Why is a business offering tailoring and clothing repair services becoming so popular? It's all about the prices that have prevailed in the market for such services. Their high marks put both professional and home workshops on the list of profitable activities.

How to open a studio? First, you need to decide on its specialization: repair, sewing women's, men's or children's clothing (of course, you can create several departments at once, specializing in a variety of areas). You should also think about what audience your workshop will target: wealthy clientele or middle class?

Services

There are three areas of services that your workshop can offer.

• The first is repairs. Today this is the most popular option. Very often, clients ask to fix minor problems: change a zipper, alter buttons, adjust the length or size. It is this range of services that is in greatest demand. The downside is that it all costs a little.
• The second is tailoring. Many people cannot find clothes in stores that suit their taste and figure. This is a fairly common problem, for which they turn to professionals. If your workshop offers tailoring of dresses, coats, and trousers in non-standard sizes, then it will earn great popularity among that part of the population that is accustomed to the fact that finding anything in a store is unrealistic.
• Third – modeling and design. This niche has not yet been fully occupied, so you have every opportunity to make money from it. This, of course, is the most difficult task, requiring special skills, talent and imagination, which is why you need to hire specialists who will create a unique wardrobe.

Room standards

A high-traffic area is an ideal option for opening a tailoring studio. As a rule, these are shopping centers, consumer service complexes, the first floors of multi-storey buildings, etc.

Start with a small area - only 50 m2. But, if successful, do not give up the prospect of expansion. To do this, you can rent a neighboring room or an apartment in a neighboring house, for example, so as not to lose your regular customers.

Any workshop should have three types of premises:

1. Reception: fitting booths, samples of accessories and fabrics;
2. cutting and sewing shop: compartments for pre-cutting fabric and ironing;
3. Rooms for sanitary purposes: storage rooms for room care products, toilets, staff room.

Necessary equipment

In order to open a clothing repair shop, you need to purchase special equipment. If you care about the image of your future enterprise, we advise you to buy new tools and machines rather than skimp on old ones.

So, you will need:

• Several overlockers;
• cutting equipment;
• installation with steam iron;
• loop semi-automatic;
• ordinary mannequins;
• steam mannequin;
• improvised tools (needles, scissors, patterns, meter, etc.);
• consumables (zippers, glue, threads, etc.).

In addition to technical equipment, take care of the availability of furniture for visitors, a cash register, a fire extinguisher, and lamps.

Frankly, industrial equipment for sewing is more expensive than conventional machines for home use, but the quality of sewing and speed are several times higher. All equipment will cost about $5,000, but if we are talking about serial tailoring, then you, of course, will need to use several more units, so the cost will be about $25,000.

When purchasing machines, pay attention to the number of operations it performs. The minimum requirement is 20 operations. Such equipment will cost you from $600 to $3,500.

To open a clothing tailoring or repair shop, you need to hire specialists in this field, because they are the key to your success. As many experts advise, you need to hire those employees who are interested in high-quality performance of their obligations.

A seamstress may not have any education, because the main thing is a certificate of completion of special courses. But having practical experience is the most important requirement, because a person must not only be able to work with a machine, but also know the intricacies of the work, and be able to calculate various nuances.

To begin with, you can hire 4-5 seamstresses for a trial period of half a month. If potential employees do a good job during this period, you can hire them permanently.

Additional staff – cleaner and accountant. As a rule, an employment contract is not concluded with such employees, but only a contract or hiring agreement for periodic services.

The monthly payment of each seamstress is approximately 12,000 - 18,000 rubles, the cleaner receives approximately 5,000 rubles, the accountant - 8,000 rubles. The salaries of cleaners and accountants are low due to their underemployment.

Your expenses

Let's look at everything point by point:

1. Renting premises: from 10,000 to 15,000 rudders per month. The higher the status of the building in which you are going to rent space, the higher the rental amount. For example, the highest fees will be in shopping centers;
2. purchase of equipment: sewing machines from 10,000 to 100,000 rubles per unit, mannequins, lighting fixtures, furniture for visitors, mirrors, overlock, steam generator - within 100,000 rubles;
3. Consumables: tools, threads, scissors, fabrics, repair of equipment in case of breakdown - within 10,000 rubles;
4. wage: seamstress - 12,000 - 18,000 rubles (you will have 4-5 of them), cleaner - 5,000 rubles, accountant - 8,000 rubles.

Total amount: about 500,000 rubles.

What documents and permits do you need to obtain? First, you go to the tax office and register your workshop as an individual enterprise - individual entrepreneur, or LLC. We advise you to choose an individual entrepreneur, because in this case it will be several times easier for you to maintain accounting and tax records.

After that, you select OKVED codes:

1. Main code: provision of personal services to the public;
2. additional codes: tailoring - basic, special, other; production of accessories and repair of damaged wardrobe items.

You must also register with the pension fund, obtain a permit to start activities (Rospotrebnadzor), and a permit from the state fire inspectorate.

Potential Risks

• Risk 1: there are no good specialists. This is the most common type of risk. Many owners today complain that it is almost impossible to find good craftsmen, because there are not so many representatives of the so-called “Soviet school” left. But the new “Russian school” as such does not exist in principle.
• Risk 2: low seasons. This is how summer and January are most often called in the field of sewing and repairing wardrobe items. New Year holidays end in the second half of January. Since many church holidays fall at this time, potential clients travel around the country (to visit relatives and friends, on vacation, etc.) and remember that they need to sew or repair something only at the end of the second month of winter. But the so-called “passive” summer begins almost immediately after the May holidays and revives closer to the beginning of the new school year - the second half of August.
• Risk 3: You cannot find out the reason for clients leaving. A reduction in the number of clients indicates low quality of services. But the problem is that you can't know for sure why a regular customer left.
• Risk 4: being held hostage by the format during a crisis. This is the name given to workers and owners of studios that offer tailoring of designer clothes. If you choose a clientele with high incomes, you are a priori programming yourself to work with people with incomes much above average, so during a crisis you will not be able to quickly switch to sewing cheap items. This means that you will only lose income from this.

Your income

Is it profitable to open a studio? Let's do the math. If the average number of orders per day varies between 8-15 pieces, and the average cost is 300 - 400 rubles, then you can earn from 2,400 to 6,000 rubles per day. It should be taken into account that the cost of services directly depends on the fabric, type of clothing, as well as its size.

In principle, studios that have been operating for several years and have acquired a stable client base, but are accepting new clients, earn from 13,000 to 15,000 rubles per day. At first, your amount will be significantly less. But, the skill of your seamstresses and the quality of work can soon enough bring you to the level of 10,000 - 13,000 rubles per day.

Build a good reputation and people will come to you!

Opening a clothing repair and sewing studio. Is it profitable and what is needed for this?

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Payback period

An atelier is a women's business that is quite easy to organize with minimal investment. As in many other areas of activity, the basis for success is the skill of the staff and location.

An atelier is a business that is quite easy to organize and is considered a woman's occupation. You can open your own studio with minimal costs and in a short time. If you know how to sew and dream of opening a mini-business, then the atelier idea will suit you.

Market Review. The relevance of the atelier as a business

In the field of consumer services, which includes atelier services, there has been an increase in demand recently. According to statistics, every year there are twice as many ateliers opened as there are closures. Annual growth in this area is about 10%. Even in times of crisis, the atelier’s services are in demand, because people begin to save on clothes and more often turn to the atelier for repair services.

The two main services of the studio are tailoring and clothing repair. In the last few years, the demand for tailoring has decreased - the market is overflowing with ready-made products, which, moreover, are often cheaper than those made to individual standards. The situation with modern light industry is known to everyone: the overproduction of inexpensive and low-quality Chinese clothing has “corrupted” the taste and culture of the consumer. He has lost the habit of mending his dress, generally loving it, respecting it and treating it with care. The consumer has long been accustomed to throwing tons of everything into the nearest trash bin, immediately buying a ton of new things, “from the latest collection.” Therefore, today people who need the modification of their clothes more often turn to the services of a seamstress - shorten their trousers, fit them to their figure, etc. That is why clothing repair points began to open actively in shopping centers.

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Ateliers can be roughly divided into two categories. The former rely on wealthy clients, the latter, on the contrary, on people with below average income. Accordingly, the range of services is slightly different. The first category of workshops is focused on creating individual clothing - for example, business suits. Profit comes from completing several, but expensive, orders. Such a business, as a rule, relies on wealthy and regular clients who come to the studio from year to year. The second category of workshops fulfills small orders and makes money on their quantity.

Advantages of the atelier as a business:

atelier services are in demand in any locality;

high demand for this type of service, even during periods of economic instability;

opening a studio requires minimal investment, which can be recouped in a few months;

a small studio needs a minimum of equipment and tools. The main thing is a good master.

Many people think that opening a studio is very simple: find a premises, buy a sewing machine - and you can expect profit. However, in practice everything will not be so rosy. Many studios go bankrupt and close without ever breaking even. In order for the business to develop successfully, you should take into account many nuances, research the sales market in advance and draw up a business plan for the studio. Therefore, we will consider in detail each stage of opening an atelier and the features that need to be taken into account.

Who can open a studio

A seamstress, tailor, or cutter can open their own business. Typically, studio owners are good craftsmen who understand the intricacies of sewing and know the market. This option will be preferable. However, even if you are far from sewing, you can realize yourself in this business as a manager, and entrust all production work to hired employees. And yet, many note that the atelier - especially with the custom tailoring service - is, first of all, creativity. Therefore, it is impossible to live here without a soul. Knowledge of the specifics of the work and an individual approach to each client will help you achieve success in this business.

Market analysis

Before opening a studio, you need to study the market for sewing services in your city. It is important to understand whether there is a free niche: you can determine the approximate number of studios using services such as Yandex.Maps, Google Maps, 2GIS. Find out the cost of your competitors' services and the services they offer. In addition, you will need data on the area's population and income levels to identify your potential customers. The collected information will allow you to assess business prospects and determine what competitive advantages you will have.

List of studio services

At the next stage, you need to determine what exactly the studio will do and what audience its services will be aimed at. In addition to custom tailoring, clothing can also be repaired, restored or altered. Depending on the list of services, equipment and staff are determined. For example, if you plan to provide a custom tailoring service, then you need to make certain demands on the seamstress.

What services can the studio provide to clients:

hemming, shortening clothes;

design and tailoring of evening dresses (dresses for prom are often in demand);

repair of old items (replacement of collars, fasteners, etc.).

replacing zippers, steaming, repairing and making pockets, re-stitching buttons, replacing a collar or cuff, etc.;

sewing carnival costumes for children (in demand before New Year's parties);

sewing school suits;

sewing copies of famous designers (also in demand, since it is still cheaper than the original);

sewing curtains;

urgency of order execution (20-50% of the cost of work is added).

It is recommended to start with a clothing repair shop, and then, having developed a client base and established a foothold in the business, move on to individual tailoring. The costs of opening a clothing repair shop are much lower than those for sewing clothes.

Having decided on the list of services, make a price list. Find out what prices your competitors are offering and lower yours a little. At the initial stage, this will attract customers. But be careful with price dumping - don’t work at a loss. Set a price that can recoup your costs. To understand the calculations, create a business plan with calculations of expenses and income and an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the business. In addition, you will definitely need a business plan if you decide to take out a loan to start a business.

Studio registration

How to register a company for sewing and repairing clothes? In order to conduct commercial activities, you need to register your business. You can choose the form of individual entrepreneur or LLC. The difference is that if you are the only owner of a business, you should register it as an individual entrepreneur. This will significantly facilitate accounting and simplify taxation conditions.

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Owning your own atelier is a great business idea. How to implement it? Choose the format that suits you and follow our recommendations. In this article we will figure out how to open a workshop for sewing and repairing clothes.

Opening a sewing workshop: where to start

If you have worked in this business for a long time, but you have no entrepreneurial experience, start with a small point. For a mini-clothing repair shop, a space on the territory of a visited shopping center is ideal. Choose residential areas, rent here is lower, and shop buyers are often the clients.

There is another option. You have no experience in the sewing business, but you know where to find a first-class craftsman. Great! This is the same direction when a good specialist decides a lot. For a small sewing studio, one master is enough.

What you need for a sewing workshop: we prepare the documents

A studio license is not required. It is enough to register an individual entrepreneur and choose a taxation system. A patent or simplified version is suitable here. If you do not plan to open a multidisciplinary workshop, apply for a patent. It is suitable for entrepreneurs with less than 15 employees.

Next step - selection of OKVED code. It is important to decide on the direction here. The best option is mixed. The following are suitable for opening a tailoring and clothing repair shop:

• 93.5 Providing other personal services to the public (core)
• 8.2 Manufacture of clothing from textile materials and clothing accessories
• 18.21 - production of workwear
• 18.22 - production of outerwear
• 18.24 - production of other clothing and accessories
• 52.74 - repair of household products and personal items not included in other groups

After this, register with the Pension Fund and obtain permission from Rospotrebnadzor and Gospozhnadzor.

What equipment is needed for a sewing workshop?

Minimum set of equipment required for work:

• For basic sewing and repair work, you will need a straight-stitch sewing machine.
• Overlock for finishing edges and seams
• Machine for hemming the bottoms of skirts and trousers
• Ironing board
• High quality steam iron

In addition to consumables: threads, needles, scissors, measuring tapes, etc., you will need rippers, watering cans and other working tools.

You also need to purchase a cutting table and install a fitting room with a mirror.

Since the profit of a clothing tailoring and repair studio directly depends on the work of the craftsmen, take care of their comfort. Choose comfortable tables and chairs and quality lamps.

How much does it cost to open a studio: approximate calculations

On average, opening a small studio will require costs of 500,000 rubles. More precise figures depend on rental costs, number of employees, advertising costs and other factors.

• Monthly rent for premises - from 40’000 ₽
• Room renovation - from 40’000 ₽
• Purchase of equipment and tools - from 250’000 ₽
• Consumables - from 5’000 ₽
• Salary for two seamstresses - from 60’000 ₽
• Outsourced accountant's salary - 15,000 ₽
• Advertising - from 10’000 ₽

If opening a studio from scratch seems too difficult and expensive, consider an alternative. For example, investing in an already operating business will allow you to save money. Mainly on equipment and promotion.

How to open a tailor shop: step-by-step instructions - is it worth renting a place in a shopping center and 7 main stages of organizing a tailoring business.

Capital for opening a studio: 286,000 rubles.
Business payback period: 6-8 months.

Nowadays, virtually every person tries to follow fashion and implement current trends in their wardrobe.

However, at the same time, people try to stand out, to differ from each other with accessories, hairstyles, and most importantly, clothes.

Everyone wants to have a unique and stylish thing.

But in times of currency instability and a general economic crisis, not everyone has the means to purchase famous brands.

You can, of course, try domestic brands.

But if we are talking about quality and interesting design, you will still have to pay a hefty sum.

Based on this, it follows that the relevance of such an area as the clothing business is now at its peak.

And you can safely think about open your own salon-atelier.

One of the advantages of individual tailoring is that many people have a non-standard physique.

This means that even having the financial ability to buy expensive and high-quality clothes, store customers are faced with a certain problem.

It is not a fact that a new fashionable blouse will fit or fit the way you would like.

Naturally, individual tailoring should be done by someone who has an understanding of.

And not just general knowledge and skills, but many years of experience.

This is due to the fact that in this area there are many nuances known only to a true professional.

What is needed to open a studio: the main stages of organization

The first step is to decide what exactly the studio will do.

Indeed, in addition to the fact that you can sew wardrobe items, they can also be repaired, restored or altered (hemmed, sewn up, shortened).

It is worth understanding that for an atelier that carries out individual tailoring, it is not so important to choose a narrow list of services provided.

Because the more a salon can offer, the more clients can turn to it, and, accordingly, the profit from this will also increase.

It is also worth considering the high probability of such situations: a man came to the studio to sew a jacket, and in the process he learned that here he could restore his old leather jacket, shorten his trousers, and his thinner wife could have her favorite but too big one sewn on her, dress.

Such an “assortment” is welcome and will allow you to transfer a casual visitor to the category of regular customers.

Moreover, the tips given in this article on how to open a clothing tailoring shop also cover the provision of clothing repair services.

After all, these are two almost identical questions.

There is no difference even in the staff of specialists or the set of equipment.

Everything depends only on knowledge and skills.

What services does this line of business provide to clients:

• design and tailoring of evening dresses (dresses for prom are often in demand);
• creating unique wedding dresses for both the groom and the bride (most often, people do not spare money for wedding ceremonies);
• sewing copies of famous designers (also in demand, since it is still cheaper than the original);
• repair of old items (replacement of collars, fasteners, etc.).

Once you decide which of the above services will be provided in the future, you need to indicate your choice in the studio.

Its creation is one of the main points in organizing any business.

It plays the role of a core in any endeavor, allows the entrepreneur to feel more confident and helps to identify risks and weaknesses of the business before plans are put into practice.

Step-by-step algorithm for opening a studio:

1. Determination of the main characteristics of the enterprise (the very line of activity and types of services provided that need to be decided upon first of all).
2. Business registration (how to properly register an enterprise).
3. Rent and equipment for repairing and sewing clothes (what kind of premises are needed, and what tools need to be purchased).
4. Employees (who needs to be hired and what requirements should be presented to employees).
5. Attracting clients (business promotion events, advertising).
6. Opening cost (combining all calculations together).
7. Profitability of the studio (calculation of the main risks and payback of the enterprise).

How to register a company for sewing and repairing clothes?

The difference is that if you are the sole owner and founder of this business, it is worth .

This will greatly facilitate further accounting, as well as simplify taxation conditions.

But if you decide to open a studio together and there are several founders, you have no choice but to register an LLC.

You will need to select the appropriate OKVED (All-Russian Classifier of Economic Activities) codes.

In this case, you need to look for “tailoring”, etc.

The last, but more difficult step for most entrepreneurs is obtaining all necessary permits from Rospotrebnadzor and similar government agencies.

According to average statistics, registration will cost about 5,000 rubles if you handle the business yourself.

By delegating matters to intermediaries, you increase the “price tag” by 2-3 times.

How to open your own studio in rented premises?

When renting space for a studio, it is very important where it will be located. According to statistics, more than 70% of the traffic depends on where you decide to open a point.

It often happens that a person in need of such services simply passed by.

Attracted by the sign, he comes in to ask if this studio provides the necessary services.

And if their price suits him, he will turn to him in the future.

And if you like the quality, you will become a regular customer.

This is especially true for women.

After all, men, as a rule, go to the atelier when they are faced with an urgent need to repair or repair clothes.

Women put aside things that need the service of the atelier, and when the opportunity arises, they take them to them.

There are two options for premises for an atelier: renting premises in a shopping center or renting premises in a residential area.

Each of the options for where to open a studio has its pros and cons.

The pros and cons of renting premises in a residential area are obvious, since they are the opposite of those shown in the table above.

Regarding the parameters and all the necessary requirements for the rented premises:

• a bathroom is required;
• it is necessary to conduct electricity in the studio;
• the area must be at least 10 square meters (not taking into account the area for the restroom).

Since the studio operates only during the daytime, and the work does not create any strong noise, it can be equipped on the ground floor of a residential building.

The average rental cost will be from 45 thousand rubles in a large city.

What equipment is required to set up a clothing business?

This list includes:

• manufacturer country;
• functionality of studio equipment;
• the material from which it is made, its quality indicators;
• company (there are little-known companies that demonstrate good quality, but are much cheaper).

The minimum list of what is needed to open an atelier looks like this:

What kind of employees are needed to open a tailoring shop?

If you do your own sewing and accounting (which is recommended to save money and speed up payback, but requires the necessary knowledge), then you will only need two seamstresses.

One of them should combine tailoring and the specialization of the cutter.

PS. If, when applying for a vacancy, you immediately warn that your responsibilities include maintaining cleanliness in the workplace, you can save money on a cleaner.

The approximate salary for one experienced seamstress in an atelier is 20,000 rubles.

This includes the rate (16,000 rubles) and a percentage of income (depending on the amount of work performed).

How to open a clothing repair shop so that it makes a profit?

The key to the success of any business is clients.

In order for your studio to pay off and bring a stable profit, you need to spare no expense on its promotion.

In this business, standard promotion methods are suitable, such as:

• promotion of the studio on social networks (it is relatively cheap, and at the same time effective);
• external advertising (including the design of the studio premises - banners, stoppers, bright signboards);
• printing business cards and leaflets;
• if the studio is located in a residential area, advertising can be placed in the elevators of neighboring residential buildings.

How much money do you need to invest to open a studio?

The cost of opening a studio depends on many factors.

Let's look at the average costs of starting a company:

Regular investments

“Great opportunities come to everyone, but many don’t even know they’ve encountered them.”
William Channing

It is worth not only taking into account all the costs of opening a studio, but also calculating the expenses for each month of its activity.

Until the company begins to pay for itself, you will have to invest work and promotion from the “financial cushion”.

With the story of how a young girl decided to open her own studio and how she succeeded,

you will see in the video:

How quickly will the idea of ​​opening an atelier pay off?

In a month, subject to the successful operation of the studio, you can earn from 80,000 rubles.

Of this amount, “net income” will be approximately 30%.

Based on these data, payback may take from six months to 8 months.

If, according to estimates, the process lasts longer, then this is already an alarming sign that you have made a mistake somewhere.

Of course, there is a risk that there won't be enough customers at first.

Analyzing the question, how to open a clothing repair shop, we can come to the conclusion that not such large capital investments will be required.

Therefore, anyone can open such a business.

The main thing is to have the necessary knowledge and desire to succeed.

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Where to begin?

When we talk about clothing production, two scenarios are possible. In the first case, the entrepreneur purchases equipment, hires staff and collects orders from various designers, companies and even other industries that do not have enough capacity to produce everything that is needed. In this case, there is no question of creating your own clothes and brand; there is no need to think about how to sell the products.

The second case - and this is exactly my situation - implies that the product will first be manufactured, the demand for it will be studied and distribution channels will be found, and only then will its own factory be launched.

Both types of production can work in symbiosis, and each path has both pros and cons. Launching a production facility that processes orders will require a large amount of investment and fixed costs. The advantage of the second way is that there are no fixed costs. But at the same time, you cannot control the production process and the deadlines for fulfilling the order from the contractors.

If there were factories that were hired to produce products on time and with high quality, I would not open my own production.

An unsuccessful choice of the target audience and a lack of understanding of its priorities can put an end to your entire business. Many of the jacket manufacturers closed simply because they focused on fashion and made for young people. This was a road to nowhere, since young people would rather go to the market and buy a fake, but well-known brand there, rather than quality clothes from a little-known brand.

I immediately decided to go a different route and chose an older audience for myself - 30-40 years old. These are people who no longer care about the tags on their clothes. It is important for them that the products are of high quality and convenient. A little later, we refocused a little and now we sew clothes primarily for travel, but we also have urban models of jackets.

Keep in mind that you should not sew a large batch of products at once. To begin with, it is better to make a small number of products and see how they sell. ​​​​​​​

Having decided on the target audience and products, you need to think about sales channels. For example, you can sell your products both to wholesalers, who will resell them in their stores, and to retail customers through your own chain of stores or an online store with delivery. We use both methods in our practice. But our main focus is still on retail buyers.

There is no point in starting your own production spontaneously. An ideal option if you already have some experience in the clothing industry or light industry, or entrepreneurial experience. In this case, you will have an idea of ​​​​the work and certain connections in this environment. It is advisable to take a look at how work is done by other manufacturers. In addition, you should immediately attract professionals to your team who can be trusted to solve highly specialized issues in which you are not entirely competent. Good technologists, designers and production directors will save you from headaches.

Investment size

The amount of investment will depend mainly on what kind of production you want. If you plan to simply take orders from others, work on customer-supplied raw materials, you need at least 20-30 machines to have a sufficient output volume. With small volumes, such sewing production will not be profitable.

In addition to 20 regular sewing machines, you will need 10 more different devices: overlockers, button and rivet machines, and so on. Prices for such tools can be very different, but you can count on an average of 15 thousand rubles for a used car. If you work on customer-supplied raw materials, the fabric, threads, accessories and other necessary things will be provided to you by the customer, so this expense item is eliminated.

But keep in mind that workers will have to pay wages from the first day of production opening, and there will most likely not be large orders at first.

The biggest problem of any production is fixed costs.

Personal experience

I chose a fairly narrow audience - travelers - and began to act through it. I sewed a test batch of jackets and distributed them to people who actively travel and are known in certain circles. They began to mention our products on their blogs and post photos. But the real breakthrough came after one of the bloggers came to talk about the jackets.

The conversation was not so much about jackets as about business, and the guest asked permission to record the conversation on a voice recorder. After this, he published a recording of the conversation on his blog. I was surprised that the record received so many positive reviews. After this publication, I began to receive offers of cooperation from federal newspapers and television channels. So the coolest part of my brand PR cost me next to nothing.

One way or another, the entrepreneur is faced with the question of where to get the money to start his production. After all, 2 million rubles are not lying around on the road. The very first thought is to get a loan, but in today’s conditions, loans are increasingly turning into a stone that drowns a business.

The most reasonable way is gradual financing. It is quite possible to collect a couple of hundred thousand rubles, and you can start something with this amount. This scheme is best used if you are launching your own brand.

It is very difficult to apply such a scheme to sewing production using raw materials supplied by customers. Therefore, it is worth trying to attract an investor, for example, by promising him a share in the business. Although investors invest in production very reluctantly - there are many risks, and the profitability is small.

Step-by-step instruction

So, at first you need to decide on the type of clothing production, the target audience, calculate the amount of funding and find its source. After this, you can proceed directly to creating production. And the first thing you need is to find suppliers of equipment and raw materials.

As you know, buying is always easier than selling. There are a lot of equipment suppliers - from used to the newest and most modern - in Russia. At the same time, most of them are now extremely willing to make contact, because there are no queues of buyers lining up for them. Finding such suppliers is not difficult at all via the Internet. The main thing is to decide what kind of equipment you need and what price you are willing to pay for it.

When choosing a fabric supplier, you need to proceed from what kind of products you have. For example, if you sew clothes in the premium segment, it makes sense to spend money on expensive European fabrics. At the same time, there are a lot of suppliers on the market working with Russia and China. Fabrics produced in these countries can be much cheaper, so if you work for a consumer with an average income, it is better to prefer them. But it is important that the quality of the fabric remains at a decent level, and that it is not produced in a handicraft factory.

If you have a large enough production volume, you can contact factories directly. Although intermediaries now also do not “inflate” prices much.​​​​​​​

The main difficulty in the clothing industry is finding good staff. To begin with, you will need a production manager who will strictly enforce discipline. He must be motivated to do his job well. In addition, it is important that he understands the production process itself and can suggest how to correct something.

You will also need a cutter who can not only cut according to ready-made patterns, but can also make changes to them. For a large production, two cutters will be needed.

An important figure is a technologist who will select optimal operating modes, control the quality of products, improve the production process, etc.

If you plan to design clothes yourself, you will need a designer who will make patterns. But if you are simply going to work with third-party orders, it is also advisable to have such a specialist on staff. Often the customer does not provide any patterns, but simply brings a sample of the finished product. Therefore, there must be a person in production who will recreate the pattern based on the appearance of the jacket.

I do not advise hiring young employees for production, since they are not motivated, and as a result, the quality of work suffers. ​​​​​​​

Negligent attitude of staff towards work entails direct material losses: careless employees can simply ruin good, expensive material. As a rule, people of pre-retirement age approach their responsibilities more responsibly. And it’s not just about experience or financial motivation. Most of these people are simply embarrassed to do their jobs poorly.

The advantage of sewing production is that the working hours can be almost any. The main thing is that the required number of products are sewn per shift. When I opened production in St. Petersburg, we started working at 10 in the morning. But when I moved to Veliky Novgorod, I was faced with the fact that workers want to “judge” the shift time so as to be able to get to their plots in time. Therefore, in winter and autumn we usually work from 8 to 5, and in the summer we start even earlier. The question of how many shifts to introduce at your enterprise depends on its load and the number of orders.

When deciding where to open a production facility, it is worth deciding not only on the area and infrastructure, but also on the city. It is best to open in small cities. As a rule, renting premises there is much cheaper, and in addition there are more chances to establish connections with local management, which can be very useful.

In terms of location, you don't need good foot traffic or a central location. Moreover, renting a room in the city center is quite expensive, so it is better to choose a location on the outskirts. But remember that it should be convenient for employees to get to work. The size of the room will depend mainly on how many workstations you have. There are no special repair requirements.

The requirements for sewing production are specified in detail in SanPiN 5182-90, issued back in 1990. But many of the requirements in it are actually outdated. For example, the document stipulates a requirement not to exceed a noise level of 80 dBA, but in fact no separate measures to reduce the noise level are needed, since modern sewing machines operate quite quietly.

The main requirement is good lighting.​​​​​​​

The sewing workshop should have sources of natural light, as well as fluorescent lamps. In addition, each workplace must be equipped with local lighting.

To start work, no permits from the SES or firefighters are required. The landlord must provide you with all the necessary documents and agreements. It is also advisable to certify production in accordance with ISO 9001.

Remember that current laws prohibit business inspections for the first three years if no complaints have been received against you. That is, you will have a reserve of time to calmly, without haste, collect all the documents, bring the premises into compliance with the standards, get certified and work.

Documentation

In the case of clothing production, it is preferable to register an LLC rather than an individual entrepreneur. Simply because in the eyes of the customer, the LLC looks much more reliable.

It is best to choose a simplified tax regime. If you work on customer-provided raw materials, choose the formula “income minus expenses”. Accounting will be more strict, but you will be able to save money, since your main expense item will be staff salaries.