3 Signs You're Not Ready to Work with a Garment Manufacturer
The most common mistake I see when communicating with prospect clients, is the fact their joyous enthusiasm and eagerness to get started has actually launched them into the process five steps too far ahead. They’ve already contacted manufacturers with little to no preparation or professional documentation and whilst they have a brilliant idea of what designs they’re hoping to produce, the truth is that’s about all they have.
Now you may find yourself in a similar position with conversations having progressed and your samples being underway thinking “Well, I’ve managed to make it work”, and whilst I’m only ever the biggest supporter of fashion start-ups wishing you every success, that isn’t to say you shouldn’t still proceed with caution. You may have a very expensive journey ahead of you because you jumped the gun and started working with a garment factory.
Here’s 5 signs you’re not ready and how to overcome them…
You’re Not Working to a Budget
Regardless if you’re trying to launch on a shoe-string or you’re Bernard Arnault himself, getting on top of your finances is essential when running a business. It’s vital knowledge not only to negotiate production costs with a factories but way before that phase of the process when you’re actually designing your range.
Understanding what realistic numbers you’re dealing with will have an impact on the products you produce whether that’s through fabric and trim choice, design details, size range or MOQ’s.
Whilst you may feel restricted or limited in your choice as a start up, managing your launch strategy with cashflow at the forefront of your decision making will support you in the growth and longevity of a successful brand.
You’re not Sure which Production Style is Best Suited to your Circumstances
Did you know there’s multiple avenues to enter the market? From FPP and CMT factories to white label and cottage production? No? Well you’re definitely not ready to approach a garment manufacturer as understanding the options for production is a basic level of research that should be conducted in the preliminary stages of your business.
Whether you shortcut the industry by booking a consultation call, or spend your hours on Google, understanding not only the types of production but manufacturer terminology will put you in good stead to proceed.
You Don’t Have a Tech Pack
If you’ve been benefitting from my articles for a while or following my high-value short form videos, you won’t be surprised to see this one on the list.
A tech pack is your best friend when approaching a factory and whilst it provides detailed and comprehensive instruction to achieve your vision with little wiggle room for error and costly mistakes; it also clearly indicates you are a professional, know your stuff and should be treated as such by the respective manufacturer. If you do not have a professional standard tech pack, you will pay more in your production process.
A high-standard tech pack should consist of all technical illustrations both interior and exterior, Pantone colour matching, fabric and trim research, BOMs, POMs, construction specification, clothing labels, care instructions, packing details, swing tickets and more. If you have been quoted a very low figure for these documents, say £50 for a tech pack, this is a strong indicator the service provider is not producing a detailed enough document and the standard is poor.
Tech packs are thorough, bespoke to your design and take time to produce to a clear and intricate standard. Invest at this stage and save yourself expensive mistakes in the long run. A factory not working from a tech pack will have no clear understanding of your request, fail to produce a product that aligns to your vision and charge you for several rounds of amendments before you either give up or accept a sample that is sub-par or simply became unnecessarily stressful taking too much time to reach a standard you were happy with.
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