Have you ever made a business decision for your fashion brand that you regretted later on? You’re not alone. Research has shown that start-up businesses in the U.S. have a failure rate of roughly 80 percent. Why? Well, some businesses are new to the ever-evolving fashion industry. But seasoned entrepreneurs are also victim to adopting fashion clichés that can backfire.

While there’s no better teacher than failure, making the right decisions is crucial to success. Here are some common fashion mistakes companies make, which you can avoid, to create a thriving brand image.

Branding without an experience

Having a strong brand means focusing on what your customer feels when they think about your product. Simply viewing your fashion brand as a logo or ad campaign is setting yourself up for failure. Put your clients first so they know you care. One way of doing this is to timely resolve customer service issues.

Unoriginal items in your clothing line

If you plan to start off by competing with industry leaders like Nike or Michael Kors, think again. Even if your company’s vision coincides with that of Victoria’s Secret, you need to include one-of-a-kind products or services in your business that customers cannot find elsewhere. The good thing about this strategy is that once you’ve established a USP, you can command the price rather than competing with large retailers, which will kill your profits and going out of business fast.

Unsustainable fashion items

Fashion brands are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, which means this should be your priority, too. If you launch clothing lines that harmed the environment, it will only result in failure. Remember when Zara was accused by Greenpeace in 2011 of selling clothes with cancer-causing chemicals? Not something we can forget, either.

Overstocking is a no-no

The biggest favor you can do for your fashion brand is to have a clear, proven plan by testing your garments or handbags to see if they will sell in the market. Balancing quality, volume and price are daily challenges to being a garment manufacturer, but not being realistic about men’s wear, activewear or swimwear will cause more harm than good.

Cultural insensitivity

Having an inclusive clothing line is your route to success. You have to make sure your products and services are not insensitive to people of various cultures and racial groups. We cannot forget the fashion disaster that ensued after Estee Lauder released a new line of foundation, majorly targeting women with pale, light skin and leaving very few options for women of color. Can you imagine bouncing back after such a terrible mistake? Yikes.

Looking for inspiration to guide you further? Check out Lefty Production Co., located in Los Angeles, for versatile and original items in men’s wear, women’s wear, and children’s wear, including bridal wear, swimwear, athletic wear and lingerie, giving your clients an experience of a lifetime!