How much time and money are you losing trying to do tasks by yourself?

If you had to put a dollar sign to it, how much would you be willing to pay for the time and effort that the task takes?

If you delegated it, would it give you back some of your time? 

I know that right now it seems like all we really have is time. But, if there is one thing that this pandemic has taught me, is how valuable my time really is. If you’re relatively old school with your fashion outlook, you feel that you have to be in charge of your business from inception to fulfillment and shipping. 

But, if you gave away even one task, how much time would you be getting back? And, how much money would you truly be saving in the long run? Moral of the story...you need a team.

In this episode of the FastTrack Your Fashion Brand Podcast, I’m continuing on the theme of building a virtual business and discuss the importance of delegating some aspects of production and fulfillment. 

 If you think I should make a MasterClass on this, DM me on Instagram, @nicole_di_rocco.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT

• Why new-school fashion is no longer about the “hustle”
• Breaking down production into essential vs tasks to delegate
• Fulfillment and shipping - should you delegate to a fulfillment center?

Recap: Setting up a virtual business (Part 1)

In the last episode, I had you make a list of tasks (and I hope you have it handy for this episode). We narrowed down to one task that you spend the most time on, something that if you gave away could free up at least an hour of your time. And this became the task that you were going to assign to your first VA. 

This episode, we’re diving a little bit deeper into your list, to look at what should be the next tasks to start to look into delegating: production and fulfillment. 

Production - Learning to Delegate Non-Essential Processes

There is a lot of physical labor that can go into production: running to your pattern maker, walking a fabric store, looking for new prints, talking to your vendors… And although some of this may be essential, because you may not feel comfortable giving it to another person, you don’t have to do it all. 

If you’re still running production (if your factories are still open, given the situation), one of the biggest mistakes I see is that people don’t start their collection with line items: these are items that your vendors and suppliers have readily available and in stock, that come inconsistently. 

If you find that you’re one of the people who like looking for prints as part of your design, you have to resist the urge to buy “closed out” items, meaning that you’ll probably get a deal but you don’t know when it will be back in stock. 

I recommend delegating someone to create a fabric resource group. That means having someone do the research, see what vendors have what so that when you start designing your line, you know what you have available to you. Especially if you get a big order! 

Also, this is the 21st century, and we’re in the middle of a pandemic. So, if you don’t have to go somewhere, there are other ways to be productive (that’s part of having a virtual business). Set up your factors and vendors with Skype or Zoom, so you can see your product without having to be there in person! 

Fulfillment Process - warehouse, fulfillment center, or in-house shipping? 

Now it comes down to fulfillment. I used to resist the idea of having a warehouse. My first experience wasn’t great and I ended up bringing everything back in the house. But, you can’t be awake all hours of the day, and as orders come in at random, it is easier to be able to wipe your hands clean of it and let someone else handle it. 

I currently have a fulfillment center in Texas. One of the most amazing feelings is knowing that someone puts their information to purchase, it goes to our warehouse, it gets shipped, and I didn't have to touch it! 

Remember that your time is valuable, and every time you touch something, the more valuable it becomes. Because it is your time, and you need to reclaim it! 

So, on this week’s FastTrack Your Fashion Brand Podcast episode, I dive a little bit deeper into each of the processes above and give a few insights into how to stay organized. 

Tune in and let’s give you back some of your time!

EPISODE BREAKDOWN 

00:00-06:00 - Feelings about quarantine

06:10-08:30 - Old-school fashion mindset

08:50-11:40 - Recap of last week’s episode

11:45-23:00 - Production

23:15-27:00 - Fulfilment

CONNECT WITH ME

INSTAGRAM: @nicole_di_rocco

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/nicoledirocco

PODCAST FB GROUP: www.facebook.com/groups/fasttrackyourfashionbrandpodcast

WEBSITE: www.fashionbizmentor.com

SUBMIT YOUR FASHION BIZ QUESTIONS: www.fashionbizmentor.com/breakthrough-coaching

SEE MY DESIGNS: www.mynicolita.com

THE SOLD OUT CHECKLIST FREE DOWNLOAD: https://bit.ly/FASHIONCHECKLIST

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