How to start a clothing brand on a budget:

If you are reading this, I am sure you thought at least once about starting a clothing brand, but you did not, because either you do not have enough money or you do not know where to start. Well, today, I am going to give you a few steps and tips on how to start and grow your clothing brand on a low budget.

1.Find your niche.

Based on the fact that you are reading about how to open a clothing business, I will assume that you probably already found a niche or a gap in the market that you want to fulfill. If you have not, think about what you are going to sell that will set you apart from the other thousands of clothing brands that appear every day. What will make you special and unique?

2.Choose the right print-on-demand company.

When you are starting a clothing brand on a low budget you do not have the money to invest in blanks, equipment, stock, and other materials. That is why you are going to need a print-on-demand service, which will help you by paying only when a customer places an order on your website. There are many good options on the market, like Printful, Printify, CustomCat, SPOD, etc. I recommend Printful, as they do all their printing in-house (compared to other suppliers) and have their products ready to ship to your customers anywhere in the world in less than three days. You can choose any other supplier, but be careful and test the quality of your products. You do not want to let down your customers, this will only result in chargebacks and bad reviews.

3.Start designing.

After you chose the right supplier and took notice of their printing guidelines, you can start designing. Maybe one of the hardest things to do, when you have a clothing brand, is coming up with original designs. Depending on your niche, you can get inspired by using platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, or even by following high-end fashion brands. You can find inspiration by browsing thru public domain graphics and other free-to-use resources. If you are into streetwear, you will like these free resources published by Off-White's CEO, Virgil Abloh, click here.

4.Create a website.

Depending on the supplier you chose, you will have to create a Shopify or WooCommerce store (the majority of suppliers have integrations for both platforms). Shopify may be easier to use for beginners, but it has some limitations and is a bit expensive, with the cheapest plan being $30/month + a premium theme for $180. WooCommerce has a steeper learning curve, but is free and has more customizability, which can be very important if you want to be unique and stand out. If you do not want to take the time and effort of learning how to create a website, you can hire a professional freelancer. I recommend this one here.

5.Marketing.

The last and maybe the most important step is marketing your products and building an online presence. It may be hard at first, but the key is to be consistent (do not be a spammer). You should post on social media, forums, write blog articles, do photoshoots, offer discounts, promotions, coupons, etc. Try contacting some local influencers, some of them support local businesses and may offer cheaper and better results than paying for Facebook ads, especially if you are a beginner and do not have a big budget. Virality is a key factor in this day and age, try following trends on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, etc.

Be bold, stand out, do not get lost in the crowd.

It will take work and perseverance, success does not come overnight, but if you try hard enough, I assure you that you will be successful one day.

If you need help or if you have any more questions, you can find help here.

Good Luck!