9 simple steps to start a shoe line
A shoe line is a great way to make a name for yourself. In fact, the best shoe designers get started by creating their own shoe lines. Whether you’re a man or a woman, it’s an amazing way to make your mark and become a legend. If you want to start a shoe line, then you should probably know what you’re getting into before you do it.
If you’ve got an interesting idea for a new product and you don’t know how to make it a reality, this is the blueprint you need.
I’m a shoe enthusiast and I’ve seen countless numbers of shoes over the years. And let me tell you, the good ones have a certain something that makes them stand out from the crowd. What is it? It’s the right fit. The perfect blend of comfort, style, and fit. Well, it turns out that a lot of people just don’t know how to make the right choices in the first place.
There’s a reason why the vast majority of shoe designs we see today aren’t the best of the best—they just plain suck. Let me tell you if you want to make a better product than your competitors, it’s not a matter of simply copying their designs and hoping they work for you. No, it’s a matter of making better decisions. And you can do that by knowing the basics.
You’ll discover how to choose a great shoe manufacturer, what to look for when choosing a manufacturer, and how to work with the manufacturer to create a working prototype of your new product.
Shoe lines are a great way for a new entrepreneur to establish a brand identity and get feedback from potential customers. But starting a shoe line can be a challenge. One reason why it’s difficult is because of the amount of time and energy you’re going to have to invest before you see any profits. That said, it’s not as hard as you may think. Just take a look at these nine simple steps to get started.
1. Decide What You Want to Achieve
The key to starting your own shoe brand is to think big. Instead of focusing on the details, you should focus on the big picture. What’s your dream? Think about the kind of shoes you want to sell. Are they classic? Trendy? Casual? Work? Dressy? Sporty? All of these can play a role in the type of shoes you decide to make. Once you’ve decided what kind of shoe you want to make, think about what makes it unique.
2. Identify the Target Market
The second step is to identify your target market. Who is most likely to buy your shoes? Are they 18-year-old college students or 50-something soccer moms? How do we know this? One way is by talking to people. But there is another (and arguably a better) way which is by doing a little research. If you are selling to young urban professionals, you might ask your spouse, your friends, or your coworkers for names of people who might be interested in your product.
Do a Google search on “your city + young urban professional” and see what pops up. If you’re going after soccer moms, you could talk with your church congregation, your local PTA, your real estate agent, and/or your insurance agent.
3. Define the Problem: Who is the Customer?
“The first step in solving any problem is to accurately identify it,” says W-A-Y West of Jewfish Creek. “It is only when we recognize the nature and extent of the problem that we can begin to formulate a solution. In the case of our shoe business, we were able to determine that we needed to discover who the customers were and what they wanted.”
4. Determine the Pain Points
You can create a successful shoe brand by doing several things. One of the most important points is, you need to know the pain points of your market. That means identifying the reasons people don’t buy shoes, what they want and expect, and what would make their lives better if they had access to a better product. Then, figure out what makes your shoes unique. What can you do differently from anyone else?
5. Write down a list of all of the challenges you will have to overcome
Think about all of the challenges you will have to overcome. You’ll need to get your product to stores, figure out how to get your brand established and known, market your product, and find a way to make a profit.
Write a list of all of the challenges you will have to overcome in order to start a business of your own. For example, you could say that the main challenges are:
- a) Marketing,
- b) The market demand
- c) Time
- d) The legal hurdles
- e) The costs of setting up a business
- f) The need for a license)
- g) The skills needed
- h) The product development process
6. Research and Plan Your Strategy: Brainstorm Possible Solutions
The first step in planning and developing your strategy for your new business is to brainstorm all the possible solutions that could work. While brainstorming, try to think about how each of these solutions would function in your business. It’s best to start thinking like a consumer or business owner and understand what types of problems people may face with your product. You can do some researches to determine if there were already successful brands on the market that were doing what I wanted to do. I found that some of the most successful companies were creating “the right product for the right customer” rather than simply making a good product.
7. Make a Prototype
A prototype is a “proof of concept.” In other words, a prototype lets you see if there’s a market for your idea before you invest time and money into it. By creating a prototype, you can test the viability of your idea by determining if there is enough interest in what you are selling to make it worth pursuing.
8. Find a Shoe Manufacturer
Find a manufacturer – This is the step that 99% of people skip. However, it is absolutely essential. If you don’t do this, your shoes will never get made. And, even if they do get made, it will almost certainly be by someone who isn’t experienced in the business of manufacturing footwear. An inexperienced manufacturer will most likely:
- Take on too much work and make the product excessively difficult and expensive to produce.
- Not have the equipment necessary to run a tight ship.
- Not be able to meet the deadlines you are giving him.
- Not have the ability to create a sufficient inventory to satisfy customer demand.
- Not have the ability to react quickly enough to changing market conditions.
- Probably won’t have the skills necessary to create a quality product.
- Probably won’t have the desire or the ambition to do the job right.
- Will almost certainly want to cut corners in every way possible, including making the product with inferior materials.
You see, an inexperienced manufacturer is probably going to be a lot like a person who wants to write a book but doesn’t have a clue about what it takes to do it properly. Don’t make that mistake. If you find a good manufacturer, he will make your product far better than you could ever do it yourself. On the other hand, if you try to do this step on your own, you are almost guaranteed to fail. Why? Simply because it is too complex and involves too many variables. So, the most important thing you should do to start a new shoe line is to find a good manufacturer and put all of this issue’s steps into action.
Don’t overlook the value of a good relationship with a manufacturer. I don’t care if you are starting from scratch or have been selling your hand-crafted shoes for years, you should not attempt to go it alone when it comes to manufacturing. There are plenty of great manufacturers out there who would love to have a passionate, committed customer like you and who will work with you, add value, and provide good, old-fashioned support. Not only that, having a strong relationship with a manufacturer can open many doors for you.
Consider this: One of our customers was turned down by 7 different manufacturers before she found one that was willing to take a chance on her. She then went on to become a major success and has now established herself as one of our most successful clients. Talk with a few different shoe manufacturers and see who is willing to meet with you and give you an honest evaluation and who is not only willing to listen to your ideas but is also willing to work with you, add value, and provide support.
There are many factors to take into account when choosing a manufacturer. Things like price, quality of the product, delivery time, availability of supplies, etc. But, the main thing you want to make sure of is the manufacturer you choose is a reliable and good partner for you and your business.
9. Bring it to Life
The last step in creating your campaign is to bring it to life. This means getting out there and selling your product. Don’t wait for perfection. You won’t get it. So go out there and make mistakes, test, refine, and repeat.
Here are some ways to make your product come alive for your customers:
Tell a story: This isn’t just a shoe company; it’s YOUR story. What happened to you that led to the creation of this company? How did you overcome obstacles to get to where you are today? What was the best thing that ever happened to you? The worst? Share your story with your customers. If you don’t think you have a story worth telling, ask someone who does.
In conclusion, the best way to build a brand and create value is to focus on the people first and the product second. Find out where your customers are and what they want. Then create products that they will love and keep coming back for. The shoes were an extension of the brand and their personal style.
If you would like more info on this service, you can contact us at [email protected].
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