You can be a Smart and Savvy Fashion Entrepreneur

Make your fashion website a user-friendly feast for the eyes. Use all your creative powers to design a beautiful website full of excellent photos of your product. And make sure to employ a professional photographer, preferably one who specializes in product shoots if your photography skills are not great enough

The north eastern region of the country has always been synonymous with hi-fashion. Infact even today when the fashion landscape of the country is evolving and growing, brand and marketing heads of big lifestyle and retail brands (pertaining to apparel, footwear and styling accessories) openly pronounce that the northeast is their favourite retail bastion.

Fashion entrepreneurs too are mushrooming in the region. However, not all of them are being able to carve a niche for themselves. Saturday Fare caught up with a couple of fashion entrepreneurs to understand the basics through which one can start a fashion enterprise on a strong foundation and keep growing.

"Well it is important to ascertain your clientele at the very beginning," says Radhika Jain who has started a boutique early this year and has received an almost overwhelming response. She continues, "After ascertaining your target group, research everything you can about them. Some starting points of research can be- What social media do they use? Will you be able to reach them with flyers and brochures? Is email a good marketing choice? How do fashion businesses with similar clients do their marketing? What fashion trends appeal to your clients? What do they enjoy doing in their spare time? In short, gather everything you can about your specific demographic, and then tailor your business around them.

Nida Agarwal another fashion entrepreneur who specializes in fashion jewellery says, "Once you know your buyers and what they like, you can create a great brand. Do think about what is different about your fashion philosophy and use your unique perspective to convey your brand using colours, symbols, images and words. Also be consistent in your marketing efforts across different platforms.

Radhika and Nida both emphasize upon online presence and visibility. "Make your fashion website a user-friendly feast for the eyes. Use all your creative powers to design a beautiful website full of excellent photos of your product. And make sure to employ a professional photographer, preferably one who specializes in product shoots if your photography skills are not great enough," says Nida.

Resonating to this vein of thought Radhika says, "Do not just take a picture of a dress. Take the best photo you can of a model wearing the dress and looking fabulous. Describe your products well and in a language that resonates with the psyche of the wearer. Remember that your buyer wants to know exactly what they are getting, or they are not going to buy it."

Nida also stresses on the importance of pricing, on the website. "You must research about prices well because your business depends on right pricing. Figure out your production costs, find out what similar stores are charging, learn what is the highest price your audience will be willing to pay and then choose a price somewhere higher than production cost and lower than the highest limit," she shares.

Beginning small is key to success. "Ideally you should start with one product line," says Jain. She goes on to explain the logic, "Make your single product line the best it can possibly be, and then sell it aggressively. This strategy keeps your startup costs relatively low, which is good."

Never dismiss the power of reviews. "The best reviews come from people who don't know you. Get critiques from professionals and people who are genuinely interested in your brand. And leverage their advice. Make improvements to your business as you go. That's the way to move up the ladder and reach your goals," says Nida.

Balance out your passion for fashion with a practical head for business. "Make sure you know what is happening to your money and your product. Allow business data to shape your decisions. Crunching numbers may not be as attractive as making intricate oxidized finger rings but I realised that the two need to work together," sums Nida.

Also Read: Championing a Feminist Perspective for Development in the State

Also Watch: