"The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy." —Yves Saint-Laurent
If you're considering starting your own clothing line, opening an online fashion business or otherwise taking your entrepreneurial and fashion skills to the streets with flair, chances are you've already got a fantastic dose of passion and motivation. In many ways, that passion can carry you through some of the most rewarding and challenging phases of entrepreneurship. But in order to succeed, you'll need to couple experience and know-how with your already blossoming passion for fashion.
1. Are you as passionate about running a business as you are about fashion and design?
Working in the fashion industry and owning your own business are two very different things. If your passion is design and you want to spend the majority of your time working on your craft, starting a fashion business might not be for you. It's not all glamour and glitz.
Like a skilled writer opening a publishing house, you'll be trading in much of your craft for business ownership, paperwork, employee payroll, marketing and sometimes even trying to break even.