The success of a business is often defined by the amount of revenue it generates which isn't far off, but there is a lot of process that goes into shaping a successful business. Running a fashion business isn’t just about making big money. Many people expect to jump from ground zero to 10x income overnight which often leads to disappointment. If you think you can't make big figures running an online fashion business in Nigeria, you're wrong. Every big brand you know or admire, all started from somewhere. They didn't wake up one morning and have the perfect brand or loyal customers. They built it, step by step.
The passion to run a fashion brand can stem from always having a killer sense of style, friends asking you to put them on where you shop or fashion advice or simply enjoying everything fashion. And now you're thinking, “Hmm, maybe it's time to start selling.” Yes! It's about time. Your target audience is waiting for you and you can run an online fashion business successfully in Nigeria.
If you're a dedicated entrepreneur who wants to make a successful business as a fashion designer or vendor, in this blog post, we'll dissect the nitty gritty of fashion business and a step by step guide to achieving real growth.
Let's get this part out of the way. You can't sell everything. Read that again. The idea of being a fashion vendor that has everything available in stock might seem nice but it's not feasible. Especially as a small fashion business vendor in Nigeria, you need to have your niche and target audience. Not every niche is your cup of tea and that’s okay. Focus on the audience you can serve best.
What do you want to sell? Instead of stocking every type of dress from ankara to office wear, imagine being the go-to brand for dinner gowns in your location. Customers will know exactly where to find you. Once you've figured the niche you want to focus on for your online clothing business in Nigeria, the next phase is to think about who you see rocking your designs. If you picture stylish men and women wearing your designs, you're a step closer to finding your target audience. This step is not to be rushed. Think with a clear mind of the audience you want to align with and the value you can provide them as a fashion business.
If you're skilled in designing and sewing, you can choose to make your fashion pieces from scratch. Creating ready to wear pieces is the new rave and joining the bandwagon wouldn't hurt especially if you have a clear vision of pieces you want to produce. Designing and producing your pieces will involve an in-depth look into your target audience, sizes and marketing style.
If you're a fashion vendor looking to sell clothes online in Nigeria, you can source your pieces from local markets around you, manufacturers or import them. It takes the same effort to source quality pieces and creating them. As a fashion vendor, one of the most important thing is to maintain quality control and brand consistency. You can't deliver a quality fashion piece on the first order and then deliver a bad quality piece on the third order.
Such habits can cause you to run your business to the ground faster than you can say Jack Robinson. Your customers will run once they see your brand has lost consistency and we don't want that.
Maintain a standard quality of producing your fashion pieces or sourcing them for your fashion brand and the consistency will contribute to your business growth.
Your brand identity goes beyond a logo or a tagline. There's more to it and you don't need to hire a brand strategy before you do things the right way. As a small online fashion business in Nigeria, your audience needs to perceive you as a brand they can trust and rely on. No detail is too small when it comes to building your brand identity. From the tone, color, logo, or content style, everything matters. Your audience pays attention to this more than you think.
To maintain a certain stance as a fashion brand looking to keep growing, you need to understand the importance of consistency. Running a business is not for the weak, and if I had my way, I'd send a medal and flowers to every business owner I know. You're doing a fantastic job and I know showing up every day isn't the easiest thing to do but I promise you, it's worth it. Trust me. If you're a procrastinator like me, you can slowly build a routine to steady brand presence by planning ahead across your social media pages and website. It does end there though.
What is your product packaging like? The biggest mistake some brands make is paying attention to every other detail but the packaging. Just like how you've been consistent with your social media and website, you need to be intentional with your product packaging. Aim for the effect that people should recognize your brand even before they see your logo.
As a small fashion brand the first place you think of showcasing your products is social media. It could be Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok or even your WhatsApp. That's a solid start but to achieve the goal of having a successful online fashion brand, you need to look at the bigger picture. Start off by comparing selling on Instagram vs marketplaces like Jisala, a fashion marketplace in Nigeria that focuses on fashion vendors and a targeted audience.
You can post your fashion pieces as much as you want on your social media to attract potential customers but if you're not skilled with marketing or running ads, you might not get the results your desire. How can you change that? Consider joining a marketplace. While you still have your brand running on your social media pages, you can list your products on marketplace to reach a global audience with state of the the art features.
Want to reach customers faster without paying for endless ads? That’s where Jisala comes in. A fashion e-commerce platform that prioritizes growing businesses, where you can create your vendor account in less than a minute, create your store front, list your products, set your prices, handle inventory and orders in a straight forward system. It's like having your own website but with extra exposure.
Instead of chasing followers one by one or getting disappointed by customers that keep making enquires about your product and prices, join a platform like Jisala that is a fashion focused marketplace with built in audience ready to buy, vendor support, and work with an experienced marketing team. And guess what? You can start your journey with Jisala at zero cost. Too good to be true? Click here to join now.
If you can't carry your market on your head, Jisala will help you.
When people see you, they need to see the business. No time wasting. As a business owner chasing real growth in Nigeria’s fashion industry you need to understand how important marketing is and how it can shape the trajectory of your business. When you post your products on you Whatsapp status or social media pages, you're already doing social media marketing but it doesn't end there. You can take it up a notch by curating your product contents, building an email list and sending newsletters, or doing influencer collaborations.
Don't show up daily on your social media with just a plain picture of your fashion pieces. Create a story around it or post the behind the scenes videos of your design process or packaging process. People enjoy being carried along and seeing the magic behind the brand. Showcase more. Market more.
The fastest way to run your business to the ground is by providing horrible customer service. I'm certain you're not newbie to the constant dragging one vendor or the other goes through often on social media. As they always say, the customer is always right.
To have a successful business as a fashion vendor in Nigeria, you need to prioritize fast response, clear return policies and product details. A good service to a first time customer can create an army of loyal customers.
The process of starting a successful online fashion business in Nigeria might seem tedious but of all the steps mentioned in this blog post, this step is crucial. If you follow every other step but forget to track your business, learn and grow, you'll be missing the big picture.
No matter how small you might feel your business is, you need to adapt to the concept of tracking sales, customer feedback and popular products. Pay attention to the little details, and if you notice a few errors, tweak things a bit instead of doing a completed overhaul. When you keep up with this step, you can easily identify what's working and what's not working.
Your dream is 100% achievable. The brand you've envisioned won't build itself but with the right steps, it can be the start of something big. Keep thinking big and of course, do the work consistently and you'll be running a successful online fashion business in no time.
If you'd still like your flowers for doing an amazing job running an online business, send a pigeon to deliver your address.
Ready to put your fashion business in front of real buyers? Join Jisala today, list your products for free and start selling smarter.
As the CTO of a leading online marketplace platform, I drive the technical strategy that powers seamless transactions and user experiences at scale. My blog focuses on sharing insights into e-commerce trends, platform architecture, and the future of digital marketplaces, offering practical guidance to fellow tech leaders, entrepreneurs and consumers. With a strong background in building robust, scalable systems, I am passionate about using technology to enhance connectivity and commerce in the digital age. I thrive on solving complex technical challenges while fostering a culture of innovation within my team. Through my writing, I aim to inspire others in the industry to push the boundaries of what's possible in online marketplaces.
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