Fashion Design Business Plan in Nigeria

Fashion Design Business Plan in Nigeria – Feasibility Study on Fashion Design

The three basic needs of man have always been food, clothing and shelter and this is a certain constant that will not change with time. Clothing now does not stop at providing covering for man, but has evolved into being fashionable as well.

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The fashion designing industry is one of the ever growing industries in the world. It is an art of its own, and just like an artist, has no limit to the types or amount of creative touches you put to it. The fashion business in Nigeria has been thrown into frenzy as Nigerians have moved into the thought line of grow the economy of your nation and be proud of your culture, leading to a sharp and swift upward movement of this industry. Nigerian celebrities are not left out as they show up in ceremonies in locally made clothes which has not failed to catch the eyes and attentions of Nigerians.

As good and as profitable this business sounds, there are two sides to it, and you can be on either sides of it. You can be on the side of the everyday regular fashion designer, or you can be on the side of that exceptional fashion designer. What differentiates a regular fashion designer from an exceptional one is “CREATIVITY”. To excel in this business, you need to be focused, determined and live outside your comfort zone. If all you want to do is make profit, you will become stagnant and soon left behind as new trends evolve. But if you want to constantly stay in the limelight and have a passion for what you do beyond just profit making, then you will gain fame, popularity and profit making will be the start for you.

So, if you think you have what it takes to have and run your own fashion designing business, then these few thoughts will help to set you on the right path.

• Decide the category of clothes you want to make: This is probably the first most important thing you need to do. If you try to be jack of all categories, you will end up being master of none. So choose a category of your interest whether male, female, children, maternity or any other category.
• Get proper training: Getting relevant training will help you understand the rudiments of this business if you want to be involved in the sewing process. Otherwise, if you plan on supplying the designs, then you can employ designers who will put your idea and creativeness to work. This is if you are starting big. If you are planning to start small then you need to get training from a reputable fashion designing institute, where you will be taught how to take measurements, cut and sew pieces of materials to produce clothes. Training usually lasts from six months to a year or more, depending on how much you need to learn and how fast you catch up. Do not be in a hurry to leave without completing your training period. Take time to complete your training and learn all you need to start up your business. The training fee may vary depending on your location and payment methods could vary as well. Some people may ask for full payment before acceptance, others may ask for a part payment before commencement of training and payment after the training is completed with one or two sureties.
• Choose a location: As easy as this sounds, it can become a challenge. If you have enough room where you reside, you can start off from there, especially if you are working on a tight budget. A lot of people who have made it today and are top shots in the industry started that way. So, don’t be ashamed to start small. If you can afford to rent a shop, then go for it.

When getting a shop, the population, standard of living, closeness to town and the level of competition should be considered. The more populated the location, the more customers you will get, however do not be bothered if your choice location is not so populated. If you are good at what you do, then customers will locate you from everywhere.

The standard of living in your choice location can influence you profit margin. The higher the standard of living, the more profit you will make. Also, the closer your business is to town, the better it will be.

Competition in this business is very serious and should not be taken for granted. There is hardly a street anywhere in the country where you will not find a fashion designer. If there happens to be a lot of fashion designers in your choice location dealing in the same category as yours, then you may want to reconsider that location. But if you are ready to take the bull by the horn, then go ahead with establishing your business in that location. If you can put up the fiercest healthiest competition, then you will be sure to get yourself to the top of the game.

To place order for our sample fashion design business plan in Nigeria and feasibility study, Pay N10,000 to:

BANK NAME: GUARANTY TRUST BANK (GTB)

ACCOUNT NAME: CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0044056891

After payment, send the following details via text to 07033378184.

Depositors Name

Your email address

The title of the business plan you paid for (i.e. fashion design business plan pdf)

• Develop your designs: People always want to be the first to rock a new design. Most times even, when customers come to you, they want you to look at them and create something that will fit them and make them look great. Therefore, you have to be ready to make good use of such opportunities. This is where you put your creativity to work. If you find difficulties in putting your designs on paper, the you can always refer to the internet for help. YouTube is a good place to start. You will be amazed at how much information you can get there.
• Get your equipments and materials: You need equipments to convert your creativity to reality. Below are some of the major equipments and materials you will need.
• Sewing machine: There are different brands and different prices of sewing machines. You can go for the not too expensive ones with high durability. There are manual, mechanical, electrical and computerized sewing machines. The first two are the more commonly used ones in Nigeria. The last two are more advanced, as they can sew as programed by the user, which makes sewing work a lot easier, but are very expensive. They are used by bigger fashion designing companies and need to be operated by people who are tech savvy. You can always start with the more common and cheapest type of sewing machine which is the manual sewing machine.
• Embroidery and weaving machine: If you do not have the financial strength to buy these at the beginning, you can always outsource this work to those that have the machines. It is however advisable to get yours, because, the cost, inconvenience and time of outsourcing these services, on the long run, far outweigh the cost of these machines. Also, you can make extra profit from those who come to make use of these machines if you have them.
• Table: For cutting materials and ironing materials and clothes.
• Tape rule/Tailor’s measuring tape: For taking body measurements.
• Chairs: Apart from the chairs needed to sit on to work, chairs are also needed for your customers.
• Pressing iron: You will need both steam and dry pressing irons.
• Wardrobe and Shelve: Finished clothes will either be hung on the wardrobe or folded and kept on the shelve.
• Scissors: For cutting materials.
• Hangers, needles and threads of different colours and sizes.
• Paper and pencil: Keep it handy because you will certainly encounter creative customers who want to display their creativity.

 

• Be ready to advertise your products: It is one thing to invent, and it is another to make known your invention. A lot of people are already in this business, so in order to stand out you have to be ready to showcase your talents.
• Use of social media: You can never get it wrong in business if you employ the right use of social media. Instagram and Facebook are good places to start with. On Instagram, be sure to follow celebrities and fashion designers. You can try to convince a celebrity to do a free design for them and have them model you designs. If you have to do this, you must be ready to go beyond what they would normally expect from a regular fashion designer Always leave a smart comment on fashion related posts. Also, keep a lot of your made designs with good image quality on your pages.
• Fashion blog: You can have your own blog to show case your designs. A lot of people will browse the internet for trending styles. This can help you grow your customer base.
• You can advertise your business using business cards, poster, flyers, radio and television.
• You can also advertise your designs on style magazines and have them patented, with you details provided on the magazine.
• Another great way to market your designs and products is if you have them showcased by models during university activities or street carnivals which can later be aired repeatedly on television.
• You can also have a YouTube channel and have videos of your modelled designs uploaded. This can attract both national and international clients.
• Keep an organised business place: It is said fist appearance creates first impression. So keep an organised work place. Don’t dump clothes and materials everywhere and anywhere. Hang or fold finished clothes and keep on the wardrobe or shelve. You can create a receptionist area where discussions are made with customers, another room for sewing and displaying finished clothes, and a third room for keeping cloths to be sewn and your work material. If there is not enough room for these arrangements, then make do with what you have. Try as much as possible to keep the place organised. Remember to have a nice restroom your customers can use. If you can afford an air conditioner, then get one, if not just get a good fan.

CHALLENGES OF FASHION DESIGNING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA

1. Financial difficulties: One way to handle this is to start small and grow fast. When the business begins to progress, then you can get the necessary documentations (e.g. business plan) and apply for a loan. There are thousands of fashion designers out there, so if you can convince the lender with evidences about how well you are already doing in the business, then you may just get that loan. You could also apply for a loan to start up the business, but you will need to convince the lender beyond doubt that it is not going to be a wasted investment.
2. Competition: There is no business without competition, so be ready to compete fiercely but healthy. A good competing environment will help to bring out the best in you.

• Keeping up with fashion trends: You need to keep up with the ever changing trend if you want to stay relevant in this business.

1. Promotion of your products and designs: This is a challenge especially for starters. Once you settle in and know your way around the business, this challenge will be minimized.
2. Tax: This may be a challenge for beginners. Once your patronage increases, you will be able to handle this challenge.

BENEFITS OF FASHION DESIGNING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA

1. It is very profitable. The average price of native wear for men is #2,500 (a shirt and trouser). Let’s see how much you can earn in a month with this

#2,500*2 (in a day) = #5,000

#5,000*30(days in a month) = #150,000.

You can make on the average #150,000 in a month, that is when other types and patterns of clothing which may be more expensive is not added.  After deduction of salaries and other expenses, you may be left with over #50,000 profit for just shirt and trousers made. Profit margins usually increases during festive periods as well.

2. There is never a shortage of customers. People will always wear clothes and ceremonies will always take place. Once you overcome the customer challenge at the beginning, you will not have customer issues as long as you play your cards well.
3. Unlike a lot of other business, you may not need to register or get a license to operate, except you are starting very big .
4. It allows you to unleash your creative potentials which can take you farther than you would have imagined.
5. You can pass this knowledge to younger ones by teaching and mentoring and have your name written in fashion history.

As interesting, lucrative and profitable this business is, there certain things you must put effort to avoid because they can hinder your progress.

• Desist from the popular syndrome of “African man time”. It will kill your business.
• Desist from disappointing customers. If you know you have too much and may not meet up with the deadline, let the customer know.
• Don’t over prize your products and services.
• Don’t cut corners when employing staffs. Under qualified staffs will ruin your business and image.
• Avoid arguing and worst still quarrelling with your customers. If you have to point out their fault, do it politely and professionally.
• Offer professional advice when customers choose styles that may not fit them. If you keep shut and it goes wrong, it falls back on you.

I hope some of your curiosity about starting a fashion designing business have been answered by this article. If so, it is time to go out and birth that creativity.

To get our sample feasibility study on fashion design business in Nigeria + business plan, pay N10,000 to:

 BANK NAME: GUARANTY TRUST BANK (GTB)
ACCOUNT NAME: CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0044056891
OR
BANK NAME: FIRST BANK PLC
ACCOUNT NAME: CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3066880122

After payment, send your name, email address and title of business plan (i.e. fashion design business plan pdf) via text to 07033378184. Your business plan will be sent to your email within 10 minutes after payment. Thank you.

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