Last Updated on 4 May 2022 by Gertrude
My go-to fashion during pregnancy is pants and oversized t-shirts.
I cannot bring myself to wear anything fashionable during pregnancy because the bump makes me feel insecure and uncomfortable.
Rihanna is pregnant CONGRATULATIONS. Have you seen Riri’s pregnant fashion/maternity clothes?
Her way of appreciating her bump is bearing it to the world.
What’s maternity fashion and can you start a profitable maternity fashion clothing line?
Every day women get pregnant.
Moms-to-be don’t want to look dowdy in plain clothes during their pregnancy period.
Maternity fashion is the buzz now.
There are lots of maternity clothing lines that have opened shops.
It’s lovely to see expecting women finding their space in the fashion industry.
Pregnancy brings a lot of hormonal changes.
From swelling of feet to an overall change in body weight.
One way for pregnant mums to avoid looking frumpy, bloated and tired is to get fashionable maternity clothes.
There are a lot of pregnant women influencers promoting maternity clothing lines and more entrepreneurs are investing in this industry.
If you want to help pregnant women rock their baby bumps, starting a maternity clothing line is for you.
All you have to do is to have a good eye for fashion and get the right comfort clothes to help women through their pregnancy.
You can make a lot of profit from this business and you will never lack customers. There are always pregnant women.
In this article, I will take you through everything you need to know about how to start a maternity clothing line.
Table of Contents
What’s Maternity Clothing?
According to Wikipedia, maternity clothing are clothes worn by women as an adaptation to changes in body size during pregnancy.
Examples of these maternity clothes include maternity skirts, slacks, jeans, tees, undergarments, nighters, etc.
A maternity clothing line can also sell maternity shoes.
It’s a greater thing to see women evolving in fashion.
Starting a maternity clothing line is a good opportunity to tap into this market.
In a maternity clothing line, you will be selling maternity clothing and then get paid for the items by your customers.
How to Start a Maternity Clothing Line Step by Step
Starting a maternity clothing line will be simple for you if you follow these steps.
- Do your research
This is the first thing you need to do before you start a maternity clothing line.
You need to analyse your competition, do research on the market and find out what the strengths and challenges of operating a maternity clothing line are.
When you are looking at the competition, ask yourself:
Who are my competitors and where are they situated?
What makes them reputable?
What range of clothing do they offer?
What gives them a competitive edge in the industry?
Knowing who your competitors are will be useful when you want to create strategies to help you be successful with a maternity clothing line.
Look at your target market and find out who they are.
Where are they located?
How are they underserved in the market?
What maternity clothes do they want?
How much are they willing to pay for maternity clothes?
You need to know who your customers are and what they want so that you can serve them better.
A SWOT analysis is required to know your strengths and the challenges you are going to face in a maternity clothing line.
i) Pros of starting a maternity clothing line
High profits
You always have customers
High growth potential
ii) Cons starting a maternity clothing line
Customers reuse their maternity clothes
High competition from other maternity clothing lines
When you do thorough research and analysis, you are able to make good headway when you start a maternity clothing line.
- Come with a business strategy
How do you want to start a maternity clothing line?
Do you want to purchase maternity clothing on a wholesale basis or do you want them tailor-made and cut fit for your customers?
If you opt to sell ready wear from manufacturers, you need to find a reliable supplier for quality stock.
If you are a dressmaker, you can get the fabrics as well as the sewing machines and then design, create and sell maternity clothes.
Being your own tailor is a cheaper way to start a maternity clothing line.
Just make sure that before you choose a business strategy, you can look at what meets your preferences and your financial needs.
- Write a business planÂ
A business plan is a guide.
When you are starting a maternity clothing line, write a well-detailed business plan that talks about your business, where you are now and how much you want to accomplish with your maternity clothing line.
Do not write a sketchy business as it does not cut it when you want to run a successful clothing line.
Also, investors and lenders want a full detailed business plan before they can contribute funds for your maternity clothing line.
Do not skimp on details.
A well-written business plan must have the following components.
Range of clothes
Executive summary
Financial projection
Market strategy
A budget
Company description
Employee and staffing needs
Grab a lean business plan first for your maternity clothing line.
- Have a financial plan
You need to have a budget for a maternity clothing line.
There are expenses that you are going to incur and you need to be aware of them so that you can run a successful maternity clothing line.
i) Expenses for starting a maternity clothing line.
Maternity clothing fabrics
Cost of tools and equipment
Website costs
Licensing costs
Employee salary
Rent
Marketing expenses
Knowing your startup costs is good to plan your finances effectively.
- Get funding
Once you have estimated your startup costs, it is time for you to get funding for your maternity clothing line.
There are a lot of funding options and depending on your financial needs, you can choose either one of them.
For starters, you can dip into your savings or get your contributions from family and friends.
You can also get money from investors or ask the bank for a loan.
There is also crowdfunding and the use of angel investors to finance your maternity clothing line.
Pick an option that you are most comfortable with and start a maternity clothing line.
- Pick a niche
A niche is a specific area of interest
What is the underutilised niche that your customers want?
There are a lot of niches that you can choose from and start a maternity clothing line.
For example, you can start a maternity clothing line and specifically focus on:
Undergarments
Dresses
Nightwear
Tees…. etc.
Niching down allows you to serve a more loyal customer base and even make more profits.
- Find a supplier
If you are purchasing your maternity clothes on a wholesale basis, you need to find a supplier who can get you quality maternity clothes within your budget.
You can source your maternity clothes abroad, but that is going to be expensive.
You also have the option of partnering with a local designer to make tailor-made maternity clothes for you.
Whatever option you choose, you need to know that your supplier is very reliable to you and your maternity clothing line.
- Stock your inventory
Start thinking about stocking the right equipment and right fabric to start a maternity clothing line.
Remember, pregnant women are highly sensitive and if they can get comfortable with your clothes, they will not visit your store.
Get quality sewing machines and quality fabrics that will satisfy your customers, for a successful maternity clothing line.
- Find a good location
Location is everything when you are starting a maternity clothing line.
You can run your business from home and then sell online through a website if you want a small-sized business.
However, if you plan on opening a physical location for a maternity clothing line you need to start thinking about where you want it to be.
i) Things to consider when choosing a location for a maternity clothing line
- Foot traffic; high foot traffic areas increase the chances of people walking into your maternity clothing store.
- Accessibility; it should be near roads and motorways for easy access
- Visibility; a maternity clothing line should be where people can see the clothing display
- Lighting; well-lit areas are greater for a maternity clothing line
- Parking access; your customers should have a place to park their vehicles when they visit your store
- Legalities; don’t start a maternity clothing line on government property.
Tip: When you are thinking about the location, also think about the design of your shop, for example, having a changing room for customers.
Location can make or break your business so you need to be careful before you choose a place to start a maternity clothing line.
- Meet the legal requirements
Before you start a maternity clothing line, there are certain legal requirements that you must meet.
First, start by registering your maternity clothing line so that it can operate as a legal entity.
Choose an entity such as a sole proprietorship or an LLC and register your business with the state.
Next, think about the permits and licenses you need to operate a maternity clothing line.
i) Legal requirements for a maternity clothing line
Business license
Occupancy permit
Business insurance
Seller’s permit
You also have to check for zoning laws so that you do not set up your maternity clothing line on government property.
Knowing the legal requirements for starting a maternity clothing line is important because you do not risk paying heavy fines or having your business shut down.
Tip: If you don’t know what these legal requirements are, ask the local authorities and they will give you a list of everything you need to comply with.
- Hire a skilled team of professionals
You need to have a team on board for manpower and technical needs.
If you are making the clothes yourself, you need to hire dressmakers.
You should have trained and skilled personnel who will help you with fitting, designing and the making clothes for your customers.
Your team will also be in charge of handling customers so they must practice excellent customer service.
Some of the skills and qualities that your employees must possess include:
Creativity
Design skills
Technical skills
Communication skills
Customer service
Marketing skills
- Build a brand
Having a brand for a maternity clothing line is a good thing to have more people visiting your business.
The first way to establish a brand for a maternity clothing line is to have a good business name.
This name should be memorable and catch and reflect the clothing items that you have in your maternity clothing line.
You also have to have a well-curated website with good photos of maternity clothes so that it can influence people to buy your maternity clothes.
Branding is a key element in running a successful maternity clothing line.
- Have a marketing plan
With a maternity clothing line, it is important to have effective marketing strategies to boost brand awareness and reach your target audience.
You need to have a good marketing plan that will get you customers and expand your customer base.
i) How to attract customers to a maternity clothing line
Partner with boutiques and departmental stores
Use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter
Use local ads/ newspaper publications, TV and radio stations
Have a proper signage or use billboards
Have a website
Business directories
Ask for referrals
Word of mouth marketing
ii) How to promote a maternity clothing line
Use social media platforms for influencer marketing
Have a good website
Offer discounts on maternity clothes
Have a referral program
Networking with other stores
Positive business reviews
What Can I Sell in a Maternity Clothing Line?
The following are the things you can sell in a maternity clothing line and they include:
Maternity dresses
Maternity nightwear
Maternity gowns for special occasions, e.g weddings and corporate events.
Maternity tees
Skirts
Shoes
Undergarments
Maternity business attires
Slacks
Where To Sell Maternity Clothes in Kenya
The following are places to sell maternity clothes in Kenya and they are:
Have a website; your maternity clothing line website must include the clothing items with good descriptions.
You also have to include the prices and an add to cart feature in case they want to buy.
If you have a physical store, share location information on your website so they can visit.
Use social media; social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are great places to sell your maternity clothes.
All you have to do is share good photos of maternity clothes.
Marketplaces; online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay are great places to sell maternity clothes.
Tip: If you want to sell more maternity clothes, you can give deals and discounts to customers.
Focus on marketing and giving quality clothing items to customers for more sales.
Maternity Business Ideas
There are a lot of creative businesses that you can start in the maternity sector.
When you are starting a maternity clothing line, you want to make sure that you are differentiating yourself from competitors so that you can undercut them in a heartbeat.
Some of the maternity business ideas include:
- Maternity clothing photography
- Maternity modelling
- Start a maternity clothing blog
- Sell maternity clothing accessories; e.g necklaces, beads, etc.
- Start a baby shop
- Become a maternity clothing fashion consultant
FAQs on Starting a Maternity Clothing Line in Kenya
Q. Is starting a maternity clothing line profitable?
Yes. A maternity clothing line is profitable.
Q. How much does it cost to start a maternity clothing line?
The amount of money it costs to start a maternity clothing line depends on whether you want to source your clothing or make them yourself.
It is cheaper and more profitable to make maternity clothing on your own because you have quality/style control.
Q. How do I make money with a maternity clothing line?
With a maternity clothing line, you make money from the sale of each maternity clothing.
It can be dresses, undergarments or nightwear.
You can also sell complementary items like bags, necklaces and other accessories in your maternity clothing line.
Q. How do I price maternity clothes?
How you price your maternity clothes is going to depend on the costs of producing the maternity clothes.
You can also look at what your competitors or the clothing brand are charging and have that as the base price to charge your customers.
Q. How much money can I make with a maternity clothing line?
The amount of money you can make with a maternity clothing line depends on how many clothes you can sell.
This is why you need to channel all your efforts toward marketing.
If you want to sell more make sure you give quality comfort clothes to your clients.
Q. How can I make a maternity clothing line profitable?
To make a maternity clothing line profitable, you can sell complementary items like shoes and handbags or offer services like maternity shoots.
This will make you make more profits with a maternity clothing line.
Before jumping into the maternity fashion line, ensure you love the fashion industry.
Loving the fashion industry ensures you keep up with the trends in the industry.
So, you can predict what will make a fashion statement for your maternity clothing line.
It’s a beautiful thing to see women carry their pregnancies in the most fashionable ways.
Wearing your baby bump in style like Riri is a way of flaunting your fashion and your baby.
A baby bump MUST NOT prevent you from becoming stylish – you haven’t lost it just because you’re pregnant.
Influencers and maternity shoots have played a huge role in promoting maternity clothing lines.
The industry keeps on growing and adjusting to the needs of pregnant women.
There are lots of profits to be made by entrepreneurs in this clothing industry.
When you are getting maternity clothes for your clothing line, you have to think of comfort and durability because some mothers will want to reuse these clothes for their next pregnancies.
Offer quality maternity clothes, then you stand a chance of running a successful maternity clothing line.
Are you pregnant? What’s your pregnancy fashion like?
Would you start a maternity fashion line?
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