Fresh New Small Business Ideas…..

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.

Today, everyone should really have an Internet presence. Although it may be difficult to get this type of work over the Internet it is an excellent showcase for some of your work. If you are no good at designing web pages, get someone in your family to help as it’s really not that hard. The same person may also know a little about Internet marketing as well which is a bonus but don’t get hung up on that aspect 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.

So, there are a few things to consider if you are changing your hobby into a business and 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. Finally, good luck!

I have been a seamstress for most of my life and enjoy it as a hobby which is why I started this blog, Sewing Machines For Sale.com. I have also been in business for myself for over ten years, and many things you need to know to start a home business are similar irrespective of your chosen profession. Visit the blog and see if you can contribute.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carrie_Westengate
http://EzineArticles.com/?Starting-a-Sewing-Business-From-Home&id=2816651