Get All Access for $5/mo

I sell clothing for tall women. Should I diversify and add custom-made jeans for all women?

By Brad Sugars Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

I own a small retail store in Georgiat that caters to the clothing needs of tall women. With slow sales in the present economy, I am looking at diversifying my focus and offering custom-made jeans for women of all sizes.

I hear women of all shapes and sizes complaining that they can't find jeans that fit, so I believe this can work. I don't have unlimited funds, so I would have to start out small and advertise to get the word out about my change in focus.

I am considering finding a U.S. manufacturer and offering a limited number of colors and styles of jeans to start with. I would like to continue my business, but under its current focus, I may be forced to shut my doors. Does this sound like something I should pursue?

First, I would forget the notion that "if you build it, they will come." Start by asking your current customers if they would buy customized jeans and at what price point. Then you are taking a lot of the risk of "not knowing" out of your development.

This is especially true for women�s fashion, where the biggest risk is guessing what women really want.

Too many bad business decisions can be turned into good business decisions simply by asking questions--especially of your target
market. I like to think of it this way: There are no secrets in business--just information you don�t know yet.

All the best.

Brad Sugars

Brad Sugars is the founder and chairman of ActionCOACH. As an entrepreneur, author and business coach, he has owned and operated more than two dozen companies including his main company, ActionCOACH, which has more than 1,000 offices in 34 countries.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle He Started in His College Apartment Turned Into a $70,000-a-Month Income Stream — Then Earned Nearly $2 Million Last Year

Kyle Morrand and his college roommates loved playing retro video games — and the pastime would help launch his career.

Business News

A Former Corporate Lawyer Now Makes Six Figures on YouTube — Here's How She Does It

Here are the secrets to starting and growing a successful YouTube channel, according to a YouTuber with millions of subscribers.

Growing a Business

How to Determine The Ideal Length of Your Marketing Emails Your Customers Will Actually Read

Wondering how long your marketing emails should be? Here's what consumers say — so you can send them exactly what they like.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Y Combinator Helped Launch Reddit, Airbnb and Dropbox. Here's What I Learned From Its Free Startup School.

The famed startup accelerator offers a free course on building a business — and answers five pressing questions for founders.