Posts filed under 'Planning beyond the collection'
This article on TIME.com was incredibly interesting to me as a small-fry clothing manufacturer / retailer. It gives anyone thinking about going into this industry a lot of food for thought. Mainly how important it is to remain new and innovative, you have to always keep the momentum going, right? It also points out how difficult it is for the big manufacturers to turn on a dime.
Here’s a couple of things that are of importance to us little fish clothing manufacturers:
- Retail stores (esp. specialty boutiques) refresh their floors every six weeks. This means you’ve got to be in there all the time with new stuff to show.
- Don’t fall into the pitfall of too small of a core offering. I think we were in danger of slipping down this slope with our blankets. But, we’re small enough to react and get a fashion line out in time for fall instead of just accessories.
- Pay attention to trends; get out and get inspired!!
There is a lot more you can get out of the Time article if you’re interested. In my opinion, it’s definitely worth a read.
January 30th, 2007
Oh my goodness. Things are moving along, but the time is SO precious being just a few weeks out. I’m starting to feel that crunched “oh boy are we going to make it?” feeling. Heck, at least that feeling kicks me in gear.
I’m also updating the catalog, price sheets, & line sheets today. Because it HAS to get done already. I don’t know what my problem is, I put too much pressure on making it great, or I should say “fabulous”, that I end up with a ton of half-finished stuff. I have to just get it done to the point where I have all of the necessary information on the materials, then worry about making them oh-so-pretty.
I’m crossing my fingers and praying for the fashion line to come together. Running into glitches all along the way, but isn’t this typical? That’s ok. If it comes down to me sewing a few of the samples, I will. It’s actually the fabric that’s a problem. My long-time supplier suddenly decided not to do sample cuts, and frankly, this is crucial to me. We didn’t spend enough $$ with them last year for it to be worth it to them to do some sample cuts. Right, so it’s more worth it to me to “go for it” and hope those colorways sell because my supplier made me buy too much fabric. No, it’s actually worth it for me to spend my time and find someone that will give me sample cuts, so I can actually test the fabric before I invest in it.
But that’s more scurrying around and somehow I always get to o-dark-thirty with too many phone calls I didn’t make. But I can do this. I have some prospective suppliers up in LA and they can get me sample cuts fast. It’s finding something I’m happy with that I’m concerned about.
I could change my plan and offer a lot more of the fashions in one colorway. But I don’t really want to work with that company, and I don’t want to change my plan to suit theirs. How are you ever supposed to start up with them?
So, business hours are about phone calls today. Which makes right now, the kid’s sleeping time, about the print materials. Just get it done.
January 25th, 2007
I am having the hardest time getting ahold of people. It’s that busy-outside-of-work time of year. At least I’m leaving the messages and sticking to my plan. I’m hoping to get a few more boutique appointments before the end of the year, and am also hoping my pattern maker is available sometime soon.
Feeling incredibly overwhelmed today. Don’t even know how to take a step back and figure out where I am. I have a cold and that has me feeling extra knocked down, extra foggy. I think the best thing I could do for myself tonight is to hash out my schedule – based on fall market dates and prioritize my “to do” list. AKA find some sanity.
Hopefully, tomorrow’s post will share the schedule dates I’ve come up with (I also can’t find the one book I need right now that gives me an overview of key dates for the development & production cycle – BOO).
We’re doing KIDShow in February. We’re doing KIDShow in February. We’re doing KIDShow in February. We just need to make it that far. 
November 28th, 2006
Everything with the business seems to take so much longer than I think it will. Which means one of my weaknesses is project scheduling / planning. How do you get better at this? The steps I’ve taken are to break my day into segments, so that some time is allotted towards (pretty much) everything. Some marketing, some web updating, some production, some sales, some advertising, and always some designing – at least in the back of my head.
Better balance. A better rythem really. I’m tired of being the mom who’s always late, who forgot this-or-that, or who is just completely out of the loop. This means I need to do more deep breathing and more re-grouping.
Another thing that HAS helped me is to re-fresh my to-do list every night. That buys me a bit of sanity and easy breathing in the mornings. It’s just that it’s the fires that get you. All the stuff that pops up each day that blind-sides you, that you just didn’t see coming.
I need to open my mouth and talk to moms more, because it seems that when I do, I get comfort in a “me too” type of story from them, a story that lets me know I’m maybe not the only one that feels like my head is not attached to my body all the time. I to re-focus a bit and make sure the kids needs are taken care of first first first. Like the thank you notes I STILL need to get out for my daughter’s bday a month ago. I think that I’ll feel better if I’m a little more in control of what’s going on around the house.
I’m writing this here because it’s pretty much the reality of running a business and raising your kids. It’s everything all day long, it’s squeezing in little business tasks while they nap, while they snack, etc. And for how long the days are, I really love what I’m doing.
October 30th, 2006
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