Clothing items are one of the easier things to market test because of the nature of the industry. We are going to recommend ways for you to see if your idea has the potential for a good business.

1. It is first assumed that you are familiar with sewing, that you have a good sewing machine, and that you have both designed and experimented with the item you have selected for a market test. This is not to imply that you are ultimately going to do the sewing of the item at home, only that you have the capability to make enough samples.

2. You will need some photos of your item so locate an amateur model or have someone you know put the garment on and model it for a photographer. (Many photographers can recommend a model.) Get some really good shots from different views. We recommend that you hire a professional photographer for this because they know what to do to make your garment look its best.

3. We strongly recommend at this point that you take the Personality Profiler and Carland Entrepreneurship Index. The Personality Profiler will tell you whether you have the right personality and attitude to sell your ideas effectively, or whether you should remain the "brains behind the scene" who hires the right people to do the interface work. How well you interface with buyers, brokers, producers, customers, and suppliers will ultimately determine your success or failure in this business endeavor. If you have partners or associates, have them take the tests as well, so you can determine who has the best personality match for interfacing with people in this highly diverse industry.

The Carland Entrepreneurship Index will show you what level of entrepreneur you are...should you start a very small enterprise, or are your capabilities more geared to competing with Microsoft? The Carland will tell you.

We offer these two tests, and we provide you with all the interpretations and recommendations you need to make the crucial decision facing you at this point. Click here if you want to learn more about the importance of business personality.

4. Pick your most qualified representative to take the photos (not the garment itself!) and your business cards to the Clothing Merchandise Mart when they are having a show in a big city near you. Circulate and meet the buyers and brokers who will be there and show them your product to get their ideas. Feedback at this point is very important. Don't be discouraged if the buyers aren't beating themselves up to get to you. You should be in a learning mode as much as you are in a selling mode. And, you may come away with some orders!

5. There are many clothing catalogs that will welcome new ideas. These direct mail services depend on new ideas like yours. Select the catalog that best represents the idea you have and contact them to find out what their requirements are for new items. They will want a photo of your garment and they will want to know how many you can produce and how quickly they can be produced. We will cover that in the next paragraph. If possible, it is not a bad idea to arrange to meet the catalog buyer and to personally take your sample and the photos to him or her.

6. In the event that you do get a large order for your item, how will you produce it in quantity? Certainly not on your home sewing machine. And, it is not wise to buy other machines and hire people to do it, nor is it wise to subcontract the sewing to other people in their homes. You have no control over quality or schedules. The best thing to do at this stage is to find a company who is already setup to sew on a production basis and to arrange with them to make your product. Have them sign a "non-compete agreement", which is your assurance that they won't compete against you with your idea or something similar. Also, have them commit to pricing to manufacturer your product. They will probably have a minimum order, so be prepared.

7. The last suggestion, and one that has worked quite well for new garment ideas, is doing the direct mail yourself. Select the one magazine that is best for your product. Contact their Advertising Manager, (usually listed in the front of the magazine), and ask what their requirements are for an ad and their prices. We suggest that you have a graphic artist prepare your ad for you. It is going to be rather expensive, anyway, so it might as well be right! Go ahead and run your ad in the magazine, perhaps as many as three successive issues. If your advertisement is professional looking and the magazine places it well and the audience is there, you will get orders! And since the orders are coming directly to your home, you can set your own production schedule for making, packaging and sending them to your mail order customers. One tip...be sure to acknowledge each and every order with a post card thanking them for the order and telling them when their order will be shipped.

8. Likewise, don't forget about the Internet! Electronic commerce is the fast growing into the preferred method of consumer purchasing. If you're interested, do an Internet search for "Internet Hosts". You'll find many who can offer a turnkey Internet storefront for a very competitive price.

9. After you have tested the market for your product in one of these ways, you may decide to start your business in earnest! If so, we have prepared some things you will need to consider when starting your new business. Just click here!

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