How to quickly and successfully break into the textile business

25 September 2020

People are never going to stop needing clothes. Therefore, the textile business is a pretty secure one to get into. Find out how to do that right here.

By Kompass International

25 September 2020

Do you ever dream of creating your own fabrics? Yards and yards of beautiful patterns spun out of your imagination and onto a bolt, ready to be shipped out and made into beautiful things? Running your own textile business can be a dream, but it takes a lot of hard work to make it a reality.

If you want to run a successful textile business, you’re going to need to do a lot of preparation. From market research to logo design, being prepared can help you outpace all your competition. Read on to learn how to launch a successful textile business.

Research your market

One of the first things you should do when you’re preparing to launch your textile business is to research your market. You’re going to be investing a lot of time, money, and energy into this business, so you don’t want to be shooting blind. Knowing some about your market will help you come up with winning strategies from the jump.

Start by looking into the demand for different types of fabric in your area. You should also look into what competition you’ll be up against and what sort of products they offer. Make sure you take a look at their pricing structures, too, so you can have an idea of how to competitively price your products.

Talk to your future customers

During the research stage of your planning, you shouldn’t focus exclusively on your competitors. You also need to look at what your future customers will require from you. This may impact everything from which fabrics you create to what business model you choose.

Talk to future potential customers and find out what they look for in their vendors. Ask what needs of theirs aren’t currently being met and what they like that your competitors are currently doing. The more of this research you can do, the better positioned you’ll be to launch a successful business.

Find reliable vendors

Once you’re figured out what sort of business you want to run, you need to start looking for reliable vendors of your own. Kompass has an international network of more than 500 employees. We can help you identify the best suppliers in your local market and abroad so you can diversify your suppliers, guarantee your supplies, and control your delivery times.

You should also shop around for different pricing among vendors. The lower you can get your manufacturing costs, the more profit you can make off of goods that are still competitively priced. However, you don’t want to sacrifice either quality or your company values to get the cheapest possible materials.

Set mp a marketing plan

Before you launch your business, you’re going to need to set up a marketing plan. Social media pages and a website are a good way to get the attention of your future customers. You may want to set up an email marketing campaign for potential clients to keep them up to date on what’s new with your company.

You can also use services like Kompass to guide your marketing efforts. Kompass can help you capture new business opportunities with smart business data and digital marketing solutions. We can help you make your databases more efficient and attract more B2B traffic.

Manage your finances

Before you can start producing any fabric, you’ll need to set up systems to manage your cashflow. This should begin with some form of accounting software. Not only will this help you manage payments from customers and supply ordering expenses, but it will also help you manage things like payroll and taxes.

It’s also a good idea to get a credit card designated for your business. For one thing, it will be an important tool for you to use when managing supply orders and equipment costs. But for another thing, it will help you keep these expenses separate from your personal expenses during travel to trade shows and the like.

Consider location and transportation

You’re also going to need to decide on a location for your new textile business. Your factory should be somewhere well-connected with easy access to the transportation modes you need. You’ll also need to check on the availability of water and wastewater disposal options, especially if you’re dyeing your own fabrics.

This will also be the time to work out your transportation logistics. You’re going to need to manage moving large shipments in and out of your warehouse. You need to decide whether you want to hire a driving fleet, send your shipments by air travel, or even ship them by boat to your customers.

Advertise

Once all the logistics are nailed down and you’re ready to launch your business, you need to start advertising like crazy. As a B2B, this will look a little different for you than for B2C businesses. Rather than Facebook posts and Instagram ads, you should focus on email lists, sending out sample packages to potential customers, and exhibiting at trade shows and industry conventions.

In all of this advertising, you need to make sure you keep your branding consistent. Work with a branding expert to design a logo and color scheme that represents your business well. Make sure to stick to those colors and include your logo on everything that goes out so your company messaging stays consistent.

Launch a successful textile business

Getting a textile business off the ground is not an easy venture, but being prepared can help you make your dreams a reality. Be sure to do a lot of research on your market, customers, and competitors, and get all the logistics worked out before you announce your grand opening. Invest in your advertising upfront and you’ll see a powerful return on that investment as your business begins to grow.

If you’d like to get the most up-to-date sales and marketing data, check out the rest of our site at Kompass. We’re your route to business worldwide. Learn more about our solutions and start running the business of your dreams today.

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