In our initial consultation call we go in depth with the garment manufacture options available to you, what they include and how suited they are to your goals and budget. Sometimes my clients have conducted their own research prior to this discussion and are prepared when the abbreviations of FPP or CMT are thrown their way and explained; yet there’s one method of production that remains unheard of: the cottage industry.

Cottage production involves hiring freelancers and self-employed seamstresses who may work from their homes opposed to industrial factories, yet enable your start up to control the order quantities that established manufacturers dictate. If you don’t have the budget for a minimum of 150 units for each style, cottage production can be the way to go. Being hands on with the production at such an early stage of business is a good thing, checking your own quality control standards and liaising directly with a small team can maintain control in your start-up and allow you to test trade your line before committing to the big orders and bigger factories.

So consider your options and don’t rule out the little guys.