If you're struggling to grow your ethical, sustainable, circular or slow fashion business, you're not alone. The fashion industry is tough, it moves fast and there's a lot of competition. If you're running your slow fashion business, label or brand solo, it's even harder.
But hard does not mean impossible. I believe there is a solution to every single business problem, and I know, because I've been where you are. Ten years ago, I launched an Australian fashion first and I built it into one of the largest online stores for ethical and sustainable fashion. I won 18 awards, I landed myself on TV and in the news dozens of times and I made over half a million dollars in a few short years - but that was after I implemented a strategy.
See, the first five years sucked. They were hard, I was exhausted, I was stressed to my eyeballs and I was juggling 51 million things and wearing all the hats. It wasn't sustainable and eventually I crashed and reached burnout, and it was then that I realised I had to change the way I was doing business if it was something I wanted to keep doing.
So, I made a plan, I got the help I needed, I started working smart instead of hard and I changed a lot about my business and in doing that, I changed a lot about my life too. Now, I want to share what I know and what I learnt the hard way so you can skip the burnout and the breakdowns and grow your slow fashion business the easy way.
Here's what you need to do...
1. Ask questions.
Asking questions leads to answers. Answers lead to action. Action leads to growth. You can ask me anything to get the answers you need to overcome challenges. Marketing, PR, business strategy, sales, how to wholesale, Instagram, reaching your customers, sourcing... Whatever it is, ask me questions and I'll give you answers. If you're struggling with something, book a free 30 minute strategy session, it's that easy!
2. Be a sponge.
I believe in constantly learning and growing but I know that sometimes you don’t have the budget to pay for it. That’s why I share super powerful strategies and helpful growth tips through my blog and on Instagram, so I can help you when you need it most. I share LIVE chats, inspiration, interviews, growth tips, industry insights, and tried and tested methods to increase sales. Be a sponge and soak up all the free information you can.
3. Invest in yourself.
When you can afford it, invest in yourself and your business. It’s the best investment you’ll ever make. If you’ve soaked up all the freebies you can but you still need more, it’s time to back yourself and commit to growth by paying for help. Everything your competitors have and know - you can learn from the right mentor. I work with slow fashion businesses of all kinds and I teach practical strategies so you can level up and increase your sales and impact. Book a free 30 minute strategy call here and we'll come up with a mentoring plan together.
4. Find your tribe.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. The right community can help you grow and lighten the load. My Slow Fashion Circle is an Australian-first. It’s a supportive community and fashion-specific mentoring program designed for ethical, sustainable, circular and slow fashion brands. It’s the support network and guidance you’ve been looking for. If you’re stuck, struggling or just need help, you’ll find it inside my Slow Fashion Circle.
5. Use free social media platforms.
When you’re growing a slow fashion business, the first few years can be tough and the marketing budget is generally small to non-existent. Use free platforms to grow like Instagram and Pinterest. If you’re not using Pinterest, you’re losing sales. Contact me to learn how to use Pinterest and in as little as five minutes a day, I’ll show you how to drive 2x, 5x, 10x more traffic to your online store to increase your sales. Pinterest is free and easy!
And when in doubt, just reach out. I'm here to help, I'm an open book and I live, love and breathe slow fashion so if you're looking for a fashion coach or business mentor to grow your business, I'm here. I'm based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia but I operate digitally and I help brands all over the world.
Claire x
