The fashion industry has a role for almost everyone; over the years, the roles have evolved so much. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the precise technical skills of a textile designer or the artistic flair of the fashion illustrators. Because, with your knowledge of trends, fashion principles, and marketing, you can become a fashion marketing consultant!
A fashion marketing consultant gives fashion advice and recommendations to clients.
You will use your knowledge of fashion trends and principles to help your clients. They could be individuals, customers, and companies while working closely with businesses to identify their marketing needs and provide effective plans and strategies to boost sales.
Thanks to the internet, it is simpler to turn your passion into a career. You can brand yourself and create an online presence that will help you attract your first customers, and from there, you get to build that shiny portfolio!
However, getting your clients is one thing; ensuring they are satisfied enough to stay is another. You will need to go out of your way to learn about social media, SEO, email marketing, visual merchandising, reputation management, and image development will go a long way. Your clients need to be sure you know your onions if they will be trusting you with their businesses.
Fashion marketing can be challenging but also highly gratifying: Because you will not just be building your brand. You will also get to be a part of the success stories of other fashion brands as well.
Does this sound like something you are well-suited for? Do you know any other new fabulous business idea? Let us discuss this in the comments!
Visit our blog for other lucrative business ideas you can start. We also have online fashion courses to help you successfully start your fashion business. As we all know, execution is everything!
Do you enjoy shopping? Are you knowledgeable and passionate about fabrics? If yes, then fabric shopping might just be perfect for you. ⠀
You might probably ask yourself if there is a market for it in Nigeria. Yes there is. We had a client in Canada who placed an order with us last year @garmentproductionhouse . We don’t so sourcing so recommended #martwaynestudent@kqj00 of @kqj.apparel , not just to create the illustrations for her but also to source her fabrics. She took on the task, meticulously worked with the client, bought the fabrics, delivered them to us and got paid for it. She also sent the clothes to her in Canada when we were done. So there is a market for it.
While shopping nonstop isn’t good for most people’s bottom lines, it’s possible to actually make money shopping by becoming a fabric shopper.
A fabric shopper helps clients who don’t have the time, interest or ability to shop themselves by doing it for them. The main task of a fabric shopper is to source, purchase and deliver required fabrics to clients. For the client who does a proper analysis of the opportunity costs, paying someone to do the work might be way better and cheaper than spending productive hours in traffic or haggling with a vendor.
While it might sound straightforward, fabric shopping can be quite complex with multiple variables including vendors, shipping, timelines, and more. Before you get started, ensure you learn as much as you can. Create great relationships, benefit from discounts and offer a great service to your client.
Can you think of any more fabulous fashion business ideas? We’d love to hear about them.⠀
Don’t forget to visit www.martwayne.com for other great fashion business ideas.
Visual merchandising is a truly unique business idea not being explored currently in Nigeria, business owners will be open to working with you if you can prove to them that you can utilize it to boost their sales. You’ll have very little competition and the startup costs are very low because it is a service not a product.
What is Visual Merchandising?
Victoria Secrets Window Display
Have you ever looked into a store window at a mannequin dressed up with the perfect set of clothes? Did it appeal to you so much you wanted to make a purchase? If so, this is known as visual merchandising.
However it goes beyond just putting clothes on a mannequin. The entire customer experience in your store is vital to making a sale. This includes the store layout and the space, the hangers, the signage and even the music.
Lady Gaga, Barneys Window Display
I remember once going into a store and they were playing my favourite music. Of course I could not stand just in the middle on the store and start dancing. I had to go through their stock when all I wanted to do was just listen to the music till the end. Eventually my eyes fell on a pair of earrings which I bought and I still have that pair till this day as I write this. That is the power of visual merchandizing!
Think of all those sweets at the checkout points in supermarkets. They are not there by accident. It was all carefully planned. You stand at the till waiting for your turn, your eye falls on the chocolate bar, it is not too expensive, you pick one and either start eating immediately or put it in your basket, the job of a visual merchandiser is done!
Macy's Display
The purpose of visual merchandising is to attract, engage, and motivate the customer towards making a purchase.⠀Other purposes include to increase sales by showing and promoting merchandise. Make the display visually appealing to encourage customers to enter the store. Get the customer to pause and “shop”.
Macys 2014 window display
Elements of Visual Merchandising
Visual Merchandising is a skill that if properly harnessed can be extremely rewarding for both the visual merchandiser and the client. Think about it - why do event managers and wedding decorators invest so much in the decor of their engagements? To give the guests a memorable experience. For a retailer, however, it is much much more than just the decor. I have always believed this job would be perfect for someone who studied psychology or sociology because they truly have studied human behaviour. But the truth is - the skills can be learnt even if you studied other disciplines. The important thing is the ability to be creative.
The 5 elements come to play when creating a visual merchandising strategy. I remember workshops given by Truworths then when I was in fashion school. Visual merchandising was as precise as how many cms up the mannequin should be, how many cms back from the window, if the props were to be tilted, by how many cms, etc.
Then there was this technique (can't really remember the name) but the explanation was how products were arranged in such a way that though they seemed to be on a straight line, one is given more prominence over the other. That one is the focal point which they wanted to emphasize and which they needed the customer to buy. I found the subject of visual merchandising quite captivating and really wished I could delve into it as a career - but alas we really can't do everything can we?!
Techniques of Visual Merchandising
A SlidePower Presentation by Georgia Perkins
For a successful visual merchandising strategy, there are various techniques to consider to ensure the goals are achieved. We all know the main goal is to make sales - but there are different ways to achieve that goal.
Georgia Perkins in her Slide Power presentation clearly articulates these techniques so I will advise you to watch the slideshow.
At the end of this post, I will put a glossary of recommended articles you need to read to establish a career in visual merchandising. There is so much content online that you can use to establish a career in visual merchandising or even adopt in your store.
Conclusion
Debenhams Store
In conclusion, in this environment, we are yet to scratch the surface on what visual merchandising can really do for us as retailers, merchandisers and as a business opportunity.
Use visual merchandising to enhance, establish and promote the store’s visual image. Also to improve customers’ shopping experience and entertain them.⠀Eventually, this will directly translate into increased customers, sales and revenue for your fashion business.
Do you think it’s something you’ll like to try?⠀Let us know in the comments section.
Recommended Resources
Fashion Business Growth Tip: Use Compelling Images
