We see it every day, on the commute to work or at a business event; people are almost never willing to speak to one another. When did networking become a chore or a scary situation?

With the right attitude and approach, that person you’re sitting next to on the tube, or standing next to in a supermarket line, could in time become a future business partner, a career-changing connection, or a lifelong friend. Let's talk about turning strangers into connections.

“When it comes to succeeding in business and in life, most of us talk to strangers just 2% to 3% of the time. It’s sad because the secret to the majority of your future successes is waiting outside your immediate network.” This quote is taken from the book ‘How to Be a Power Connector’, written by Judy Robinett, an author with over 30 years experience as an entrepreneur and corporate leader. Robinett is a business thought a leader who is known as "the woman with the titanium digital Rolodex."

Robinett used to consider herself s...

It is a universally acknowledged truth that the world of fashion has never before been as competitive as it is today. To come up with an idea is easy in comparison to actually turning that acorn of an idea into a business. There are many prerequisites in the recipe for success but one of the main ingredients is successful PR.

While the world of media and press has also evolved and changed, few things however still remain relevant and necessary to do, in order to garner attention.

Here are our top tips:

One of the many things that any start-up, small, medium or large fashion business have in common is the need to have their brand become known and recognisable to the public. You may have a good or even great idea, but if the world doesn't know about it, your idea will never turn into a business. In today's omnichannel world of marketing and PR, it has never been so easy and so hard to make yourself heard and spotted.

A good public relations campaign is imperative to a company’s su...

A good public relations campaign is imperative to a company’s success. Public relations isn’t just about earning fans or clients, it’s about embracing your target audience and giving them a reason to like your company.

In order to gain a reputation, a business or individual must present themselves to the public in a way that makes them approachable. A company can have a great product but without a public reputation, they will struggle to be acknowledged.

Related Reading: Top 10 Tips for Successful Public Relations - Part One

So what can you do if you are not lucky enough to have an infinite disposable income that will pay for a public relations agency to represent you? While the aim may well be to approach and engage a public relations agency further down the line, initially there are some things you can do yourself and capture some prized space in a glossy magazine and get the world's attention, which in turn hopefully may lead to increased sales and new opportunities.

It is a uni...

Celebrity Gifting

Imagine making one of your products: designing it, sourcing materials, manufacturing it, putting it through rigorous quality control measures – and then giving it to someone for free.

Okay, not free, the ‘someone’ is a celebrity and your payment in kind is publicity. But another hurdle that you face is that they might not decide to actually wear it. And, if they do, you might not get it back.

Therefore, you have just spent production costs and your precious and limited time for zero profit. Not part of your business strategy, is it?

Unfortunately, this is the reality for many small designers, especially during the various international Awards seasons. Celebrities don beautiful wares from designers who are desperate for the walking, talking advertisements of their garments and accessories, to be seen by the world’s media.

Building a relationship with stylists is key as they are often the neck that turns the head of the desired celebrity. A question that you should...

The editor of Insider attended a talk at last week’s International Jewellery London show, on the ways in which fashion brands and designers can work effectively with the trade press.

The talk, Working Effectively with the Trade Press to Get Coverage for Your Brand/Business, was led by a panel including Editor of Retail Jeweller, Ruth Faulkner; Director of FACETS PR and Jewellery Editor at LUXURE, Sarah Carpin; and Consultant and Senior Account Manager at FACETS PR, Kathryn Bishop.

The aim of the talk was to encourage fashion brands and designers to interact with the right kind of press, and to do so in an effective manner. Of course, it is easy to see the press as your route to sales, but they have to want to include you in their publications too, so you have to be viable. As Sarah Carpin said: “There’s no point being in Vogue if you have no retail stockists, you need to talk to trade publications first.”

But we get it, you haven’t worked this hard – and you've managed to get that c...

Business crowdfunding is probably as close to an act of mass altruism as we will get in this age.

Although it is essentially a business transaction, crowdfunding creates a way that people can offer a creative entrepreneur a realistic chance of success – and in turn, creative vision can come to life for those people who want and appreciate it.

Many emerging designers are turning to business crowdfunding – a great post-recession fundraiser – to create a product that they love and know their target consumers will also love, and buy.

One can directly gauge the interest that a specific community has in a product and furthermore seek the validation required, and with many crowdfunding platforms you retain the ownership of your product.

Crowdfunding can also be the ultimate referee and garnish for a CV and portfolio, if sales figures and information on the demographics of the consumer audience are included. It can also be the part-time job that partially finances your fashion business.

I...

Counterfeiting is a specific term in intellectual property, referring to any infringement or unauthorised use of an intellectual property asset owned by a third party.

For a long time, counterfeiting had been considered a necessary evil, especially in the luxury and fashion spheres, but its exponential surge has become such a threat that various business stakeholders are now reacting faster and meaner to contain this epidemic.

Annabelle Gauberti, founding partner of the London and Paris law firm Crefovi and president of the international association of lawyers for creative industries (IALCI) provides an introduction into what you need to know for your brand.

IALCI is also running a London seminar on Intellectual Property and all fashion professionals are invited, book here.

What rules and laws apply to fighting against counterfeiting?

France, one of the countries most impacted by counterfeiting since French companies had such a large market share in the luxury and fashion sectors,...

Fashion Collaboration between designers, high street and chain retailers have become increasingly popular in recent years. For designers, the advantages of fashion collaborations with a high street chain include financial benefits, and being able to reach out to a new customer demographic through a larger market.

Designers should always be mindful of control over quality, prices and flooding the market with their brand, as low prices, poor quality and having your brand appearing ubiquitously in "stack ‘em high, sell ‘em low" type establishments can, in the long run, cause huge damage to the designer’s brand.

Tahir Basheer, an Industry member specialising in fashion and media law for leading London-based law firm, Sheridans, offers his expert guidance.

1. What to License in a Fashion Collaboration?

The agreement should clearly state exactly what is being licensed to the retailer. If you are a designer with a variety of brands you may not want the retailer to have a license over all ...

If you’re setting up a brand to sell online for the first time or expanding your fashion website to target different customers, there are a number of legal issues you need to consider. Learn about website building keeping all the legal policies in mind.

In this two-part series article, Tahir Basheer - our legal partner specialising in fashion and media law for leading London-based law firm, Sheridan - looks at some of the key issues, including selecting your website, avoiding liability for its content, monitoring your visitors, using social media, monetising and mobilising.

Domain Names

A domain name is your business address on the internet. They help guide customers to your fashion website and develop your brand, as such they are highly valuable – they change hands for millions of pounds and many brands have entered legal disputes to obtain particular domains.

After choosing your desired name, you should consider the following:

1. Is your domain name available?

There are numerou...

If you’re setting up a brand to sell online for the first time, or expanding your fashion website to target different customers, there are a number of legal issues you need to consider. Learn about website building keeping all the legal policies in mind.

Following on from last week’s Building A Website – The Legal Steps, Part 1, where Tahir Basheer offered advice on finding a domain name, your website content and data, this week he concludes the two part-series.

There are legal considerations to make while website building for your brand, especially a transactional one. Here I look at the terms and conditions for websites, social media and e-commerce, as well as mobile content and VAT.

Website Visitors

The terms and conditions of your website building are effectively the contract you hold with the visitors to your site. In this way, the terms and conditions are extremely important. Many people use generic website terms and conditions and therefore miss crucial aspects of their busi...