How do you launch a sportswear brand?

You're probably here because you have no idea where to start, and that's okay. Do you start with finding a sportswear manufacturer with low MOQ's? Or do you start by building your website, or designing? Who knows!...

Well, the good news is I'll share with you a method I used which helped me massively when faced with the enormity of launching an entire business from scratch, with barely any experience/ knowledge. There is no "secret", what works for me might be a terrible method for someone else and that's why my first piece of advice would be to play off of your strengths. We all have things we're good at and things we're not so good at and it's important to be realistic with what you know is going to take you a little longer, or require more research and what you'll be clued onto pretty quickly.

I think we can all agree that the very first hurdle most people face is a name, or a logo and this is where I stand on the matter- play it off. It isn't absolutely crucial to have a name from the get-go but what is important is that you have a concept and a strong brand and if you have that, then a name will usually follow. Look at some of the biggest players in the sportswear market- Gymshark... is that a good name? I don't think so (absolutely no disrespect to a very good brand)

Shortly after that, most might struggle with knowing how to build a website but truth be told if you devote enough time, practice and watch YouTube videos then you'll become pretty good at building sites through the likes of Shopify, Wix or Wordpress and I know because I did it.

Throughout all of these phases, you should be actively looking for a manufacturer who can produce your garments because you could have the strongest website, brand message and everything set but without stock, you have no business. We've touched on loads of points in previous blogs about manufacturing local vs abroad, or what to look out for when searching for a manufacturer. You want people who understand the importance of launching a business that you've personally saved up for, and not just people looking to make some money off of you. White2Label Manufacturing is a great place to start... we specialise in helping manage start-ups supply chain and through the use of both white label and bespoke product services, we can really help get you off to the best start.

Ultimately, I could delve into every aspect of building a business, but we'd be here for a good half an hour and I think the points would be harder to take away. What I mean to say is you need to make a list- what needs to be done and then categorise it... what can I do, what can't I do. Then set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) so that you know which to start sooner rather than later and I'd say set small targets, oppose to setting a huge target of when to launch the brand... use Will Smiths quote here:

"You don't set out to build a wall. You don't say 'I'm going to build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that's ever been built. ' You don't start there. You say, 'I'm going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid."

Apply that to building the business; make sure every aspect is accounted for and you're aiming to complete every aspect as best as you can and before you know it you would've built the foundations of a very strong brand.