With the slim profit margins in the fashion industry, more and more clothing businesses are opting to sell their products completely online to avoid the expense of running a brick and mortar store. Consuelo Bova, CEO of Forthefit.com has answered a series of interview questions about her successful e-tail clothing business for people who are interested in starting a fashion-related business.
What Does an Online Clothing Business Do?
"ForTheFit.com is a specialty menswear e-tailer that offers current, premium quality apparel for men of hard-to-find sizes. Currently, our focus is on shorter men's clothing (defined as men 5'9" & under). We scour the apparel markets for manufacturers that cut smaller than average and have many items customer manufactured for our store. This way, we can offer shorter men under 5'9" a better fit right off the rack."
Is it Important to Find a Business Niche?
"Jeff (my husband and business partner) and I had dreams of working for ourselves in some capacity and maybe starting a small business together. What we lacked was an idea. It came to me one day as I was doing some shopping for him. There are 28 million, professional men in the U.S. under 5'9". Shopping for my 5'7" husband, I quickly learned that options at department and mall stores were extremely limited for men under 5'9". The other options, such as constant alterations or custom clothing, proved expensive and time consuming. So, we started ForTheFit.com in 2005 as a store to address the needs of stylish professionals under 5'9" who needed high quality, modern, and most importantly, well-fitting clothing for work and weekend."
Were You Ready to Start a Clothing Business?
"As much as you can be. Intellectually, we were prepared. Together we had backgrounds and professional experience in marketing, finance, the law, project management, accounting- all the areas we felt we needed to make any business a success. Then again, we were also pretty naive about what it would take to get this new business off the ground- such as the incredibly varied "hats" we'd have to wear. But in the end, this probably served us well because it removed "fear" from the equation!"
Do You Have Any Tips for People Who Want to Start an Online Clothing Business?
"I read a book shortly before I started ForTheFit.com, called "Anyone Can Do It: Building Coffee Republic from our Kitchen Table" - by Bobby and Sahar Hashemi. I loved it because more than a "how-to" book, it was more like a record of their journey in launching a small business- and it proved to be true for us every step of the way. Though the industry was different (coffee versus fashion), many of the emotions and logistical hurdles were surprisingly similar. So, my advice is to find someone successful and inspirational willing to share the story of their success with you (or read a book about it!). To that end, I must also caution you to avoid nay-sayers. Jeff and I used to joke that there are two kinds of people- those who get it and those who don't. A lot of people in our lives simply couldn't wrap their arms around the fact that we were giving up steady, allegedly lucrative corporate jobs to work retail. Others admired our drive and initiative, even if they didn't quite understand the concept or worried about us."
For people who have a love of fashion and a willingness to work hard, opening an online clothing store may be the perfect small business idea. Whether someone is just searching for a business idea in the fashion industry or is looking for tips on starting and running an online clothing business, Consuelo Bova, Esquire and forthefit.com are sure to be an inspiration.
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