Urban wear started as clothing or fashion for hip hop artists and followers, eventually it has become one of the most popular fashion trends worldwide. A lot of clothing lines, designers and stores focused on urban fashion have emerged in the past, providing customers a lot of choices.
What makes urban fashion so popular is its hip and casual look. It could be interchanged and mixed traditional fashion styles which could transform urban clothing into something formal. It is a great idea to capitalize with such high fashion demands.
But when venturing into clothing business, the biggest question is how to start and what you need to start the business. Aside from that, those who are interested in opening a clothing store would often be apprehensive on the stability of the economy and the market. When starting, you could think about getting a business partner to ease the starting capital that you may be shelling out by completely owning the store.
Before renting store space and buying merchandize, it is also important to talk to the agencies issuing business permits. There are business requirements and taxes that you need to know and settle properly. Also to ensure that you would not forget important aspects, create a business plan detailing business name, start-up costs, time frame, wages, taxes, insurance and other important business needs.
Once you have settled this, then here are some useful pointers for starting an urban clothing business.
Location
When looking for an ideal location, consider the traffic passing through the location. Make sure it is visible, convenient and accessible especially for people who are doing their shopping. Getting a position in malls and shopping centers, which is very ideal, is expensive. Low-budget and starting retailers could look for more affordable places.
Get to know established and new urban clothing stores in the area. In a shopping mall, for instance, it is best to avoid being located near another and more established/ longer running urban clothing store. Stay clear from branded retailers and stores since they do not need much advertisement to attract customers. Knowing the competition would also include learning about their product price range. If they are capable of selling lower prices than your merchandises products then that would be a problem for you.
Items for sale
There are people who are interested in marketing and selling their own urban clothing designs. If you are designing the clothes for sale, then consider mass production and its aspects. That would mean getting somebody else to sew the clothes for you. You could also look for urban clothing wholesalers and buy stocks or supplies form them. Before buying any merchandise, consider your budget and the profit you will be earning from the supplies.
The internet hosts a lot of websites for popular urban clothing brands and wholesalers which you could contact. Companies would often have fairs and shows, where they would showcase their latest products and fashion. Take this opportunity to learn about their clothes and at the same time, get acquainted with its market.
Hiring people
Companies are downsizing, people with experience are now unemployed. This is a great opportunity for you, since you would be able to hire people who can contribute and help in building your business. You could just start with a couple or few people with retail experience.
The number of people you are hiring would depend on your store, if it has two or three floors, then you would need more than two people. Store hours should also be a consideration. Other positions to consider are inventory, displays, and stocks.
Promotions
Even before you open your shop, you should already do initial marketing and promotions. Distribute flyers, placing posters in community boards, local newspaper advertising, and big announcements on the store locations. You could involve your friends and family in promoting your shop.
Urban wear is not only a chance to express your individuality, it could be your road to financial success.