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Starting a Sewing Business From Home
By Carrie Westengate
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 turning 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 your equipment. 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 than your business plan will help
convince your bank you are serious about your business 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 isn't that expensive.
There are likely to be some legal requirements that you will need to satisfy before you
begin and this is something that is dependent on where you live, so check with your local
government offices who will point you in the right direction. Although it sometimes seems
like it, they are not all out to get you! Right from the start; make sure you keep your
financial records as there is nothing worse than scraping around looking for receipts at
the last minute.
OK, that's some of the background items, so now you must consider how you will price
your work. Firstly, 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. Make it clear up front that this is a price
for the work they have asked for and that if anything extra is done, you reserve the right
to charge accordingly. Then if it's more than an extra button, you can ask.
The next thing you need to consider is how to market your new business. There is no
need to pay out thousands of dollars to launch a home-based sewing business but you really
should invest in some business cards as a priority and make sure they are not the cheapest
and most basic ones you can get. Put a little thought in it.
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.
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