Fashion design business in Nigeria - A step-by-step Guide

Hey!

A fashion design business is hard yet harder when there's no focal point of where to start and approach things.

Even with people leverage the trend(fashion design) things can be a whole lot more harder.

So, how can you stay within the hook?

In fact, staying in the hook isn't your thing but what way can you actually dominant the trend?

With many trends and here the coronavirus(COVID-19) issues up in the air, tell me what exactly have you leverage to your opportunities?

Yes, a fashion designer should think of a better way to maximize every opportunity no matter how little it might be.

So, how have you maximized the trend?

Well, if you haven't there're chances you don't have to panic much but learn from that.

When it comes to fashion design it's partition into different segment so it's not necessary you go by everything.

No, that isn't necessary.

In the real sense, you can follow up with two segments and keep it consistent.

So, what are the trends in fashion design?

In fashion design school, you're taught why picking your preferred niche is necessary.

Indeed, it's necessary. That's,

• Make-up(cosmetics)
• Tailoring(cloth design) 
• Texturing and more

But, in a case, where you didn't pass through a fashion design school then don't lose hope just yet.

That way, I recommend you to stay from the beginning to the end in order to grab where exactly you need to input lucrative ideas to your fashion design business.

In this case, let's see how you can start a fashion design business that everyone would convert for purchase intent.

Here are how to start a lucrative fashion design business and school in Nigeria

1. Stay clear with your fashion design precision
2. Show them why they need you
3. Define your path
4. Build on a target audience
5. Network with influencers
6. Use social media to drive leads
7. Focus on your success metrics, not ROI
8. Fashion design pieces of equipment needed

1. Stay clear with your fashion design precision

When it comes to establishing a fashion design business it's best you understand the process WHY from the moment you're venturing into it.

Because people don't buy what you do but why you do them so it's important you understand the entire process.

If there's a mindset of driving more in sales then your fashion design precision says it all.

For example, let's talk about one brand that always stands out, Nike.

This way, let's pinch something about them. Let's learn together.

For one, Nike has established its brand as the cornerstone of all in the shoe design industry. They possess a precise design logo that indicates strength and courage.

So, what does that mean to you?

To prospects out there the contrast clearly delivers a message that it's so important in building their emotional state.

It drives prospects into actions and for a purchase decision.

What do I mean by that?

A color element describes what exactly your brand is speaking out without manually telling people what you do.

I believe you get that. Take a look at this.

Every fashion design business posses a unique tone and an interactive logo design.

Here's an example:

For the health industry, they stick more to Green precision. I mean a logo design that indicates attributes much like this:

• Prosperity
• Balance
• Nature
• Charity.

But, for the fashion design industry, mostly top brands uses black precision which means:

• Power
• Sexy
• Strength
• Courage
• Luxury

In this case, tell me how would your fashion design business attract leads when your marketing tactic isn't right from what your brand speaks out.

It's so important that your team understands why your fashion design logo might reflect your overall success.

Credit: Adidas

Your marketing tactics reflect on what you're about teaching. People learn from that.

If at all you successfully build a big empire it happens just because you get the human connection right.

People mostly fall for brand logos which can propel your fashion design brand an earned media that's with word of mouth.

And that's marketable for your sales funnel.

2. Show them why they need you

Competition keeps our toes moving at all times and that increasing our drive for success.

Now, we talk about a monopolistic competition where you have too many sellers of the same product.

You know how hard that can be in converting leads.

Because the majority of those leads would probably react as detractors it means you haven't get them as promoters just yet.

Your fashion design brand still needs to do more in experimenting with them for lead nurturing.

Read here: How To Start A Business That Drives Online Sales In Nigeria 

That way, you speak why you're doing what you're doing and that should show up right from their first visit.

People don't care about what you do but they always remember how you solve their daily needs.

It's so important that your brand has a clear vision of the Golden Circle, that's:

• What
• How 
• Why

Top brands quickly realized the benefit of why they're doing what they're doing. In most cases, the why golden circle propels the interest of the audience and resonates perfectly with their feelings.

That's why as a person who wants to start a fashion design business or school, start straight with the Why circle to yield a better understanding of what your prospects might think about your service.

It is really important you do that.

3. Define your path

Give more reason to believe in what your fashion design business offer.

That could bring more trust and credibility. Often times neither do we realize that I don't think we do.

Most times, your business path is likely been defined by what you see people do not why they do them.

That way, your brand executes different inbound tactics to target prospects for leads.

Believing the goal is clear and the path looks promising.

But, let me tell you, that isn't enough.

Do you know that your brand mission statement can support more leads?

Or you don't know that yet?

Of course, many times it happens when you have got a statement that tells people how and why you're doing what you're doing.

It helps bring human feelings and connections.

Mind you, it doesn't set you apart yet meaning that your fashion design brand unique selling point isn't known yet.

But, that isn't the case, in business topology means plugging in your marketing, sales, and customer service around a hook called customer.

Your marketing tactics will show why they should have a reason to believe in your fashion design business.

In Nigeria, that can be so hard, of course, it needs a whole lot of assignment.

More importantly, when it comes to the stage where you want to have them for conversion more.

That way, a lot of puzzles need solving.

That's, here are the fashion design plan in Nigeria:

• Tracking your buyer's personas.
• Creating multiple touchpoints in every buyer's stages.
• Knowing your unique selling point.
• Allocating ideas to support your fashion design KPIs.
• Creating a defined goal.
• Analyzing your success metics
• Retargeting your audience.

This means a clear business path isn't about your Goals, KPIs, SWOT analysis, SMART goals, marketing automation, and offline sales, but your customers.

Understanding your customers in every buyer's stage will help make sense decision in converting them more.

It means your inbound effort is targeted around your customers that way it's best to quickly express what you do and why you do them.

Remember, first impression matters and goes a long way.

If your brand needs an earned media your prospects say it all.

Word of mouth can be so powerful and that doesn't come from the KPIs, goals, and marketing automation you ever initiated.

But, it naturally comes from who you're targeting, that's your prospects.

On the other hand, in terms of standing out here's where the inbound marketing strategy that would make that happen begins:

• First, let everyone including your team understand the vision of your fashion design business that can make them do more.
• Secondly, let your prospects understand the goals of why you're doing what you're doing that would make them convert even more.
• Thirdly, The KPIs set for your team must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. It must be clear and something it's possible to achieve.

Yes, almost every fashion brand goal is to increase revenue, of course, that's everyone's goal.

But, don't just stick to that, yet your brand needs a content planning and execution.

Well, what do I mean by that?

A management tool is needed which execute planning and track the success metrics.

It means for every single month your marketing team must extract an inbound campaign that resonates with the company's KPIs which probably show what medium is next converting prospects for leads intent.

Also, what medium is next retargeting existing customers to buy more.

Yet, it's critical your fashion design brand execute such momentum and keep it consistent.

4. Build on a target audience

It's time to know who you're about targeting for your fashion design service.

When you realize that everything concerning your business goals and KPIs is ready for execution.

This means you need a target audience that would convert more for your offer.

So, tell me, does your fashion design business attract every demographic?

If yes, segmentation isn't needed.

If not, then who is your ideal customer?

Who are you about targeting?

Read here: How To Grow Your Business - The Fast Way Of Driving Online sales

This stage is the most critical because if you ain't getting it right it's hard meeting your conversion goal.

Let's say, you owe a fashion design school or academy segmented into:

• Tailoring
• Clothing

This way, it's time to build an ideal customer profile to show who's a good fit for your fashion design service.

After all, let's say your objective is to target demographics above 20 years of any sex(male or female).

Fine, you just know who you're about targeting.

But, who's likely to be a good fit for your fashion design school?

In this case, let's go for an example.

How to start a fashion design school - Your fashion design school ideal customer profile.

• Name - Anyone
• Sex - Male and Female
• Interest - Tailoring and Clothing
• Age - 20 years and above
• Salary - 50,000 nairas and above
• Location - Lagos only

Now, prospect 1 ideal customer profile:

• Name - Cee C
• Sex - Female 
• Interest - Makeup and hairdressing.
• Age - 28
• Salary - 150,000 and above.
• Location - Abuja

For prospect 2 ideal customer profile:

• Name - Ebuka Bbnaija
• Sex - Male
• Interest - Tailoring and clothing
• Age - 36
• Salary - 400,000 nairas and above
• Location - Lagos.

So tell me, who's a good fit for your business? Cee C or Ebuka Bbnaija.

With what's illustrated above, it's clear that Cee C doesn't have much interest in what your brand offer.

But, Ebuka shows more of a good fit that way he needs nurturing.

First, the heart of a business, however, is contact and that should be the process to leverage.

When you're ready to go live try to stumble on your prospect's data, collect their information, and segment them.

That can happen by serving them a specific action to complete like sign up form, distributing of questionnaires and more.

In order to properly understand what their interest might be and how your brand would convert them from prospects into customers.

5. Network with influencers

Another method your brand can use to make those prospects subscribe more is to find influencers in your related field.

Network with them for wider reach this way they can promote your services in front of their audience.

But, when it comes to influencer marketing the number of followers might not do much, but the engagement rates matter.

That's,

• Likes
• Shares
• Re-tweet 
• Social mention and more

You need prospects to listen to your voice and necessary call-to-action. 

Right?

So it's best to network with an influencer even though it's a micro-influencer but at least he\she can initiate masses.

In a nutshell, that can boost your fashion brand awareness even without running a paid media.

6. Use social media to drive leads

It's free, it just about signing up and get started.

But a good description of why you're doing what you're doing is quite needed.

After all, drop the link of your website if you have one

But,  in a case, if you don't have it yet.

This means you have to drop your phone number or replace the website bio section with your Gmail account.

Another important stuff is that you have to use call-to-action like,

• Buy now
• Call now
• Sign up now
• Learn more
• Click now and more

To drive leads in order to make them perform a specific action.

For one, you still need to do more, by leveraging:

• Infographics
• Videos
• Emojis - in order to boost the emotional state and drive actions
• Hashtags - in order to boost the organic reach of the content.

All that matters.

7. Focus on your success metrics, not ROI

I don't want you to depend much on ROI but keep track of your success metrics.

For instance, if you bid a product I mean the cost per click on that product is $1.64 and you're getting a return of investment of $2.01 on that keyword.

Don't just celebrate yet.

Read here: Digital Marketing Agency | How To Start And Drives Sales In Nigeria 

Remember, ROI isn't constant the variable changes so today it might go well while tomorrow isn't the case.

And that might affect you if your brand depends too much on tracking ROI instead of the success metrics.

For me, I don't do that anymore.

Instead, I prefer tracking customer acquisition, profitability, and retention not just ROI.

Why this happens is because if at all I get the Return Of Investment.

Yet, I still have to retain those customers for more sales.

And that matters.

The retention rate is needed it shows how good a brand is in retaining customers.

If your brand acquisition and retention rate can be so high that way capturing leads won't be much difficult.

It shows you have a good hand in returning customers which helps in building a lasting relationship with them.

8. Fashion design pieces of equipment needed

So, here's the list of pieces of equipment needed for your fashion design school in Nigeria:

1. Cutting mats
2. Sewing tools(threads, sewing machines, needles)
3. Dress forms(dress form fit(size s-m, m-l)
4. Computer-assisted design tool - Adobe photoshop
5. Fabric pressing tools - iron, steam iron
6. Product development tools - tape, tailor chalk, pin
7. Fashion art tools - color pencil, sketchbook
8. Draping tools - yardstick, plastic ruler 18"
9. Fabric scissors(card scissors, shear scissors)
10. Pattern making tools - tracing wheel, french curve, hip curve

Conclusion

Now that you have a proper guide into what it takes to make your fashion design business so lucrative by turning leads into sales.

Yet, you still have to stay updated with the fashion trends and find a way to keep improving and keep it consistent.

So, over to you, how do you want to start a fashion design business in Nigeria?

I'm Destined boy, a certified digital and inbound marketer.

Follow @BlogdestinedYou can follow me up on Twitter.