The clothing business involves making clothes and household accessories. A business in the clothing industry will definitely bring profit if you have a creative approach. You can open a salon of designer clothes, a production of soft toys, or a workshop for the production of workwear. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
When opening a sewing enterprise, determine the direction of production:
- clothing - household, special, everyday, children's, adult;
- fabric toys;
- home textiles;
- other accessories.
Plan production volumes - the starting investment in the business, the size of the premises and the number of personnel will depend on the chosen figure.
Industrial workshop for mass tailoring of clothing
Having chosen the direction of work, register a commercial structure - LLC or individual entrepreneur. The list of documents for registration is presented in the table.
Table: lists of documents for registration of LLC and individual entrepreneur
Applications are reviewed within five working days. Based on the results, you will be invited to the local tax office and given a package of documentation for a legal entity or entrepreneur. After registration, open a bank account and order a company seal.
OKVED codes suitable for clothing production:
- 18.2 - sewing textile clothing and accessories;
- 18.21 - creation of workwear;
- 18.22 - sewing outerwear;
- 18.24 - other clothing and accessories.
When drawing up a business plan, take into account the legal requirements for production premises, make a list of equipment and plan the hiring of employees. Calculate the costs of starting production and monthly expenses. Analyze demand and draw conclusions about possible sales volumes and business returns. Below are examples of business plans for a production workshop and a mini-atelier.
How to choose the type of business - small, medium or large
There are three types of manufacturing enterprises: small, medium and large.
Small enterprise for the production of exclusive clothing models
To open a small enterprise, it is enough to have premises and 400,000 rubles. for the purchase of equipment and consumables. The average production volume is 25–50 products per day. A small-scale sewing business is suitable for entrepreneurs who have limited capital and want to produce exclusive items and sell them at prices above the market average.
To organize a workshop with a capacity of 150–200 products, costs of about 5,000,000 rubles are required. At the same time, a powerful workshop pays for itself faster due to wholesale sales of products to large retail chains.
Analyze the regional specifics of the market and identify possible buyers. Find out in what volumes sellers purchase goods on the market, and in what volumes - chain stores. Think over the range of products, focusing on the needs of customers and your resources.
Sewing technology
The process of manufacturing garments consists of the following stages:
- model design;
- designing and transferring the model to fabric;
- fabric cutting;
- sewing, finishing of the product.
The fashion designer draws an image of the future item, and then forms it from fabric on a mannequin
A fashion designer does the modeling. He draws up a sketch of the future product, selects colors and types of fabrics. The designer converts the sketch into a drawing, calculates the dimensions of the parts and the amount of material. He also produces patterns and technical documentation. In an atelier or sewing workshop, the functions of a fashion designer and designer are performed by a cutter - he communicates with the client, takes measurements, cuts out parts, and brings the product into compliance with the specified parameters. The cut parts are sent to the sewing workshop, where they are turned into a finished product.
Opening a garment factory or workshop to produce goods for sale
In garment factories, products are produced in batches for wide consumption. The workshop is equipped with one or more production lines. The advantages of a workshop over a home workshop are the ability to set affordable prices and sell large quantities of products.
Premises requirements
So, you have decided to open a clothing workshop. Now choose a room suitable for production. The workshop area depends on the number of goods produced. So, to produce 100 units of product, 60–70 sq.m. are needed. area. Before renting a premises, invite fire and sanitary inspection authorities to inspect it and obtain permission to operate.
To ensure that the room complies with fire safety standards, equip it with a fire alarm, emergency exit and fire extinguishers.
Equipment
Having finished renting the premises, proceed to purchasing equipment. Make a list of required units, including:
- sewing machine;
- overlock;
- machine for cutting fabric;
- household iron;
- steam generator;
- cutting knife;
- button apparatus;
- tables and racks;
- consumables - threads, tailor's scissors, chalk and others.
Overlock is a machine for processing the edges of fabric, one of the key ones in the sewing industry.
The total costs for equipment are 250,000 rubles, for fittings - 50,000 rubles.
Required Personnel
The success of the clothing business depends 70% on the level of personnel training. When opening a small production, hire:
- two cutters;
- three seamstresses;
- cleaning lady;
- order taker.
At first, the designated number of employees is sufficient. Later, you will be able to involve fashion designers, designers, and highly specialized seamstresses in your work.
To save money, hire 60% experienced employees and 40% beginners - perhaps students. Having gained experience at your enterprise, they will work there for many years.
Pay your staff according to the “salary + interest” system. Create a production plan and reward employees with financial bonuses for achieving their goals.
Raw materials and consumables
Explore the wholesale databases of fabric manufacturers. Select suppliers based on the price-quality ratio. If you can negotiate direct contracts with the bases, you will save on supplier markups and reduce production costs.
While studying business, ask questions on forums, look for successful entrepreneurs in your region and learn from their experience, make acquaintances, including with suppliers.
Ideally, find a mentor willing to accompany your business. He will tell you where to find high-quality fabrics and accessories, how to purchase equipment and organize the sale of goods.
What is better to sew: assessment of options for making children's, women's clothing, workwear and other types
To find out what products will be in demand in the region, work in several directions simultaneously. Combine the tailoring of evening dresses with the production of fabric souvenirs, and the production of workwear with the production of accessories for the garden. Make sure that the combinations are not absurd - it is strange when a company that produces hammocks and canopies produces chiffon scarves.
After selling the first batch of goods, analyze the demand again and clarify the portrait of the target audience. Review your pricing policy if necessary. So, if you sew summer sundresses of a simple cut, and your consumer is young mothers, you should not inflate your prices.
In any region there is a stable demand for children's clothing - if you can get a certificate for sewing one, consider that you have found a “gold mine”.
Study not only demand, but also supply in the market. Look into competitors' stores, see what they produce and at what prices they sell. Don't try to steal the ideas of other entrepreneurs - use your own ideas to attract buyers.
To prevent your business from burning out at the very beginning, calculate your income and expenses. Determine the payback period of the business. An example of calculations for a workwear sewing workshop with a productivity of 75 products per day is given in the tables below.
Table: initial investment
Table: monthly expenses
Table: Projected Income
The level of income and profit of an entrepreneur depends on the volume of products produced, consumer demand, the availability of a client base and partnerships in the field of trade.
Sales organization
Possible sales channels for clothing products:
- Network shops;
- private entrepreneurs;
- direct sales;
- trade via the Internet.
At the initial stages, agree with the owners of small stores about the supply of your goods for sale. Later connect large networks and then create your own online store.
Video: master class on sewing production
Where to start opening a mini-atelier or workshop at home
Opening a home studio is easier than opening a sewing workshop. To do this, you just need to have a modern sewing machine and equip a room in your apartment as a workshop. To develop your business, purchase equipment and organize an advertising campaign. Print and distribute leaflets, create an advertising website or group on a social network. Study fashion magazines and try to find a “zest” for your products to attract customers who value exceptional things.
A workshop equipped in an apartment must be organized
Premises, equipment, personnel
When you're ready to expand your business and move into rental space, create a business plan. Choose a room of 60–80 square meters. m., meeting the standards of the SES and fire inspection authorities, with good ventilation and a 380V electrical network.
Buy 2-3 sewing machines, racks, an overlocker, a couple of tables and mannequins. Hire employees if you are willing to provide them with wages. The key workers of the atelier are the administrator, the cutter and the seamstress.
Starting capital and payback forecast
Below are tables calculating the costs of opening a mini-atelier with the number of employees - 3 people and output - 1 product per day.
Table: costs of starting a business
Table: monthly expenses
Table: projected income and payback
As you can see, a small studio quickly pays for itself, but does not bring much profit to the owner. To increase your income level, you need to expand your business or focus on producing exclusive items at high prices.
How to promote a sewing business
To make your studio successful, establish a work schedule that is clear and convenient for clients. If you are located in a shopping center, keep the opening hours consistent with the center's opening hours.
Create a business card website with a clear description of your services and a group on a social network to maintain contact with customers.
If you sew clothes, pay special attention to customers with a non-standard figure - once you please them, and they will come back for new wardrobe items regularly.
Comply with the deadlines and quality of order fulfillment. The best advertisement is the conscientious work of the staff and polite customer service.
A business in an atelier for sewing and repairing clothes can recoup the initial investment in just six months, after which it will bring the owner about 100 thousand rubles. monthly income. Such a project can be a way out for those who know how to sew and want to open a sewing studio, or it can result in a good family business.
- Where to start opening a clothing tailoring and repair shop
- How much can you earn from a clothing tailoring and repair shop?
- Premises and equipment
- What equipment should I choose for a clothing tailoring and repair shop?
- What documents are needed to open a clothing tailoring and repair shop?
- Optimal taxation system
- Why can't you open a studio at home?
Where to start opening a clothing tailoring and repair shop
The first thing you need to determine before opening a tailoring and clothing repair shop is its location. There are several approaches, namely:
- locate the studio in a crowded place, for example, a shopping center;
- provide tailoring and clothing repair services in a residential area of the city.
Proponents of the first approach argue that if the studio is located in a shopping center, then the flow of customers is higher. When people make purchases, they immediately try to fit new clothes to fit themselves, which is why they turn to the seamstress, who is located in the same building.
This is true. To be convinced of this, just look at the workload of ateliers located in crowded places: in clothing markets, near (or inside) department stores and shopping centers.
Proponents of the second approach argue that not everyone has time to give purchased items to the studio, which are located near the place of purchase. In addition, it is even more common to need to repair previously purchased clothing. It is extremely inconvenient to go specifically to the center for this. In such cases, studios located in residential areas are very helpful.
The advantage of the second approach is that the rental cost is lower than in the city center. If you have to pay 35-60 thousand rubles for a room of 12-18 m2 in a shopping center. per month or more, then in a residential area renting a similar premises will cost 1.5-2 times cheaper.
Another approach to starting your own business is buying a franchise. The positive thing about this approach is that you have to go through the steps proposed by the franchisor, which have previously led to the success of more than one enterprise. There is no need to figure out how to open a clothing tailoring and repair shop; you just need to follow all the recommendations, each of which has already been tested in practice.
Many people believe that buying a franchise only increases the initial investment. But if you calculate how much an entrepreneur’s mistakes will cost when launching a project and bringing it to the estimated profit, then these costs can be several times higher than starting a franchise business.
Despite the fact that before opening his own studio, an entrepreneur can draw up a very detailed business plan, in reality this document will have to be adjusted to one degree or another. And if the business owner is also new to this business or has little understanding of business processes, then the real numbers will differ greatly from the calculated ones.
This happens when a seamstress who does her job well, but has a very vague idea of how to organize and promote a business, becomes an entrepreneur. As a result, she has to comprehend this order, making mistakes that result in loss of income.
How much can you earn from a clothing tailoring and repair shop?
The owner of the project must take responsibility for its promotion. It’s good when he knows all the production aspects. But he needs this not in order to fulfill orders himself, but so that, based on this knowledge, he can optimize his business.
Expect that 1 order will bring an average of 300 rubles. If there are 10-15 orders per day, the company will receive 90-135 thousand rubles. In the best case, taking into account monthly costs, the profit of the enterprise will be 40 thousand rubles. Already with 20 orders per day, the enterprise’s income can range from 50 to 95 thousand rubles.
The businessman’s task is to provide the required number of orders that will allow the company to make a profit of 100 thousand rubles. and more. Additional profit comes from sales of fabric and accessories, so the project can be organized as an atelier-shop.
Remember that before you open an atelier from scratch, it is recommended to consider this project as a business and not as a work place at home.
This approach will require more investments, it incurs more regular costs, but the entrepreneur also has more room for maneuver.
If you are concerned about the question of how to open a sewing shop from scratch, we will describe in detail how much such an undertaking costs and draw up a business plan based on average indicators. But to achieve success in this type of activity, you need to apply not only organizational talent, but also a creative approach to finding your niche.
For a beginner in business, it is important to go through the whole process step by step, tackling issues gradually. And so as not to forget anything, we will describe each item in detail. And since opening a sewing workshop for tailoring clothes has its own characteristics, we will dwell on the nuances and distinctive characteristics of this enterprise.
Where to begin?
Before you start organizing any business, you need to look around and study the market in a particular region. Assess the demand for various types of textiles, clothing, soft toys and other things that you could offer to the end consumer. Establish the number and level of main competitors in the selected industry. This is the only way you can decide whether it’s worth doing something like this and whether it’s profitable.
It is very important to decide on the product range. Some types of clothing, for example, are provided on the market in too large quantities and at an affordable price, which will be difficult to compete with. Other goods may be in short supply, but the demand for them is extremely high. This is the best market segment to conquer.
Only by coming up with a unique and profitable idea of what exactly you will sew, you can achieve success even with minimal investment. But this will require time and imagination. After all, it’s not worth reducing the cost of your products due to low quality fabrics or poor work of inept employees. You must offer something needed, of high quality and at an affordable price for the buyer.
It is very important to take into account not only the wishes of future clients, but also your own capabilities, mainly financial. By drawing up a competent business plan with calculations at the very beginning, you will know exactly how much it costs to open a sewing shop of the desired size and how quickly your investment will pay off.
Business registration
To act within the law, you will need to go through the bureaucratic part of organizing your enterprise. First you need to register as an individual entrepreneur (individual entrepreneur) or LLC (limited liability company). In the first case, you submit the following documents:
- a receipt for payment of state duty in the amount of 800 rubles;
- application in form P21001;
- copies of all pages of the civil passport;
- you clarify the taxation system, for example, when choosing the simplified taxation system (simplified scheme), or you remain on the general one, which, in principle, is unprofitable for small businesses.
When organizing a legal entity, you will need a little more documents:
- Receipt for payment of a fee in the amount of 4,000 rubles.
- Similar application to the previous one, but form 11001 is selected.
- If there is a single owner, a decision to create a company is submitted. If the enterprise has several co-founders, then an opening protocol is drawn up.
- An LLC charter is also created.
- Copies of passports of all owners of the company.
- Statement on the chosen taxation system.
When opening an individual entrepreneur, the number of days for reviewing and issuing relevant documents is much less than when creating a legal entity. All you have to do is wait for a response from the tax service.
It is important to clarify the code of the selected activity of the enterprise in the documents. It could be:
- 21 – when sewing workwear;
- 22 – if you settled on outerwear;
- 24 – indicates other types of goods and various accessories.
A separate stage will be obtaining permits from the SES, GPN and Rospotrebnadzor. To avoid any problems with these authorities, you need to find out in advance the full list of their requirements for organizing the workplace and arranging the sewing workshop in order to bring the premises to the specified parameters.
Production volumes
How much money is required at the start, the number of staff, the size of the premises, the sales market and much more will depend on your ambitions. Therefore, it is advisable from the very beginning to think about what volumes of goods you intend to produce and sell.
If this is a small enterprise, then the number of finished products produced per day will be limited to 25-50 units. To open such a business, an investment of 400 thousand rubles is enough. At the same time, you can concentrate on some unique and exclusive offer, and set prices above market prices.
If you have the desire and opportunity to create a large enterprise with access to the wholesale market and for sales throughout the country, daily production turnover increases to 150-200 products per day. In this case, the starting capital must be at least 5 million rubles. Not everyone can afford this.
But the result of the activity will not keep you waiting long. Even with the cost of finished products at a minimum level, due to large quantities of goods, you can quickly achieve payback and make a significant profit in a short period of time.
Find your niche
As already mentioned, you should decide what exactly you will sew. There are the following directions:
- Clothing, which, in turn, is divided into women's, men's, children's, outerwear, sports, special (uniforms), home, holiday, business, etc.
- Fabric toys.
- Various textiles (curtains, towels, etc.).
- Accessories (scarves, bags), etc.
In accordance with this, it will be necessary to find workers who know how to make just such products and purchase special equipment. In order to expand the range and create interesting offers for customers, you can sometimes combine some of the options. For example, when sewing children's clothing, we can also produce various accessories for mothers or toys for babies.
Technological process
Every seamstress knows what stages clothes go through before they can be used for their intended purpose. Nevertheless, we will list the main stages of work in order to more rationally organize the production process and distribute the premises into zones.
- At the initial stage, the style itself is invented and the future product is designed, a sketch is drawn. This is what a fashion designer or designer does. He thinks over not only the silhouette, but also selects the color scheme, suitable material, etc.
- Next, you need to transfer the idea onto the fabric with a certain accuracy and make calculations for each detail. This is the work of a designer who creates a drawing to implement a creative idea. He develops patterns, specifies the dimensions of the future product, draws up technical documentation and calculates the amount of material that will be needed.
- Cut out the fabric itself.
- Every detail is processed and the finished product is sewn together.
If your atelier is small, with a limited staff, then the functions of a fashion designer and designer can be performed by a cutter. He communicates with clients, clarifies their wishes, takes measurements, cuts out details and controls the entire process. Separately, in the sewing workshop, they process the fabric according to the instructions and connect the parts of the product to each other.
Choosing a room
The location of the workshop itself is not of fundamental importance. It will be more profitable if it is located somewhere on the outskirts or even outside the city, in industrial areas. So, the rent will be lower, which will save your costs.
But the size of the studio is of great importance. The documents indicate that one employee must have at least 7 sq. m. of free space. Therefore, depending on the expected production turnover and the number of hired personnel, it will be necessary to accurately calculate the dimensions of the building.
In addition to the sewing workshop, there should be other areas, such as a warehouse, a cutting room, ironing areas, staff rest areas and a bathroom. Taking this into account, the minimum dimensions of the rented premises are approximately 60-70 square meters. m. It is important to take care of sanitary standards, lighting, ventilation and heating. Remember that the building must meet all the requirements of regulatory services.
We buy equipment
The most expensive part in the process of organizing a business will be the acquisition of specialized equipment, tools and other equipment. In this case, it is very important to make an accurate calculation of what equipment and in what quantity you will need.
Also pay attention to models, power and other parameters, since the speed of production and the quality of finished products will depend on them. You should not save on important equipment, because its breakdowns and repairs will lead to downtime. And poor-quality equipment will ruin expensive fabric.
You can pay attention to domestic car models, as they are of high quality and affordable cost. If you purchase used equipment, you need to evaluate its condition so that you don’t have to deal with unexpected costs later.
So, for small production volumes you will need:
- Cutting tables.
- Straight stitch machines.
- Overlocker and cover stitcher.
- Steam generator.
- Several irons.
- Special ironing press.
- Working surfaces for basting parts and smoothing fabric.
- Button apparatus.
- Shelving.
- Tools – knives, scissors, chalk, pins, needles, etc.
Staff
You will definitely need to hire a certain number of people to perform the various stages of sewing products. The result of the business will largely depend on the level of their training, since experienced craftsmen will be able to work faster and more accurately. But here you will need to masterfully think through the ratio of price and quality.
So, to save money, it is profitable to hire about 60-70% of highly qualified specialists, and hire recent students for the remaining jobs. As a result, the former will teach the latter all the intricacies of the business, the team will work harmoniously, and you will partially reduce wage costs.
If we talk about the specialists that will be required, then these should be:
- cutters;
- seamstresses;
- cleaning woman;
- a person responsible for receiving orders or selling products in bulk, for example, a manager.
If you plan to immediately start with large volumes of production, then additionally hire a fashion designer or designer, as well as an accountant. If the focus of the business is narrow, attention should be paid to the appropriate specialization of each seamstress. To motivate key employees to fulfill the production plan, set payment for work on a “salary plus interest” system.
Consumables
In order for the manufactured product to be of high quality, you need to purchase appropriately good fabrics, threads, decorative elements and accessories. To do this, find a reliable supplier, or even better, cooperate directly with textile manufacturers. When purchasing raw materials from the factory, you will significantly save on this type of cost.
You can also search for the desired fabrics and other components at wholesale stores in this area or study offers on the Internet. The main thing is not to get lost in your priorities - by trying to save money by using cheap and low-quality raw materials, you will ruin the reputation of your company.
Even before the launch of the first batch of goods, it is advisable to worry about where you will sell the finished products. And although it does not have an expiration date and almost does not deteriorate, it is still not recommended to keep textile products in a warehouse for a long time. Firstly, they will go out of fashion. Secondly, over time the product will lose its attractive appearance. And thirdly, the business will not develop, and you will be left without profit.
The whole idea of organizing a sewing enterprise is to sell the goods produced. Therefore, you need to find a permanent market for your products. For this purpose, you can enter into agreements with private stores, retail chains, pavilions selling textiles or clothing. Some entrepreneurs, if they have enough finance, open their own stores.
To promote your business, you can use the available advertising methods:
- Through the media.
- Ads.
- Internet.
- Create your own website with photographs of the main models and prices for them.
- Make business cards.
- Conduct screenings.
When sewing workwear, it will be enough to conclude a cooperation agreement with plants, factories and other industrial buildings. Then you can fulfill their orders on an ongoing basis.
When sewing exclusive products, you need to pay special attention to finding customers. For example, by providing high-quality and beautiful items to fit a figure with non-standard sizes, you can be sure that such customers will return more than once.
Mini studio at home
For those who do not have enough finance to immediately open a full-fledged clothing workshop, we can suggest starting with smaller volumes. In this case, it is enough to equip one of the rooms as a small workshop, where you will independently sew clothes, textiles or toys to order.
This method of organizing a business is justified when creating a limited number of exclusive and unique models. To do this, you just need to come up with unusual products and find your buyer. And only by creating a sufficiently extensive client base can you expand, rent premises and purchase specialized equipment.
Financial part
But that is not all. After all, considerable sums will be spent monthly on the maintenance of the sewing workshop.
Depending on the volume of production, as well as on the set prices and the number of buyers found, the entire income will depend. For example, per month you produce on average about 500 finished products from purchased raw materials. Price per unit – 1500 rubles. Then the revenue will be 750,000 rubles. Net profit – 375,000. As a result, full payback is achieved within two months of productive work.
But you need to understand that you may not reach such speeds right away. At first, the quantity of goods sold, even with established production, will be significantly lower. Experienced entrepreneurs say that payback is most often achieved within six months of operation of a small company.
Video: how to open a sewing production?
If you are one of those people who don't know how to open a sewing shop, I recommend using some of the tips below.
Companions.
If this is your first time deciding to open your own sewing business and run your own workshop, then it is very likely that you have already thought about partners in this business. At first glance, it looks very logical: you need to invite a person with extensive and capable experience in some area.
For example, you are a great fashion designer, and your friend has a business streak. And you invite her as a workshop manager or entrust her with attracting clients.
Or vice versa. You are far from sewing technologies and want to profitably invest your money in a quickly profitable business. Therefore, you invite a technologist with extensive experience as a companion.
Do you think it is much easier to open and run a sewing shop with partners than on your own? You are convinced that you will complement each other perfectly. And your future business will greatly benefit from such cooperation.
At this stage, both you and your companions are full of energy and optimism. Believe me, my 15 years of entrepreneurial experience, the experience of my acquaintances, friends and competitors, the experience of thousands of my readers - this is a very typical situation.
And this is precisely one of the most common mistakes of beginners!!!
If we take the real motives for attracting partners in order to open your own workshop or studio, then it will be a powerful subconscious desire to shift part of the responsibility for your future business to someone. This is an absolutely normal motive, present in 99% of people. The real problem for new sewers walking down this slippery slope is that your companion has exactly the same or an even greater desire to relieve himself of some of the responsibility.
After all, you want to entrust your partner with inconvenient or unusual functions? She or he subconsciously wants the same thing. That is why you are planting a mine at the very foundation of your joint business. It's only a matter of time before it explodes!
According to statistics, 90% of newcomers who start a business with partners go broke.
Don’t believe it or want to get into the coveted 10%? Do you have a lot of convincing arguments or positive examples from life? Then try and aggravate the risks inherent in opening each new sewing workshop. But know that my inbox is flooded with letters from people who made this mistake.
The truth is that in your first business, you and only you must make decisions and bear full responsibility for your business.
Yes. This is hard. Yes, it is often painful. And, besides, it eats up more of your personal time at first! But it is your sole management of the business that increases the chances of success of your sewing business by several orders of magnitude.
Production.
Another typical situation that arises after you decide to open a sewing business:
You have found a good room. We purchased and installed excellent modern equipment. We spent time, money and nerves, but selected qualified personnel. And they even produced a good batch of products that were excellent in quality and appearance. And those. which your friends, colleagues, companions, partners approved before sewing. And even. perhaps potential clients.
Please note that all these people did NOT make you an advance payment, even partial, but only approved and praised your products and your enthusiasm.
And after your warehouse is filled to the ceiling with excellent products, the brilliant idea comes to you that NOBODY BUYS ALL OF THIS!!!
Or they buy so little that your meager revenue is not even enough to pay staff salaries. People from the workshop you opened slowly begin to scatter. And you still need to pay rent, utilities, taxes, etc. Not to mention the return on the money you invested in fabric, accessories and packaging.
As a result, you are at a dead end. You are in a daze. You've hit a wall and don't see a way out.
Often in this impasse, another “brilliant” idea comes up with the help of outsiders or independently. It involves taking out loans or borrowings to pay off current debts. Or for sewing new, very popular products. These new products are highly approved by people close and not so close to you, who sincerely want to help you. You yourself really hope that sales of these products will lead your business out of the dead end.
True, this already reminds me of something, it has already been repeated once and should alert me?
No matter how it is!!!
Mind map: How to open a sewing shop Most garment workers who fall into debt traps act precisely according to this dead-end scheme.
Why is this happening?
Just for one simple reason. People want open your own sewing shop, I break one simple rule:
Sales should ALWAYS be ahead of production.
I agree, it is not so simple and requires some effort. But much safer for your sewing business.
I give my system for properly creating a sewing workshop in a video course
It is through this system that dozens of my clients have already launched their own sewing business.
And you, too, can be one of them and minimize the risks that arise.
And I sincerely hope that you will listen to the advice written here and not make disastrous mistakes at the very beginning!
How much money does it take to open a sewing shop?
As a rule, people who are familiar with this business go to open their own sewing production. These are technologists, tailors, clothing designers. The organization of such businesses by the spouses of successful businessmen has become a very common occurrence in Russia.
From life observations, it is also worth telling that in the vast majority of cases, if a business is created by two people, then it falls apart very quickly. And this collapse occurs due to the division of profits. Please take this into account when you call on partners for help if you don’t find enough money in your budget to open your own business alone.
Of course, you can create a company together with your friends and comrades, earn money, and then go your separate ways. If you are ready for such a development of events, then please do not forget about it in the future.
In the meantime, practice shows that a small sewing workshop with a capacity of 20-50 items per day can be created for about 10 thousand dollars.
If the plans include much larger production volumes, then larger sums should be invested. 150-200 finished garments per shift will require you to invest 150 thousand dollars. It is clear that these figures are very arbitrary and between the gap of 10 and 150 thousand dollars there are a huge number of options.
Large volumes of products produced per shift will require you to purchase a large amount of equipment. Typically, large sewing workshops have a narrow specialization. And this, in turn, requires the purchase of specialized expensive equipment.
Among such devices will be cutting machines, automatic and semi-automatic special sewing machines, and installations for wet-heat treatment. To accurately determine the quantity of purchase of such machines and their comfortable and safe installation in the production area, consultations with technologists are required. If you don't have one on your production team, take advantage of these outside experts. A project from such specialists can cost 1.5-2 thousand dollars.
We give a schedule for the workshop
If you have the desire and opportunity to open a small workshop for 8-10 workers, then you should purchase 7-8 universal-type stitching machines, a couple of overlockers, a semi-automatic buttonhole machine for sewing straight buttonholes and a semi-automatic buttonhole machine.
A semi-automatic machine for sewing figured buttonholes with an eyelet will be needed if you plan to sew suits and other types of outerwear. By the way, used machines are quite suitable for equipping a workshop of this format.
It may well be that you will spend 4-5 thousand dollars purchasing hardware. Keep in mind that purchasing new equipment costs 2-3 times more than the stated amount.
When using synthetic fabrics in your production, which are now almost ubiquitous, you cannot do without a good iron, so we advise you to purchase a special installation. The most affordable (in the range of 1.5 thousand dollars) are Polish steaming units.
Prepare another 5 thousand dollars for the monthly purchase of fabrics and accessories. Without them, it is impossible to ensure continuous production.
300-500 dollars, or even more, will be “taken” from you monthly by rent, and, of course, a significant part of the profit will be “taken” by the wage fund.
To successfully run a business in the clothing industry, you should always have a certain amount of money for a rainy day. It may be needed for various “charitable” payments and unforeseen expenses.
Do not forget that immediately after the finished product is shipped to the store, you will be charged VAT. Get ready that your mini-workshop will begin to pay for itself no sooner than in a year.
Let's talk from technology
Of course, volumes of specialized literature have already been written on this topic, but you must agree that you, as the future owner of production, need to know about all the technological subtleties in order to be able to assess the feasibility of investing in the purchase of this or that equipment. It is clear that the technology will entirely depend on what products you are going to sew, but the basic rules of the technological chain exist for everyone.
The preparatory workshop is responsible for inspecting the fabric and identifying defective areas in it. Then a flooring is formed from the fabrics and cutting is done using the finished patterns. Large enterprises, as a rule, start with a rough cut using a vertical knife, and then refine the cut on tape machines.
In order to prevent the movement of layers of fabric at the time of cutting, good cutting tables are equipped with a special air turbine. The air cushion it creates prevents displacement from occurring. Small sewing industries, as a rule, use scissors, cutting two or three layers of fabric, or cutting 5-7 layers using a circular knife. The cut parts are numbered and transferred to the sewing section.
The main equipment in the sewing workshop are universal sewing machines. In small workshops there are usually seven of them. Most technological operations are performed on them. In addition to overcasting machines, semi-automatic button and buttonhole machines will also be needed. By the way, they will be used only as needed.
A sewing workshop with 20-30 universal machines is usually equipped with a machine for knot processing. So, among such devices there may be machines for making welted straight trouser pockets, machines for processing cuffs on men's shirts, etc.
Do not forget that without using special equipment for wet-heat treatment and specialized presses, it is impossible to obtain a good presentation for such garments as suits and coats. Without its use, such an operation as duplication (connecting the upper fabric with the lining using glue) is impossible.
Attracting clients for your sewing shop
The question of attracting customers to any clothing business is one of the key issues. No clients - no business, everything is very simple, and vice versa, when there are a lot of clients, this is already good. If there are more orders than you can currently fulfill, then you can simply choose the best, more profitable ones from these clients.
I want to tell you a couple of secrets on how to quickly gain a lot of clients, a lot of clients, in a short period of time. So that you don’t think that this is fiction, we will act on real examples of my students (one of the express coaching programs). The people who participated in this program and reached the finals, and there were very, very many of them from the original participants, they got simply phenomenal results. They increased the number of clients 5 times. Someone received orders for 120 units in two weeks.
Let's look at why they succeeded, and if you understand this, I think that you will also be able to repeat their success, or even surpass them. In fact, gaining a large number of clients is quite simple, but I always say that “simple” and “easy” are two completely different things. I want you to remember this now and note that it is easy to type, but I did not say that it is easy to do. All clients can be divided into two huge groups: your real clients and your potential clients. In your opinion, what is the difference between a potential client and a real client? I think everyone understands this difference perfectly.
For a potential client, you need to overcome the barrier of the first order, and today we will talk about how to very significantly reduce this barrier in order to get not new clients, but a lot of new clients.
Real clients are those clients who have already left money in your cash register or transferred money to your current account. We are currently interested in potential clients.
So, attracting a large number is:
— We are talking about potential clients.
— Your potential customers are divided into many categories and many segments.
Using an example, I want to show how much your clients differ according to a variety of characteristics, for example, by gender, place of residence, age, interests, marital status, income level, etc. and so on.
There are many, many segments of these groups of clients in each sewing niche.
Choosing your own business is not the easiest thing. Some idea seems attractive, but there are already millions of competitors around. Sometimes, on the contrary, no one is working in the chosen direction, but doubts are tormented: will the product or service be in demand?..
Today, entrepreneurship is oversaturated with sales. The same product, even a fairly large one, is sold by thousands of organizations, and the struggle for buyers has become the norm. Salespeople are motivated in a variety of ways. Everyone is trying to resell something. Should we try to get into this crowd? For some, perhaps yes - if he wants and can do this constantly and is ready to fight with competitors day and night.
But it’s much easier and more interesting to engage in production. There is little of it now compared to the commerce area, and it will be in greater demand. Especially if you offer something of high quality at reasonable prices. One of these options is the clothing business. On a large scale, this could be opening your own factory and possibly registering a brand. For those who want to engage in entrepreneurship on a smaller scale, a tailoring studio is suitable. Below is a detailed business plan for opening an atelier.
Business Features
An atelier is a great opportunity to expand the scope of work for a home seamstress. But practice shows that people who love and know how to sew usually do not do business and therefore work for others. With rare exceptions, of course. At the same time, those who open an atelier are, in most cases, far from the sewing business.
This means that you can take this path with equal success, whether you are a seamstress or a person who knows nothing in this direction. The main thing is a commercial spirit and a willingness to conduct business conscientiously, as well as constantly develop in business.
Among the features of sewing entrepreneurship, namely, opening an atelier, the following can be highlighted:
The costs are quite high against the background of expected earnings, and the average payback can be about a year. This is due not so much to the amount of money invested, but to the fact that promotion is required. It may take several months from opening until you have a stable flow of clients. A clothing repair shop is cheaper and pays for itself faster, but the income it brings in is clearly less.
Remember about seasonality! It is very important. Perhaps it is worth diversifying your services so as not to sit without orders in winter or summer. After all, taxes and rent will have to be paid in any case.
In this business it is extremely Good presentation and competent advertising are important. If you were opening a grocery store, for example, then you wouldn’t have to inform customers in any special way. In such cases, a sign is enough. Sewing clothes to order is not so in demand. Correct positioning is essential here. Who most often goes to the studio instead of the store? Usually - wealthy people who do not like to be like everyone else and value clothes that fit perfectly. The services of seamstresses are also used by those who have a non-standard figure, as well as those who are overweight, but who love to dress beautifully and stylishly. If you present information to your target audience correctly and in the right place, you will start making good money much earlier than other studios.
A financial manager analyzes markets, studies competing companies, and finds ways to make his enterprise investment attractive. Develops strategies for the company’s financial behavior in various situations, including crisis ones.
He forecasts the development of the enterprise and provides management with clear action plans developed in accordance with the forecasts.
You shouldn't expect millions in profit. A business can bring a fairly stable and good income, but There is no frantic demand for ateliers in our country, and this must be realized from the very beginning.
In addition to tailoring clothes to order, you can engage in the production of ready-made models of different sizes and sell them to stores(or give for sale). On the one hand, this is a chance to find more customers, on the other hand, there is a risk that some of the goods will always be unsold.
In this business, finding good craftsmen is very important. If you decided to open a factory producing the same type of clothing products, you could hire everyone, even without the corresponding specialty. They quickly learn monotonous work. But making clothes to order requires talent and diligence, creativity and love for your profession. It may take some time to find real specialists, but it will be worth it.
Quality combined with the talent of employees plus proper advertising will help your future studio become in demand and even famous, and most importantly, profitable.
Financial calculations
The first thing you need to consider when opening a studio is the opening costs.
- Decor IP. It will cost approximately 2000-3000 rubles, taking into account the collection of all documents. Through the relevant organizations that promise to do everything for you, it will cost a little more.
- Rent premises. It is extremely difficult to even give an approximate cost, because you can open a studio either in a small town with a population of twenty to thirty thousand people, or in the capital. It also depends on the location and condition of the room. Important: the calculation for this item must be made in a special order, taking into account the fact that some time will be spent on promotion. It means that profits in the first weeks or even months may be minimal. Therefore, the rental amount should be multiplied by at least two. Whether to make this payment right away or not is up to you, but you need to think about it first. What if the room turns out to be full of surprises and you have to move to another place?
Don't let the desire to save money conflict with common sense. Of course, advertising means a lot in this business, but you are unlikely to persuade your clients to go to the industrial zone for fittings... Always compare the benefits with what may be lost as a result.
Overall opening can cost up to 300-400 thousand rubles. You can talk a lot about payback and profit margins; you can also come up with almost any number “out of the blue”... In fact, you can predict something here only after viewing the business plan, and also taking into account the chosen location. Profit depends on a huge number of factors, and most importantly - on correct information and “luring” potential customers and high-quality execution of orders.
Equipment
- Tables, chairs: should be as comfortable as possible for employees. Ideal when choosing ask a professional seamstress to take part so that she can evaluate their quality. Don't forget about an additional cutting table - at least one.
- Sewing machines. Their number will depend on your business plan, the area of the rented premises and the number of employees, the expected amount of work, and so on. In a word, you need to thoroughly decide on this. Cars must be professional, “able” to perform any operations. Prices for them start from 12 thousand rubles, for good models you should count on 20-30 thousand. However, here you can also consult with a specialist: if your studio is strictly specialized, it is possible that many functions will not be needed.
- Overlock.
- Hemming machine.
- Ironing board.
- Steamer and regular iron.
- It's great if you purchase a large number of fabrics to choose from. This will immediately put the atelier on a completely different level. The less is required from the client, the more likely it is that he will not change his mind and go to the store. A good choice of fabric will help win over even the most demanding people.
- Hangers and hangers.
- “Small things”: thimbles, threads of various types, scissors, rulers, and so on. All this has a small cost, but will need to be purchased in large quantities.
- Table lamps or sconces for evening work of employees. Also make sure there is good lighting and test it at any time of the day.
- Sofas or armchairs for visitors.
- Mirror.
- Fitting room equipment.
- Fire extinguisher, one or more, in accordance with fire safety requirements.
- Cash machine. If you plan to carry out work without it, you need to prepare at least regular checks that are filled out by hand.
This is a basic list of what you might need. In the future, the masters may ask you to buy something additional. You should always listen to them because they are the ones doing all the work and know what might be needed.
Registration and obtaining licenses
It is advisable to register immediately after renting the premises, so that you can indicate the address in the documents. Most likely, the format of an individual entrepreneur is more suitable than a legal entity, but it’s up to you to decide.
An individual entrepreneur is registered according to the usual scheme. You will need to select the appropriate taxation option, OKVED code, collect documents and submit them to the tax office. This can also be done through online services. With a tight approach, an individual entrepreneur is issued in one week, while there will be no more than 2-3 days of active paperwork. You do not need to obtain a license to open a studio. But you need to register with the fire safety service.
To open a tailoring shop, watch the business plan given in the video.
Premises and rules for selecting sewing machines
If you want wealthy clients to come to you, try to comply with the following requirements for the premises:
Coziness and comfort. It may be worth spending money on cosmetic repairs, and also don’t forget about good and soft lighting. Remember that the client generally does not go further than the hall. Here you can install a fitting booth and a cutting table, hang fabrics, and then there will be no need for a good renovation of the remaining rooms. But, in any case, they should not look like a barn.
Convenient location. You should be easily accessible both by car and by transport. The proximity to parking is a huge plus; it is better if it is located directly on the premises of the building. It’s great if the chosen location also has a lot of traffic.
Ratio expected volumes of work and area. If you rented a place downtown, in a shopping center, it could be large. If in a small area where the number of clients clearly will not go off scale, there is no point in spending money on a huge multi-room office.
The most important thing when selecting equipment is the correct choice of sewing machines. Not only because they are a major purchase, but also because if an error occurs, replacement will be expensive.
Some people buy used products. This is a relatively good option, as it allows you to save money. But if you decide to take such a step, find a specialist who can check the machine inside and out and tell you whether it is worth buying. Otherwise, it may soon stop working. It is also sometimes possible to purchase cars from a closed workshop. This option is a little more reliable and usually more profitable.
It is important to purchase really good machines that are suitable for professional work. But there is no point in overpaying 10-20 thousand rubles for functions that are not needed. So first decide exactly what types of services the studio will provide, and only then buy the equipment in accordance with this decision. A professional assistant will also come in handy here: if you already have a reliable future employee, let him act as an expert.
Recruitment and difficulties for beginners
Hiring is based on three “parameters”:
- specialized education;
- experience;
- "test.
Interestingly, the latter can interrupt everything. In both good and bad ways. A person who is ideal according to his documents may turn out to be mediocre in his profession, and someone who does not have even the most basic education certificate may be the best sewer. Because there are both talented and self-taught people. Invite everyone to do a test job, and this will be the best exam against any interview.
Professionalism is very important. In this case, your employees are the entire face of the future company. In addition to skills, friendliness is also necessary, otherwise clients will run away, and rumors about the impoliteness of your seamstresses will spread throughout the area.
home The difficulty when starting out is attracting clients. How to do this was discussed above. By the way, good advertising and an abundance of advertising are not the same thing. It is important to convey it specifically to your target audience.
Advertising is worth testing: first one way, after a couple of weeks - another. This will allow you to record the results and know which method works better. After waiting for your first clients, you will feel more confident, and this will give you strength for new heights. The main thing is not to be lazy, constantly develop in business and monitor the work of the staff. And then success will become inevitable.