Anyone who has been following this blog since 2010 will know that we have been working hard to provide information that helps our customers not only to do a good job on their decorated T-shirts - but - more recently, to work on marketing and sales techniques for those same items.
Our accumulated experience of almost 12 years in the industry has shown us that the main reason why clothing brands fail is linked to a lack of sales (cliché, I know).
More specifically, the problem is that designers don't know how to sell their decorated textiles.
This is in no way a negative criticism. It's the realisation of reality as I see it. Very rarely do they manage to combine creativity (what they are good at) with knowledge of marketing and sales techniques. It's normal, it's difficult to be good at many things.
Personally, I think I have acceptable skills (I'm no expert) in content marketing, business and community management and one or two other points, but if someone garments me for a design, they'll probably get something in this style.
It would be so nice if we were good at everything, wouldn't it? The world would be very different.
One of the other points I've identified as problematic is the clear lack of support and resources that can motivate these small brands to persist (another of the main problems). It was with this thought in mind that I decided to create a Facebook community for Portuguese clothing brands a month ago.
This is a secret Facebook group that - in just one month of activity - has already reached 600 members. By the time you read this article, you'll probably have surpassed this number.
I'll confess that one of the main motivations for creating this group was to promote Maudlin Merchandise, but in many posts I feel that I learn more myself than the brands I set out to help. It's been fascinating. We have new articles every day, informative posts and an incredible sharing of knowledge and opportunities by several very active members.
One of the things that has given me the most pleasure in running this group is that it has become a real community. Unlike the company website where we communicate and there is little feedback, here anyone can start a discussion on any topic. This is a huge paradigm shift.
Take this article as an invitation to join our community. The only requirement is that you are Portuguese and have or want to have a clothing brand designed by you. Essentially, if you want to learn and teach, this is the group for you.
Not our client? No problem, we don't just limit our customers to plain textiles or decorated textiles. Above all, we want to learn from those who know more and teach those who know less. The free sharing of information is the most essential thing.
To whet your appetite, we're currently discussing topics such as:
- List of fairs and physical markets throughout the country
- List of designers you can collaborate with
- Important Resources (information on creating a clothing brand)
- Opening a business to start a clothing brand
- Registering a brand name
- Gifts to be included with shipments
- Photos or mockups? Downloadable resources
And so many more being added every day. We have users with shops accepting branded clothing, users sharing space (and costs) in markets and talking about their difficulties and added value.
