She Don't Need a Glamorous Life....

If you need a glamorous life and you want to start your own fashion line....unless youre Puffy..J-LO or Jessica Simpson you should probably reconsider.

Ok, that may have come off a bit negitive..lets try again..

The truth is if youre starting a fashion line you should be mentally prepared and know that design is only about 10% of the work you have ahead of you

The biggest challenge most newbies face involves business planning and management including financial matters, finding resources and setting up a reliable infrastructure

So what can you do to be prepared?

Do Your Research You dont have to enroll in fashion college but you can read books like Fashion for Profit, by FBI founder Frances Harder and The Fashion Designers Survival Guide by Mary Gehlar. These are two great reference books that once you buy them youll keep them as long as youre in the fashion business and trust me they will never get dusty.

Also, get involved. If youre in Los Angeles seek out seminars that fit your business concerns at Fashion Business Inc. or become a member to join a network of like-minded entrepreneurs. The membership package also includes discounts on a slew of apparel specific business resources.

Whatever you dodont be afraid to ask questions and you cant be shy about asking for referrals.

Setting up is a process and sometimes take 6 months to a year before you are even ready to sell. Its a process and involves healthy doses of both patience and persistance.