Starting A Sewing Business From Home
So, you’ve been sewing for your family for some time now and perhaps thinking about starting a sewing business from home. But how do you go about making your skill into a business that will succeed and make you some money?
Firstly, you need to sit down and come up with a business plan to follow. There is no point in groping around in the dark because when you falter, you will just give up. I know it doesn’t sound ideal to think of what could go wrong, but you must consider what you would do in every scenario. Think about what you would like to achieve in the short and long-term and set yourself realistic achievable goals.
If you are starting off small, you are unlikely to require additional finance as you will already have what you need. The only likely outlay you may make is a heavier duty sewing machine, perhaps one with ‘bells and whistles’ but your existing machine should do to start with. If you want to start a larger business then a business plan will help convince your bank that you are serious and have thought carefully about where you are going.
Although you will need insurance if you work outside of the home, for goodness sake DO make sure you get adequate insurance, even if you are starting a sewing business from home. Consider what would happen if you were working on some really expensive fabric and/or a wedding dress and dropping coffee all over it at the last minute. Liability insurance would cover you for this and is not really that expensive.
Check any legal requirements that you will need to satisfy before you begin and this is may be something that is dependent on where you live. Do check with your local government offices who will point you in the right direction. From the beginning; ensure you keep good financial records as there is nothing worse than scraping around looking for receipts at the last minute.
When pricing your services, don’t undersell yourself. You need a realistic but competitive pricing structure that allows you some flexibility and allows you to make a profit. By flexibility, I mean that if you quote fixed prices, then you may not be able to charge for any additional work that a client asks for.
The next thing to consider is how to market your new business. For your new home-based sewing business, you really should invest in some business cards as a priority and make sure they are not the most basic ones you can get.
Give your cards out to anyone and everyone and never pre-judge people as you don’t know who they know who may find your services useful. Get some leaflets printed and get some exercise by popping them through people’s doors or handing them out anywhere you are legally allowed to.
Today, everyone should really have an Internet presence. Although it may be difficult to get this type of work over the Internet, it is certainly an fantastic showcase for your work. If you are useless at designing web pages, get someone in your family to help. The same person may also know a little about Internet marketing as well which is a bonus. Don’t get hung up on that aspect though as sewing is a people business. Word-of-mouth will get you the majority of your work, so treat your clients well and they will recommend you and keep coming back.
There are many things to consider if you are starting a sewing business from home. Keep it simple to begin with and don’t get disheartened if things are a bit slow to get going.
Find out how to repair your own sewing machine or start a sewing machine repair business here.