Honestly, I would suggest using just your own name, "Rachel Laura" as the company name. It seems to be a big thing in the clothing business and you especially have a very professional sounding name that I find easy to remember. You would also be able to skip filing a dba(doing business as).

Timothy Youngs

Honestly, I would suggest using just your own name, "Rachel Laura" as the company name. It seems to be a big thing in the clothing business and you especially have a very professional sounding name that I find easy to remember. You would also be able to skip filing a dba(doing business as).

Timothy Youngs

Hi Rachel,

I don't think the "name" is your real issue. I think you need to take some of your samples (prototypes) to some buyers where you think they would sell best. Get their opinions as well as some name suggestions. Be aware of the buyback and consignment issues related to garment sales. If you mystery shop like I do from time to time you'll notice that a lot of deep discounting is going on for fashion and apparel. Not a good sign for your business at this time. Off-price outlets are inundated with fashion inventory - another not-so-good sign.

Since you have been in the business for 15 years, canvass your network and put it to work for you.

Be more focused on your particular "niche" and make sure you get a good deal - one that provides you with a good chance at a reasonable profit. Otherwise, wait-out the bad market.

Let your brain make the final decision and not your passionate heart.

Keep me posted on your journey.

Tommy Jaye

Hi Rachel,

I don't think the "name" is your real issue. I think you need to take some of your samples (prototypes) to some buyers where you think they would sell best. Get their opinions as well as some name suggestions. Be aware of the buyback and consignment issues related to garment sales. If you mystery shop like I do from time to time you'll notice that a lot of deep discounting is going on for fashion and apparel. Not a good sign for your business at this time. Off-price outlets are inundated with fashion inventory - another not-so-good sign.

Since you have been in the business for 15 years, canvass your network and put it to work for you.

Be more focused on your particular "niche" and make sure you get a good deal - one that provides you with a good chance at a reasonable profit. Otherwise, wait-out the bad market.

Let your brain make the final decision and not your passionate heart.

Keep me posted on your journey.

Tommy Jaye

Hi Rachel,

Assuming you have first executed all the planning necessities to launching the business, I have to agree with Tommy's post above. If not, your best bet is to develop a plan of action on how you are going to make your venture work, strategically, for the long-haul. I would then focus attention on developing the best product possible & testing your market. You already know the wholesale side of the business, so you should have a good feel of what will fly & what will not. But like Tommy pointed out above, the clothing industry is in hardship right now.

And in my opinion on the company name, "Love & Lace" would be more of a collection, or a specific product line of the Rachel Laura Clothing Company. Like Timothy pointed out above, the trend right now is using ones name as the entire brand entity. But like all things in fashion, style comes & goes faster than one can their clothes. Go with your gut instinct on what will represent the product best.

-Tim R. Monroe
www.timrmonroe.wordpress.com

Hi Rachel,

Assuming you have first executed all the planning necessities to launching the business, I have to agree with Tommy's post above. If not, your best bet is to develop a plan of action on how you are going to make your venture work, strategically, for the long-haul. I would then focus attention on developing the best product possible & testing your market. You already know the wholesale side of the business, so you should have a good feel of what will fly & what will not. But like Tommy pointed out above, the clothing industry is in hardship right now.

And in my opinion on the company name, "Love & Lace" would be more of a collection, or a specific product line of the Rachel Laura Clothing Company. Like Timothy pointed out above, the trend right now is using ones name as the entire brand entity. But like all things in fashion, style comes & goes faster than one can their clothes. Go with your gut instinct on what will represent the product best.

-Tim R. Monroe
www.timrmonroe.wordpress.com

To follow Tommy's post, I have worked fairly extensively with the retail apparel sector over the past year as an account manager at UPS. I've found that of my customers, the segment that was hit the hardest during this downturn was the retail apparel industry.

Labor and discounting are two major issues that tend to haunt retailers, but there's another additional piece to the supply chain that I've seen hands on. Distribution of the product can destroy small margin items.

With the shortage of space on NVOCC (ocean carriers), bringing merchandise into the US from the orient has become a challenge. Prices for transportation had hit an all time low approximately 6months to a 1year ago and now are a steady climb upwards.

I just watched a customer give up all of their margin, to air ship orders to a major retail outlet for black Friday sales as a result of late containers. Suddenly the merchandise became a losing proposition. However as a business strategy to stay in good standing with the business's major retail channels and keep from potentially being dropped from the vendor list, the vendor was simply left to take a loss on a situation that they had little to no control over.

Its not impossible to start up in the industry, but using a strong network of contacts that are physically overseas in the factories to handle purchasing responsibilities and an experienced operations manager are just as key in this industry as the labor, discounting, and advertising.

To follow Tommy's post, I have worked fairly extensively with the retail apparel sector over the past year as an account manager at UPS. I've found that of my customers, the segment that was hit the hardest during this downturn was the retail apparel industry.

Labor and discounting are two major issues that tend to haunt retailers, but there's another additional piece to the supply chain that I've seen hands on. Distribution of the product can destroy small margin items.

With the shortage of space on NVOCC (ocean carriers), bringing merchandise into the US from the orient has become a challenge. Prices for transportation had hit an all time low approximately 6months to a 1year ago and now are a steady climb upwards.

I just watched a customer give up all of their margin, to air ship orders to a major retail outlet for black Friday sales as a result of late containers. Suddenly the merchandise became a losing proposition. However as a business strategy to stay in good standing with the business's major retail channels and keep from potentially being dropped from the vendor list, the vendor was simply left to take a loss on a situation that they had little to no control over.

Its not impossible to start up in the industry, but using a strong network of contacts that are physically overseas in the factories to handle purchasing responsibilities and an experienced operations manager are just as key in this industry as the labor, discounting, and advertising.

Hi Rachel,
Theres no doubt you have chosen a perfect name for your shop but it would be more suitable if you could mention the Product name i.e. Tops with your Shop name. Yeah product name...as you said that you faced hard time finding that particular product, so why not you use that word in your shop name.

You can keep your shop name - "Perfect Tops"

Thats just my suggestion

Best of luck

Mak
http://www.homeinternet-business.com/scam-proof-your-business-search.php

Hi Rachel,
Theres no doubt you have chosen a perfect name for your shop but it would be more suitable if you could mention the Product name i.e. Tops with your Shop name. Yeah product name...as you said that you faced hard time finding that particular product, so why not you use that word in your shop name.

You can keep your shop name - "Perfect Tops"

Thats just my suggestion

Best of luck

Mak
http://www.homeinternet-business.com/scam-proof-your-business-search.php