Where to begin?

When we talk about sewing production, there are two possible scenarios for the development of events. In the first case, an entrepreneur buys equipment, hires personnel and picks up orders from various designers, companies and even other industries that do not have enough capacity to sew everything that is needed. In this case, there is no question of creating your own clothing and brand, you do not need to think about how to market the product.

The second case - and this is just my situation - implies that first the products will be manufactured, the demand for them is studied and distribution channels are found, and only then will their own factory be launched.

Both types of production can work in symbiosis, and each path has both pros and cons. The launch of a production that works with 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 timing of the order from the contractors in any way.

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

Poor choice of target audience and misunderstanding of its priorities can put an end to your entire business. Many of the jacket manufacturers closed down simply because they focused on fashion and sewed for young people. It was a road to nowhere, as young people would rather go to the market and buy a fake but well-known brand there, rather than quality clothing under a little-known brand.

I immediately decided to go the other way and chose an older audience for myself - 30-40 years old. These are people who no longer care about clothing tags. It is important for them that the products are of high quality and convenient. A little later, we reoriented ourselves 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 immediately sew a large batch of products. For a start, it is better to make a small number of products and see how they will be sold. ​​​​​​​

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

You shouldn't spontaneously start launching your own production. Ideal if you already have some experience in the garment industry or light industry, entrepreneurial experience. In this case, you will have an idea of ​​\ u200b \ u200bwork and certain connections in this environment. It is advisable to spy on how the work of other manufacturers is being built. In addition, it is worth immediately attracting professionals to your team who can be entrusted with solving highly specialized issues in which you are not entirely competent. Good technologists, designers and production directors will save you 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 tolling raw materials, you need at least 20-30 machines to have a sufficient volume of production. With small volumes, such garment production will not be profitable.

In addition to 20 ordinary sewing machines, you will need 10 more different devices: overlocks, button and rivet machines, and so on. The prices for such tools can be very different, but it is quite possible to count on an average of 15 thousand rubles for a used car. If you work on tolling raw materials, fabric, threads, accessories and other necessary things will be provided by the customer, so this item of expenses is eliminated.

But keep in mind that workers will have to pay wages from the very first day of the opening of production, and most likely there will be no large orders at first.

The biggest problem in any production is fixed costs.

Personal experience

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

The conversation was not so much about jackets as about business, and the guest asked for permission to record the conversation on a dictaphone. After that, he posted a recording of the conversation on his blog. I was surprised that the recording received a lot of positive feedback. After this publication, I began to receive offers of cooperation from federal newspapers and TV channels. So the coolest part of my brand's PR cost me almost nothing.

One way or another, the entrepreneur has a question about where to get the money to start his production. After all, 2 million rubles are not lying 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 business.

The smartest way is gradual funding. 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 garment production using tolling raw materials. Therefore, it is worth trying to attract an investor, for example, by promising him a share in the business. Although investors are very reluctant to invest in production, there are many risks, and the profitability is small.

Step-by-step instruction

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

As you know, it is always easier to buy than to sell. There are a lot of suppliers of equipment - 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 for them. Finding such suppliers is not difficult 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 product you have. For example, if you are sewing 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 made 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 it is not produced in a handicraft factory.

If you have a large enough production volume, then you can contact the factories directly. Although the intermediaries are now also not much "wind up" prices.​​​​​​​

The main difficulty in the sewing industry is finding good personnel. To get started, you need a production manager who will strictly monitor 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 adjust 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 large production, two cutters will be needed.

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

If you plan to design clothes on your own, you will need a designer that will make patterns. But in the event that you are just going to work with third-party orders, it is also desirable to have such a specialist on the 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 the production who, according to the appearance of the jacket, will recreate the pattern.

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

The negligent attitude of the staff to work entails direct material losses: negligent 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 ashamed to do their job poorly.

The advantage of the sewing industry is that the hours of operation can be almost any. The main thing is that the required number of products is sewn during the shift. When I opened production in St. Petersburg, we started working at 10 am. But having moved to Veliky Novgorod, I was faced with the fact that the workers wanted to "guess" the time of the shift so as to be in time for their personal plots. Therefore, in winter and autumn, we usually work from 8 to 5, and in summer we start even earlier. The question of how many shifts to introduce at your enterprise depends on its load and on the number of orders.

When deciding where to open production, it is worth deciding not only on the area and infrastructure, but also on the city. It is best to open in small towns. As a rule, they are much cheaper to rent and also have a better chance of networking with local authorities, which can be very helpful.

When it comes to location, you don't need good pedestrian traffic or a central area at all. 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 employees need to be comfortable commuting to work. The floor space will depend mainly on how many jobs you have. There are no special repair requirements.

The requirements for sewing production are detailed in SanPiN 5182-90, issued back in 1990. But many of the requirements in it are actually outdated. For example, the document states the requirement not to exceed the 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 natural light sources as well as fluorescent lamps. In addition, every workplace should be equipped with local lighting.

To get started, no permission from SES and firefighters is required. All the necessary documents and contracts must be provided by the landlord. It is also advisable to certify the production in accordance with ISO 9001.

Remember that current laws prohibit business audits for the first three years if you have not received any complaints. That is, you will have a spare time in order to calmly and without haste to collect all the documents, bring the premises in compliance with the standards, get certified and work.

The documents

In the case of a garment 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. In the event that you work on tolling raw materials, choose the "income minus expense" formula. The accounting will be stricter, but you will be able to save money, since the main item of expenses you will have will be staff salaries.

How to start a clothing business?

The clothing business has long been proven to be profitable. Things have always been bought, and will be bought, no matter what kind of business it is: a business selling women's clothing, men's or children's. Many aspiring entrepreneurs often face the question: "Which business format is better?", "Where is it more profitable to start?" The questions are really difficult, because you can open a wholesale organization and become a supplier, you can open a standard retail store, or you can start with a simple online store. The choice is sufficient, so you need to analyze this issue "from and to", so that later it turns out that the choice made is a big mistake.

Clothing business formats

There are three business options for selling children's clothing, men and women.

1. Wholesale trade.
2. Retail sale through a regular store.
3. Sale through the online store.

Wholesale clothing sale- this is a kind of store, the purpose of which is still the same: the sale of goods. Only the target audience is not buyers, but retail stores. That is, the process is as follows: a wholesale store buys goods in large quantities, becomes a supplier and starts looking for options for selling products. These options are retail stores. Thus, a small chain is formed: manufacturers from whom the wholesale company is purchased, - the wholesale company from which retail stores are purchased, - retail stores that sell their goods to customers.

Retail- This is a regular store, in this case, specializing in clothing. The target audience is consumers. The main characteristics that are common to all retail stores are:

1. trading floor area,
2. level of customer service,
3. number of commodity items,
4. technology of product placement.

These characteristics are both distinctive and, thanks to them, the stores have their own personality.

Online sale- a popular method today. It involves organizing and running an online business. Buyers can make purchases without leaving their homes. To do this, they just need to choose the right thing and pay for the goods either with a card or using a payment system. The main condition for organizing an online store is to make the shopping process as comfortable as possible for customers so that they want to return to shopping.

Wholesale company opening process

Opening a wholesale company, regardless of the type of clothing and the target customer (mono-brand or multi-brand store, stock, second-hand, boutique), has common components:

1. detailed business plan of the wholesale warehouse;
2. building;
3. storage equipment;
4. suppliers;
5. employees (usually from 5 to 10 people);
6. a set of permits.

The first step is to get acquainted with competitors, collect the maximum information on sales in a given region, and identify its dynamics. It will not be superfluous to talk to dealers. Before opening a wholesale store, it is necessary to draw up the most detailed business plan that will reflect all financial information.

Finding a location is not the most critical stage. When opening a wholesale company, an advantageous or favorable location is not required at all, since retail stores will either come themselves for the goods, or even provide all the work of the wholesale company. Therefore, the most important will be precisely the optimal location. The building can be found ready or built for specific purposes (depending on the availability of free funds). Before renting or buying a ready-made space, you must make sure that it is suitable for a warehouse.

After the building is rented or bought out (built), you need to start arranging the premises: it is worth dividing it into sections (loading, unloading, receiving, assembling, storing goods). Equipment will also be needed, depending on the assortment, weight and dimensions.

The stage of selecting suppliers is different for each type of store. If the target audience is stock stores, then you need to buy clothes either from manufacturers or from stores that have leftovers. Second-hand shopping is the most economical option (buying clothes is cheap, unlike others). Suppliers are companies that collect things. Multi- and mono-brand items, as well as expensive and elite items for a boutique, are purchased directly from manufacturers.

A wholesale store will need employees.

1. Boss.
2. Additional workers, in the amount of 5-10 people.

To make things easier for retail stores, driveways need to be comfortable and clear. A good option is a building on the outskirts of the city, where you can easily and without traffic jams get there.

Store opening process

Opening a store begins with drawing up a business plan for the sale of clothing. After that, registration begins (LLC or individual entrepreneur). Next, the most crucial stage is finding a location. It should be in a walkable place where there is a large flow of people every day. This could be a shopping center or a free-standing store in the city center on a busy street. It all depends on the type of clothing sold and its target audience.

The size of the room also varies depending on the type of clothing sold. For example, a second hand does not require a large room. After the premises are rented, the search for suppliers, the purchase of equipment and the hiring of personnel begins.

By and large, wholesale companies will be suppliers. You can search for them either through friends or through advertisements on the Internet. Equipment also depends on the store. If it is a boutique, then everything should be expensive, and if it is second-hand, then you will not need a lot of equipment and, in principle, will not pay attention to it.

Hiring personnel is another crucial moment, since the profitability of the business (its profitability) depends on the employees. And the last step is advertising. You can read more about opening a retail store (its stages, the main advantages and disadvantages for each type of clothing) in the previous articles.

Opening an online store

The business of selling clothes online is as follows. The first is finding suppliers. It is very important for an online store to have a quality product. You can create your own warehouse where clothes will be stored, or you can agree with the supplier that clothes will be picked up from their warehouse for each order. The second option is cheaper, regardless of the clothing, its quality and brand.

To open an online store, you need a website. For the site - hosting and domain, for which you can find low prices. Hosting is paid every month. You will also need to register a legal entity (LLC or individual entrepreneur) in order not to have problems with the tax office.

It is important to provide for payment and delivery methods, there must be a choice so that the buyer finds something suitable for himself.

When suppliers are found, the site is created, you need to attract buyers. To do this, you need to start active promotion: contextual advertising ordered from Google or Yandex. It will attract to the store those who see this ad and follow the link. There is another option - advertising in boxes. You can create your own affiliate program so that buyers bring their friends and acquaintances and receive interest on their purchases.

Promotion is a tool for building a base of regular customers. It is focused on sales (20% of repeat customers = 80% of sales). In order to retain customers, you need to hold constant promotions and discounts, give coupons and send messages with great deals.

Online shopping has its pros and cons. Of the advantages, it is worth highlighting simplicity and minimal costs, and of the minuses, it is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve high income (of the three options, this one has the minimum profitability), unlike retail or wholesale stores. There is also a limitation on target audiences.

Any clothing business can be profitable. All this will happen only for different periods of time. Fastest payback period for a retail store.

And the simplest method of organizing is having an online store. A wholesale company, along with an online store, is not characterized by such high costs. But profit margins are also higher in retail. Each business option has its own positive and negative sides. Therefore, each entrepreneur must independently decide on the choice, based on his experience, opportunities (financial, including) and desires.

We are opening a store selling women's clothing!
The women's clothing trade is the most lucrative direction in the clothing business. Women spend more time and money buying clothes. They shop much more often than men.
Therefore, we are opening a store exclusively for women.

The “Cleopatra” store started working on December 12, 2007, in the city of Nevyansk with the aim of providing the city residents with non-food products (clothes).
Form of incorporation of the Cleopatra store IP.
The main goal of the Cleopatra store is to make a profit from the proceeds.
The main activities of the trading enterprise are:

1. Organization of clothing trade;
2. Purchase and sale of goods;
3. Free service for buyers to fit products to the figure.

The Cleopatra store serves a contingent of customers with different income levels. Basically, the store is aimed at customers with an average income level. The trade organization has a very convenient location in the city center, close to schools, a clinic, a savings bank, a cafe, a chain of stores. This means that there will always be buyers in it.
In the present business plan, it is planned to open another store of women's clothing "Cleopatra". It is necessary to purchase premises for a shop on the street. Malyshev, Nevyansk. Malysheva Street is gradually being saturated with retail stores and pavilions, has a large traffic, and in this case it is most suitable for opening a retail outlet and choosing a store location. The source of financing will be equity capital. The area of ​​the premises together with the warehouse includes 100 m².
The organizational structure of the store is shown in Figure 1. The number of store employees as of October 01, 2010 is 8 people.
The organizational structure of the Cleopatra store is the simplest linear-functional. The essence of the linear-functional management structure lies in the fact that control actions on the object can be transferred only by one dominant person - the head, who receives official information only from his directly subordinate persons, makes decisions on all issues related to the part of the object that he manages. and is responsible for his work to a superior manager.
This type of organizational management structure is used in the conditions of functioning of small enterprises with simple production in the absence of ramified cooperative ties with suppliers, consumers, scientific and design organizations, etc.

By examining the tables below, you will understand how profitable it is to open a clothing store.

Sales forecast for 5 years, thousand rubles

Operating expenses by quarters for 2011, thousand rubles

Profit forecast, thousand rubles

Learn more: is it profitable to open a clothing store and download a business plan for a women's clothing store, you can