How to start/run a fashion label with no money and no clients
[bctt tweet=”No money or client at the outset poses a challenge but doesn’t render the situation hopeless” via=”no”] No money? No Clients? …No Problem! In business as in love, it is not always the individual with the ‘deepest pockets’ and the best connections that wins. In most cases, it’s the individual who applies their imagination and creativity that wins the deal or the girl. Starting a creative business of any kind with no money can seem like a daunting task, regardless of what industry you might be trying to break into. Despite the challenges you will have to face on this journey, a lack of money or a lack or clients need not be an impediment to your pursuit of this lofty goal. With these five essentials in mind, you should be well on your way to securing your first client with absolutely no money in the bank! Label DNA Before you call all your friends and family to tell them you are finally starting your very own fashion label, you need to understand your label’s DNA. What kind of clothes will you make? What type of clients will you cater to? What is your style? What sets you apart from other fashion labels…what is your DNA? Many aspiring entrepreneurs do not figure this out at the very beginning and then find themselves swept from corner to corner by the various fashion trends constantly emerging. Your label DNA lets the world know what you are about. Are you an eco-friendly fashion band? Do you specialize in street wear? Are your clothes only meant for A-list Africans or are they meant to make the hard working career woman feel powerful as she chases her dreams? Your label DNA tells you and all your potential clients what your brand actually stands for, thereby setting the tone for the type of clients you are likely to attract. [bctt tweet=”Your label DNA tells you and all your potential clients what your brand actually stands for” via=”no”] Chutzpah The fashion industry is cut-throat, with more and more brands coming into the industry, not just in your country, not just in Africa…in the world! With all this competition, an entrepreneur must have what the Jews call ‘chutzpah’, which roughly translates to audacity, nerve, supreme confidence. You must be able to stand by your choices- especially your creative choices- even when only one person gets it. The biggest fashion trends were not started by shy and timid people or the companies they run. The world’s trends are started by those that a willing to tap into the very core of their beings and dig out bold ideas, radical ideas, ideas that the rest of the world has to catch up to. Think Levi’s denim jeans, Chanel’s ‘little black dress’ and others that gave those then tiny brands, the chance to truly contribute to the world. With no money and no clients, a brand with a little chutzpah can go a long way in carving out its very own piece of the delicious fashion pie that is up for grabs. [bctt tweet=”You must be able to stand by your creative choices even when only one person gets it” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Guerilla marketing The concept was first promoted in 1984 and has never had more significance than in the 21st century with all our smart phones and social media platforms. Never has there been a time where the small, barely recognized fashion label can give huge and well-established brands a run for their money. Guerilla marketing is suited to small brands that do not have the financial resources to create expensive advertisements for their products. Guerilla marketing is all about creatively gaining the attention of your target audience with bold and most times unconventional marketing strategies that cost close to nothing. This will mean going against the grain and catching your target market by surprise through your clever marketing. It might cause you to step on a few toes, maybe a few people will instantly dislike it. One thing for sure though is, you will become the talk of the town which will eventually ring the cash register. Like Oscar Wilde once wrote, “There is only one thing in world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” The recipe for a perfect guerilla marketing strategy; little or no money, a fresh target market and a tonne of creativity and imagination. Social media The age of social media platforms is upon us and it would be remiss to ignore what a great impact setting up a social media page for your fashion label can have on your growing business. However, a note of caution must be given at this point; when setting up and running a social media page for your fashion label, it is very important that you have a clearly defined strategy. Your social media strategy includes all the things you will ‘post’,’ like’ or ‘reblog’ as well as those that you will not include on your professional pages. Your fashion label’s social media pages are an extension of your brand DNA, in fact, they help communicate your brand DNA more effectively, they re-enforce the lifestyle and mindset that your fashion label promotes through the clothes and accessories you create. With a lot of creativity and no money, you can set up a page for your fashion label that will see you rise from zero followers to thousands, or even millions of followers by staying true to your brand DNA and being creative with the content that you put up on the page. No money down and yet you can be assured of scoring a few great clients if this responsibility is handled with care and precision. Skills The lack of financial resources or clients at the outset poses a challenge but doesn’t render the situation hopeless by any means. The lack of the required skill set, however, can mean that even if an individual found themselves with a huge reserve of financial
How to get started in PR with no money, no clients
There’s a long list of business ideas that we willingly admit are hard to pull off without money, connections and clients. PR is one of them so when we got an opportunity to talk with Sasha Robyn who co-founded a PR company before starting BlogChatSA, South Africa’s first exclusive online bloggers show. Sasha’s I-may-be-a-rookie-but-I-can-do-it stance has helped her and we think it can help you too. Here’s Sasha’s easily replicable winning formula for getting started in PR. The skills you need In order to succeed in the PR industry, you need to acquire skills that will help you grow and stay grounded in the nature of the business. These skills are Leadership Communication Research Writing Creativity Most important is the last one, creativity and perseverance. While it’s still debatable whether perseverance is a skill or a trait, it’s needed to keep you on track and ensure success. Then comes the somewhat cliché word for Motherland Moguls; passion. You’ll need a strong drive to put in and offer your best to your client. This will set you aside from any other PR agency. As for the resources, get a laptop where you can create a clients’ database. This will be a list of people to whom you render services. A laptop will also help you create the social media strategy you’ll be needing to grow your company. Setting up a PR agency with no money Apparently in PR, money is not always needed to get your company off the ground. Sasha advises that an easier way to branch out into PR and make yourself known is to build on relationships and valuable contacts. Then, create an online presence for yourself and/or your business. Your business will not flourish or draw interest from the broader public if you do not make use of social media platforms. They assist in driving the business and bring clients to you who are in need of the service that you project online. When you build a website for your agency, make sure you keep it professional and simple. Getting started on networks Networks in business are important as they form part of the driving success of the business. In PR, your business thrives off the services that you provide to your clients. According to Sasha, how and where you connect with people will determine the success and efficiency of your business. Attend events/seminars that would allow you to network with people. Consider engaging in public speaking as this would allow you to brand your company on a word-of-mouth basis. It’ll also make it easy for clients to connect with you and/or your business. Source for people who have experience and knowledge in PR and can assist you in building your brand. Do your research on companies/people and the media (depending on your interest in the field). Sasha’s 5-step plan to break into the PR industry It takes a lot of dedication and determination to make your mark in PR. Whether you want to launch your own agency or find a job with another agency, these steps will help. Understand the media universe, including social media Find your niche/product/service Education/training Research local PR Agencies: learn their culture, areas of focus and how they functions. Network, Network, Network Hey South African #MotherlandMoguls, the SheHive will be in Johannesburg from November 3-6. Find out more here.