In today's fashion business supply chain, buying houses play an important role. They help international fashion brands in sourcing their designs from the right sourcing destination vendors and supplies. With the escalating demand for apparel items driven by population growth, the significance of buying houses continues to rise steadily.
One such query is how to start an apparel-buying house?
It is all about how you can materialize your dream of setting up a small buying house for garment sourcing.
I had a discussion with one successful entrepreneur about a buying house on this topic. I also gained knowledge when I was working with a number of buying houses, during my job in a garment export house. I will share a few points that are essential for starting a buying office. And I hope these notes might be helpful information for your business start-up.
I had a discussion with one successful entrepreneur about a buying house on this topic. I also gained knowledge when I was working with a number of buying houses, during my job in a garment export house. I will share a few points that are essential for starting a buying office. And I hope these notes might be helpful information for your business start-up.
Actually, all the following points are the primary requirements for starting a successful business.
1. You need an office
Initially, you don’t need a big office for your business.
You can start the apparel sourcing business with a 3-4 rooms office. You need an office to prove your existence in the business and a communication address. Set up basic sections in the office.
One of my contacts, started his buying office while working with an exiting export houses. He set up his office by purchasing second hand furniture. Purpose is to keep the initial investment in office minimum.
Register you company. Get all required business certifications from the authorized Govt. bodies.
2. Product development cell
You need to set up a product development facility that may include designer(s), a sampling room and a showroom to display your products and developments.
Develop your product range (product profile) with your creative team to attract your buyers. Buy necessary tool and equipment for the designers and product development team.
I world say define your product portfolio. And stick with 4-5 product categories initially when your team is small. Don't try to supply all sorts of apparel articles. You will be lost in managing different supplier and wide ranges of products, their fabrics and raw material and sampling different product designs.
3. Minimum working team
Develop a team with merchants, technical department and Quality Assurance team. Technical team would help your designer to develop products and sampling. Merchants will be required to day to day communication with your buyers and suppliers. Their job can be extended for sample development from supplier factories, sourcing of materials, providing approval to suppliers.
Don’t forget to consider quality aspect of samples and production.
4. Supplier base development
Develop supplier base in your region or low cost clusters. Make your suppliers’ list as big as possible. There are many reasons of having large suppliers contact including the following benefits.
- You will get a competitive price for production when you work with multiple suppliers.
- You can cover a wider range of products in your product profile. This will increase the chances of getting more orders from the same buyer and increase the list of buyers.
- You can handle large capacity for production orders for big buyers etc.
In your supplier base include small suppliers as well as medium to large manufacturers for social compliance point of view. Before adding any new garment suppliers, you must evaluate the suppliers based on your requirements and requirements with your buyers.
5. Sample development services for buyers
Many small buyers look for sample development facilities in buying houses. You can do this job for buyers. Actually, you don’t need to set up a sampling room for this service.
For buyer’s samples like FIT samples and SMS (salesman sample) instead of developing samples yourselves, get samples developed by your suppliers, from where you are going to procure the order. Supplier would not disagree for the sampling, provided you would give them production orders.
The tactic of earning from sampling services. For a small number of samples, suppliers would not charge you. But you can charge for those samples from buyers.
6. Offer a full package of services to your buyers
Apparel buyers normally prefer buying houses that provide a complete solution for garment sourcing. Like
- Product development
- garment sampling,
- quality assurance and shipment inspection
- Logistics and shipment
You can consider including these services in your business services in later stage. Keep your buyers engaged through providing various services as they need from designing to getting readymade garments to their destination.
7. Good relationship with buyers
When you are going to start a buying house, I assume that you have a contact / good relationship with some buyers. And you might know well about buyer’s behavior. Prepare yourself accordingly. I mean work on the following factors to grab the attention of the buyer.
- Fabrics preferences
- Product range
- Costing procedures and achievable cost
- Colours for various seasons
Remember, it is all about relationships.
8. No contact with buyers?
If you have no contact with buyers, you can proceed with the following method
Related post: 5 Tips for Conducting Buyer Meetings
- Develop your product range
- Create a list of buyers that are sourcing similar to your product range
- Contact buyers and show them your product range
- Start your business
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