Bringing Fashion to Women’s Logo Sportswear

A client had a business idea to manufacture and market fashion-forward collegiate sports apparel. Examining the merchandise available in university bookstores, they found unisex shapeless tee shirts and hooded sweatshirts. Their new venture aimed for shapely women’s garments with glitzy, eye-catching logos. They realized they needed expert mentoring and that brought them to SCORE. In 2010 they incorporated, began manufacturing in China, refined their merchandise and got ready to bring their goods to market.

Perhaps they hold the record for utilizing SCORE expertise; At last count they had taken almost every SCORE workshop available and worked with ten individual mentors to gain expertise in developing their business plan, operations, SBA financing, manufacturing, sales, marketing, and business records. They refined their product line by holding focus groups at local universities, assisted by an expert SCORE mentor. They participated as “young entrepreneurs” at a recent SCORE speakers program.

The company is currently manufacturing licensed collegiate sportswear for several universities and high schools, with more on the way in the coming year. Furthermore, since the company markets their licensed apparel at a once-per-year trade show, they have discovered additional markets to expand their business. They hold home parties combining recipes and custom tee shirts created on the spot from dozens of shirt and unique artwork options. What’s the future plan? “Well, we’re thinking about retail stores in 2013,” the client says. “Then, we hope to become SCORE members and mentors in 2022!”

Jack Scott
Denver SCORE (#62)
Denver, CO