The domestic clothing market is overflowing with products from Chinese, Turkish and Polish manufacturers. However, these products are far from always characterized by acceptable quality: the parameters of the models do not meet the standards of the figure, the size range differs from the generally accepted one, and the quality of tailoring leaves much to be desired. In such a situation, buyers are increasingly paying attention to affordable and high-quality goods made in local factories.

When compiling a business plan for clothing production, it is necessary to determine for which consumer the products will be intended. At the initial stage, an entrepreneur definitely should not compete with well-known world brands and focus on a wealthy audience spoiled by the attention of designers - it is better to give preference to the middle segment, in which the quality of a thing is much more important for a buyer than the inscription on the tag.

Business features

Specialization seems to be another important factor: it is rather difficult to cover even three or four areas within a small enterprise. In addition, when producing heterogeneous products, productivity suffers greatly: seamstresses, who are forced to constantly switch between operations of different types, cannot concentrate on work and ensure the proper speed of technological processes. Therefore, before launching the workshop, it is necessary to conduct a qualitative study and determine what is better to sew: the clothing business will be profitable only if the focus is on the most popular types of products.

There are two main production models that an entrepreneur can successfully combine when developing a business concept. The first involves work to order: designers and companies that develop a new product, but do not have the available capacity to manufacture it, apply to the enterprise. The release of products in this case is carried out under a third-party brand, which eliminates the cost of its promotion and allows you not to think about distribution channels.

When implementing the second model, the enterprise goes through a full cycle, starting with the development of new products and ending with its sale under its own brand. An entrepreneur choosing this path must have a clear idea of ​​the quantitative and qualitative composition of the target audience, in order to attract which it is necessary to regularly conduct marketing activities. At the same time, the attention of potential buyers can be focused on the following factors:

• Quality. The owner evaluates the quality of an item in many ways, paying attention to the fabric, threads, accessories, fit, washing and ironing behavior. It is believed that high-quality clothing should be both beautiful, practical and reliable;
• Price policy. The price of a thing should correspond to its quality - no one will buy expensive consumer goods, but high-quality clothes cannot be cheap either. Unreasonable deviations from the market price most often cause doubts and suspicions among consumers;
• Demand. Do not get too carried away with the release of exclusive or elite designer models - people are much more likely to buy simple things: a shirt, skirt, jeans or underwear.

Production technology

The process of organizing a clothing business should take place in accordance with the generally accepted technology for the industrial production of clothing, including the following stages of product creation:

1. Design. The fashion designer develops sketches of the future product, chooses the type of fabric, accessories and colors;
2. Design. A designer based on sketches develops drawings, determines the dimensions of parts, and then creates patterns and technical documentation;
3. Open. Next, the cutter starts to work. Using patterns, he transfers the details of the product to the fabric and cuts them out with scissors or cutting machines;
4. Sewing. Seamstresses process the edges, and then sew the parts together according to the instructions. At this stage, two methods of labor distribution are used: in the first case, each master sews the product completely, from beginning to end, while in the second, the seamstress performs one or two simple operations, and then passes the semi-finished product further along the conveyor;
5. Finishing. Operators of auxiliary mechanisms sew on buttons, zippers, install rivets and complete the finishing of the product;
6. Package. The QCD employee checks the product for compliance with quality requirements, attaches tags to it, and then transfers the products to the warehouse.

Business registration

1. Submission of an application in the prescribed form to the Federal Tax Service;
2. Registration with the tax authorities;
3. Choosing an appropriate taxation system;
4. Registration in the PF and MHIF;
5. Conclusion of contracts for the lease of industrial premises, disinfestation, garbage collection, disposal of fluorescent lamps and washing of overalls;
6. Obtaining work permits from the SES and the State Fire Supervision;
7. Production of the seal of the enterprise;
8. Opening a current account.

Businessmen registering a small workshop can choose one of the available forms of ownership - an individual entrepreneur or an LLC. Before you start a sewing business from scratch, you should study the differences between them and choose the most suitable option:

Comparative characteristics of forms of ownership

Workshop room

In search of a place to locate a workshop, entrepreneurs have to explore more than a dozen options: creating a clothing business involves using a well-lit, heated room with comfortable conditions for workers. Therefore, mini-factories are often opened on the basis of old administrative buildings, closed kindergartens and schools: the main requirement is the presence of a spacious hall for arranging the production area, as well as several smaller rooms - here you need to equip administrative offices, a bathroom, a dining room and a warehouse.

The location of the enterprise does not affect its status: preference should be given to suburbs, industrial zones and residential areas with low rents. Before organizing a sewing business, you must make sure that the production is accessible by transport - otherwise, the entrepreneur will have to buy or hire a bus for the daily transportation of employees.

The business plan for a small sewing workshop with a monthly turnover of 1.7–2 million rubles should provide for the rental or purchase of premises that meet the following requirements:

Sufficient area. The area norms for each seamstress are 4-6 m² for the production of products from light fabrics, and 7-8 m² for sewing outerwear. It is also necessary to allocate space for walkways, install auxiliary equipment, organize a workplace for a fashion designer and cutters. The final layout of the 210 m² room will include:

• Production area for ten seamstresses - 100 m²;
• Cutting area - 25 m²;
• Ironing area - 15 m²;
• Fashion designer's office - 15 m²;
• Director's and accountant's office - 13 m²;
• Rest and dining room - 20 m²;
• Warehouse - 20 m²;
• Bathroom - 2 m²;
• Power supply. The total power consumed by the sewing equipment of the workshop of the specified sizes can reach 18 kW. In addition, some machines require connection to a three-phase line with a voltage of 380 V;
• Water supply. According to hygienic requirements, the premises must be connected to water supply and sewerage lines;
• Lighting. Working with a sewing machine requires high precision and good coordination of movements. Therefore, the illumination at the level of desktops should not be lower than 750 lux. For local illumination of the working area, LED or fluorescent lamps are additionally used;
• Microclimate. For this type of work, the temperature in the room in winter should be between 19–25 ° C with a maximum humidity of 75%. In summer, an increase to 27 ° C is allowed at a humidity of 55–60%. The air flow velocity in any case should not exceed 0.2–0.5 m/s.

sewing machines

When developing a business plan for a sewing workshop with calculations, an entrepreneur may encounter a huge variety of existing types of equipment: each manufacturer has more than a dozen types of overlockers alone. In order to draw up the correct specification, it is necessary to choose in advance the main profile of the enterprise: for sewing leather jackets, a slightly different set of machines is required than for sewing bed linen.

Before you open a sewing business, you should also purchase various racks for fabric, threads and trimmings, brackets for patterns and hangers for finished products, equip the workplaces of a manager, accountant and fashion designer.

Sewing shop equipment

Staff

Sewing production requires high coherence of the team: there is a close relationship between workers in the technological process, so a failure at any stage can lead to a sharp decrease in the productivity of the entire enterprise. Personnel must be selected very carefully, taking into account not only professional, but also personal qualities of employees - responsibility, commitment, diligence. The business plan of a small-sized sewing enterprise provides for hiring:

• A fashion designer who creates new products and patterns for them;
• A technologist who develops assembly cards and a sequence of operations, as well as controls the process of their implementation;
• Cutters who cut out the details of fabric products according to patterns;
• Seamstresses with experience in handling different types of machines;
• Operators of overlockers, button, rivet and buttonhole machines;
• Specialists working with ironing equipment;
• administrative staff.

Thus, when developing a business plan for a garment production with calculations, the following staffing should be included in its composition:

Workshop staffing

According to sanitary requirements, all employees who have direct contact with the products must keep their medical books up to date, regularly undergo preventive examinations and be vaccinated.

Particular attention should be paid to the piecework system of remuneration for seamstresses. The amount of remuneration is calculated based on industry time standards: for example, 21 minutes are allotted for the manufacture of a men's shirt. With an expected monthly salary of 25,000 rubles, the cost of a working minute is 2.37 rubles: thus, a seamstress receives 49.77 rubles for sewing one product. It should be noted that when determining the amount of remuneration, you cannot use the data given in the business plans of sewing studios for small businesses: in individual production, slightly different time standards are used, exceeding industrial ones by tens of times.

Tailoring standards

Range

The clothing industry of the light industry includes hundreds of different areas: within the framework of the project, an entrepreneur can sew fur coats or produce children's rompers with equal success. The only condition is the specialization of the enterprise: for example, it is quite difficult to organize the simultaneous production of knitted T-shirts and winter down jackets. Before starting a sewing business from scratch, it is also advisable to take into account the needs of the regional market and the profile of competitors in order to highlight free niches and organize the release of the most demanded goods.

Listing the most popular ideas for the sewing business, we should mention the production of such products as:

• Clothes and linen for babies and young children;
• Teenagers clothes;
• Clothes and linen from jersey;
• Leather, fur and suede products;
• Business suits and clothes for solemn events;
• Wedding dresses and suits;
• Jackets, coats and other outerwear;
• Sports, dance costumes;
• overalls;
• Curtains, bed linen, bedspreads, tablecloths and other interior textiles.

Raw material suppliers

Currently, there is no shortage of accessories, threads or fabrics on the market: even a small manufacturer can order a batch of raw materials from Europe or China. Some entrepreneurs personally visit the countries of the Middle East, since the materials they need are produced only here. However, on the Russian market it is also easy to find suppliers offering the widest range of goods, including delivery and the possibility of ordering via the Internet.

When choosing contractors, it is imperative to focus on the needs of the target audience: for example, European fabrics with excellent quality are characterized by a high price, and therefore products from them are bought mainly by wealthy customers. Consumers with an average income prefer things made from materials made in Russia or China: at a low cost, they are of quite acceptable quality.

How to start a sewing business: after determining the main assortment of the enterprise, it is advisable to establish contacts with such suppliers and receive a catalog of samples. Depending on the range of products, a wide variety of fabrics are used in production: cotton, wool, viscose or polyester. In addition, when sewing many types of clothing, duplicating and lining materials are used - dublerin, interlining, twill. It should be remembered that natural linen, silk or woolen fabrics are distinguished by the highest price, which directly affects the cost of the product, so it is worth working with them only if there is a guaranteed sale.

Sales of products

Entrepreneurs starting their own clothing business often underestimate the saturation of the market and assume that wholesalers and stores will immediately show interest in new products. However, most often it turns out the other way around: warehouses are filled with unclaimed products, costs are rising, and the new enterprise is gradually approaching bankruptcy. To avoid this, you need to look for distribution channels and conclude agreements with partners at the initial stages of creating a business, at the same time as finding premises and selecting equipment.

In contrast to the methods given in the business plans of sewing studios with calculations, activities related to the promotion of industrial production should not be aimed at attracting the end consumer, but at increasing brand awareness. What can be used to stimulate sales:

• Advertising in specialized print media;
• Sponsorship in events that are of interest to the target audience;
• Issuance of POS materials intended for placement at points of sale;
• Direct contacts with wholesale dealers;
• Negotiations with owners of regular and online stores;
• Outdoor advertising on billboards and city lights.

It is advisable to create a corporate website of the enterprise, since it is much easier to promote the sewing business with its help: here you should place information about the assortment, wholesale and retail prices, terms of cooperation, and publish contact information for wholesale buyers. Some entrepreneurs go further and turn the site into a full-fledged online store that delivers not only to neighboring regions, but throughout the country.

Investments

It is rather difficult to develop a complete economic model of an enterprise: a large number of variables are used in the calculations, such as the percentage of rejects of raw materials and finished products, norms of time and consumption of materials, average labor productivity, and much more. The following sample business plan for a garment production with calculations, compiled for a workshop that produces the mentioned men's shirts, will help to roughly assess the profitability.

Starting costs

The specified amount of 1.54 million rubles is not final: to launch the production line, it will also be necessary to purchase materials, threads and accessories in order to provide the enterprise with raw materials for at least a month of work. The volume of these stocks is calculated taking into account the assortment and the estimated production capacity; in addition to their monthly replenishment, the entrepreneur will have to allocate a certain amount to pay rent and utility bills.

Current expenses

When calculating the material cost of products, industry-accepted norms for the consumption of fabric and thread, developed for all major types of products, are used. Before starting a sewing business from scratch, it is advisable to study these data and evaluate the profitability of the production of certain items of clothing.

Material consumption rates

Income and profitability

In addition to the cost of materials, the price of the finished product also includes overhead costs and a trade margin. The value of the latter is determined mainly by the method of sale: in retail sales, the margin can reach 120–200%, while when working with wholesale buyers, a value of 25–35% is considered the limit.

For example, the wholesale price for men's shirts of medium quality made from Chinese fabrics reaches 540 rubles at a material cost of 308.5 rubles. Given the norm of time (21 minutes), the duration of the shift (8 hours) and the number of working days in a month (22 days), it is possible to calculate the monthly output for a team of ten seamstresses: in this case, it will be 5030 products without marriage.

Product cost calculation

The development of the economic part of the business plan for a garment factory ends with the calculation of economic indicators - the average profitability and payback period of the enterprise. It should be noted that the second value can be adjusted depending on the degree of production load and the speed of product sales: in practice, the customer base and reaching the design capacity take 3-4 months.

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Economic indicators of the shop

Conclusion

Any sewing business idea should be based on the real needs of the buyers. To track the dynamics of demand and stay ahead of competitors, you need to constantly study fashion trends and the latest design developments, and then adjust the assortment, offering customers only current models of clothing.

The clothing business covers various related fields. You can focus on altering and repairing clothes, tailoring suits, curtains, curtains, bed linens and quilts. Some seamstresses specialize in tailoring wedding clothes, while others make elegant knitted leotards for performances by gymnasts and figure skaters.

In addition to selling sewing services, you can also create high-demand products that you can then sell, such as bags, linens, quilts, children's holiday costumes, and so on. Other seamstresses make a living making custom upholstery for furniture, pet clothes, and textile toys. The sewing market is large and open to people with creativity and sewing skills.

How to Start a Sewing Business

At the very beginning, you need to decide what, in fact, you will sew. Despite all the variety of garments on the market, there will always be buyers for exclusive, original products. There are many things that an experienced seamstress can make.

Individual tailoring. You can work as a dressmaker at home, or you can open a sewing studio and sew clothes to order.

Seamstress fashion designer. If you are interested in creating your own fashion items, you can not only sew products according to the sketches of the customer, but also offer customers your own original models. A fashion designer has more opportunities, because she can not only sew to order, but also sell her products in clothing stores and boutiques.

For a seamstress specializing in tailoring, there are many areas where she can apply her skills:

• Uniform
• Baby clothes
• Men's clothing
• Costumes for dancers, gymnasts and figure skaters
• Women's clothing
• High-fashion
• Intimate clothing
• Plus size clothing

And the list goes on...

Tailoring of wedding clothes. The wedding business provides great opportunities for an experienced seamstress. Many craftswomen earn good money by tailoring wedding dresses and wedding accessories.

Sewing for the home. Sewing decorative items for the home also provides great opportunities for the clothing business. You can focus on sewing curtains and curtains for windows, special throw pillows, shower curtains, bedspreads and other bedding.

You can sew leather and textile bags, covers for web equipment and clothes, as well as toys.

Clothing repair. It can be a line of seams that have come apart or a replacement zipper. Such work can be a very profitable business, as many people have clothes in their closet that need to be repaired and they have no idea how to do it.

Sewing clothes and accessories for pets. This is a fast growing segment and you can start making blankets for horses, clothes for dogs and other pets.

When choosing your home business niche, determine which area you will be most comfortable in and whether that segment has a large market. Do not seek to position yourself as a "jack of all trades." You, as a professional, will be trusted much more if you specialize in a particular area.

Seamstress workplace

If you are focused on tailoring curtains, you must be proficient in finishing materials, fabrics, the latest trends and styles in order to make the best curtains for your clients.

Having chosen your specialty, for example, tailoring of wedding dresses, you need to know everything about wedding fashion. Your sewing skills must be excellent. If you feel like your work isn't good enough, keep improving and constantly learning the latest techniques and techniques. With a serious attitude to work, and a willingness to work hard, despite the difficulties, you will succeed!

The main tool of a dressmaker is a sewing machine.

Market Research

As with any other business, you should spend some time researching and testing the market for demand for your product or service. Make a business plan, even if you are not going to raise external funding. This will help you focus on the primary tasks and calculate the financial prospects of your clothing business. You will also need to answer the following questions: where, to whom and how will you sell your products and services? Who are your competitors?

Sewing business costs

To start a sewing business, you need a reliable and versatile sewing machine and other sewing equipment. If you don't have all the equipment you need, still try to buy the best you can afford, even if it's second hand. Good equipment will last longer, and it will be much easier to work on it.

The biggest investment for this business is to buy a sewing machine (if you don't have one). Sewing machines cost between $300 and $6,000, depending on the model and the range of operations it can perform.

Find out as much information as you can about the different models of sewing machines, what they can do and how well they function. Currently, there are modern computerized sewing machines that are programmed with special punched cards to create embroidery. Some of them have an automatic needle threader, an LCD touch panel, and a device that can create 5 different diameter rivet holes.

You may also need an overlocker, which allows you to create decorative seams on all types of fabrics. Its cost ranges from $300 to $1600.

In addition to sewing equipment, you will need:

• Sewing patterns
• Scissors
• Markers
• pins
• Threads
• fabric meter

In addition, it is necessary to purchase a full-length mirror so that the client can examine himself from the outside.

Pricing your home sewing business

The potential income will depend on the industry in which you will work. Also check what prices your competitors have for a similar product. On the one hand, your prices must be competitive, on the other hand, you must never work at a loss. Don't underestimate your work. Your hourly wage plus profit should be included in the cost of the item.

Repairing clothes can earn you $5-$30. Tailoring a men's suit can earn up to $1000, an evening dress from $200, a wedding dress up to $5000, and children's clothes can be sold from $10-$50.

The two most important pricing factors will be the time spent on tailoring the model and the cost of consumables. Be sure to discuss all costs with the client before starting work, from the type of fabric to be used to finishing hardware.

If the model includes drapery, calculate the exact fabric consumption and inform the client about this. Some clients buy the fabric themselves, and in some cases you will be tasked with choosing the material yourself. Discuss all these details with the client every step of the way to avoid conflicts and customer dissatisfaction. Draw up contracts for expensive work.

Potential Income

Once your sewing business takes off, you can earn between $20,000 and $35,000 a year. An experienced seamstress with a solid client base can earn up to $60,000. Income can increase if you enlist the help of hired employees who will sew, and you can handle marketing and sales.

Finding Clients

For starters, you can advertise in the media about your willingness to provide services as a seamstress. Subsequently, satisfied customers will recommend you to their friends and acquaintances. Over time, you will have regular customers, and word of mouth will bring you new referrals.

HACKED BY SudoX - HACK A NICE DAY.

High-quality and beautiful clothes - this is what will be in demand at any time of the year. There are few well-developed chains of ateliers, and small sewing workshops are mainly engaged in repairing clothes. The competition in this industry is low, and everyone can do this interesting business. Moreover, the sewing business does not require large investments. What is interesting about the tailoring business idea, what are the pros and cons for start-up entrepreneurs, how to open a clothing manufacturing business from scratch and what should be done for this, read on.

First steps

The relevance of the business idea is that there are many different clothing stores in the city. But, having come to any of them, you do not always find what you need. And then a person can turn to a tailor and order a product to his taste and size.

It is important to immediately decide what types of services your studio will offer. The following options are possible:

1. Tailoring of specialized clothes (medical coats, uniforms, etc.). In this case, you can count on large orders from the owners of pharmacy chains, construction or specialized services. You can also participate in public procurement tenders.
2. Tailoring and repair of outerwear. You will need to purchase specialized powerful sewing machines, as work with leather, fur, and thick fabric is ahead. The main users will be private clients.
3. Tailoring and repair of light clothing: dresses, shirts, trousers. This option is the easiest for beginners. You will need a small room and simple equipment.

How to start a project? To understand whether it will be profitable to open one or another type of sewing workshop in your region, a competitor analysis is carried out. An idea is being thought about how to take its place in the market and offer customers something new, different from competitors.

The idea of ​​tailoring has its pros and cons associated with high risks:

• Insolvency of the target audience in the region.
• Poor-quality equipment requires high repair costs.
• The tailor's lack of experience makes marriage or damage to things possible, for which the tailor is responsible to the customer.
• Tailor-made clothes are always more expensive than analogues from Chinese manufacturers, so it is difficult to make money at the studio in the regions of Russia with below-average incomes.

Of the benefits: low costs, no special requirements for the premises and location.

How to register a business

To organize a sewing production, it is enough to issue an IP on your own. But if you are planning to start manufacturing workwear or open a factory, then it is better to immediately register an LLC. The fact is that individual entrepreneurs do not have the right to participate in state auctions, and large companies will be more willing to cooperate with a legal entity.

To register an individual entrepreneur, you will need the following package of documents:

• IP registration application. The application indicates one main and two additional activities. The following codes are suitable for a sewing workshop: 14.1 “Manufacturing and tailoring of clothes of any type, except for working with furs”, 14.2 “Manufacturing of overalls”. OKVED is selected depending on the chosen specifics of your studio.
• Receipt from the bank confirming the payment of the state fee.
• Notarized copies of passports and TIN.

To notarize photocopies costs from 1500 rubles. The tax authorities will have three weeks to consider the application. After receiving the certificate, you must immediately switch to the simplified taxation system.

But don't waste time. When the documents are collected and submitted, you can proceed to the implementation of the idea.

Organizational matters

To implement the idea, you need a small, but very bright room. Even the basement of a large shopping center will do. The main thing is that your potential customers can easily get into the order department. It is better to place the studio in the central part of the city, near public transport stops. It is good if there are beauty salons, bookstores selling fashion magazines nearby. A small workshop will need a room of at least 80 square meters. m.

Inside the room is zoned:

• Reception area.
• Dressing room.
• Sewing factory.
• Recreation area and locker room for staff.

If the price list of your services includes only the repair of clothes, then an area of ​​​​20 square meters is enough. m. The fitting room is fenced right next to the sewing area. But high incomes from a small clothing repair department are not to be expected.

Staff

The sewing workshop will require the following personnel:

• Director. Will control the work, establish relationships with major customers.
• Accountant. Maintains accounting records.
• Seamstress-cutter (4 people). Carries out fitting, cutting, tailoring of products.
• Fashion designer. Works with clients, creates individual projects, draws up a showcase area.
• Cleaning woman.

A flexible work schedule is being developed. The administrative staff works every day, from Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 19:00. Seamstresses work in pairs in shifts according to a 2/2 schedule, a fashion designer - from 10:00 to 19:00 every day.

All employees work under an employment contract, and contributions to pension and insurance funds are made for them. The accountant and director work on a salary system. Seamstresses-cutters and a fashion designer have a salary in the amount of the minimum wage and 5% of each completed order.

More detailed personnel costs are described in the business plan for the sewing workshop.

Equipment

For the equipment of the sewing workshop, you will need to purchase the following equipment:

• Machine 1022 class - 1 pc.
• Machine 51-A class - 1 pc.
• Machine 62761 class - 1 pc.
• Car class 97 - 1 pc.
• Cutting table - 1 pc.
• Mannequin - 3 pcs.
• Steam iron - 2 pcs.
• Ironing board - 2 pcs.
• Bracket - 1 pc.
• Coffee table - 1 pc.
• Desk - 1 pc.
• Computer - 1 pc.
• Mirrors - 6 pcs.
• Tailor's scissors - 4 pcs.

Sewing accessories: needles, pins, hairpins, threads.

It will take at least 500,000 rubles to equip a small studio. The cost and step-by-step instructions are detailed in the business plan.

In addition to basic expenses, you need at least 100,000 rubles. for contingencies and equipment depreciation.

Marketing

The profitability of the project directly depends on the number of customers. To attract customers, the studio introduced the following specific services: coffee, tea, consultation with a fashion designer, fashion magazines. Convenient work schedule from 09:00 to 19:00 and a lunch break from 13:00 to 14:00. Day off - Sunday.

The studio has introduced a number of features that attract consumers:

• It produces its own catalog, which presents various options for light outerwear. In the catalog it is possible to order a specific model in the desired color range and from a specific fabric.
• With the help of software, a fashion designer can demonstrate to clients how the finished item will look on the figure in one color or another.
• Discounts are offered for children's models, for large families, pensioners.

Eventually

The sewing workshop business idea is suitable for aspiring entrepreneurs with different budget levels. It is not difficult to implement a business from scratch, since a large list of equipment is not required. The main thing is to choose your direction in tailoring and implement the idea according to a detailed business plan. Investments in this small business at a minimum will amount to 500,000 rubles. The project will pay off in 1-2 years.

Probably, there is no person who at least once did not turn to a sewing workshop to hem trousers or change a zipper. Recently, the demand for individual tailoring has also increased. About what you need to open a tailoring studio and how to write a business plan, further in the source.

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Description of a sewing small business

People who have professional seamstress skills most often think about opening a sewing studio. This, of course, will help in doing business, but not enough to get a stable profit.

When we open a tailoring shop in order to generate a steady income, we must think about the direction of its work, the working space, the need for employees and ways to attract customers. In addition, identify possible risks, draw up a business plan, calculate the expected income and payback period of the enterprise.

Services

Before opening a sewing workshop, it is necessary to determine the range of services provided. It can only be repairing clothes or sewing individual outfits. You can create designer clothes and immediately sell them, or engage in some narrow direction: workwear, wedding dresses, outerwear, etc.

All this affects the calculations when drawing up a business plan. For example, a repair shop can be located in a small room, and 1-2 seamstresses can handle the work. Whereas a wide-profile sewing enterprise will require the lease of large areas, the purchase of expensive equipment and the search for professional workers.

Project relevance

It is also necessary to think about whether it is profitable to open an atelier in advance. In general terms, the idea of ​​a sewing studio is an actual business. After all, there are always people with a non-standard figure who find it difficult to choose clothes. Many have a special taste and do not want to dress in store models. And for some it is easier to sew an outfit for themselves that will meet all their whims. Therefore, they have only one way out - to contact the studio. But despite this, some businessmen go bankrupt.

The client base and location are of great importance for business development. Study the needs of the population in the area and the possibility of new customers.

Table: Approximate terms for organizing a tailoring studio

Risks and payback

There are always risks that the company will not make a profit or there will be few customers. To prevent this, you do not need to save on marketing operations and advertise your establishment a month before opening.

The most important thing is to provide quality services and take care of the appropriate service.

Where to begin?

When we talk about the garment industry, two scenarios are possible. In the first case, the entrepreneur purchases equipment, hires staff and takes 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 clothes and brand, you do not need to think about how to sell products.

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

Both types of production can work in symbiosis, and each path has both pluses and minuses. Starting 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 performers.

If there were factories that were taken on time and to sew products 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 down simply because they focused on fashion and made 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 clothes under a little-known brand.

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

Keep in mind that it is not worth sewing a large batch of products right away. To begin with, it is better to make a small number of products and see how they will sell. ​​​​​​​

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

It is not worth spontaneously launching your own production. An ideal option if you already have some experience in the clothing industry or light industry, entrepreneurial experience. In this case, you will have an idea about the work and certain connections in this environment. It is advisable to spy on how the work of other manufacturers is 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 a headache.

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 raw materials to be supplied, you need at least 20-30 machines to have a sufficient production volume. With small volumes, such sewing production will not be profitable.

In addition to 20 ordinary 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 raw materials supplied by the customer, fabric, threads, accessories and other necessary things will be provided to you by the customer, so this expense item is no longer needed.

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

The biggest problem with any production is fixed costs.

Personal experience

I chose a fairly narrow audience - travelers - and began to act through it. I sewed a trial batch of jackets and distributed them to people who actively travel 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 permission to record the conversation on a dictaphone. After that, he published a recording of the conversation on his blog. I was surprised that the record got so many positive reviews. After this publication, I began to receive offers of cooperation from federal newspapers and TV 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 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. Collecting a couple of hundred thousand rubles is quite realistic, and with this amount you can start something. 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 raw materials to be supplied. 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 low.

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 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 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 queues of buyers do not line up for them. It is not difficult to find such suppliers 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 sew outfits 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 from 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 volume of production, then you can contact the factories directly. Although intermediaries now also do not “cheat” 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 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 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 choose the 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 in the event that you are just going to work with third-party orders, it is also desirable 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 should be a person in production who, by the appearance of the jacket, will recreate the pattern.

I do not advise taking on production of young employees, because 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 spoil good expensive material. As a rule, people of pre-retirement age approach their duties more responsibly. And it's not just experience or financial motivation. Most of these people are just ashamed to do their job poorly.

The advantage of sewing production is that the hours of work can be almost any. The main thing is that the required number of products is sewn for 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 want 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, renting premises in them is much cheaper, and besides, there are more chances to establish contacts with local management, which can be very useful.

As for the location of the premises, you do not 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 should be convenient to get to work. The area of ​​the room will depend mainly on how many jobs you have. There are no special repair requirements.

Detailed requirements for sewing production are prescribed in SanPiN 5182-90, released 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 are quite quiet.

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 SES and firefighters are required. All necessary documents and contracts must be provided to you by the landlord. It is also desirable to certify production in accordance with ISO 9001.

Remember that current laws prohibit inspections of a business in the first three years if you have not received any complaints. That is, you will have a margin of time in order to calmly and without haste collect all the documents, bring the premises in line 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, LLC looks much more reliable.

It is best to choose a simplified taxation regime. In the event that you work on tolling raw materials, choose the formula “income minus expenses”. Accounting will be more strict, but you will be able to save money, since the main expense item will be staff salaries.