Update

The last few weeks have been manic..working on my uni deadline, making wedding and bridesmaid dresses for a friends wedding, preparing for a bridal catwalk, doing a bridal photoshoot AND organising production for Akabi. Phew that is a lot and it won't be over until end of march the earliest.

So for now due to financial restraints ... Again ... I will just make up a very small production run making the pieces limited edition. The kenya factory are being wonderful in allowing me to do this with the hope that next seasons range summer 2011 will meet their MOQ (minimum order quantity) of 100 pieces. The other stuff I have split between the Ghana factory and the UK factory. Oh on that note HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY GHANA 53 years... Wow! Speaking to mentor David though I should be able to sell closer to my wholesale price rather than outpricing myself with the retail price as I won't be selling through the big stores I want to as yet.

I am happy to have my first customer though so gotta get all made for mid august ready to sell. I am also happy to have found a shoelace/drawcord supplier, a zip supplier and label maker all north of england and supplying in the small quantities I need so that is good. So today I will order and ship them off to Kenya and Ghana as needed.

I will be adding a few batik dress styles to the mix. Using the same print as the jackets which is from my logo and doing them in bright colours and summer dress styles selling for around 35 to 45 GBP. These will be printed and made in Ghana as preparation for next summers range. I need to find out about some shows for may and june to brinmg in more sales and promotion. Also getting the youtube music vid ready as part of the marketing stategy. So lots to do from april onwards too.

Well speaking to seed of hope charity in Kenya I hope to see them in september when I plan to go their and hope to work with the girls whilst there and from that I will be sponsoring at least 10percent of profits to them.

I am happy to now be on the Centre for Sustainable Fashions business programme with the first session commencing end of march. This should help me push things on too.

busy weekend

Well its all go this weekend with getting stuff together. But i have decided to get parachute styles made up by a womens initiative workshop in London as the cost per hour is reasonable and I think I will have to work with them to cut the parachutes into parts - and it would be so expensive to ship this to Kenya and explain how to cut it when I am not there. Plus as well as wanting my label to be made in Africa I also want it to be about being a woman and to give back to women and to help women directed charity. So the rest of the range will be made in Kenya with any printed fabrics done in Ghana.

SO i feel better about that now.

Oh did i say i am reading E-myth by Michael Gerber...fantastic book...looks boring on the outside but i am thoroughly enjoying it...started it couple days ago but will probably complete it by middle of next week...that good!

Anyway bank holiday here i come!!

Now the push...

My meeting with David went well last night but we wont meet again until my final final final samples are made up otherwise it will be us 'meeting for meeting sake' as put by David...which makes sense.

SO now its down to me ordering the rest of my fabrics and getting my act together as I want this baby out by mid sept / end sept latest.

Also because Im due to start my Masters end of sept though it does mean REALLY tightening my belt as im taking a paycut to do this...am i crazy...mmmmhhh....well i trust God to work it all out and will push with the bridal business too in order to bring in more revenue

This really is about pushing hard...the contractions have increased by the minute and the time for delivery has approached fast.

But im still excited and keeping motivated.

Im planning to go to a few free business events...Clinton Swaine, Great Expectations, T Harv Eker and I am finally reading 'E-myth' a well over due book i was told to read by a random entrepreneur business guy i met on the train...The book is very very good. I thin kthough i bought it before i never read it as the cover makes it look quite boring and intense business book but as i read i have found it quite personable so i reckon i will finish it quite quickly and hopefully it will keep me on the road to business success and positive rewards.

samples back...but not all

Ok so this is the realism of fashion business and deadlines.
Poor Emily was overbooked and only managed to make up 6 of the 9 styles i gave her but they look alright..just need to be fitted now and so there are still 5 more to complete and fit and then finally i can get them made up in real fabric.

I now have to go over to David my mentor tonight and just take what i have

wish me luck!!

Designs in process

Okay so i have had to reduce my design styles from 25 down to 15 which is possibly best as it is already looking to be costing near to 1000pounds including fabrics, patterncutting, toiles and finally the ACTUAL samples! This is why this fashion business game puts alot of people off...money is key and cash is king.

SO i have seen the lovely emily and she is starting on my patterns and toiles which once done i will send out to the workshop i have been introduced to in Ghana. My issue now is i need some batik work done but wont be back in Ghana until december so how to create batik without much batik experience just so my samples can be ready in time and not having to wait until december to do that...all these challenges and time lines are things not considered in the beginning and why planning also is KEY.

But I did attend an interesting business event and am speaking with the organiser Sam to act as a business manager who will have a slightly different outlook to my fashion mentor David. My mentorship with David ends next easter so I want to build new relationships to help take me through the 3 year period that 90% of businesses tend to fail by.

A great things said by Robert Kiyosaki on his CD set I have is that if 9/10 businesses fail than rather than back down..open 10 businesses ...at least 1/10 will succeed!

update to follow.....