Starting a blogshop

Well that is not a easy job. PERIOD.

I have a love hate thing with that 'blogshop' word.

1. I ever worked with one of my best friends on a blogshop before, and it didn't turn out too good. Well, I wouldn't say it is any of our fault though. Because I moved from Jurong to Kovan years back, so there is really not much way we could continue our business. PLUS we didn't start our blogshop with a specific role in mind. I'm just really glad that we maintained our friendship & positive attitude towards business.

2. We recently went for a flea market, and man! The clothes we picked about 5 years back SOLD OUT! Ok almost. That means we do have an eye for clothings, and that made me feel very sad that we're no longer operating.

3. I mentioned that I worked in a procurement & retail company - or did I? But now you know. And it is just these half year that we get a lot of inquiries from clients on whether we could help them with manufacturing their retail or blogshop clothes. HELL YES. (My company usually do gifts, carriers, name tags etc) It is quite a new thing to me initially. When me and my friends did it, we went to wholesale market to get them. So I kind of told my boss I know what I was doing but actually I don't. I don't know how big scale manufacturing of clothing work. Luckily I'm given a lot of contacts and guidance from my boss and my boss' friends :x

I'm a pro now... Maybe. lol.

And to my surprise, some of these manufactured pieces are even more expensive than the wholesale pieces. You would think that if you order more and even manufacture them yourself, it would be cheaper. But that wasn't the case at all. Manufacturers usually manufacture clothes at the count of hundreds or thousands. As a start up, or a general Singapore store, are you able to sell 1000 piece of clothes of the same design?

If not, then the price is going to go up. If 1000 piece of clothes cost 10sgd to manufacture, the second hand dealer probably would sell you at 15sgd or 20sgd. But if you only manufacture 200 piece of clothings, the manufacturer would probably charge you 25sgd.Why? Material fees are much more expensive! And for the same mold, they are just making 5 times lesser clothes. Now that is for the average quality stuffs. If you tell manufacturer you want quality, the price probably go up to 30sgd for example.  And if the price doesn't go up, probably the cut goes wrong. or they tell u its of better quality but actually its as crappy as ever.

That explains for the quality of most local blogshop clothes. I bought a lot of clothes from blogshops. And honestly, I am not happy with the quality at all. I have this pencil skirt from one of the top blogshops in SG, and all I see is underwear lines. Cost me around 33 with postage. I cant even wear it out at all.

I purchased a full dress from one of the top sg blogshops as well, but I could see my bra and underwear as well. so this piece can't see sunlight either. Cost me around 35 with postage.

Though.. I ever bought stuff within 35 and are still ok... like.. ok.

I really feel for a lot of these blogshop owners, because the quantity manufacturers are willing to do is often too big. Its either the owners are rich, they pay for it & then fail the business and got to sell their stuff dirt cheap. Or owners aren't rich, and they can't even pay for a proper first collection. What my company did in the end was to just go on war with manufacturers and push down the quantity requirements per design. But that was only possible because we had like 80 design from clients then. And my boss' friend opened a chain wholesale stores in sg. HE KNOWS THE BOSS OF THAT FACTORY. But they're still ex.

I kind of lost my point. But either way, if you are intending to start blogshop and want to manufacture your own stuff, you need a lot more money now. I started my blogshop last time with my friend with just 250 each. You probably need ALOT more now for one collection. alot.......

What inspire me to write this? I saw a post on flowerpod.. This is really random - its 2.04am now. 
and you know who to find if you need to manufacture stuff. any stuff.

Xoxo