Starting a Leather Goods Business, Questions & Advise .

[RosewoodLeather]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the love and support in my previous question. I have new ones.

As I had discussed before, I'm trying to start a Leather Goods Business, with a capacity of 5000 handbags, 2000 portfolio bags, 50,000 wallets production capacity per month.

That is the Target to achieve.  But in order to achieve it, I have to start with just one pc of goods.

So over the last 10 months, ive made (got made from a design studio) around 22 items of leather goods, Handbags, Wallets, Clutch Purse, Belt, POrtfolio Bag, Duffle Bag, etc. So a base range is ready.

However i'm strapped for cash. in other words, i'm next to broke. But if need be I can go for a Bank Loan.

My Questions are keeping the Buyer's POV  in mind.

Question:

1. Paid Professional Photgrapher or My DSLR Camera -

Do i take my own pics, clean it in software Gimp, use software Scribus to make a Catalog or do i Hire someone. If i do it myself, it'll be free but will look unprofessional. If i hire someone, it will look professional. One person quoted INR 10,000/-(US$ 137) for pics and catalog, another quoted INR 18,500/- (US$253)

 

2. Paid Website or Free Website

For Free Website, I can make something in Google Sites, or Wix.com, take a template, fill it and be done with it. But the site address will not be a clean one like Rosewood.com, it will be like, site.google.com/textalphanumeric/rosewood or in Wix will be rosewood.wix.com, etc.

For Paid website, someone has quoted INR 28,500/- (US$390) (one time)  there after a website maintenance cost of INR 18,500/- (US$ 253) (including Social Media Marketing)

If I go for Free, how do i optimize SEO & SMO ? Any other advise.

 

3. Normal Display Website or Ecommerce Website

Should the Look of the website be just to display the products or an Ecommerce style where one can add to cart and buy the product.

 

4. Adler 669M or Juki

In the manufacturing side, i'm thinking of Buying 1 pc Flat Bed Sewing Machine and 1 pc Cylendrical Sewing Machine. 1 Skyving, 1 Logo Embossing, 1 Edge Colouring.

I'm not including Splitting machine, polishing machine and Post Bed Sewing machine as i've found a common facility center that charges by piece rate basis for job work. So I can save the cost of these machines.

I need advise in this sector with model numbers and brands if you guys could help out.

The intention is to make my own Design Studio inhouse so as to save costs.

 

5. Amazon like Portal Sales or own Website Sale.

Should I post my products in Amazon, FlipKart, Myntra like ecommerce websites or should I sell them from my Own Website.

In Amazon etc, i would be just 1 out of 1000s suppliers, why would someone choose me. On the other hand, whenever people want to buy something they go to amazon, etc, so there's high people traffic there.

In my Own website, How do I get traffic ?

 

6. Social Media Marketing.

Almost everyone  is telling me to post my goods in Instagram, Twitter, TicTok, Youtube, FB, Pintrest etc and do links to my website, that way ill get sales.

Is this needed ? Is it possible to post in just 1 place and all these social media  gets posted automatically, so saves me effort and time.

And after Posting my product, how do I get people to see it and then to buy it. How does Conversion work.

 

7. Payment Gateways for Website

Seen a few youtube videos for this, got all confused, any suggestion or help would be nice.

 

8. OFFLINE SALES (Old Way)

How do i establish a sales force to work for me to sell my goods. I understand It will take a lot of finance to hire someone. But say if i make a deal with someone, ok, you sell on commission only. How does it work, how do I go about doing it. What do i need to see ?

 

Apart from all these questions, if i've missed anything, please let me know.

Thanks and Regards,

RL.

 

[RockyAussie]

21 hours ago, RosewoodLeather said:

So over the last 10 months, ive made (got made from a design studio) around 22 items of leather goods, Handbags, Wallets, Clutch Purse, Belt, POrtfolio Bag, Duffle Bag, etc. So a base range is ready.

However i'm strapped for cash. in other words, i'm next to broke. But if need be I can go for a Bank Loan.

My Questions are keeping the Buyer's POV  in mind.

Keeping in mind your finances I will say to think about direct target marketing via email. Not much cost in that. That info is in the phone books and google for free. Send me a pm with some pictures of your products and your pricing if you have that worked out. You could just do that in this post perhaps as well. Worry about taking good pictures later.

[Tugadude]

Rosewood Leather, both of the people that responded to your query are top notch.  I'd put great stock in what they have to say.  They are very generous in their willingness to help.

I wish you good luck!

[Lfrog]

Those are ambitious numbers from a standing start. From the information given on your financial status I wouldnt buy in the machinery to manufacture just yet. I would look at having the pieces contract manufactured and build up some sales numbers, you will pay slightly more per piece, but you will have much needed finance to try to bring in sales. Sales and cash flow is king, no matter what your manufactured cost price, without sales you have expensive scrap. 

I would look at a less cash intensive way of starting, you will burn through  money in no time. Good luck with your enterprise.

 

[Tugadude]

I have a question for the group.  I hope all are checking back on this thread.  Has anyone here either done a Kickstarter project or know someone who has?  I've seen some very impressive products/projects that were listed on Kickstarter.

I just did a quick search and found one that was a small briefcase and they got enough funding within 6 hours to commence the project!  Certainly something like this would "kick start" any company.  So would this be an option for the poster?

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Tugadude

[Tugadude]

2 minutes ago, nstarleather said:

Kickstarter worked for me "kind of" ...I did a small project and it did get funded and paid for the dies.

It can work but you really need to either invest in marketing it or have something really unique with a demand.  OP would really have to have something special and unique to stand out there. 

Thanks for sharing your experience.  So in the end, it sounds like it was beneficial to you.  

I'm sure like anything there are hits and misses even on Kickstarter.  

 

[RosewoodLeather]

Guys, I love your love and support and prompt replies.

The target I've mentioned is something i want to achieve over 10 years time.
I can start with just one small unit making small quantities at first.
Also my stratergy is to be a producer first, once that's taken care of my bread and butter, then launch my own Brand after a few years on the side.

I posed in point wise so the answer would also be point wise so its easier to understand.

I thought of buying machines posted in this forum but i don't know what the import duty in India of used machines would become, so would it be cheaper to buy new here or used from there.

For the website, i'm still confused.

Kickstarter looks like a good idea but i dont know how it works.

Please advise.

[RockyAussie]

8 hours ago, RosewoodLeather said:

I can start with just one small unit making small quantities at first.
Also my stratergy is to be a producer first, once that's taken care of my bread and butter, then launch my own Brand after a few years on the side

To get any business up and running well you need to establish that there is a demand for what you can supply and at what price point. The creative side in us all here motivates us to make the product we think will sell and then go on to try and sell it. A better method is to establish first what the customers are interested to buy and which products have the most demand. Ask for the opinions of your local retailers. The type of machinery required then is more easy to give advise on. I hope to have a cylinder sewing machine type comparison post ready to post sometime next week.  You may find that the marketing is not as necessary initially as you think. Getting good with your camera taking product pictures is something you can do now and post on here for discussion. Various view points on what machines and methods on manufacturing could then be discussed. Generally a picture reduced to around to a100 kilobytes comes out good. You need to get good at that for your catalogue work anyway. A few good pictures of your product emailed to potentially interested buyers is petty cheap to do and can work better than all the social media and web pages you can come up with. There are an ever changing array of media marketing methods and mostly I think they are the ones that take up your time and money the most. My main manufacturing business has no web page (AND I KEEP TELLING THEM WE DON'T WANT ONE) and  we do no marketing with it either. This business makes mostly crocodile leather goods and supplies to a few large customers and has done so for more than 25 years. They supply their own croc skins and a lot of trust is necessary.

A little of what I am doing with the cylinder machine comparison post coming -

[RockyAussie]

All of the above pictures are under 100 kb and you can post up to about 1.4 mb of pictures in the one post session.

[LinkAiris]

On 3/3/2020 at 6:04 AM, RosewoodLeather said:

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the love and support in my previous question. I have new ones.

As I had discussed before, I'm trying to start a Leather Goods Business, with a capacity of 5000 handbags, 2000 portfolio bags, 50,000 wallets production capacity per month.

That is the Target to achieve.  But in order to achieve it, I have to start with just one pc of goods.

So over the last 10 months, ive made (got made from a design studio) around 22 items of leather goods, Handbags, Wallets, Clutch Purse, Belt, POrtfolio Bag, Duffle Bag, etc. So a base range is ready.

My Questions are keeping the Buyer's POV  in mind.

Question:

1. Paid Professional Photgrapher or My DSLR Camera -

Do i take my own pics, clean it in software Gimp, use software Scribus to make a Catalog or do i Hire someone. If i do it myself, it'll be free but will look unprofessional. If i hire someone, it will look professional. One person quoted INR 10,000/-(US$ 137) for pics and catalog, another quoted INR 18,500/- (US$253)

 

2. Paid Website or Free Website

For Free Website, I can make something in Google Sites, or Wix.com, take a template, fill it and be done with it. But the site address will not be a clean one like Rosewood.com, it will be like, site.google.com/textalphanumeric/rosewood or in Wix will be rosewood.wix.com, etc.

For Paid website, someone has quoted INR 28,500/- (US$390) (one time)  there after a website maintenance cost of INR 18,500/- (US$ 253) (including Social Media Marketing)

If I go for Free, how do i optimize SEO & SMO ? Any other advise.

 

3. Normal Display Website or Ecommerce Website

Should the Look of the website be just to display the products or an Ecommerce style where one can add to cart and buy the product.

 

4. Adler 669M or Juki

In the manufacturing side, i'm thinking of Buying 1 pc Flat Bed Sewing Machine and 1 pc Cylendrical Sewing Machine. 1 Skyving, 1 Logo Embossing, 1 Edge Colouring.

I'm not including Splitting machine, polishing machine and Post Bed Sewing machine as i've found a common facility center that charges by piece rate basis for job work. So I can save the cost of these machines.

I need advise in this sector with model numbers and brands if you guys could help out.

The intention is to make my own Design Studio inhouse so as to save costs.

 

5. Amazon like Portal Sales or own Website Sale.

Should I post my products in Amazon, FlipKart, Myntra like ecommerce websites or should I sell them from my Own Website.

In Amazon etc, i would be just 1 out of 1000s suppliers, why would someone choose me. On the other hand, whenever people want to buy something they go to amazon, etc, so there's high people traffic there.

In my Own website, How do I get traffic ?

 

6. Social Media Marketing.

Almost everyone  is telling me to post my goods in Instagram, Twitter, TicTok, Youtube, FB, Pintrest etc and do links to my website, that way ill get sales.

Is this needed ? Is it possible to post in just 1 place and all these social media  gets posted automatically, so saves me effort and time.

And after Posting my product, how do I get people to see it and then to buy it. How does Conversion work.

 

7. Payment Gateways for Website

Seen a few youtube videos for this, got all confused, any suggestion or help would be nice.

 

8. OFFLINE SALES (Old Way)

How do i establish a sales force to work for me to sell my goods. I understand It will take a lot of finance to hire someone. But say if i make a deal with someone, ok, you sell on commission only. How does it work, how do I go about doing it. What do i need to see ?

 

Apart from all these questions, if i've missed anything, please let me know.

Thanks and Regards,

RL.

 

Congratulations on taking strides towards launching your leather goods business! It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into your products and are ready to take the next steps. Let's address each of your questions:

Professional Photography: While hiring a professional photographer might strain your budget, it could significantly enhance the professionalism of your catalog. However, if funds are tight, utilizing your DSLR camera and editing software like Gimp can be a good alternative for now. Remember, clear, well-lit, and high-quality images are crucial for showcasing your products effectively.

Website Creation: While a free website can be a temporary solution, it might not provide the polished look and functionality you need. Investing in a paid website with a clean domain name can lend credibility to your brand. However, if budget constraints persist, ensure your free website is well-optimized for SEO and SMO to enhance visibility.

Website Functionality: Considering your business model, an ecommerce website would likely be more beneficial as it allows customers to purchase directly from your site. However, if you opt for a display website initially, ensure it's easy for customers to inquire about and order your products.

Manufacturing Equipment: Researching and investing in quality sewing machines like Adler 669M or Juki is crucial for maintaining product quality and efficiency. Consider factors like durability, stitch quality, and ease of maintenance when making your decision.

Sales Platform: Both options have their merits. Selling on established platforms like Amazon can expose your products to a larger audience, but owning your website provides more control over branding and customer experience. You could start with Amazon to gain traction while simultaneously building your website presence.

Social Media Marketing: Leveraging multiple social media platforms can indeed boost your brand visibility and sales. While it's possible to automate posting across platforms, it's essential to tailor your content to each platform's audience. Engage with your audience, use relevant hashtags, and consider collaborating with influencers to drive traffic to your website.

Payment Gateways: Researching and choosing a reliable payment gateway is crucial for secure transactions on your website. Look for options that offer easy integration, reasonable fees, and support for multiple payment methods.

Offline Sales: Establishing a sales force, especially on commission-only terms, can be a cost-effective way to expand your reach. Look for individuals with sales experience and a passion for your products. Provide them with adequate training, marketing materials, and incentives to drive sales effectively.

Edited May 27 by Northmount
Removed spam link from quote that was added by LinkAiris

[Northmount]

On 3/3/2020 at 6:04 AM, RosewoodLeather said:

I'm trying to start a Leather Goods Business

Moved your post to The Business > Marketing and Advertising

[chuck123wapati]

I wonder if he made it work back in 2020.