David’s commitment to quality and coaching!
“As many as a dozen times a week, I receive a call or an email from someone that “wants to start a clothing line”. ”
What I need to do in order to in order to make sure I am spending my time as carefully as possible is to extract the details. Everyone believes that they have an amazing idea. I have never had an inquiry that started off “I know I will never be able to sell these but…… As the process is kind of like dating, I want to find out what you want to create, how you are going to market & sell the product, do you have a realistic goal for what can be accomplished with the time and money that you have at your disposal? There are literally dozens of factors that should be if not taken into consideration, should be heard before risking your time & money. If I agree to work with you, you will have my commitment that to that to the extreme best of my ability I will help you navigate through the obstacles that you will undoubtedly face.
1. What are your minimums?
David says: “We don’t have minimums. While we prefer you combine your orders as much as possible, who am I to tell you how many you need to buy? It goes without saying that you will buy as many as your client wants. But why should I push my client outside their comfort zone, or have them buy more than they need, which causes them to carry inventory thus tying up their money. The worst scenario is in the case of a new start up, by increasing the burn rate of their startup capital. I prefer that my clients buy what they need to buy, helping to ensure their success which only allows them to be more financially sound which helps them survive and able to pay me without issue.”
2. What is an Apparel Coach
An apparel coach or a mentor is what everyone wants & needs. Anyone who is contemplating starting a new clothing line or a creative promotional item being able to call on someone with over 30 years’ experience that can help navigate the challenges that exist in any new apparel venture is vital. I’m here to help!
3. Why does an Entrepreneur need an Apparel Coach.
Let’s face it the garment industry is an “interesting” business to get into. It has been around ever since the apple was bitten. I believe it to be true that whenever something has been around for so long certain people try to take advantage of new comers with less knowledge and experience. Being able to work with, and discuss things with someone that has been “in it” for 30+ years in an invaluable opportunity. I love a challenge and working with entrepreneurs is allot of fun and allows me to be more creative as well!
4. Uptick can create its own fabric, how is that beneficial.
Uptick Apparel knits & dyes all the knit fabric it uses in the production of its products. Again quality cannot be inspected into a garment so it is critical that the first step; in this case the material, is of the highest possible quality. There are many aspects of ‘good fabric’: softness, shrinkage, colorfastness, torqueing and these are only a few of the challenges that need to be overcome in order to make a quality, consistent, fabric. I can help you through this process.
5. How to create a Sample & Pattern.
We would be more than happy to make your patterns for you. We have worked with the same pattern makers for years and are confident that when we cut our fabric using one of the patterns that they made we are not destroying the fabric because of poorly made patterns. Along with a set of patterns we will provide a sample at no extra charge so that you can be sure that what you have just paid for will be something that will yield the type & fit of the product that you want.
6. Choosing a fabric? How can I be more efficient with my time and efforts?
Working with a coach will definitely help with choosing the right fabric for the project. It’s funny how people wonder why a red & white garment turns pink after it’s washed? Learn what can go wrong and stop it from happening before it does. Also UPTICK has rows of fabric that are ready for use, no more purchasing fabric, finding a pattern maker, looking for the proper tags and printers we can do it all for you!
7. I just want my logo on a t-shirt, what is the cheapest way to do that?
Not a problem, often I discuss with my clients the options of using a readymade tee shirt such as a Gildan. Gildan makes great products and there are strong reasons to use their products. Like any decision it is important to make informed ones. We can coach you with the options and work within your budget to find the best solution with a quick turnaround time.