CMC_BuildingDirectory_Oct18

IF YOU HAD ONE PIECE OF ADVICE
FOR SOMEONE STARTING THEIR
OWN MULTILINE SHOWROOM, WHAT
WOULD IT BE?
Make sure you are mentally and financially ready
for the undertaking. Usually, you’re not profitable
for the first 6 months before sales commissions
kicks in, and it can be very stressful when you are
waiting to get paid while still spending money to
collect orders and build business. It’s a lot to deal
with and everyone isn’t built for it, so it’s a good
idea to speak to others in the industry who have
gone through it. Having a support network you
can speak to about business decisions is always
helpful.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN
SCOUTING OUT NEW BRANDS TO
REPRESENT IN YOUR SHOWROOM?
That is the secret question! LOL. But seriously,
we look at quite a few different things. We look at
the name, the potential of the brand concept, the
designer, their business structure, the logistical
backend, our current brand portfolio, etc. Our
business model has changed. We currently
aren’t looking at any new brands unless we have
equity in them, so ownership has become one
of the most important factors. Our time is too
valuable to not own the things we are working on
outright or at least have some equity in.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEN’S
FASHION TREND THAT WE SHOULD BE
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR NEXT SEASON?
Although we wear black almost every single day,
we are looking forward to seeing all of the neons
and bright fluro colors that are supposed to be
the rave for SS19 season. Those colors are really
cool to us because they straddle two decades
well. You had it in the early 80s and then you had
it come back in the mid 90s. We can say we were
around to see both of those eras.
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