’s hope you have a good system in place to provide visibility to all of that information. If the bride is savvy, she’s tracking her information in an organizer or spreadsheet. Last, but not least, how are you tracking your finances? Letters of credit? Payments to your agent or vendors? Due dates and payment terms? Hopefully the bride is tracking her deposits and payments by check or credit card.

By the time I finished explaining the sourcing process with my bridal analogy, my friend actually understood sourcing better than many of my clients. Then I hit her with “Hopefully, this is the only wedding you’ll ever have to plan. Apparel manufacturers source year round for millions of products to be delivered to thousands of retailers. It’s like planning hundreds of wedding a year, without the cake tasting or big parties at the end.” And, if you do it right, make your deliveries and even make your margins, you’ll keep on doing it year after year.

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated. Email: jill@fashionbizinc.org

Recently, Fashion Business, Inc. conducted a seminar on selling goods to foreign markets. We were fortunate to have Julia Son from Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Bobby Hines, International Trade Specialist, from U. S. Department of Customs as our guest speakers. It was a fascinating discussion, not easily summarized in a few paragraphs, but I’ll do my best.

As I’ve talked about in previous blogs, if you’re looking to expand your customer base, perhaps you should look outside the U. S. borders. The U. S. government has a number of programs in place to help your business sell to foreign markets if, and it’s a big IF, the products you’re looking to sell are made primarily in the U. S. I won’t try to explain the details of this – go to the Office of Textile and Apparel website for more information on what types of products qualify. All products will need a certificate of origin in order to be considered for export. For mixed origin materials or manufacturing, you’ll want to check with the Office of Textile and Apparel to see if your products will qualify. NAFTA or CAFTA goods have a different set of rules and regulations, so be sure to check with the Office of Textile and Apparel regarding these qualifications.

Enough of that, The U. S. government is very happy to encourage businesses to sell internationally. Exporting goods to foreign consumers helps strengthen our economy and who doesn’t want that? The Department of Commerce has offices in over 170 countries. Some of the many purposes of these offices are to help to identify markets for your company’s products, determine the best methods to handle financial transactions, orders, shipments and more. Plus, help you make connections in the countries your looking to develop your business contacts. Looking to find out the basics of exporting? Go to http://www.export.gov/ for essential information. Want to know more? Consider purchasing A Basic Guide to Exporting available at the U. S. Government bookstore.

When I talk about exporting with some of my clients, I usually hear about all of the barriers they’ve encountered trying to create an international business. Well, that may be true. Not all countries have the same type of trade relationship with the U. S. Some of those barriers may be with a specific country, or perhaps with the type of product a company is trying to export. Your best bet is to look for countries with Free Trade agreements with the U. S. Currently, we don’t have a Free Trade agreement with India, which makes trying to export products there very difficult. You’ll have a better chance trying to sell to Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Peru, Oman, or Singapore each of which has a Free Trade agreement with the U. S. Free trade isn’t limited to these countries – remember NAFTA or CAFTA? There are plenty of trade agreements with more than 150 countries, so do some homework to find countries and markets that are right for your products.

Looking to sell your product to China? Your first stop should be Hong Kong. Why? Prospects are bright, despite the global economic downturn. The U. S. government expects Hong Kong and China to bounce back faster than the rest of the world and Asian markets are hungry for U. S. products. Hong Kong is an easy entre to Mainland Chinese markets. It has a separate legal system, currency and customs system from that of Mainland China. And, did you know, English is the official language in Hong Kong? Hong Kong has an open financial banking system. There are no foreign exchange controls. It may be easier for you to get paid through a Hong Kong company rather than a Mainland Chinese company. If that’s not enough to entice you, Hong Kong is a free port with virtually no duties or tariffs; perfect for small to medium sized firms looking to do business in Hong Kong or Mainland China. Hong Kong is the perfect stepping stone into Mainland China and the rest of Asia. Want to find out more, go to Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) for information.

One more thing, the U. S. is one of the last countries in the world still using the Imperial measurement system. Almost every other country uses the Metric system. If you plan to sell products to foreign markets, make sure you sell them in the correct unit of measure for each country. A 32″ waistband won’t get you very far in many countries.

Some important websites to visit for anyone looking to export U. S. goods:

http://www.export.gov

http://www.buyusa.gov

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

As a relative newcomer to the world of blogging, I didn’t realize how much fun, or how difficult blogging can be. It’s fun, because I can write just about anything I want – which is also what makes it so difficult - narrowing down my ideas into one somewhat coherent stream of thought. Which is why I’m getting back to the business of fashion. Because that’s what we do here at Fashion Business, Incorporated.

And speaking of here, did you know we now have an FBI location in San Francisco? That’s right – We now have a chapter serving the San Francisco Bay Area, offering classes in multiple locations including through our partnership with the Small Business Administration. Janet Lees is directing all FBI programs in the Bay Area as well as fund raising for the SF FBI office. A native of UK, Janet has been involved with the Bay Area fashion and design industries for 16 years and is especially proud of the programs she’s developed to support entrepreneurs in fashion and the arts. In addition, she is an experienced small business owner and an active partner in her husband’s modern furniture company, Jason Lees Design, located in Oakland, where she is responsible for Public Relations and has secured ink in local, national and international press. We are so fortunate to have Janet on board and are very excited to be able to present many new and popular seminars to our Bay Area members. Check out our list of upcoming events in Northern and Southern California, Atlanta and Phoenix – open to members and non-members alike.

When most people think of fashion they think of runways filled with glamorous models, fashion magazines full of glossy advertisements, celebrities at movie premiers or awards show or maybe even “Project Runway.” At FBI we know that the finished product, what the consumer sees, is the end result of many months of design, planning, manufacturing, logistics and more. There are so many pieces to the puzzle of successful fashion businesses that it’s no wonder so many companies can’t make it in today’s economic climate. No, not just because people aren’t buying clothing, accessories or shoes. They are, just take a look at the latest retail numbers to see sales have improved greatly. It’s because business is changing. Wholesale, retail, ecommerce – it’s all changing. As a fashion business, you need to have the skills to stay on top of new retail buying and selling trends, new credit and financing issues that are affecting us all, new business and technology skills and even new ways of doing business with your vendors. That’s where the FBI comes in. Why not take full advantage of your FBI membership? Or, if you’re not currently a member, become one. Memberships start at $200 per year, but the knowledge you gain is priceless. We’re here to service the fashion communities in California as well as seminars in Atlanta, Phoenix and New York. Can’t be here in person? We have a number of classes and seminars online at very affordable prices. Contact Jacquelyn@fashionbizinc.org for more information or just stop by our offices or website. We look forward to seeing you.

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated. Email: jill@fashionbizinc.org

If you were in the Los Angeles area this week, I hope you had the opportunity to come by the Globaltex trade show at the LA Convention center. There were a lot of great vendors, new products, new and familiar faces and interesting seminars. Since GlobalTex is a new trade show, they’re still fine-tuning it and responding to exhibitor and attendee feedback. I’m hoping the next show will fill the entire room and then some. If you’re looking for industry trends, companies such as MPDClick were there as well as a trend area showing some of the latest fabrics, colors and prints.

So here’s what I learned:

1: Trade shows are still the best way to see and feel new products, colors and designs. I’m a big fan of technology, don’t get me wrong, but nothing beats holding something in your hand to really understand the product.

2: Hemp jersey is my new favorite fabric. Seriously. I was thinking “Hemp Jersey?” How soft can that be? Well, it’s as lovely as Modal – soft and drapey, without the clinginess of Modal. One of my clients is already using it in some of their designs and I can’t wait to see it when it comes to market.

3: Heavy rains made for a light turnout the first day of the show. It also made for nightmarish traffic, but that’s to be expected in Los Angeles.

4: Frances Harder of FBI, Victor Dahan of Shipson, Ken Wengrod of FTC and I had a great time on the “Speed to Market” panel. We approached the subject from our own view points. Frances moderated and injected her wisdom about bringing production back to the LA area and how California designs are sought after around the world.

5: Ken talked about financing and the current credit situation. Everyone wants to know what will happen if/when CIT files for bankruptcy. Ken explained the most likely scenarios and let everyone know that business would still continue. I swear I heard a collective sigh of relief.

6: Victor discussed how to improve the supply chain and how markets in China and Russia are opening up to American goods.

7: We all talked about how selling to the international markets should not be a barrier in business any more. Financial transactions, credit, customs, commercial invoices and more are easy to address and can expand a company’s revenue stream dramatically.

8: I talked about the role of technology in speed to market and how using tools can give you a 360 degree view into the design, sampling, production, inventory and financial aspects of your business and how no company should ever be without them. No matter what your budget is, there are tools to help your business.

9: Retailers are conducting business differently and manufacturers need to be able to react quickly to change. Keep inventory low. Don’t expect the re-order. Speed to market is an entire process from design to delivery, know how to react.

10: Don’t wear boots with three inch heels when walking a trade show.

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated. Email: jill@fashionbizinc.org

Lots of excitement here at the California Market Center, or as I will never stop referring to it – the Mart. For those of you looking to find new suppliers or just check out the latest trends in textiles, don’t miss the Los Angeles International Textile Show . And, for all of you technology fans, or those looking for hardware, machinery, software and all the latest gadgets you won’t want to miss Material World. Let’s hope for a big turnout this year. It’s great to be able to pull all of these activities into one great space.

While you’re here, come up to the FBI office – Suite 786 and say hello to our great team. Stick around for great seminars. Seriously, people, FREE SEMINARS for FBI Members and only $10 per seminar for non-members on all types of relevant topics. I’m presenting a seminar on the Importance of Networking Wednesday night. Even if you know how to network with the best of them, it will be a great opportunity to meet new and interesting people and maybe learn a thing or two.

FBI SEMINARS:
 

Wednesday Sept. 30Understanding Apparel Principles Using Software Applications

9:00am - 10:00am

EDI Made Simple; De-mystifying EDI & RFID
10:00 am - 11:30amQuickBooks for the Apparel Industry

12:00pm - 1:00pmRetailing Online

2:00pm - 3:00pmHong Kong Trade and Development Presents:  Export to China - (Hong Kong) World Boutique - Jan. 2010)

4:00pm - 5:00pmThe Importance of Networking!

6:30pm - 8:30pm 

9:00am - 10:00am
De-mystifying the Small Business Loan Application

11:30am - 12:30pmChoosing a Factor

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Friday Oct. 2Starting Your Own Apparel Business
10:00am - 11:00am Realities of the Investment World
11:30am - 12:30pmBrothers Digital Garment Printer Training
1:00pm -2:00pmIllustrator and Photoshop for Textile Designers
2:30pm - 3:30pmWhere & When

110 East 9th St., Ste C786
Los Angeles, California 90079
213.892.1669