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Last Updated: 12/15/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 29
Sign: Pisces

City: SUN VALLEY
State: California
Country: US
Signup Date: 8/31/2004

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Thursday, May 08, 2008 

How To Start A Clothing Line


Starting a clothing line sounds great on paper but when you consider all the elements involved it can be a huge undertaking. Unfortunately, most clothing lines fail. Why? Because there's a chronological order a clothing line needs to follow in order to be successful. Most people don't know what this order is, or choose not to follow it. In the next few paragraphs I'll show you exactly what you need to know about starting a clothing line and how to make money doing it.


Let's start breaking down the steps on How to Start a Clothing Line.


The Budget… You Should Really Have One.

Having a budget is the first thing you need when starting a clothing line. You have to decide how much money you can comfortably part ways with. Once you have a set amount you then have to break that up into two categories, marketing and production. Marketing is the adverting and promotion of your clothing line and production is the physical production of garments and other products you'll be selling. I'll break down each of these later.

Now that you know how much money you want to work with, put most of that money into production at first. Its better to have more inventory to sell or giveaway at the beginning to establish your brand then to spend all your money on ads. Once you start to see some sales, then you can consider starting your advertising campaign.


Picking The Right Designs.

Having cool designs will directly affect your sales. If people don't like what they see, they wont buy your stuff. Also, don't use designs with crazy patterns or twenty five colors. The maximum amount of colors I would recommend is four per design. Anymore and the t-shirt gets too busy. You also need to do some market research. Make a survey and show friends and family six to eight designs. If everyone likes your stuff, narrow it down to the top four favorites. These top four designs will be the foundation of your clothing line. After you sell out of your top four you can expand your clothing line with different designs. One thing to always remember, consistency will produce results.


Marketing: Social Networks & Blogs.

Marketing is my favorite part of business. You can be as creative as you want. But before you get your creative juices flowing you have to do a little homework. Having a large advertising budget and using mainstream media doesn't always guarantee success. The way to really get some exposure is to use social networks and blogs. Social networks are free, and free is always good, because the money you would be spending on advertising you can now go towards buying more t-shirts which will make you more money. The only draw back to social networking is that it's very time intensive. You have to put in a lot of time to really see results, but then again it's free. Bloging, like social networking, is a great way to promote your clothing line. All it takes is a little time to write down all the interesting things about you, your company and your clothing line. Again, it's free and it starts a dialog with people who you can sell to. When selling on blogs and social networks don't sound desperate or pushy because you'll aggravate people and generate bad word of mouth which is counterproductive.


Production: T-shirts, Hats, Bags, Jackets.

Production is the physical production of garments. Production also includes printing, and thats the area I want to focus on. I'm going to talk about inks and t-shirts. The industry standard for almost all screen printers is plastisol ink. When picking your ink colors try not to ask for specialty inks. Here's why; specialty inks cost more money than plastisol and they will automatically drive up your production costs. Another thing to avoid is printing all over the t-shirt. This is a new style that popped up a few years ago. The only way to really get printing all over the t-shirt is to print the fabric first, then sew the t-shirt together. This is typically done in china in mass quantities and requires a lot of resources, and by resources I mean money.


Pricing: You Can't Charge $50 a Shirt. Well, Not Yet.

Many people price incorrectly. Either they charge too much for their t-shirts or not enough. When you first start out, you have to price accordingly. Your clothing line is a new line and many people are not willing to pay a lot of money for a t-shirt they've never heard of. I once had a customer complaining that he could not sell any of his t-shirts. I asked him how much he was selling his t-shirts for and he said $65 each. I thought he was joking but he wasn't. That customer went out of business really fast. On the other hand, you still what to make money selling your stuff. Don't just add a few dollars to each item you sell. See what the going rates are for other clothing lines of your size and price accordingly.


The Break Down of a Successful Clothing Line

1. Have a budget and use most of your money for production to build a foundation.

2. Start with core designs and expand from there.

3. Use social networks & blogs in your marketing campaign, they're free.

4. Find out which inks and t-shirts are the most cost effective

5. Know your limits on print size and placement.

6. Price accordingly and you will sell like crazy.

7. And finally, don't lose your focus, have fun, and make smart choices.


If you have any questions about the topics discussed, feel free to send me an email at info@curlyandspike.com.


Good luck!

Patrick Chakmakchian
Curly & Spike
www.curlyandspike.com




5:36 PM 
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Friday, February 08, 2008 
How To Effectively Advertise Your Business With Promotional Items.

Advertising is one of the hardest and most costly activities a business can undertake. However, having a large advertising budget and using mainstream media doesn't always guaranty success. The only way an ad campaign can effectively work is if someone sees your ad and is so compelled that as a result they buy from you. This is hard to pull off. People need to see your company logo on everything, all the time, then and only then they might consider buying from you (no joke). In the next few paragraphs, I'll demonstrate highly effective ways to promote and advertise your business by using promotional items like, custom t-shirts, hats, bags, buttons, and a host of other products. If you follow these steps you could save thousands of dollars in adverting and gain new customers.


So let's get started.



Use innovative promotional items, not just keychains or pens.

Let's face it, most businesses give way junk as promotional items. Why do you what your logo on something that will end up in the trash? What does that say about your company? Don't get me wrong, keychains, clocks, pens, paper weights and picture frames are good promotional items, but they are not effective marketing tools. If you really what to get your client's attention, a keychain won't cut it. Think bigger, but don't spend that way. Use items that are new or unique to get people talking. New or unique promotional items don't have to cost a lot of money if you do a little digging. The best way to approach it is this: chose items that don't bore people. That sounds so simple, but so many businesses get it wrong. They might give a new customer a pen or a calendar. Good, but not good enough. Here are some fun and unique promotional items to consider:



Mint Tins

Mouse Pads

Sandals (that advertises your logo in the sand)

Tote Bags

Sunglasses

Guitar Picks

Visors

Truck Hats (depending on your business)

Glass Mugs / Shot Glasses

Buttons / Pins

T-Shirts

Hats

Decals


T-Shirts are walking billboards. Use them.

T-Shirts are very powerful promotional items. T-Shirts are worn and seen by everyone, all the time. Now you're probably thinking how in the world are t-shirts so great when it comes to promotional items? I'll tell you. When someone wears your company's t-shirt (and people always wear a free t-shirt), everyone they come in contact with will see your company name and logo. If you give someone a t-shirt and they go to the store, people will see that t-shirt. They go to the gym, people see that t-shirt. If they take a walk… you get the picture. I was wearing my company t-shirt once and I saw a man reading aloud the company name right in front of me as he was walking by. Now that's effective marketing. T-Shirts will help your business grow and spread the word. When it comes to price per unit and how many people will see it, it's much cheaper than conventional advertising. One last thing, when you periodicly give a t-shirt away to a new or perceptive customer, you keep a relationship going and that's vital to the success of your business.


"… and all I got was this lousy Mp3 player?"

Give them something they would love to have. Don't spend a lot, but something nice goes a long way. And also, never forget to brand your company logo on it. That's the whole point. If you give someone something they really like, chances are they'll always use it and that's what you want to see: your new customer using a product with your logo on it again and again. One thing to remember, don't buy cheap electronics. They always tend to break and your customers might assume that your business is also faulty. The promotional items you choose will say a lot about your company, so take some time to pick the right ones. You don't always have to get a high ticket item. If you buy fewer promotional items but at a higher quality you're better off than buying a lot of smaller cheaper items. But, if you find something that's good quality and cheap (price per unit) take advantage of that opportunity.



"Wow, remember the time we got…"

Promotional items are great advertising tools. But what's even more important is how the items get into a customer's hands. Simply sending someone a mouse pad isn't that effective. It's how you send something that gets people's attention. Always use a memorable way of distribution. If you're sending a promotional item to someone, the packaging is the first thing they'll see. Don't just stick it in box. Do something unique, like put your logo on the box or use your company colors in the packaging. These small details will get noticed by your customers. Write a personal note or get a postcard made and sign it. Or, use other promotional items to wrap the item. Example: if you're sending someone an mp3 player (with your logo on it, of course) wrap that mp3 player with a t-shirt instead of using packing popcorn. This can be tricky so use good taste. When doing this just remember not to go over board.




In closing, just remember:


Pick unique promotional items (something new and fresh).


Use items that can be seen over and over like T-Shirts or Hats.


Give them something they can use and they would love to have.


Don't forget a memorable way of distribution. Think about the packaging.


Give it some time, don't go over board, and pick the right products.


And most importantly: always brand it with your logo.



If you have any questions about the topics discussed, feel free to send me an email at

info@curlyandspike.com


Good luck!


Patrick Chakmakchian
Curly & Spike
www.curlyandspike.com


9:56 AM 
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Monday, September 10, 2007 
5 Ways To Stretch Your Merch Budget


Every band, big or small, has to sell merchandise to stay alive. The hard part is making money at it. Most bands do something like this: all the members of the band pitch in to the merch fund and then the band goes to some "fly-by-night" merch company, orders merch, sells it and never reorders again. Why?

Here's why: most bands never budget out their merch. This is one of the most important things a band needs to do to have money for touring, recording, and of course more merch. So to all you bands out there, here comes the important stuff. With every show you play, you must put aside a percentage of cash from merch sales—no matter what! This money needs to go towards reordering new merch, and not for beer (I repeat, not for beer). Too many bands waste their merch money this way. It's important to get gas and eat while on the road, but try not to tap into your merch fund unless it's sudden death.

Now, let's get down to the 5 Ways To Stretch Your Merch Budget.



1. Keep It Simple. Multi-Color Designs Will Kill Any Budget.

Every six months or so t-shirt designs change. Recently, there has been a big surge in multi-color, "in your face" designs. That's fine, but five and six color designs are costly and most fans don't know or even care about the difference between multi-color and single color designs. A band's name is more important to a fan than how many colors are on the shirt.


Here's an example that shows the price difference between a multi-color and single color order:


48 Dark Tees, 5 Colors (Fr.. $7.25 each (+ $75.00 Setup Fee)

Compared to:

48 Dark Tees, 1 Color (Fr.. $4.75 each (+ $15.00 Setup Fee)


That's a difference of $3.75 per shirt which equals $180 in savings. That's big money when you're on a budget. Don't worry about having a lot of colors. Sometimes less is worth a lot more!



2. More Than 3 Designs Will Hurt, Not Help

Having many designs can make bands look bigger than they really are (and that's good), but the bad news is having multiple designs—like having multiple colors—can kill your budget. More designs mean more screens, more setup, more artwork fees, etc. Your goal is to buy high quality merch at a good price and sell it at a better price. Don't let fees kill your profits. Also, more designs equal a harder sell; why? Because people have a hard time picking a t-shirt when faced with too many choices, so don't make it harder for them to buy.



3. Plan Ahead. Save on Shipping and Rush Fees.

This step can save you a lot of money, so listen up. Overnight shipping and rush fees add more money to each item you buy. Here's an example: you place an order for 48 t-shirts at the last minute. The overnight shipping comes out to about $100 plus a 20 to 35 percent rush fee from the merch company. This just tacked on an extra $4 to each t-shirt. Don't waste money. The more money you can save when buying your merch, the more money your band will make when you sell it to your fans. Planning ahead saves time, headaches, and cash.



4. Put Some Money Aside For Promotional Items. People Love Free Stuff.

Promotional items are a great way to get more exposure and sell more merch at the same time. Now you're probably thinking, how in the world would giving away merch sell more if it? Here's how. Start off by giving away items that are under a $1—such as buttons, patches, postcards and picks. These items are great promotional tools because fans wear them on everything: backpacks, hats, bags, you name it. The more people that see your band's name, the more buzz gets generated. This in turn will draw more fans to your shows where they'll buy your merch. It sounds simple, and it is.



5. Pick The Right Merch Company.

Next to budgeting your merch money, this last step is the most important. Picking the right merch company is vital to the success of your merch sales, and ultimately your band. It will also save you time and money, but mostly money. So how do you pick the right merch company? First, don't go with the first company you find. Do some research and ask around. Find bands that are using the merch company you are interested in using and see if they have had any problems or bad experiences.

Secondly, don't base your decision soley on price. Cheapest doesn't always mean the best. A merch company that claims "we have cheap merch" has exactly that—cheap quality. You want your merch to look good, and not like it was made with poor materials and sloppy workmanship.

Third, customer service. Most merch companies have poor customer service skills. If it takes them a week and a half to get back to your email, they're not busy, they're just lazy. The right merch company will communicate with you in a professional and timely manner. Choose a merch company with good service. Good customer service means that the company will get the job done right the first time. You don't want to waste your time dealing with a company that screwed up your order and shipped it to the wrong place, or printed the wrong design.

Last but not least, choose a merch company you feel comfortable with. Make sure they have a clean website, good references, a nice customer list (with bands you've heard of), and friendly customer service. You don't want to go with a merch company that feels unreliable or "shady." Call them, and see if you get a good feeling about them. If they don't have a phone number or don't want to talk to you, steer clear. You don't want to waste your money going with the wrong company.




If you follow the steps outlined above, you'll have no trouble buying and selling merch and stretching your merch budget at the same time.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed, feel free to send me an email at info@curlyandspike.com.


Good luck!


Patrick Chakmakchian
Curly & Spike
www.curlyandspike.com
11:58 PM 
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