1 . S K I P P I N G T E C H P A C K S
Not providing the factory with a professional tech pack leaves A LOT of room for error and miscommunication. Save yourself a few rounds of bad samples (time & money) by giving your supplier thorough instructions.
2 . R U S H I N G D E V E L O P M E N T
Developing a collection - especially your first & especially activewear... takes time and care IF you want it to be a hit with your customers. They will know if it has been rushed and if you have cut corners. You will also save yourself a whole lot of stress by planning a timeline and allowing adequate time for each step.
3 . O R D E R I N G T O O M U C H
Designing a collection too big, with too many styles or colourways before you have enough cashflow can leave you out of pocket while the range is being developed. it will also overwhelm your customer with choice. Ordering too many of each piece will leave you with a bunch of leftover stock, if it doesn’t sell as well as you had hoped. Start with the minimum, analyse your sales and work up.
4 . D O U B L I N G U P
Competing products usually force your customer to purchase one item, rather than two different styles. For example, if you are selling two sports bras; make one cute and strappy and the other high support so they meet two different needs for your customer.
5 . N O T W E A R T E S T I N G
One sure fire way to guarantee a high percentage of returns and bad reviews is by not wear testing your garments. Activewear especially needs to hold up functionally or your customers will be disappointed. Stretch, sweat and move in your garments, wash them and re-wear them. See if they stand up to the test.