Jacquelyn, our intrepid Director of Membership, has more activities on her plate than any three people I know. Yet, she and our FBI Board Member, Ernesto Mantilla, along with a group of talented videographers put together some great videos highlighting a number of fashion related activities as well as a tour of the California Market Center.

Click here for a video highlighting last month’s MAGIC show.  Click here for a video from the FBI’s Designer Launchpad fashion show, and click here for a tour of the California Market Center.

More and more people are turning to social media and youtube to spread the word about new products, trends, services and other types of promotion.  If you or your company are looking for a low cost way to create brand or identity awareness, you really need to look into Linkedin, Facebook, MySpace, Youtube and more for ways to inform and update new and existing customers.  Look for upcoming FBI seminars to help jumpstart your online and social media marketing campaigns.

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

Well, not really, but when implemented properly, software should certainly simplify a business, not complicate it. The idea behind software is to do just that, simplify processes. Especially repetitive processes such as data entry, report generation, purchase order creation, bookkeeping and more. When a business starts getting weighed down by their systems, whether they’re bypassing the system to export their data into a spreadsheet or database, they have to jump through too many hoops (screens) to get the data they need, or more likely, the systems don’t have all of the features or functions the business requires, that’s the time to re-evaluate business processes, systems and required functionality.

Recently I found myself trying to explain ERP software (Enterprise Resource Planning) to a client and why it might not be the right investment for her business at the moment. I’m not saying ERP software isn’t a good investment for many businesses, because it definitely is. What I was trying to convey to her is that it wasn’t necessarily right for her business at this point in time. She’s a small apparel manufacturer, with 5 million in sales last year, who needs to track sales orders, purchase orders, raw materials, finished goods and have some sort of integration to a general ledger. She and two other people in her office are handling everything manually right now, with the exception of her bookkeeping, which is on Quickbooks. Finding a solution for her will not be a problem. There are many affordable options for her to choose from which will allow her business to keep growing.

Software is an ever-changing commodity, or at least it should be. Much like the automobile industry, software is constantly being updated. New features are added all the time. New cars arrive every year and even your old favorite cars (Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Explorer) are re-designed every few years. System updates, or patches to fix bugs or problems, are constantly being released. Once you buy or lease software, you should expect to stay current with your support contracts in order to receive new updates and system support. You don’t buy a car and never have it serviced, do you? The same can be said for your software. At some point your business may change or outgrow your existing systems and it’s time to buy something new. Remember those carefree days driving a two seat convertible? Now you’re driving along in a seven passenger SUV or minivan. Times change, so should your software, or it should have the ability to change with you (not as easily done with a car!)

As businesses grow, so do their requirements. As it grows, the owners and employees will need a more fully integrated suite of software solutions – Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Warehouse Management (WMS), possibly pattern making and grading software, maybe Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or ecommerce and point of sale retail management, forecasting and planning, and most definitely integrated accounting. The thing is, a growing business needs tools to help manage all of the existing pieces, and if done properly, allow the business to keep growing by integrating additional software or migrate to more robust solutions. Without the people-power to enter data, run reports, analyze information, etc. however, the systems create more work than can be handled by the business, leading to frustration and complications.

Different types of businesses may have different system requirements as well. Privately held businesses have different needs than publicly held businesses reporting to shareholders, board of directors and the ever-present Sarbanes-Oxley accounting and reporting requirements. Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of any publicly held company and, as such, have much more stringent accounting requirements. ERP solutions are designed to meet Sarbanes-Oxley guidelines and truly do simplify business processes, at least from an accountant’s standpoint. Business owners may not like having such stringent reporting and accounting requirements, but the government demands it and these systems provide the tools to manage it.

The key to simplifying business software is to understand the business – customers, services, products, reporting and accounting needs, then finding the right solution to support it. There’s no one single solution that’s right for all businesses, which is why there are so many software companies out there. It’s the same with automobiles. There are so many different types of cars out there to meet so many different needs. Figuring out the right solutions for a business takes time. Understanding what the business looks like today and what it may look like three years from now is an important exercise when trying to plan out the system architecture and how it will support the needs of the business now and into the future.

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

Well, actually, October was National Cyber Security Awareness Month, so it’s a little late to post this, but it’s never too late to be aware of your cyber and network security. National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, has been conducted every October since 2001, and is a national public awareness campaign to encourage everyone to protect their computers and our nation’s critical cyber infrastructure.

What does this have to do with YOU? Everything. If you’re reading this blog you must be using a computer or some type of tool that allows you to access the internet. If you can access the internet, it’s possible that someone or something can access your data or network. Identity theft is on the rise. Malicious viruses and network hackers always seem to be looming close by. What can you do to protect yourself and your business?

1: Be smart about your computer, your network and especially your passwords. Computers and networks should be running up to date security software which scans for viruses, spyware and more on a daily basis. If you work in an open or public location, log off of your computer when you step away from your desk. Yes, it’s irritating to have to log back in, but better safe than sorry. Don’t share your passwords, ever. And don’t use the same password for all of your email, online accounts, banking and more. See below for some hints on how to create strong passwords. What should you do if you find your computer is the recipient of a virus? See #3 on the list.

2: Any information, data, files, pictures, etc. that has any importance to you or your business should ALWAYS be backed up to a separate, secure location. And I don’t just mean a little USB drive which can easily be lost. It’s worth the investment for yourself or your business to have secure, offsite storage of your files with a reputable company. You can usually backup your files on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to your server or to an online, internet data storage which should be accessible to you any place you can get an internet connection. If you’re like me and everything you have is on your laptop, what do you do if the darn thing crashes or gets stolen? It would take me a while to get a new laptop, but only a few minutes to get to all of my files. Backing up to a separate hard drive is also a good idea, but if you keep your hard drive in the same place where you keep your computer, it’s not a very good disaster recovery plan. Oh, and always, always, ALWAYS check your back up to make sure your data is actually there!

3: Know when to ask for help. Professional help, that is. Sole proprietors and small business owners are notorious for knowing “someone” who can help them with their computer or network. That “someone” usually turns out to be the next door neighbor’s 15 year old kid who’s a computer genius. Yes, he may be a genius but does he know what to do when your network is infected with a virus or your server is out of commission? Probably not. So what should you do? Well, I recommend establishing a relationship with an IT service provider who will help manage your network, servers, computers and more. Fees for these types of services can be very affordable depending on the service and support you need. Knowing that someone is keeping your network running smoothly, monitoring your system backups and keeping your security software up-to-date provides piece of mind to many businesses. Heck, you can even outsource your IT help desk to some of these service providers. In this case, what you don’t know about computer and network security can really hurt you or your business.

Some top tips from www.staysafeonline.org:

• Keep your web browsers and operating systems up-to-date. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and software companies regularly update their browsers and operating systems not to annoy you (yes, I know it feels like this), but to fix security issues and bugs which may allow unintentional access to your systems. By keeping up-to-date on the latest releases you help close these security gaps.
• Back up important files – see #2 above. I would recommend you back up all files, because you never know what’s important until you can’t find it.
• Use caution with email attachments – many email programs have an automatic virus scan for all email attachments, make sure you use it. If something looks or seems suspicious, DON’T OPEN THE ATTACHMENT! Call or email the person who sent it to you and ask them to tell you what was in the attachment. If they don’t know or say they never sent you an attachment, it’s probably a virus and should not be opened anyway.
• Create strong passwords:
  • Don’t use passwords that are based on personal information that can be easily accessed or guessed.
  • Don’t use words that can be found in any dictionary of any language.
  • Use both lowercase and capital letters and/or a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.
  • Use different passwords on different systems.
• Use security software tools as your first line of offense – there is no reason not to have up-to-date security software running on your computer and network. It may cost a monthly or yearly fee, but I can guarantee that fee is a lot less than the cost of having a professional come out and try to recover lost data from an infected system.

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

I recently conducted a “Networking 101″ seminar here at FBI. The idea of the seminar was to teach people why networking is so important and to give them the basic tools to start networking on their own. Networking is a skill and an art form. It’s relatively easy to explain the skill of networking – the tools you need, the types of questions to ask, how to introduce yourself and more. Explaining how networking is an art form is much more difficult. You really need to see good networkers in action in order to understand.

Technology is a great way to stay in touch with your personal and professional networks. On-line professional networks such as LinkedIn or social networks like Facebook or Twitter are a great way to connect with people from your past, present and possible future. I’m a big proponent of networking in person, too. For me, I like making a personal connection to someone else. I like being able to interact with someone in a professional or social setting. I get a sense of the other person’s personality, likes, dislikes, maybe even their favorite sports team. I make sure to follow up our conversation with an email or phone call and a reminder of where or how we met and what we might have discussed. If the situation is appropriate, I may add them to my LinkedIn network.

Networking in person or online is crucial to almost everyone. You never know who you’ll meet. You never know who you may be able to help and you never know who may be able to help you. By establishing connections throughout your personal and professional life, you build an organic network of people. Through those people, you continue to grow your network. Perhaps you’ve seen a job posting at a specific company. You’ve emailed your resume, but haven’t heard back. Using LinkedIn you search for people who work at that company. Just your luck, someone in your network worked there recently. You contact them directly and ask them to put you in touch with the HR person in charge of hiring for this position. The rest is up to you, but the fact that you have a network of people to connect you to that HR person gives you an advantage few other people may have.

So let’s get back to why networking is so important and what tools do you need to be successful at it. On-line networking is a very important component to building your network. I check my LinkedIn account every day. I participate in a number of discussions, am active in a number of LinkedIn groups and I post updates to my profile whenever there’s something interesting to post – FBI activities, tradeshows I’m attending, etc. because I know my network will see my latest updates. I also have a link to the FBI Blog so anyone visiting my profile can see what I’m blogging about. Friends, colleagues, former co-workers can see what I’m doing career-wise and, through my LinkedIn connections, can also expand their networks.

As far as networking tools: I never leave home without a pen, a small notepad, business cards and, hopefully, a good attitude. Whenever I’m interacting with someone socially or professionally, I want to be able to write down something they may have brought up in conversation. I may want to exchange business cards. Sometimes I may just want to write something down for the other person. I just take one of my cards and write down whatever book title, article, author, etc. and hand it to the other person. What I don’t want to do is hand them a scrap of paper from my purse, an old grocery list or bank receipt. As I said previously, you never know who you’ll meet, so be prepared!

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

When I say “Job Creation” I’m referring to new jobs or positions created in our industry, not the act of filling an existing position. For example, several years ago, it became a necessity for many companies to have an on-line presence. Whether it was a web site devoted to the company or brand or an actual on-line marketplace would be determined later. What most companies lacked was an existing employee with the knowledge and skills to create and maintain a website. There were a rash of jobs created specifically to support websites and ecommerce positions. Now these jobs exist or are outsourced at most apparel manufacturers. So I’m wondering what the next set of necessary jobs skills will be.

Many companies have moved away from internal or domestic production in favor of outsourced or full-package production. With the economy the way it’s been, retailers demanding lower stock levels and quick turnaround, are we headed back to a domestic cut and sew production model? If so, we’ll need to be able to ramp up domestic production. Sewing and cutting contractors, dye houses, trim and fabric suppliers may start filling long empty spaces in and around downtown. Production managers and assistants would be required to manage cut and sew operations. Marking, grading and patternmaking skills would be in demand. Wouldn’t that be nice? Instead of losing more jobs to off-shore manufacturing, we’d start creating new jobs to be able to support the retailers’ need for speed-to-market.

FBI is working hard to help create new jobs in the apparel, footwear and fashion industries in general. Specifically, we work with new and existing companies to help them grow by providing the resources and training they need to survive and thrive. Where else in Los Angeles or San Francisco can a designer with a great idea for a new product go to get help finding a qualified contractor, a respected accountant or business advice to create a profitable company? Where else can a business go to find seminars, classes, even certification programs on industry specific software and skills? I can’t think of any other place than the FBI. And yet, most fashion companies aren’t aware of the benefits of an FBI membership. At a starting price of just $200 per year it’s the best investment a company can make.

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

Fashion Business, Inc. is asking for your input to help us conduct a study of the apparel, footwear, textile and accessory industries. Specifically, how the recession has affected job opportunities within these industries over the past 12 months.

We’d like to know a few things about your business. This study is anonymous – any information you include about your business will be kept confidential and only used for data gathering purposes. We will be happy to provide you with the results of the study, should you so desire. Please indicate this on your response, along with your email address.

1: What is your sales volume today (in dollars)?

2: Over the past 12 months what percentage of your sales volume has increased or decreased?

3: In the past 12 months, have you had any layoffs or reductions in staff? If so, how many people or percentage of your work force.

4: In the past 12 months, have you hired staff for any existing positions?

5: In the past 12 months, have you hired staff for any newly created positions?

Thank you very much for your time today. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Jill Mazur

Independent Apparel and Business Consultant

Email: jill@fashionbizinc.org

There’s a great article in September’s edition of Vogue entitled “What Price Fashion” by Teri Agins. Sorry, no hyperlink available. In summary, the recession has caused some of today’s biggest designers to get even MORE creative in the way they develop styles and bring products to market. The article goes on to discuss how designer Philip Lim merchandises and designs his line simultaneously. He only produces enough product to fill his orders and even then, only about 50% of his line consists of new styles. “Of the 240 pieces he created for Fall 2009, he wound up manufacturing them all – a perfect batting average…” How many of us can say the same?

What is it about Philip Lim’s process that would allow such a fantastic feat to happen? Produce ALL the styles he designed and ONLY enough to fill his orders? Think about how little waste that is. No excess inventory? No excessive sampling? No excessive design or merchandising staff? He knows what we all need to remember, too many samples or iterations of samples and too much production eat away at the precious bottom line.

As I was reading this article, I kept thinking “I wonder if he’s using a PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) system, and if so – which one?” I’m sure that was the first thought that crossed you mind, as well. Why does PLM cross my mind while reading Vogue? Well, precisely for this reason – how do you improve the creative process? How do you streamline product development? How do you save money when developing design samples? How do you track or calendar the important events and due dates in the design, merchandising and sales process? How do you create the best possible presentation of styles or samples to your buyers with the least amount of stress? How do you know which vendor to partner with when developing new styles? Even more important, how do you track the actual cost of developing new styles and samples?

If you’re not using a PLM system, you may want to think long and hard about making this investment in your business. Let me say first, PLM is not for every company, especially small businesses or businesses with very few new styles per season. However, as your business and/or product line grows you need to incorporate tools to allow your company and capacity to grow as well. Using collaborative PLM tools to track costs, due dates, product development and more, in one place, helps keep your business on track. The benefits of PLM are innumerable: increased speed to market, decreased product development costs, collaborative planning and workflow tools, visibility to the design, patternmaking, sampling and merchandising process and more.

These days, consumers are willing to spend on luxury items if they are of true quality and value. Are manufacturers willing to spend on software if it is of true quality and value to their business? 

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

I’d rather use a “Top Chef” analogy here, rather than “Project Runway” but it doesn’t feel appropriate for this blog. Truth be told, there is no specific recipe for success in the world of fashion. Seems like some people have it and other, equally talented people don’t. Elusive, isn’t it? I was watching “Project Runway” this week as the contestants designed styles inspired by the California surf scene. Aside from the fact that only one team used Neoprene© in their design, I don’t think you’d want to go anywhere near the water in the rest of those styles. But I digress. The team with the best designs of the show won AND lost. They came up with two great designs – one of them was the one with Neoprene©. Turns out, however, that trying to get two ego driven designers to divide design, draping, sewing and fitting tasks doesn’t always work so well. One team member (Ra’mon) did the bulk of the design, sewing and other tasks while the other team member (Mitchell) seemed to crack a lot of jokes about getting kicked off the show. Sure enough, the team won the best design, Ra’mon won the contest and Mitchell was dismissed from the show with a fairly curt “Auf Wiedersehen.”

So getting back to a recipe for success, how do you assemble the right team for a fashion business? Let’s say you make enough samples to take to a show or at least around to some potential customers or showrooms. Let’s say you start taking orders for your products. Now what? Do you have the money or financing to purchase raw materials, cut, sew and fulfill your orders? Where do you find trustworthy contractors or vendors who will do justice to your designs? How do you ensure you’re shipping to credit-worthy customers? How will you begin to collect on your receivables? How do you know what needs to be done to keep your business moving forward and hopefully growing? Well, that’s what Fashion Business, Incorporated is all about. FBI has the tools and resources to take your business to the next level.

Most companies start with one or two people – hopefully one person has a knack for design, the other has a knack for business and/or sales. The two of you scramble around for months (or in the case of “Project Runway” two days) trying to produce wearable, saleable designs. Let’s hope there’s a natural division of labor within the business (on the “Project Runway” team the division of labor looked to be about 90/10). As the business grows, start adding part-time or full-time employees to fill in the blanks – order entry, shipping, inventory, bookkeeping, production, etc. But how do you make those important business decisions? Like when to start adding? Or how to start growing? Tim Gunn isn’t going to magically appear in your workroom to dispense sage advice. The seminars and workshops at FBI are designed to help you fill in the blanks – business knowledge, technical skills, design, sales and marketing and my favorite, using software to improve your business processes. No, I’m not kidding – I teach one of those seminars.

The business resources you get with your FBI membership are as valuable as the seminars and workshops. Where else do you meet many of the industry’s leaders? Accountants, bankers, factors, lawyers, industry consultants, heads of contractors and textile associations of Los Angeles? How else can you network and make the right connections to move your business to the next level? Come to FBI’s next networking event and meet our team of experts. You’ll be glad you did.

Some people have it and some people don’t. The lesson I took away from last night’s show is that you need to choose carefully when assembling a business team. How better to do that than by joining FBI and availing yourself of our seminars, workshops and experts? The recipe for success? Knowing how and when to ask for help.

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

I was very excited to see two of my favorite trade shows happening at the same time in the same location. It’s a great opportunity to see a lot of familiar faces and companies as well as new businesses, products and service providers. For those of you who are new to the industry, there’s no better way to see so much product and make so many connections. For those of you who are veterans, what better way to get some fresh ideas? Registration is free.

The fashionista in me is excited to attend the L. A. International Textile Show to see the latest trends in colors, prints, fabrics, trims and more. The techie side of me is excited about Material World and seeing the latest cutting edge (pun intended) technology, hardware, software and equipment. Much like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, these are two great shows that work well together. September 30 – October 2 at the Mart. I’d better put a lunch order in now at New Moon.

FBI will be putting on a number of topical seminars to coincide with the L. A. Textile and Material World shows. A finalized list of seminars will be published in the next week or so. If you haven’t been by to see our new space at the Mart C786, please drop in and say “hello” and see what we’ve been up to the last few months.

There’s so much going on in such a short amount of time, be sure to plan ahead for all three days. You may have just enough time to see everything and everyone you need to see. There’s just enough time to catch your breath before GlobalTex at the L. A. Convention Center October 13 – 15!

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