How to Begin A Home Sewing Business

How to Begin A Home Sewing Business

If you enjoy and excel at sewing, you may dream of running a

sewing business from your home. You may be confused how

to start a home sewing business or if it is the right decision for

you. By taking the time to determine your ability to run a

successful home sewing business and then thoughtfully

setting up your company, you can start earning money doing

something you love from the comfort of your home.

Determining Your Business Viability

1 Assess your abilities as a seamstress. Before you begin

planning to establish a home sewing business, you first need

to honestly assess your abilities as a seamstress. Taking an

objective view of your skills can help you decide if starting a

sewing business is the right option for you.

An excellent way to assess your skills is to compare your

work to other seamstresses in your area. Is your work

comparable or better? You can’t expect to be successful is

you can’t compete.[1]

Do you frequently have people asking you who sewed your

clothing? If so, this might be a good sign that your skills are in

demand, especially because word of mouth can be a powerful

advertising tool.

2 Think about how a home sewing business will fit into

your lifestyle. Consider how having a home sewing business

will fit into your lifestyle and even that of your family. Knowing

whether or not the time, emotional, and physical demands of

being a seamstress fit in with your lifestyle is important if you

want to run a successful business.

Are you able to handle the physical demands? Sewing for

money may mean you are sitting or hunched over a sewing

machine for long hours.

Think about if being a seamstress with a home business fits

your personality. Client management is a significant part of

the job and if you don’t like working with people, this may not

be the right choice for you.

You will need to allot a specific space in your home for your

business, especially if you are going to meet with clients. Are

you willing to give up space in your home?

You may also want to consider your location. If your home is

in an isolated region, it may be difficult for potential clients to

reach you.

3 Examine if a home sewing business meets your financial

needs. Seamstresses earn on average about $29,000 per

year. This amount can change depending on how often and

where you work. Only proceed with your plans if the average

pay or below meets your financial needs.

The average salary for seamstresses in general works out to

$13.85 per hour, which is above the minimum wage.

For home seamstresses, the United States Bureau of Labor

Statistics cites an average annual income of 23,430, or

$11.26/ hour.[2]

An excellent way to gauge prices is by checking the prices of

comparable services in your local area. You want to stay

competitive with your prices while making sure you’re

compensated fairly for your work. A mentor may be able to

help you figure out fair prices for you and your clients.

One aspect to consider when assessing your prices is how

quickly you sew. If it takes you a longer time to sew or you are

quick, you’ll want to adjust your prices based on your speed to

help ensure you’re getting paid an amount commensurate to

your skills and work.

Remember that you will have to pay taxes and other fees for

your business.

4 Check your current sewing equipment. You’ll need to have

a high-quality, heavy duty or industrial sewing machine to

withstand repeated use. You’ll also need a supply of fabrics,

threads and needles. If you need to invest significantly in

starting your home sewing business, it may not be the right

decision for you.

You will need a second sewing machine on hand in case your

first needs repair.

Remember that quality equipment is the core of your business

and will allow you to garner income.

Establishing Your Home Business

1 Start your home business. You may need to found a legal

entity to legitimize your business. Starting your business as a

legal entity, including having a marketing strategy and billing

structure, can help show potential clients that you are a

serious businessperson.

If you have any questions, consult the Small Business

Administration, which was set up to help smaller companies.[3]

Check with local authorities to ensure you have all of the

correct licenses, certificates, and any insurance you need to

start your business. The Small Business Administration can

also help if you have any questions.[4]

In some cases, you may not have to set up a legal entity for a

home business. However, it may be advisable to establish a

proper business to limit your potential personal liability if

problems with your business arise.[5]

Make sure to register your business with the Internal Revenue

Service (IRS) or other tax authorities.

You may want to hire a local accountant to help you navigate

the financial side of your business, from registering with the

IRS to budgeting.

2 Create short and long-term business plans. Write out short

and long term plans to guide your business. This is important

to help develop your business and accommodate for any

contingency such as an illness or a lawsuit.

Be as detailed in your plan as possible. List owner and any

employees’ responsibilities. Create a working list of services

and prices that you can tailor to demand. Finally, make sure

to calculate any costs you may have to take on for supplies

and payroll.

3

Designate a space for a home sewing studio. You will

need to have a designated space in your home to run your

sewing business. Set aside a room or rooms where you can

do your work without interruption.

You will need sufficient space to meet with clients, complete

your sewing projects, and store your materials.

Make the space warm and inviting to your clients. It should be

clean and tidy. You will also want to make sure that potential

clients have privacy to try on garments.

If possible, set up a separate entrance to your sewing studio

for your clients. Otherwise, you will have customers walking

through your home, which will require you to have it tidy,

clean, and presentable at all times.

4 Purchase supplies. You should have listed your various

sewing supplies in your business plan. Once you’ve

established your company, purchase any additional supplies

you may need to get started.

In addition to having a high-quality sewing machine and a

backup machine, make sure you have sufficient thread,

needles, and embroidery supplies. It’s also important to have

a high-quality pair of scissors that will not damage fabric.

If you have a computerized sewing machines, you may want

to purchase additional software for making patterns.

5 Find a mentor for you and your business. Seek an

experienced mentor who understands either small businesses

or the sewing business. She will help grow your business and

guide you through difficult times or situations.[6]

This person can offer invaluable advice on everything from

pricing to dealing with difficult clients or continuing your

education as a seamstress.[7]

Building Your Business

1 Offer different sewing services. Most seamstresses will

offer different services such as repairing clothing, hemming,

and sewing new garments. The more diversified your

services, the more likely you are to be successful.

If you decide to offer additional services, you’ll need to make

sure you’re aware of different clothing trends and sewing

methods. You can find this information by reading trade

publications and fashion magazines.

Even if you offer several different services, it’s a good idea to

have a type of sewing on which you specialize to help attract

clients. For example, maybe you work very well with delicate

fabrics such as lace. Consider specializing in sewing wedding

dresses.[8]

It’s important to not be too diversified. Offer several different

services that you do well instead of dozens that you do

marginally.[9]

2 Set up a pricing structure. Set up pricing structure for your

services. Knowing how much you want to charge in advance

can make you appear more professional when you meet with

potential clients.

You may want to set base rates and tailor them according to

how much work each individual job will cost.[10]

Looking at what other seamstresses or companies charge will

give you a point of reference.[11]

Make sure your prices are commensurate with your

experience and the location in which you’re offering sewing

services. For example, sewing jobs in places such as

Michigan won’t cost as much as Nevada.

3 Install an invoicing and payment system. Once you know

your price structure, install an invoicing and payment system.

Consider the types of payment you will accept and how you

will write receipts, which will help legitimize your business and

make it easier to report income.

Make sure to have a separate bank account for your business

than you do for personal finances.[12]

Likewise, have separate credit lines for your business than

you do for yourself.[13]

Make sure every aspect of your pricing and billing is

transparent to clients and vendors. Maintaining fair business

practices is vital to your success.

4 Make a portfolio of your work that shows your signature

style. This will be one of your many calling cards that you can

show potential and actual clients. You can also use your

portfolio to advertise on the web and social media.

Having a special or signature style that distinguishes you from

other seamstresses will attract clients to your business.

Take pictures of any services you complete and consistently

update them on your web presence.

Make sure to include a different types and styles of sewing

jobs to appeal to a wide variety of tastes and budgets clients

may have.

5

Set up a marketing strategy. Ads are often the first

impression potential clients have of you and you’ll want to

consider different media to attract clients. Hooking your

potential customers and keeping the message simple and

concise can help attract a wide array clients.

If you decide to design your own ads and website, research

local businesses advertising to guide your design. You want

your brand to be simple, distinctive, and attractive to your

clients and potential customers.

Design your ads to complement your brand. Use similar color

and design schemes so that clients and potential customers

associate these elements with you.

Small businesses rely heavily on word-of-mouth advertising.

Build clientele through referrals and maintaining strong

business relationships with your clients.

Partner with other businesses to advertise your home sewing

business. You can work out a system where other local

businesses display your business cards in their office in

exchange for putting theirs in your home studio.

Getting involved in community activities is a type of free

marketing. Donating a service or making a contribution to a

charity gets your name out in the public you want to serve.

6 Guarantee your products and services. Guarantee the

quality of your products and services. If you believe in them

enough to guarantee satisfaction, potential clients may be

more likely try out your business and current clients may be

more likely to keep coming back.

7 Stay on top of sewing methods and garment

trends. Clothing and other garments are a very trendy

business. Staying abreast of current sewing methods and

clothing trends can help your business succeed.

Read trade publications, attend sewing conventions, and

network with other seamstress to help you stay current in your

skills and styles.

8

Sell your products at different sales venues. If you sew

original pieces in your home, consider selling your products in

different sales venues. There are options to sell your products

at festivals and online, which can help increase your profits.

Online venues for craft projects including sewing are one

good place to get broader exposure for your sewing talents.

Local craft fairs, farmer’s markets, and festivals may also

provide an option for your to sell your products and increase

your profits. These venues will also increase your exposure to

potential clients in your area.

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