How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Fashion Design Business

Book excerpt: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an average annual income of $69,270 for fashion designers. Opportunities in the fashion design industry are expected to rise about 10 to 12 percent through the next few years. Many designers also go into other areas of the fashion industry, including: fashion buyer, fashion coordinator, retail store manager, and many more. You do not need to live in New York City, and you can start out small or even part time. Ralph Lauren's Polo empire was established on a small mens tie collection that he sold to Bloomingdale's. Demand for fashion designers should remain strong, as consumers hungry for new fashions and apparel styles will spur the creation of new clothing and accessory lines. This new book is a comprehensive and detailed study of the business side of the fashion, fashion design, and consulting business. You will learn everything from the initial design and creation to manufacturing and marketing. If you are investigating opportunities in this type of business, you should begin by reading this book, hopefully picturing yourself producing the perfect dress worn by one of Hollywood's elite. If you enjoy working with people and keeping up on the latest trends, this may be the perfect business for you. Keep in mind this business looks easy but, as with any business, looks can be deceiving. This complete manual will arm you with everything you need, including sample business forms; contracts; worksheets and checklists for planning, opening, and running day-to-day operations; lists; plans and layouts; and dozens of other valuable, time-saving tools of the trade that no designer should be without. While providing detailed instruction and examples, the author leads you through every detail that will bring success. You will learn how to draw up a winning business plan and about basic cost control systems, copyright and trademark issues, branding, management, legal concerns, sales and marketing techniques, and pricing formulas. You will learn how to set up computer systems to save time and money, how to hire and keep a qualified professional staff, how to meet IRS requirements, how to manage and train employees, how to generate high profile public relations and publicity, and how to implement low cost internal marketing ideas. You will learn how to build your business by using low and no cost ways to satisfy customers, as well as ways to increase sales, have customers refer others to you, and thousands of great tips and useful guidelines. This manual delivers innovative ways to streamline your business. Learn new ways to make your operation run smoother and increase performance. Successful designers will appreciate this valuable resource and reference it in their daily activities as a source of ready-to-use forms, Web sites, operating and cost cutting ideas, and mathematical formulas that can easily be applied to their operations. The companion CD-ROM is included with the print version of this book; however is not available for download with the electronic version. It may be obtained separately by contacting Atlantic Publishing Group at [email protected] Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president's garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.