$TARTING A CLOTHING LINE!

If you've ever struggled to find clothing that matches up with the idea of how you want to look, then maybe you've considered making such clothing yourself! And who knows? There might be other people out there who also want what you have in mind--maybe you can sell clothing to them. It seems fun, and it is, but it's also hard work! Here's an outline of the process. Put who you are into your designs.
Write a business plan. Use this as an outline, you can deviate from it a little, but keep this as your map. The important thing is to be as specific and as realistic as possible!

• Funding - How much money will you need in order to launch your clothing line? Consider an SBA loan. Do you have money saved up for this, or will you need bank loan? To get a loan, you might need to have collateral. Read through the rest of this article, then make a list of all of your anticipated costs (materials, manufacturing, supplies, equipment, advertisement, marketing, etc.).
• Research - Who is your competition? Your target market? Get a retail job at a store that caters to your target market. See what they are buying. How much do you think you can sell your designs for at the retail and wholesale level? Ask around. Get feedback. Talk to store owners and potential customers alike. Find examples of clothing that is similar to what you're going to design - where and for how much do they sell?
• Profitability - Do you want to do this full-time? How many years are you willing to wait before this company starts turning a profit, and then giving you a salary? Or do you want it to be a side thing, that if it makes you money, it's a bonus, but you value your expression more than profitability? You'll probably spend more money than you earn for the first four seasons (1 year) but once you're established, you might be able to expand with funding from Angel Investors, celebrities, and pre-orders with store accounts.
• Legalities - Decide on your business structure (LLC? partnership? corporation?). In the US, you'll need a tax ID number, a business license, and you'll also want to fill out a DBA (doing business as) form at your local bank so that you can accept checks written out to your company's name.

When starting a clothing line you should ask your T-shirt printer, overseas manufacturer, or whomever is producing your line what you can and can not do. They might not be able to print certain colors or have the materials for a desired effect you want like foil printing.

If printing, does your designer know size specifications for the print? You need to be sure you ask what is the maximum size your design can be! A bunch of distorted-image t-shrits would be the last thing you need to show up on your door step the day you officially begin your clothing line