Upmetrics helped Sarah Donofrio turn her passion for fashion into a growing, thriving fashion brand
Company Overview
Sarah Donofrio is a fashion designer and entrepreneur known for her vibrant and distinctive design aesthetic. She launched her own fashion line known for its bold prints and unique designs soon after her successful stint as a contestant in Project Runway’s 15th season.
Working alongside well-known companies, Sarah’s brand regularly participates in exciting print and illustration projects. With a focus on using advanced design techniques, the brand strives to produce unique and attractive apparel that sets trends in the fashion industry.
The primary goal of the brand is to provide unique and stylish clothing options that help customers express their personal style. The brand aims to consistently push creative boundaries and inspire a culture of innovation and artistic expression.
The Challenge
“Entrepreneurship can be intimidating at times. My biggest challenges were creating a detailed business plan and securing capital. While I was good at what I do, I had no clue how to plan or approach investors.”
“If I look back at my journey from an aspiring designer to a celebrated fashion entrepreneur, it all seems a bit surreal,” Sarah says.
“However, it wasn’t all a fairy tale; entrepreneurship is tough, and I had to face a fair share of struggles myself.”
Sarah Donofrio is a former fashion design student and has gone through subsequent apprenticeships at established labels and textile agencies.
“My big break came when I competed on Project Runway’s 15th season. The show significantly raised my profile and gave me the confidence to launch my own clothing line and e-commerce store,” Sarah says when asked about deciding to start her brand.
While she had excellent design skills, a strong profile, and the confidence to start and grow her brand, she lacked strategic and business planning skills—skills to market, position, and develop her brand. She needed a tool that would not only guide her for the initial launch but also continue to serve as a mentor as her brand grows and evolves. That’s where Upmetrics came into play.
sarahdonofrio.com
The Solution
“Upmetrics and team guided me through planning and helped me grow my business like a business mentor. Knowing that planning is taken care of, I could focus on my strengths and growing my fashion brand.”
Learning to run a business with Upmetrics
Since Sarah had no prior entrepreneurial experience, she had to learn a lot of things. After encountering a few challenges in starting her brand, she soon realized that being a good designer wasn’t enough, she had to learn all those things as well.
“I knew that in order to get my fashion line off the ground or to be approved for financing—or even to demonstrate the potential of my business—I would need to create a business plan and learn to run a business,” said Sarah.
Upmetrics played a crucial role in helping Sarah navigate the complexities of running a fashion brand. As someone primarily focused on creative aspects, Sarah found operational and strategic components of business management overwhelming.
“I initially found the operational and strategic aspects of business challenging. Upmetrics offered a structured, clear pathway to creating a business plan that not only helped secure funding but also clarified my business objectives and strategies.”
“Upmetrics made business planning easy” — Sarah Donofrio.
As Sarah says, the very thought of drafting the entire business plan from scratch was scary and intimidating for me, but Upmetrics helped. While we asked her how she was able to easily finish her business plan in time, she already had her answer prepared.
“To be honest, it didn’t take me long. What did I do? I took the product tour,
grabbed the “clothing line business plan template”, and followed the instructions to create the first draft of my plan,” Sarah Answered. “As I was using a template that followed nearly the same business model, I could easily resonate with the ideas, strategies, and processes,” She further added.
Having a collaborative, cloud-based platform was a convenient mode of business planning for her. As she said, any changes she made were visible instantly to the team and that is what allowed their teammates to add quick notes/feedback.
sarahdonofrio.com
The Impact
"Thanks to Upmetrics, my fashion brand is now profitable and continues to grow. Their support not only simplified the planning process but also set the foundation for our ongoing success and expansion."
While speaking of the impact of Upmetrics on her brand’s growth, Sarah says:
“Their comprehensive tools helped clarify my financial projections, marketing strategies, and operational goals, making it easier to communicate my vision to investors. This clarity and organization infused confidence in my business partners and helped secure the necessary funding to scale my operations.”
Sarah’s philosophy is rooted in experience and growth. While she continues to grow sarahdanfrio.com, she also provides consultancy services to new brands and entrepreneurs, helping them source suppliers and manufacturers. She considers this a deed, something like “giving it back to the community”.
Sarah’s journey from an aspiring designer to a successful fashion entrepreneur has been incredible. We’re glad we contributed to her success and continue to do so.
sarahdonofrio.com
Upmetrics for entrepreneurs and small business owners
Sarah Donofrio wasn’t a born entrepreneur, but she successfully managed to launch her fashion brand. How? A solid vision, thorough planning, and perfect execution.
Drafting a detailed business plan from scratch without a reliable tool can be intimidating and scary. That’s why entrepreneurs and small business owners like Sarah Donofrio rely on business planning solutions like Upmetrics.
Upmetrics won’t just simplify planning but will be your virtual coach, guiding you on every step. So, what is the wait? Try Upmetrics today. Explore our solutions for starting and launching your business.
