Dreaming about your own business is often easier than actually setting it up. We know all about it. Maybe the inspiration is there, but you have no idea where to start. Yet it is a shame to let a good idea go to waste. In this blog we will give you a hand on the way, and we will list a few important steps that you should take into account when setting up a shoe brand.

Write a business plan

Whatever business you want to set up, it starts with a plan. It’s essential to have a clear idea for yourself of where you want to work towards. What is the idea? What is the goal? Who is the target market? How are you going to reach them? The idea is to describe in the plan as precisely as possible what you want to achieve, so that the idea becomes a concrete plan. In your plan, don’t forget to include the budget. Preparing the costing will allow you to make a realistic start.

Brand and marketing

Setting up a shoe brand is a very concrete product. It is important to choose a catchy name that is quickly remembered and (preferably) does not yet exist. Extra tip: check how common this name is on social media channels and first see if the domain name is still available. This way you avoid disappointment and you are sure that this name is not a dime a dozen.

Once you have this clear you can start on the marketing strategy. It is important to have a clear picture of the brand. What does the brand stand for? Is there a red line in the shoe brand? What change do you want to market as opposed to competing shoe brands? Who needs this shoe brand? Go over what positioning you want to have versus your competition and what the media channels are going to be that you can use to reach your target audience. Once all that is clear, you can start planning what you want to communicate and when.

Start designing

When designing a shoe line, you can of course do the initial sketch work yourself, but eventually you need to have designs on the table that can start production. For this, you need a partner who is suitable for the collaboration and can therefore handle the production for you. In this phase, it is important that you can translate your idea well so that the right producer is chosen for the specific production method. Through Google it is easy to find shoe manufacturers, although we often see that these manufacturers are not open to help you start your own shoe brand in a small way. It is a shame to enter into a partnership that involves a lot of time and money while no end product is produced. Van den Breek wants to prevent this by clearly informing you in advance about the possibilities. In combination with your wishes and goals, we will come to a conclusion together, so that you will not be faced with any surprises. We take these concerns off your hands and ensure that your idea is produced by our right partner.

Create a prototype

The beginning of a shoe line is the first prototype. This is the single most important phase in the development of your own shoe brand. This phase is where the most time and expense goes. The focus of this phase is to develop designs into real shoes. From the prototypes, it is possible to produce the final samples as you had envisioned. If everything is in order, production can begin and we can further guide you in setting up your own shoe brand!

Producing a line of shoes at Van den Breekel

At Van den Breekel, we are excited by creative ideas and we will be happy to work with you on an action plan for your new collection, anticipating the latest trends and developments. Feel free to contact us so that we can discuss the possibilities for the production of your new collection. Who knows, we might soon be sitting around the table to realize your shoe brand.