TCF America

Fashion Business, Inc

Fashion Business, Inc (www.fashionbizinc.org) (FBI) is a non-profit organization that was founded to assist designers and new apparel companies achieve their goals of becoming a successful and profitable company. FBI Resource Centers, along with its website and business partners, offer business education, technical training, sourcing, networking, marketing and consulting services. These services and tools promote the success of FBI members and ensure the future vibrancy of America's fashion industry. The FBI has nurtured key West Coast brands from startup to global stardom including American Apparel, C&C California, Frankie B. and many others.

If you want to learn the business of fashion the FBI offers a variety of courses and seminars on every topic relating to this industry. All courses are taught by industry professionals and include such topics as financial statements to social media marketing. There are even networking events when designers share their success stories. Go to www.fashionbizinc.org to see all of the upcoming events.

Some of the programs offered by the FBI have included a specialized training course in partnership with Microsoft to help displaced workers update their technology skills and re-enter the workforce. This course was a first of its kind apparel specific job skills training program. The free 8 week training curriculum included: Microsoft Office for the Apparel Industry, Tech Packs Using Microsoft Excel 2007 and, Accounting for the Apparel Industry using QuickBooks. The FBI has also worked with the U.S. Department of Labor on a program aimed at training a more computer-literate apparel industry workforce. Participants in this free program received an eight-week certification course on AIMS, a computer-based order-entry and data-management system for apparel companies.

The benefits in joining Fashion Business, Inc. include assistance in the areas of product development, sales and marketing, promotion, discount market space and co-op showroom opportunity. Other key benefits include discounts on workshops including online training, opportunities to participate in the FBI’s Designer Launch Pad fashion show with access to buyers and major discounts to specialized apparel management systems.

Fashion Business, Inc was founded by Frances Harder in 1999 and it has grown to become an important resource for apparel manufacturers. Frances has self-published a series of books dealing with starting a fashion business: Fashion for Profit is an extensive text that covers the A to Z of starting an apparel company, Costing for Profit, Brand Building For Profit, & Forms for Profit all address additional valuable information when starting an apparel company. Frances’s past professional experience included having her own name under license in Japan, designing a line for Pricilla Presley for Home Shopping, product development for the Royal House of Brunei and extensive European professional experience both as an educator and designer.