Important love for this cause, because it is known that the skill of a seamstress or tailor requires patience and perseverance. Are you ready to do this every day for many hours? Also, consider the difference between tailors and seamstresses.
The tailor is the one who can cut, draw up blueprints and do templates. Therefore, he understands better how things are sewn, and can offer more options for repair and tailoring. Seamstress, as a rule, does not have such a high qualification.
If you want to open a mini-workshop for repair of clothes, then, of course, you must have skills in sewing. It’s best if you got a special education. Although in our days the fundamentals of sewing and sewing can be learned both in courses and even independently. The main thing is that you are not the one or the one for whom it is difficult to sew even a button, but such people, says the heroine of our article, an experienced tailor and owner of the mini-studio Lyubov Domracheva, are often met.
I studied at the Lyceum for four years, mastered the fundamentals of cutting, sewing, designing, and learned to understand the tissues. For the atelier it is good to be able to sew both upper and light clothes. Although many stop only on light clothing, because it is difficult to work with furs and skin, but I undertake. In our work, the creative component is important. Creativity is needed even in repair: there are many options, how can you seal a hole on a jacket, which is best? Sometimes other masters send their clients to me with the words: «She will figure out how to do it.»
Also, to create a mini-studio you need to have an artistic taste and a desire to improve, learn new fashion trends, see what is best for a client, be able to advise, choose a fabric, style.
How to evaluate a potential market, demand? There is always a demand for clothing repair services, even in the smallest towns and poor areas.
Love Domracheva, owner of a mini-workshop for repairing clothes
Our district is located far from the city center, mostly people with middle and lower incomes live here, but we also have five ateliers, and we have enough work for everyone.
Repair shop services are especially in demand in a time that is troubled from an economic point of view. People aged and retired do not dare afford new clothes, so they bring it to a rework in the studio: who shortens the length of modern fashion, who needs to change the collar. But you need to be ready for the whims of customers.
One grandfather brought a jacket – an iron, a pork skin, a fur from Soviet times. First, the zipper wanted to be inserted, then shortened, then the pockets sewn. He spent about 2,000 rubles on this, he could have added a thousand more and bought himself a new jacket, but … the thing to his heart is his own, still his father’s.
How can you get around competitors and attract people? First time, says the heroine of our article, only by dumping, throwing down prices – then people will go. And the prices in mini-atelier today are very different: in the outlying areas of 20 rubles for sewing a button or sew a small hole (and bring this!), Up to 5-6 thousand rubles, if you want to rework the fur coat. In areas where rent of premises is more expensive, the cost of services will be 2-3 times higher.
In the beginning, I would advise you to open a workshop for repair of clothes. Because on tailoring takes a very long time: take your measurements, choose model, fabric, accessories, make patterns, and then fitting the many, customer whims who wants to alter one thing, something else … And what will live studio all the time ? If you want to start earning from the first day, then better repair. In addition, for the company, making need more people (at least three people), more than machines – and therefore more than the initial investment.
If you open a mini-atelier for repairing clothes, be prepared that you will receive a variety of customers. Sometimes even our schoolchildren come to our heroine, who were given the task of sewing an apron on the labor lessons. Come teenagers, who now and then breaks the lightning on the jacket. Retired people are the most frequent visitors. Young women come in – shorten, alter dresses, skirts, trousers. And do not think that rich people do not repair their clothes – there are also such customers.
Personal experience
When I opened two years ago, I had only 20 thousand rubles. I bought one sewing machine for 10 thousand, brought from home two of their cars, iron and paid for renting 5 thousand rubles.
There is also an opportunity to receive financial assistance to open a business through the labor exchange. In Kazan, at present, after approval of the business plan, the state issues 120 thousand rubles (excluding taxes), and the requirements are that you have no right to close within two years, and periodically you need to submit reports. On the money you can buy more expensive machines, as well as supplies (threads, needles, etc.).
Rent in remote areas of Kazan is now 500 rubles per 1 sq. M., In areas with developed infrastructure – 1000 rubles per 1 sq. M. The most minimal room for the studio is 3 by 3 meters. But keep in mind that the smaller the room, the less you can put machines in it, so it’s best to have 10-12 squares: the visitor, who tries on the thing, will feel comfortable here.
First of all, you will need to buy one industrial machine (it costs about 20 thousand rubles), one overlock (also about 20 thousand rubles) and one household machine for zigzags and loops (up to 10 thousand rubles).
If you want to work with furs and leather, then in the future you can also buy cars for them (used will be cheaper). It is very useful sewing machine for knitted materials, the industrial version costs about 70 thousand rubles.
So, the minimum investment in the opening of a mini-workshop for repair of clothes – 50 thousand rubles. This is in view of the fact that the table, iron, lamps for lighting you bring from home.
The first month I worked only for rent, while there was no clientele. If possible – you can give out business cards, hang ads. But the best work is word of mouth. If from the very beginning you will prove to be a good master, if you do not refuse, do it quickly and on time, then people will come to you.
What are the current costs of this business? If you work alone, then mostly the money goes to rent. Consumables (threads, needles, trouser braids, zippers, doubles) are bought every six months or a year, and it leaves them at wholesale warehouses a little – 2-3 thousand rubles. If you have employees, then add 10-15 thousand rubles in wages to a person.
Step-by-step instruction
Although the mini-studio is a small business, it also has relations with suppliers. Upon learning of your existence, merchants can come to you with various fittings, fabrics, lightning and so on. You can negotiate with them and periodically buy the necessary goods. You can also establish cooperation with wholesale bases and shops.
Promotion and development of any business in the service sector, and mini-atelier is no exception, depends on the quality of work and integrity of its performer.
The mini-studio is well suited for working alone, but if you feel you are able and have many customers, you can hire more employees. For example, our heroine has an assistant. Search for employees can be through friends, through work sites and ad sites. At once to understand, how much the qualified expert has come on interview, it is difficult.
Personal experience
One girl told me that she also opened the atelier, but she did not succeed. I thought: it means that a person can sew well. But it turned out that a man overestimated himself too much, she could not do elementary things.
Be prepared for the fact that very few young people tend to work in the atelier. Today this profession is not attractive for young people. Specialized lyceums produce seamstresses and tailors, but most of them do not work in their specialty.
I worked for a woman, and sometimes she did something wrong, but did not want to alter it and said: «Customers still do not know how to be right!» I do not agree with this approach. The client sees everything. Once my worker made a lining for a fur coat, everything turned out well, I checked, but the client immediately realized that it was not me who did it.
How to organize work? You can take orders and work at least every day, if you have the strength and time. Of course, such a schedule is convenient when two people work.
A place
Where is it better to open? Unequivocally, that for successful work mini-atelier needs to be opened in places with high traffic. Nearby there should be many shops, a market, a shopping center, hairdressers and so on. Atelier should be near the apartment buildings – so that it would be convenient for people to come out of the house. And, it is not important to open you in the shopping arcade, rent a room on the first floor of a high-rise building or be placed in a caravan, it is important that people can easily find you there.
There are no special requirements for the premises. You come from ergonomics and your own ideas about convenience. Well, and of course, remember that the first impression you make on the customer plays a big role.
Documentation
To start work you need to register an IP. All registration costs will be about 2 thousand rubles, the time for registration will take about a week. It is best to open as a PI and pay a tax on imputed income (about 28 thousand rubles a year if you work alone).
Check-list of opening
- Analysis of the market and competitors (range of services, prices, etc.),
- Choice of assortment of services,
- Search for a room,
- Evaluation of the rental location, the choice of the best option,
- Conclusion of the lease agreement,
- Registration of IP, registration with the tax inspection,
- Finding employees, conducting interviews, selecting candidates (if required),
- Making a loan (if necessary),
- The order of equipment (sewing machines),
- Repair work indoors (if necessary),
- A small advertising campaign in the area – signs, flyers, online advertising,
- Opening.
Is it profitable to open
Thinking over the value of your services, you first of all should be equal to the prices of other comparable in scale ateliers.
I can take 5 rubles for sewing buttons. In the other atelier will take more – 10 rubles, because they have to pay wages to workers. I am the owner and can afford to make a discount.
On average, my monthly income is 30,000 rubles (tax, rent and additional costs are deducted from this). I still can not make more money, because I work five days a week from 9 to 17 hours – my husband and family also need attention. Of course, everything depends on the volume and quality of work, from the clientele. I have enough clientele, but everyone brings something large, long. It happens that half a day only I accept orders. There are customers who doubt for a long time, try on, look, think … This also takes away strength, and you need to be ready for this.
What are the options for increasing profits? Training. Purchase of improved equipment. You can also start taking orders for tailoring, staying overtime. In the long term, having got up on your feet and feeling more confident, you can take a chance and take a loan, buy more equipment, hire workers and take also wholesale orders – sewing sofas, sewing drapes, decorative pillows. In other words, become an atelier, which deals not only with repair, but also with tailoring.
There are no seasonal risks in this business. The only thing in summer you will be borne mostly light summer clothes, in the spring – be ready to repair lightning on jackets, in September fur and sheepskin coats start.
What are the risks for this type of business? All risks are tied to your skill. Thinking whether to take an order, you need to consider your level and count your strength. There is a risk of spoiling an expensive thing, but in my practice this has not happened.
