How to Start a Clothing Business in Nigeria

One of the best ways to make money in Nigeria is to venture into the clothing business. Are you a fashionista? Does anything fashion-like pique your interest? Then, a clothing business will probably do! 

You can start a clothing business either as a side job or as a full-time business. Most people take it as a full-time business. Eventually, it turns into a lifelong career for them. In Nigeria, you can start a clothing business with or without capital. This is a fact I would still prove to you.

A Step into the Clothing World: Learning About the Clothing Business

There are two ways to start a clothing business without capital. One of them is to become a dropshipper for another person who sells clothes. Another way is to become an affiliate for a supplier of clothes. In these two cases, you are not the owner of the clothes. 

As a dropshipper, first, you will advertise the clothes as your own. Thereafter, you add your profit and get customers to buy them. The next step is to send the customer’s money to the supplier after removing your profit. So, the supplier supplies to the buyer as if the clothes are coming from you. It is as simple as that.

However, as an affiliate marketer, you only need to refer the customer to the supplier. The supplier gets his money and pays you a commission based on your agreement. Your customers do not need to be involved in any of these processes. 

Those are simple ways to start a clothing business without having any capital. Moreover, you can even start a clothing business with just your smartphone. The interesting part is that you do not even need to meet physically with the supplier. 

Besides, to continue your clothing business, all you need to do is to save up some amount of money. This might be from the dropshipping or affiliate business. Then, you set up your own clothing business. You can start a clothing business, especially in Nigeria with as low as #20,000.

Read also: 11 Effective Marketing Strategies for Entrepreneurs in Nigeria

9 Effective Steps to Start a Clothing Business 

1. Get your capital

This is the first thing to consider before you decide to start a clothing business. If you do not intend to start as a dropshipper or an affiliate cloth seller, then you need to save up some money to set it up. You can gather up your capital by saving up as a dropshipper. 

You can also get some amount from your family and friends. Getting loans (although not advisable, except if it is an interest-free loan with a moratorium or grants) can also help. Also, note that the capital you need to start a clothing business depends on the type of clothes you want to sell.

Read also: 5 ways to raise capital for businesses in Nigeria

2. Define your target audience

After deciding to start a clothing business, it is important to choose your target audience. You can choose to start selling male clothing, female clothes, children’s clothing etc. This would help you focus on a particular audience. 

Meanwhile, getting the right suppliers for your clothing business will also be easier. Running ads for your business will not give you much stress as well.

3. Decide on the type of clothing you want to sell

There are different types of clothes. This makes it important for you to decide on which type of clothes you want to sell. You need to decide whether you want to sell new clothes, thrift wear, native wear, lace materials, etc. 

Moreover, you can also start a ready-to-wear clothing line. This is suitable for fashion designers. Note that your capital would also be a determining factor to decide the type of clothes you want to sell. This is because selling new clothes is more expensive than thrift wear. 

So, depending on your capital and interest, you can decide on the type of clothing you want to sell.

4. Get suppliers for your clothing business

Here is the next step to starting a clothing business. This is after you decide on the type of clothes you want to sell. You need suppliers to supply you with the clothes you can sell to your customers. Getting suppliers is somewhat easy in Nigeria. 

For instance, you can go to a particular to get suppliers for your clothing business. All in all, look for reliable suppliers to ensure you get steady supplies. It will also help you gain your customers’ trust. This occurs when they get the clothes they demand in time.

Read also: Legal Requirements to Start a Business in Nigeria

1. 5. Register your clothing business name or brand

Another important measure to observe if you want to sustain your clothing business is to register it. Unless the business is on a short-term basis, it is necessary to register your business name. You can do the business name registration for as low as #20,000. 

All you need to do is to contact a legal practitioner. Don’t try to do the registration yourself to avoid making mistakes which in turn might cause problems for you. Registering your clothing business is a way of protecting your business. You do not want to start changing your business name because a rival brand has the same name. It can confuse your customers, you know.

6. Get a store or shop

You can get an online or offline store. Look for an affordable store not far from your residence to display your clothing. However, if you do not have enough money to get a shop, you can leverage the online space. 

Check out any of these social media platforms and use anyone that you are familiar with. You can use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or WhatsApp to sell your market. There are also e-commerce platforms where you can display your products. Examples are Jiji, Jumia, Konga etc. These are the popular ones. 

There are also some small ones like Brandooz. As a beginner, it is highly recommended that you start with an online store. After gathering enough money, you can get a store or a shop.

7. Run adverts

Marketing is the backbone of a business. It is the secret behind every successful business. To start a clothing business, most especially online, you need to run adverts. Have you noticed that even vendors in Eko Idumota or other markets advertise their goods to you? 

Merely passing in front of their shops, they would call you and advertise their goods to you. Therefore, market your products by running ads or contacting people via digital marketing tools. The latter might cost you a fee.

Read also: 10 useful whatsapp marketing tips for online vendors

8. Partner with a logistics company

Logistics companies are companies that help you to pick up your goods and deliver them to your customers. You need the service of these companies to make it easier to deliver to your customers. 

Besides, you can even get delivery fees at a discount which would, in turn, mean more profit for you.

9. Keep in touch with your customers

To get frequent sales from your customers, keep in touch with them. Your clothing business has no hope without a large network of customers. You can call your customers, sending them messages just to check on them.

More importantly, always let them know when you have new stocks they might have an interest in.

Read also: How to Start Affiliate Marketing in Nigeria as a Beginner

Conclusion

To start a clothing business in Nigeria is quite easy. Perhaps this line of business is your cup of tea. Go ahead and venture into it. However, a clothing business requires dedication and proper marketing strategies. 

The surprising aspect of the clothing business is that it comes with huge profits. This is another takeaway for you. You can also learn more about this topic by visiting our WhatsApp community. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more actinable tips on business growth and development.

Now, are we good? I guess yes!

About Author

Olorunsola Omolayo

My name is Olorunsola Omolayo. I am a legal practitioner, chartered accountant, and writer. I am also an Ebook creator who specializes in writing books and blog posts on business topics, especially online businesses.
My leisure activities are writing, seeing movies, and researching.

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