Don't BEE afraid of production for your small fashion business.
Today I give you 2 approaches to master production for your small retail apparel business.
Today I give you 2 approaches to master production for your small retail apparel business.
Images by www.rachelimages.com for issue 3 of TFBM Magazine.
I am going to start breaking down the details of production for you starting with how to plan one “run”. Then later we will look at planning for the season and the year. One run is one group of clothing. Now you may currently be taking one order at a time and they are spread out so you finish your production order by order. When times are slow this works, or if you want to stay small and work order to order this works. BUT if you want to grow, and if you want to be more efficient read on.
We are going to look at 2 ways to approach production for your small business. Both ways will help you to organize your workload into one production run. Making all of your orders at once saves time because it allows you to set up an actual production line. (Cut all at once, serge all seams, move on to single needle, move on the embellishments/finishing.) This process saves so much time!
APPROACH 1: Production based on your selling cycle:
We are going to look at 2 ways to approach production for your small business. Both ways will help you to organize your workload into one production run. Making all of your orders at once saves time because it allows you to set up an actual production line. (Cut all at once, serge all seams, move on to single needle, move on the embellishments/finishing.) This process saves so much time!
APPROACH 1: Production based on your selling cycle:
- Plan a collection or piece of clothing
- Release a collection
- Have a selling period
- Plan on overages
- Buy supplies
- Complete the lot
- Deliver orders
- Sell remaining stock
- Start over
- Plan a Collection or Piece of Clothing
- Release a collection
- Have a selling period
- Produce based on orders and cut off orders when supplies are fully reserved
- Decide to produce overages or keep excess material
- Complete Lot
- Deliver orders
- Sell remaining stock or use fabric for new design
- Start over
BEE Confident! In my next posts I will break down the details of these 2 approaches to production so you can decide which is best for you!