Regular readers will know I get to meet a lot of successful online fashion retail entrepreneurs. I hear all the stories about how they started to get where they are today, so here are my tips for making it in online fashion retail (not to be taken too seriously! it is April 1st).

1. Get married – For some reason online fashion businesses seem to work best as duos. Must be something to do with yin and yang.

2. Do it in your 30’s – That way you’ve either built up some useful contacts having worked in the industry or you’ll be at the “f*** it, let’s do it” stage in life.

3. Start the business at home – And stay there for as long as you can to save money. You might annoy the neighbours with noise from delivery vans (and it might be illegal) but don’t go anywhere until you start getting s*** through your letterbox; that’s when it’s time to get an office/warehouse.

4. Market it yourself – If you have to hire a consultant (like me), get advice on what YOU can do to market it yourself, keep all the execution in house in your control and remember it’s ok to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.

5. Have children – Yes they’re cute, but they’re also a constant reminder that you have to make a success of the business as you’re spending their inheritance.

6. Show your face – There’s little room for shrinking violets in this business. Our media takes an increasing amount of interest in the owners of businesses, as they can generate interesting stories from personalities.

7. Wear your product – OK, so Nick Robertson didn’t dress up like Posh or Kate Moss, but he saw a customer demand for look-a-like items and wore the values of the ASOS brand on his sleeve. What was your reason, other than profit, for going into your online fashion retail niche?

8. Find a niche – Do you really have a niche? Are you just a me-too? What could your niche be?

9. Bore your friends and family (and their friends and family) to death – Tell everyone and his mum about your business. Always have a story ready, the more unusual the better as they’ll then tell their friends.

10. Read this blog regularly.