Capstone Project Proposal

Name of student: June Park Date: March 30, 2023

Teacher: Mr. Green Block: B

The capstone strand I have chosen is Entrepreneurial

Proposed title for my Project Proposal: Second Chance

My inquiry question is:

Can I make a profitable online clothing line business from recycled/ second hand materials?

Rationale/Context:
From a young age, I have loved fashion and creating clothing pieces. But as I got older, I
realized the negative environmental impacts and consequences that were directly linked to the
textiles industry. Through this realization I wanted to make a clothing business where the
clothing pieces are stylish and trendy while being sustainable and more beneficial for our planet.

Background:
Textiles – I have made clothes and had made small sewing projects from a young age. Creating
clothing pieces and other projects have always been a passion of mine which influences me to
take textile classes throughout high school.
Marketing – In grade 9, I took a marketing class just for fun and to learn more about the
marketing field. When I started the class, I had absolutely had no knowledge about marketing but
throughout the course I was able to learn about the important aspects of starting my businesses,
making products based on target markets and advertising. In the course, I had to start my own
business by coming up with a product, making it by hand and finding ways to sell it to the
students in our school. Through that experience I gained a lot of knowledge of starting my own
business and through the mistakes I learned through that project, I could apply my new strategies
to make my online business more successful.

Career Connections:
My career field is completely different from my capstone project, but it is something I always
wanted to do. I always dreamed about making my own clothing business and thought of having it
as a side business in the future.

Interdisciplinary and core competency connections:

Communication – I can reflect on the processes of learning and share what I have learned.
After my capstone project is finished, I will have the opportunity to share and present my
learning experience with my teacher. Through this I can effectively communicate the knowledge
I have gain through my project and the reflections I have made during the course.
Critical Thinking – I understand the purpose for my work and consider my audience. When
making products for my business I must research and find out what styles and trends are in to
make sure that my products fit my target audience. If I produce things that my target audience
will not like, most likely I will have a hard time making sales. Therefore, I would have to think
critically about what products will be produced and take my target audience likings into heavy
consideration.
Creative Thinking – I can take my ideas and make something productive. When creating my
products, I must sketch out ideas and would have to execute a plan to bring my sketches into
chortling products for my website.
Personal Awareness – I can set goals, regulate my emotions, and persevere in difficult
situations. Sometimes when I make clothing pieces and I get stuck or sometimes the pieces do
not turn out the way I want it to be, it really discourages me to the point where I give up on
completing the piece. But through my project I will learn to set goals, regulate my emotions, and
preserve through the hard moments to make sure that I am running my business smoothly. By
setting goals I can prevent myself from overworking and burn out. Regulating my emotions is
also a big factor for persevering through the toughest moments. Therefore, I will learn to take
control of my emotions, so it does not influence me to give up during the process of my capstone
project.
Social Responsibility – I have positive peer and intergenerational relationships. To have a
successful business, having strong connections and relations with the customers is important. To
have long term sales and returning customers, business owners should go the extra mile to make
sure that the customers are satisfied with their products and service. This is where social
responsibility core competency would impact in my project.
Personal Identity – I know my strengths and abilities to my advantage. I know that I enjoy
textiles and making clothing and that it is also my strength. Since making clothes is one of my
strengths, I will be taking advantage of my skills to produce my clothing products for my
business.

Capstone Presentation medium:

Website – Weebly
I will be creating a business website which will be the platform/ media used to present my
capstone project.

Resources/Technology Skills:
I will need to learn how to manage, design and run my business with the use of technology since
my business is on an online platform. Through research and watching videos of tutorials on
YouTube and other online resources I will acquire enough knowledge to build my business
website the way I have planned. I will make sure to do enough research so that the website will
run smoothly without any major issues.

Mentors/Community Connections:
Teachers – textiles teacher (when making products)

Project Limitations:
- Competition with other similar small businesses
- Website quality (building, designing, and running business)
- Finding the right target market/audience/demographic
- Making and increasing sales

Description of my Capstone Project:

For my capstone I have chosen the entrepreneurial strand and will be creating an online clothing
business. My clothing business would be unique as the clothing pieces will be handmade by me
and the materials used for the clothing will be recycled/ second hand fabrics. Through my
capstone project I will be learning how to start, run, and all the components that come with
creating an online business. My products will be made from recycled/ second hand materials to
promote and bring awareness to the negative environmental impacts of the textiles industry. I
will use fabrics from old clothing from my own and my family member’s clothing that we do not
wear anymore and are in good condition. I will also be purchasing fabrics from thrift stores as
there are limitations to how much fabric I source and use from home. By creating clothing pieces
from recycled materials all my products will be unique and limited which is the interest point of
my business. To make my business come to life, I would learn how to create and design an
online website which would be the main platform for my business. I would also need to learn
how to think creatively to create marketable products that my target audience would want to
purchase which would attract people to view and purchase from my business. To own a business
means that I oversee every single aspect of my business by myself and on my own time, I would
need to educate and learn key skills and steps to run my business smoothly like customer service,
advertising/marketing, website building etc. I will learn those skills by researching and watching
educational videos on the internet since these days there are a lot of helpful resources that would
expand my knowledge. It would be helpful to have a mentor to guide me through the process of
starting an online business, but I think it would be even more beneficial for me to go through
trials and errors so that I learn through my mistakes and practice critical thinking and
perseverance to overcome my challenges. For the end evaluation I will be presenting my
business website and a few pieces and or pictures of my clothing pieces from my business
inventory.

References:

YouTube. (2022). Make Your Clothing Brand Website Look Better - Tips for a Professional
Website. YouTube. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=AsV3FntIy30. 

Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsV3FntIy30

Notes from article (summarized in YOUR OWN WORDS):

- Reviews websites of online clothing brands and gives feedback to look more professional
Examples:
- Product pictures should look consistent (backgrounds)
- Always have product descriptions (materials made from, style and how the clothing fits)

APA citation of article:

Wong, B. (n.d.). How to start an online business in 8 steps. LegalZoom. Retrieved March 9,
2023, from https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/how-to-start-an-online-business-in-8-
steps 

Retrieved from:
https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/how-to-start-an-online-business-in-8-steps

Notes from article (summarized in YOUR OWN WORDS):

Article tells audience how to start a casual online business in 8 easy steps. The steps help a
business starter have a solid foundation to successfully grow and expand their business in the
future.

APA citation of article:

Blanckenberg, N. (2022, October 21). How to start an online clothing business in just 7 steps
[2023 update]. How to Start an Online Clothing Business in Just 7 Steps [2023 Update].
Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://blog.storeya.com/2018/02/successful-online-
clothing-business/ 

Retrieved from:
https://blog.storeya.com/2018/02/successful-online-clothing-business/

Notes from article (summarized in YOUR OWN WORDS):

Article has steps that people should follow to start their own online clothing business. Facts and
statistics about the online clothing industry and gives inspiration and ideas for clothing business
plan. To be unique, find niche to attract target audience.

APA citation of article:

Shaw, L. (2023, March 8). Online business startup: Know this before starting. Ontario Business
Central Blog. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from
https://www.ontariobusinesscentral.ca/blog/online-business-startup-what-to-know-before-
starting/ 

Retrieved from:
https://www.ontariobusinesscentral.ca/blog/online-business-startup-what-to-know-before-
starting/

Notes from article (summarized in YOUR OWN WORDS):

Article gives must know tips for first people who are starting their own online business. There
are also certain steps that business owners must take to become successful. Tips like being active
on social media, creating content for customers to view and taking advantages of resources are
some of the tips given from the article.

APA citation of article:

YouTube. (2020). How I Started My Clothing Business at 20 | Marketing Strategies,

Investments, + More!!! YouTube. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8En3Iy8jzUo. 

Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/@NataliaTrevinoAmaro

Notes from article (summarized in YOUR OWN WORDS):

- Make smart investments (sewing equipment)
- Marketing strategies (promote on social media!!)
- Create content to make your brand recognizable!