Where to start sewing production? Sewing business from scratch: how to open a sewing workshop

If you are concerned about the question of how to open a sewing shop from scratch, we will describe in detail how much such an undertaking costs and draw up a business plan based on average indicators. But to achieve success in this type of activity, you need to apply not only organizational talent, but also a creative approach to finding your niche.

For a beginner in business, it is important to go through the whole process step by step, tackling issues gradually. And so as not to forget anything, we will describe each item in detail. And since opening a sewing workshop for tailoring clothes has its own characteristics, we will dwell on the nuances and distinctive characteristics of this enterprise.

Where to start?

Before you start organizing any business, you need to look around and study the market in a particular region. Assess the demand for various types of textiles, clothing, soft toys and other things that you could offer to the end consumer. Establish the number and level of main competitors in the selected industry. This is the only way you can decide whether it’s worth doing something like this and whether it’s profitable.

It is very important to decide on the product range. Some types of clothing, for example, are provided on the market in too many quantities and at an affordable price, which will be difficult to compete with. Other goods may be in short supply, but the demand for them is extremely high. This is the best market segment to conquer.

Only by coming up with a unique and profitable idea of ​​what exactly you will sew, you can achieve success even with minimal investment. But this will require time and imagination. After all, it is not worthwhile to reduce the cost of your products due to low quality fabrics or poor work of inept employees. You must offer something needed, of high quality and at an affordable price for the buyer.

It is very important to take into account not only the wishes of future clients, but also your own capabilities, mainly financial. By drawing up a competent business plan with calculations at the very beginning, you will know exactly how much it costs to open a sewing shop of the desired size and how quickly your investment will pay off.

Business registration

To act within the law, you will need to go through the bureaucratic part of organizing your enterprise. First you need to register as an individual entrepreneur (individual entrepreneur) or LLC (limited liability company). In the first case, you submit the following documents:

• a receipt for payment of state duty in the amount of 800 rubles;
• application in form P21001;
• copies of all pages of the civil passport;
• you clarify the taxation system, for example, when choosing the simplified taxation system (simplified scheme), or you remain on the general one, which, in principle, is unprofitable for small businesses.

When organizing a legal entity, you will need a little more documents:

1. Receipt for payment of a fee in the amount of 4,000 rubles.
2. Similar application to the previous one, but form 11001 is selected.
3. If there is a single owner, a decision to create a company is submitted. If the enterprise has several co-founders, then an opening protocol is drawn up.
4. An LLC charter is also created.
5. Copies of passports of all owners of the company.
6. Statement on the chosen taxation system.

When opening an individual entrepreneur, the number of days for reviewing and issuing relevant documents is much less than when creating a legal entity. All you have to do is wait for a response from the tax service.

It is important to clarify the code of the selected activity of the enterprise in the documents. It could be:

• 21 – when sewing workwear;
• 22 – if you chose outerwear;
• 24 – indicates other types of goods and various accessories.

A separate stage will be obtaining permits from the SES, GPN and Rospotrebnadzor. To avoid any problems with these authorities, you need to find out in advance the full list of their requirements for organizing the workplace and arranging the sewing workshop in order to bring the premises to the specified parameters.

Production volumes

How much money you need at the start, the number of staff, the size of the premises, the sales market and much more will depend on your ambitions. Therefore, it is advisable from the very beginning to think about what volumes of goods you intend to produce and sell.

If this is a small enterprise, then the number of finished products produced per day will be limited to 25-50 units. To open such a business, an investment of 400 thousand rubles is enough. At the same time, you can concentrate on some unique and exclusive offer, and set prices above market prices.

If you have the desire and opportunity to create a large enterprise with access to the wholesale market and for sales throughout the country, daily production turnover increases to 150-200 products per day. In this case, the starting capital must be at least 5 million rubles. Not everyone can afford this.

But the result of the activity will not keep you waiting long. Even with the cost of finished products at a minimum level, due to large quantities of goods, you can quickly achieve payback and make a significant profit in a short period of time.

Find your niche

As already mentioned, you should decide what exactly you will sew. There are the following directions:

1. Clothing, which, in turn, is divided into women's, men's, children's, outerwear, sports, special (uniforms), home, holiday, business, etc.
2. Fabric toys.
3. Various textiles (curtains, towels, etc.).
4. Accessories (scarves, bags), etc.

In accordance with this, it will be necessary to find workers who know how to make just such products and purchase special equipment. In order to expand the range and create interesting offers for customers, you can sometimes combine some of the options. For example, when sewing children's clothing, we can also produce various accessories for mothers or toys for babies.

Process

Every seamstress knows what stages clothes go through before they can be used for their intended purpose. Nevertheless, we will list the main stages of work in order to more rationally organize the production process and distribute the premises into zones.

• At the initial stage, the style itself is invented and the future product is designed, a sketch is drawn. This is what a fashion designer or designer does. He thinks over not only the silhouette, but also selects the color scheme, suitable material, etc.
• Next, you need to transfer the idea onto the fabric with a certain accuracy and make calculations for each detail. This is the work of a designer who creates a drawing to implement a creative idea. He develops patterns, specifies the dimensions of the future product, draws up technical documentation and calculates the amount of material that will be needed.
• Cut out the fabric itself.
• Every detail is processed and the finished product is sewn together.

If your atelier is small, with a limited staff, then the functions of a fashion designer and designer can be performed by a cutter. He communicates with clients, clarifies their wishes, takes measurements, cuts out details and controls the entire process. Separately, in the sewing workshop, they process the fabric according to the instructions and connect the parts of the product to each other.

Choosing a room

The location of the workshop itself is not of fundamental importance. It will be more profitable if it is located somewhere on the outskirts or even outside the city, in industrial areas. So, the rent will be lower, which will save your costs.

But the size of the studio is of great importance. The documents indicate that one employee must have at least 7 sq. m. of free space. Therefore, depending on the expected production turnover and the number of hired personnel, it will be necessary to accurately calculate the dimensions of the building.

In addition to the sewing workshop, there should be other areas, such as a warehouse, a cutting room, ironing areas, staff rest areas and a bathroom. Taking this into account, the minimum dimensions of the rented premises are approximately 60-70 square meters. m. It is important to take care of sanitary standards, lighting, ventilation and heating. Remember that the building must meet all the requirements of regulatory services.

We buy equipment

The most expensive part in the process of organizing a business will be the acquisition of specialized equipment, tools and other equipment. In this case, it is very important to make an accurate calculation of what equipment and in what quantity you will need.

Also pay attention to models, power and other parameters, since the speed of production and the quality of finished products will depend on them. You should not save on important equipment, because its breakdowns and repairs will lead to downtime. And poor-quality equipment will ruin expensive fabric.

You can pay attention to domestic car models, as they are of high quality and affordable cost. If you purchase used equipment, you need to evaluate its condition so that you don’t have to deal with unexpected costs later.

So, for small production volumes you will need:

1. Cutting tables.
2. Straight stitch machines.
3. Overlocker and cover stitcher.
4. Steam generator.
5. Several irons.
6. Special ironing press.
7. Working surfaces for basting parts and smoothing fabric.
8. Button apparatus.
9. Shelving.
10. Tools – knives, scissors, chalk, pins, needles, etc.

Staff

You will definitely need to hire a certain number of people to perform the various stages of sewing products. The result of the business will largely depend on the level of their training, since experienced craftsmen will be able to work faster and more accurately. But here you will need to masterfully think through the ratio of price and quality.

So, to save money, it is profitable to hire about 60-70% of highly qualified specialists, and hire recent students for the remaining jobs. As a result, the former will teach the latter all the intricacies of the business, the team will work harmoniously, and you will partially reduce wage costs.

If we talk about the specialists that will be required, then these should be:

• cutters;
• seamstresses;
• cleaning woman;
• a person responsible for receiving orders or selling products in bulk, for example, a manager.

If you plan to immediately start with large volumes of production, then additionally hire a fashion designer or designer, as well as an accountant. If the focus of the business is narrow, attention should be paid to the appropriate specialization of each seamstress. To motivate key employees to fulfill the production plan, set payment for work on a “salary plus interest” system.

Consumables

In order for the manufactured product to be of high quality, you need to purchase appropriately good fabrics, threads, decorative elements and accessories. To do this, find a reliable supplier, or even better, cooperate directly with textile manufacturers. When purchasing raw materials from the factory, you will significantly save on this type of cost.

You can also search for the desired fabrics and other components at wholesale stores in this area or study offers on the Internet. The main thing is not to get lost in your priorities - by trying to save money by using cheap and low-quality raw materials, you will ruin the reputation of your company.

Even before the launch of the first batch of goods, it is advisable to worry about where you will sell the finished products. And although it does not have an expiration date and almost does not deteriorate, it is still not recommended to keep textile products in a warehouse for a long time. Firstly, they will go out of fashion. Secondly, over time the product will lose its attractive appearance. And thirdly, the business will not develop, and you will be left without profit.

The whole idea of ​​organizing a sewing enterprise is to sell the goods produced. Therefore, you need to find a permanent market for your products. For this purpose, you can enter into agreements with private stores, retail chains, pavilions selling textiles or clothing. Some entrepreneurs, if they have enough finance, open their own stores.

To promote your business, you can use the available advertising methods:

1. Through the media.
2. Announcements.
3. Internet.
4. Create your own website with photographs of the main models and prices for them.
5. Make business cards.
6. Conduct screenings.

When sewing workwear, it will be enough to conclude a cooperation agreement with plants, factories and other industrial buildings. Then you can fulfill their orders on an ongoing basis.

When sewing exclusive products, you need to pay special attention to finding customers. For example, by providing high-quality and beautiful items to fit a figure with non-standard sizes, you can be sure that such customers will return more than once.

Mini studio at home

For those who do not have enough finance to immediately open a full-fledged clothing workshop, we can suggest starting with smaller volumes. In this case, it is enough to equip one of the rooms as a small workshop, where you will independently sew clothes, textiles or toys to order.

This method of organizing a business is justified when creating a limited number of exclusive and unique models. To do this, you just need to come up with unusual products and find your buyer. And only by creating a sufficiently extensive client base can you expand, rent premises and purchase specialized equipment.

Financial part

But that's not all. After all, considerable sums will be spent monthly on the maintenance of the sewing workshop.

Depending on the volume of production, as well as on the set prices and the number of buyers found, the entire income will depend. For example, per month you produce on average about 500 finished products from purchased raw materials. Price per unit – 1500 rubles. Then the revenue will be 750,000 rubles. Net profit – 375,000. As a result, full payback is achieved within two months of productive work.

But you need to understand that you may not reach such speeds right away. At first, the quantity of goods sold, even with established production, will be significantly lower. Experienced entrepreneurs say that payback is most often achieved within six months of operation of a small company.

Video: how to open a sewing production?

People will always have a demand for quality clothing, despite high competition and economic instability in the country. The sewing business niche has just begun to actively develop in our country, so you don’t have to worry about the future profitability of this business. We present a detailed business plan for sewing production, which will allow you to properly organize the business and calculate profitability and payback.

At the stage of forming a business plan, it is important to note all the risks and prospects of such production. If you approach the implementation of the project correctly, you can get a good stable income.

Sewing business: definition

This type of production belongs to the light industry. This creative direction can be directly linked to making a profit by making clothes and subsequently selling them. The main thing in the sewing business is competent implementation and clearly thought-out strategies.

In order not to make mistakes in the first stages of the sewing business, communicate with professionals and eminent craftsmen.

In the video you can learn the typical mistakes of beginners.

Video. Common mistakes when starting a sewing business

Pros and cons of sewing

The positive aspects of the business include:

1. Fast and high return on business.
2. High cost of the average check.
3. Possibility of long-term storage of products in the warehouse.

To the negative:

1. Expensive rental of premises, difficulties in finding the optimal location.
2. Low demand for specific products.
3. High level of competition in the sewing business.

Choosing the current direction

There is a huge selection of different areas in the clothing industry. You can focus on tailoring clothes for children or only for adults, workwear, and seasonal items. You can sew not only clothes, but also household items or accessories.

Any region is consistently famous for its high demand for children's clothing. If you manage to obtain a certificate for permission to sew children's products, you can get rich in a fairly short time.

It is very important to take into account the demand for a product in a certain area; for this you need to monitor the market. Careful analysis will be required to achieve a reasonable ratio of income and expenses.

At first, you can specialize in several niches to find yours. However, it is important not to overdo it; the combination of prom dresses and hammocks for summer cottages looks quite ridiculous.

Production technology from A to Z

The entire stage of sewing consists of 5 points: design, construction, cutting, sewing and finishing. Let's look at each in a little more detail.

The first point is that modeling is done by a designer or fashion designer. He draws up a sketch of the future product, determines the color scheme and suitable fabric.

The design is carried out by the designer, who must transfer the designer’s sketch into the form of a drawing. He calculates the parts and material that will be needed for sewing. At the same time, he draws up patterns and the necessary technical documentation.

In a sewing workshop, the first two steps are usually performed by the cutter. This is the person who combines the functions of a fashion designer and designer. The main stages - cutting, sewing and final finishing - take place in the sewing workshop by professionals in their field.

It is very important to establish clear production technology. This will allow the most productive use of available equipment and labor.

Business plan: main steps

Registration

When creating a clothing production, it is necessary to register the business with local authorities and pass a Fire Inspection inspection. You will also have to create an accounting department with the necessary documentation and storage facilities. Production problems will be eradicated at the very initial stages thanks to reporting, as information about the actual state of affairs will be generated.

If production involves transportation, issues related to logistics need to be resolved early.

At the first stages, a production or sewing workshop is registered as a legal entity. There are two forms of organizations: LLC and individual entrepreneur. Let's compare the package of documents for these types of organizations:

A package of documents for any type of organization is usually reviewed within 5 days. If the tax service makes a positive decision, the entrepreneur is given an extract from the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs, OGRNIP or individual entrepreneur number, acts of confirmation of registration with the Federal Tax Service and the Pension Fund and a certificate from Rosstat. The LLC's package of documents differs only in the extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and the organization's charter.

After these events, it is necessary to make a seal of the organization, its cost starts from 500 rubles. In addition, it is important to open a bank account. All costs will be about two thousand rubles.

When opening a limited liability company, the authorized capital is established; its minimum amount must be 10,000 rubles.

Selecting a room

Finding an area to locate a business that will meet all the requirements is an important step. At first, saving on rent will not hurt; it can be achieved by renting premises in remote areas of the city. The production premises must be equipped with heating, water supply and electricity.

The dimensions of the room depend entirely on the planned production volumes. If you plan to produce 200 items of clothing daily, then for comfortable and fruitful work you will need a room measuring 140 square meters or more.

The premises must comply with the requirements of the Fire Supervision Authority; in addition to the alarm system, the workshop must have fire extinguishers and evacuation plans installed.

Employees for sewing production

Workers are an integral part of this sphere. At the initial stages, the business will need experienced employees who can ensure the success of the garment production. It is worth remembering that in addition to seamstresses, such a production will need designers, managers to receive orders, accountants, mechanics, managers and support workers.

A little later, if resources allow, you can train inexperienced specialists on the basis of production, who will then become permanent employees. The percentage of beginners and inexperienced employees in production should be no more than 40%.

The optimal number of employees for a sewing workshop, according to various sources, ranges from 11 to 23 people. They can be grouped into different teams to ensure shift work.

The most optimal method for setting wages is a fixed rate with an added percentage of revenue.

In addition, you can reward employees with additional financial bonuses for achieving goals. This way you can motivate employees to do large amounts of work and encourage them to produce efficiently.

Equipment and consumables for work

To organize and effectively process sewing production you will need:

• automatic programs for clothing design;
• cutting equipment;
• sewing and embroidery machines;
• irons, steam generators and ironing boards;
• washing machines;
• printers for printing on fabrics and other specialized equipment.

For sewing, you can purchase inexpensive sewing machines from Korea or China; trusted manufacturers are not inferior in quality to European suppliers. When choosing a semi-automatic loop machine, it is better to opt for imported equipment, since domestic equipment in this area is not fully developed.

Equipment for sewing production does not have to be new. Many businessmen who get into the sewing business purchase used machines. This saves costs, but also carries certain risks. Old machines can quickly break down.

The total cost of equipment for a workshop with average production indicators will be about 200-300 thousand rubles. Specific figures depend on the type of production and its volume.

The purchase of consumables is an integral and constant cost item in sewing production. Therefore, it is important to find reliable suppliers of fabrics and accessories. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with their reputation in advance to ensure business stability. The best solution would be direct cooperation without intermediaries. Purchasing an initial base of fabrics and accessories will cost approximately 60-100 thousand rubles.

Marketing plan

In any business, it is important to consider the nuances of marketing. When drawing up a business plan, it is necessary to calculate profitability and determine specific points of sale of the product.

For promotion, it is important to conduct advertising campaigns on a regular basis. A base of regular customers should be created already in the first stages of the workshop’s operation. To do this, you need to sell products in all kinds of profitable retail outlets. It is important to remember the high quality of the products, otherwise there will be no influx of new customers.

Approximate expenses and planned profit

The average initial investment costs are:

• Documentation and registration from 10 to 20 thousand rubles.
• Repair if necessary from 20 thousand.
• Equipment from 200 to 800 thousand.
• Logistics and other expenses from 20 thousand.
• Total initial costs from 330 to 1210000.

Monthly expenses:

• Rent of premises from 30 to 50 thousand.
• Fabrics and consumables from 50 to 300 thousand.
• Salaries for employees range from 75 to 100 thousand.
• Utilities from 15 thousand.
• Logistics from 20 thousand.
• Total: from 190 to 485 thousand rubles.

Projected revenues:

• The wholesale price of one product is from 700 rubles to 1,500 thousand.
• The volume of products sold per month is approximately 500 pieces.
• Average monthly income is from 350 to 750 thousand.
• Average profit taking into account monthly expenses from 160 to 265 thousand.
• The payback period for the business is six months.

It is worth understanding that specific numbers depend on the volume of production and the individual characteristics of the business.

Sewing business: smart investment or risk

To successfully open a clothing production, it is important to familiarize yourself with all the intricacies of the light industry. Experienced economists and lawyers will help you draw up a detailed business plan tailored to specific conditions.

In such a difficult task as sewing, it is important to focus on the needs of customers. One of the main tasks is to maintain a high level of product quality. Don’t forget about the high competition in this industry. If you have not only the skills, but also the steely grip to keep your business afloat, the clothing industry will pay off for you.

Video. Business plan for opening a clothing production

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

When drawing up a business plan for clothing production, you need to determine for which consumer the products will be intended. At the initial stage, an entrepreneur should definitely 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 for the buyer the quality of an item is much more important than the inscription on the tag.

Business Features

Another important factor is specialization: it is quite difficult to cover even three or four areas within a small enterprise. In addition, when producing heterogeneous products, productivity suffers greatly: seamstresses, forced to constantly switch between operations of different types, cannot concentrate on work and ensure the proper speed of technological processes. Therefore, before launching a workshop, you need to conduct a qualitative study and determine what is best to sew: a sewing business will be profitable only if you focus 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: the company is approached by designers and companies that are developing a new product, but do not have the available capacity to manufacture it. In this case, products are released under a third-party brand, which eliminates the cost of promoting it and allows you not to think about sales channels.

When implementing the second model, the enterprise goes through a full cycle, starting with the development of new products and ending with their sale under its own brand. An entrepreneur who chooses this path must clearly understand the quantitative and qualitative composition of the target audience, to attract which it is necessary to regularly conduct marketing activities. In this case, the attention of potential buyers can be focused on the following factors:

• Quality. The owner evaluates the quality of the item based on many criteria, paying attention to the fabric, threads, accessories, fit, behavior during washing and ironing. It is believed that high-quality clothing should be beautiful, practical and reliable at the same time;
• Pricing policy. The price of a thing must correspond to its quality - no one will buy expensive consumer goods, but high-quality clothing cannot be cheap either. Unreasonable deviations from the market price most often cause doubts and suspicions among consumers;
• Demand. You shouldn’t get too carried away with the release of exclusive or elite designer models - people buy simple things much more often: a shirt, skirt, jeans or underwear.

Production technology

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

1. Design. The fashion designer develops sketches of the future product, selects the type of fabric, accessories and colors;
2. Construction. Based on sketches, the designer develops drawings, determines the dimensions of parts, and then creates patterns and technical documentation;
3. Open it up. Next, the cutter gets to work. Using patterns, he transfers the details of the product onto the fabric and cuts them out using scissors or cutting units;
4. Sewing. Seamstresses finish the edges and then sew the pieces 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 start to finish, 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 buttons, zippers, install rivets and complete the finishing of the product;
6. Package. A quality control employee checks the product for compliance with quality requirements, attaches tags to it, and then transfers the product to the warehouse.

Business registration

1. Submitting an application in the prescribed form to the Federal Tax Service;
2. Registration with tax authorities;
3. Choosing an appropriate taxation system;
4. Registration in the Pension Fund and the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund;
5. Concluding agreements on the rental of industrial premises, pest control, garbage removal, recycling of fluorescent lamps and washing of work clothes;
6. Obtaining work permits from the SES and State Fire Inspectorate;
7. Manufacturing of company seals;
8. Opening a current account.

Businessmen registering a small workshop can choose one of the available forms of ownership - individual entrepreneur or 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 premises

When looking for a place to locate a workshop, entrepreneurs have to explore dozens of options: creating a sewing 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 rent. 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 daily transportation of employees.

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

Sufficient area. The area standards for each seamstress are 4–6 m² when producing products from light fabrics, and 7–8 m² when sewing outerwear. It is also necessary to allocate space for passages, install auxiliary equipment, and organize a workplace for the 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 space - 15 m²;
• Fashion designer's office - 15 m²;
• Office of the director and accountant - 13 m²;
• Rest and meal room - 20 m²;
• Warehouse - 20 m²;
• Bathroom - 2 m²;
• Electricity supply. The total power consumed by sewing equipment of a 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 room must be connected to water supply and sewerage lines;
• Lighting. Working with a sewing machine requires high precision operations and good coordination of movements. Therefore, the illumination at the desktop level 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 room temperature in winter should be between 19–25°C with a maximum humidity of 75%. In summer, an increase to 27°C is allowed with a humidity of 55–60%. In any case, the air flow speed should not exceed 0.2–0.5 m/s.

Sewing equipment

When developing a business plan for a sewing workshop with calculations, an entrepreneur may be faced with a huge variety of existing types of equipment: each manufacturer has more than a dozen types of overlockers alone. To draw up the correct specification, you should select in advance the main profile of the enterprise: sewing leather jackets requires a slightly different set of machines than sewing bed linen.

Before opening a sewing business, you should also purchase various racks for fabric, threads and scraps, brackets for patterns and hangers for finished products, and arrange workplaces for the manager, accountant and fashion designer.

Sewing shop equipment

Staff

Sewing production requires high team coordination: in the technological process there is a close relationship between workers, 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 for a small sewing enterprise involves hiring:

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

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

Workshop staffing schedule

According to sanitary requirements, all employees who have direct contact with products must keep their medical records up to date, undergo regular preventive examinations and get vaccinated.

The piecework wage system for seamstresses deserves special attention. The amount of remuneration is calculated based on industry time standards: for example, 21 minutes are allocated for the production 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.

Standards for sewing products

Assortment

The clothing industry of the light industry includes hundreds of different areas: within the framework of a 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 opening a sewing business from scratch, it is also advisable to take into account the needs of the regional market and the profile of competitors’ activities in order to highlight free niches and organize the production of the most popular goods.

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

• Clothing and linen for babies and young children;
• Clothes for teenagers;
• Clothes and underwear made of knitwear;
• Leather, fur and suede products;
• Business suits and clothing for special occasions;
• Wedding dresses and suits;
• Jackets, coats and other outerwear;
• Sports and dance costumes;
• Workwear;
• 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 Middle Eastern countries because 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 ability to order via the Internet.

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

Where to start a sewing business: after determining the main range of the enterprise, it is advisable to establish contacts with such suppliers and obtain a catalog of samples. Depending on the product range, 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, non-woven fabric, twill. It should be remembered that natural linen, silk or woolen fabrics have 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 who start 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 the opposite happens: warehouses are filled with unclaimed products, costs rise, and the new enterprise is gradually approaching bankruptcy. To avoid this, you need to look for distribution channels and enter into agreements with partners at the initial stages of creating a business, simultaneously with searching for 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 participation in events of interest to the target audience;
• Production of POS materials intended for placement at points of sale;
• Direct contacts with wholesale resellers;
• Negotiations with owners of brick-and-mortar and online stores;
• Outdoor advertising on billboards and city lights.

It is advisable to create a corporate website for an enterprise, since it is much easier to promote a 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 quite difficult to develop a complete economic model of an enterprise: when carrying out calculations, a large number of variables are used - such as the percentage of defective raw materials and finished products, time standards and material consumption, average labor productivity and much more. The following sample business plan for a sewing production with calculations, compiled for a workshop producing the mentioned men's shirts, will help you roughly estimate the profitability.

Start-up costs

The indicated amount of 1.54 million rubles is not final: to launch the production line, you will also have to purchase materials, threads and accessories in order to provide the enterprise with raw materials for at least a month of operation. The volume of these reserves is calculated taking into account the range and 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-standard fabric and thread consumption standards are used, developed for all main types of products. Before starting a sewing business from scratch, it is advisable to study this data and evaluate the profitability of producing certain items of clothing.

Material consumption rates

Revenues and profitability

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

For example, the wholesale price for men's shirts of average quality made from Chinese fabrics reaches 540 rubles with a material cost of 308.5 rubles. Taking into account the standard time (21 minutes), the duration of the shift (8 hours) and the number of working days in the month (22 days), we can calculate the monthly production volume for a team of ten seamstresses: in this case it will be 5030 products without taking into account defects.

Product cost calculation

The development of the economic part of a business plan for a clothing factory ends with the calculation of economic indicators - 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 utilization and the speed of product sales: in practice, it takes 3–4 months to develop a customer base and reach the design capacity.

Video on the topic

Economic indicators of the workshop

Conclusion

Any idea for a clothing business should be based on the real needs of customers. To monitor 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 the latest clothing models.

Despite the dominance of cheap things, every person strives to dress and furnish their interior with better things. Needlewomen come to their aid, who, in their desire to earn money, make the world better and more attractive.

Should you start a sewing business?

This question is natural for anyone who has conceived his own business, especially sewing. Who should do this anyway, and perhaps this type of business is contraindicated for some? Let's consider the cases:

• you have a special education - you just need to decide on the range of services;
• you don’t know how to sew, but you want to do it and earn an income. Well, your desire to improve the world around you is commendable, but to make money you need to either hire someone or learn to sew yourself. Specialized magazines, courses, and websites will help you with this.

What is the purpose of starting such a business? Answer this question creatively and reasonably, the answers will later form part of your advertising campaign.

Here are sample answers:

• dress those around you stylishly, fashionably, individually;
• the desire to work with natural, high-quality fabrics and, accordingly, the desire to wear natural fabrics through which the body breathes;
• the need to bring your ideas to life, because there’s a whole closet of them accumulated!

Explain to your loved ones from the beginning what hours you work - this will eliminate misunderstandings and resentment.

Start-up investments - from scratch?

First of all, let’s think about whether it’s realistic to start without investment. The answer is unequivocal and for some crushing - yes. But just as there is relative and absolute truth, so our “yes” is relative. Regarding the grandiose business projects of the clothing world, with the opening of points in several regions, our investment in starting our own business will be zero.

Look around the room, house, apartment. Is there a place that can become your workplace? Absolutely any corner where you can put a household machine is suitable for this: your bedroom, hallway, kitchen.

In addition to the workplace, you will need the machine itself and cutting accessories (chalk/pencil, scissors, ruler, needles, threads). Very often, everyone has such things, but few people consider them as helpers in making money.

Having bought a new sewing machine, you need to check it completely within 14 days: try all the lines and loops. So that there is time to return it if a malfunction is detected.

If you don’t have a machine at home or it’s faulty, then use the services of a technician (when repairing/buying a used machine) or buy a new sewing machine for household needs. Nowadays this can be done via the Internet; many sites will pay for delivery and provide a one-year warranty.

The most expensive parts are fabrics and accessories. All capital investments depend on the focus of your production, discussed in detail below.

Sewing accessories include: threads, buttons, hooks, lace, etc.

Direction of production

A lot depends on what exactly you will be doing, including the cost of fittings.

• Slings for young mothers - make the basic pattern, and then use your imagination. Young mothers love their children and will gladly put them on their chests in exclusive slings!
• Taking measurements. It sounds absurd, but let's look at it. Imagine: you want to buy yourself a dress online. Model, shade, color - the dress is yours! But precise measurements are needed. If you remove it yourself and make a mistake, you will have to be disappointed, overpay the post office for resending the goods, waste time, and wait. Or you can take your measurements from a specialist and order any skirt or jeans without fear.
• Clothes for curvy women. Nowadays, even in specialized stores for curvy ladies and large gentlemen, you rarely find anything worthwhile, and excess weight does not indicate a person’s lack of taste. All you have to do is connect everything and make them happy. By the way, men are no less worried than women about what type of jacket to wear to hide their belly.
• Old to new. Very often you put a stain on a dress and lose your favorite thing. Make this your strong point! Somewhere an embroidery, somewhere a brooch, somewhere shortened. The girl has outgrown the dress - let's add a ruffle. Children grow quickly - lengthen the pants, insert them at the sides. Sew on a fashionable patch. It’s like clothing repair, but with creativity, with a new look at an old thing!
• Online tailoring. Sewing products to order via the Internet from high-quality fabrics. Customers will go to the website of the store with which you cooperate and have a discount, choose a fabric, then transfer money to you for its purchase and, upon receipt, pay for your work as a seamstress. This option is suitable for experienced and confident craftsmen.
• Sewing using patterns from fashion magazines. Two centuries ago, magazines for women began to be published with patterns and advice on who and how to emphasize their attractiveness. Why not make this your income?
• Correction and tailoring of wedding dresses. Nervousness before the wedding leads to a jump in the weight of the bride, her mother and friends, but your skillful hands will quickly and beautifully correct everything.
• Wedding accessories. Veil, umbrella, gloves, handbag, bouquet, boutonniere. All this, made to order, individually for each client, can become an excellent means of main income. Patterns can be taken from the Internet or bought in magazines. The main thing is to have basic patterns.
• Children's clothing. Casual and party clothes for kids will never go out of fashion, and there will always be customers.
• Sewing curtains, tablecloths, napkins, and other home decor. Nowadays, many people pay significant attention to comfort. Tablecloths and napkins return to the tables, and beautiful, decorative pillows to the sofas. Make it your label!
• Custom pajamas. Night is the time when you need to feel comfortable, and what could be more delightful than unusual pajamas! You can also add regular nightgowns here.
• Workwear. This is already an idea for mass tailoring.
• Clothes in ethnic style.

Our country is multinational and we can take advantage of this by combining it with online tailoring in order to expand the circle of clientele.

• Sewing home clothes from natural fabrics. Robes and dresses for home should be comfortable and made of high-quality fabric. Perhaps the simplest in terms of investment. Calico, chintz, and satin always had bright, beautiful prints, and every friend of yours has a mother or grandmother. Why bother coming up with a gift when you can give a comfortable dress with a good pocket for glasses and a cell phone!
• Handicrafts. There are no limits to creativity and imagination here. Pincushions, mobile phone cases, dolls and various soft toys made of felt, plush and natural fabrics. Nowadays, such toys are used to decorate homes, offices, and as gifts for weddings, anniversaries, and children.
• Sewing pillowcases, duvet covers, aprons. As an option, run-in to any of the above points.

The choice of business direction directly depends on your skills and the locality in which you live. In a small village with the Internet, you can organize almost any of them. If there is a clothing repair shop next door, it would not be ethical to do the same thing. Let's keep silent about the neighbor's indignation!

Finding clients is not the most difficult task!

There are advantages to working from home, as well as finding clients.

When searching, pay attention to:

• shops that you visit every day, even in a supermarket, you can inadvertently leave advertising leaflets on a bench or table for customers;
• social networks in which you need to create groups and post interesting notes on the topic;
• the surrounding area can be plastered with advertisements, updating them periodically;
• free bulletin boards on the Internet;
• Despite the generally accepted opinion, I do not advise you to impose your work/products on your friends, so as not to spoil the relationship. This is acceptable if a friend himself wants to buy.

All this will provide you with the first wave of buyers, clients, and it depends on you whether they will become permanent, whether they will return to you.

Features of organizing a sewing business from scratch

Having decided on the direction of your business and deciding that you can handle it, start organizing. If your scale is small, then you will save on rent and salaries. However, if you receive a larger order, you may need an assistant. If you have two machines, then you can equip a second workplace at home. It will be easier to find a seamstress who will complete the order for a piece rate payment.

When hiring a home-based seamstress, check her experience. What type of fabrics she worked with, whether she has sewing equipment - her salary will depend on this.

As you can see, it is possible to organize a sewing business from scratch and it is enough to have a reasoned incentive to make it a reality. The main rule that needs to be adopted is: fulfill even the least profitable order efficiently and soundly and everything will work out for you!

The clothing business involves making clothes and household accessories. A business in the clothing industry will definitely bring profit if you have a creative approach. You can open a salon of designer clothes, a production of soft toys, or a workshop for the production of workwear. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

When opening a sewing enterprise, determine the direction of production:

• clothing - household, special, everyday, children's, adult;
• fabric toys;
• home textiles;
• other accessories.

Plan production volumes - the starting investment in the business, the size of the premises and the number of personnel will depend on the chosen figure.

Industrial workshop for mass tailoring of clothing

Having chosen the direction of work, register a commercial structure - LLC or individual entrepreneur. The list of documents for registration is presented in the table.

Table: lists of documents for registration of LLC and individual entrepreneur

Applications are reviewed within five working days. Based on the results, you will be invited to the local tax office and given a package of documentation for a legal entity or entrepreneur. After registration, open a bank account and order a company seal.

OKVED codes suitable for clothing production:

• 18.2 - sewing textile clothing and accessories;
• 18.21 - creation of workwear;
• 18.22 - sewing outerwear;
• 18.24 - other clothing and accessories.

When drawing up a business plan, take into account the legal requirements for production premises, make a list of equipment and plan the hiring of employees. Calculate the costs of starting production and monthly expenses. Analyze demand and draw conclusions about possible sales volumes and business returns. Below are examples of business plans for a production workshop and a mini-atelier.

How to choose the type of business - small, medium or large

There are three types of manufacturing enterprises: small, medium and large.

Small enterprise for the production of exclusive clothing models

To open a small enterprise, it is enough to have premises and 400,000 rubles. for the purchase of equipment and consumables. The average production volume is 25–50 products per day. A small-scale sewing business is suitable for entrepreneurs who have limited capital and want to produce exclusive items and sell them at prices above the market average.

To organize a workshop with a capacity of 150–200 products, costs of about 5,000,000 rubles are required. At the same time, a powerful workshop pays for itself faster due to wholesale sales of products to large retail chains.

Analyze the regional specifics of the market and identify possible buyers. Find out in what volumes sellers purchase goods on the market, and in what volumes - chain stores. Think over the range of products, focusing on the needs of customers and your resources.

Sewing technology

The process of manufacturing garments consists of the following stages:

• model design;
• designing and transferring the model to fabric;
• fabric cutting;
• sewing, finishing of the product.

The fashion designer draws an image of the future item, and then forms it from fabric on a mannequin

A fashion designer does the modeling. He draws up a sketch of the future product, selects colors and types of fabrics. The designer converts the sketch into a drawing, calculates the dimensions of the parts and the amount of material. He also produces patterns and technical documentation. In an atelier or sewing workshop, the functions of a fashion designer and designer are performed by a cutter - he communicates with the client, takes measurements, cuts out parts, and brings the product into compliance with the specified parameters. The cut parts are sent to the sewing workshop, where they are turned into a finished product.

Opening a garment factory or workshop to produce goods for sale

In garment factories, products are produced in batches for wide consumption. The workshop is equipped with one or more production lines. The advantages of a workshop over a home workshop are the ability to set affordable prices and sell large quantities of products.

Premises requirements

So, you have decided to open a clothing workshop. Now choose a room suitable for production. The workshop area depends on the number of goods produced. So, to produce 100 units of product, 60–70 sq.m. are needed. area. Before renting a premises, invite fire and sanitary inspection authorities to inspect it and obtain permission to operate.

To ensure that the room complies with fire safety standards, equip it with a fire alarm, emergency exit and fire extinguishers.

Equipment

Having finished renting the premises, proceed to purchasing equipment. Make a list of required units, including:

• sewing machine;
• overlock;
• machine for cutting fabric;
• household iron;
• steam generator;
• cutting knife;
• button apparatus;
• tables and racks;
• consumables - threads, tailor's scissors, chalk and others.

Overlock is a machine for processing the edges of fabric, one of the key ones in the sewing industry.

The total costs for equipment are 250,000 rubles, for fittings - 50,000 rubles.

Required Personnel

The success of the clothing business depends 70% on the level of personnel training. When opening a small production, hire:

• two cutters;
• three seamstresses;
• cleaning lady;
• order taker.

At first, the designated number of employees is sufficient. Later, you will be able to involve fashion designers, designers, and highly specialized seamstresses in your work.

To save money, hire 60% experienced employees and 40% beginners - perhaps students. Having gained experience at your enterprise, they will work there for many years.

Pay your staff according to the “salary + interest” system. Create a production plan and reward employees with financial bonuses for achieving their goals.

Raw materials and consumables

Explore the wholesale databases of fabric manufacturers. Select suppliers based on the price-quality ratio. If you can negotiate direct contracts with bases, you will save on supplier markups and reduce production costs.

While studying business, ask questions on forums, look for successful entrepreneurs in your region and learn from their experience, make acquaintances, including with suppliers.

Ideally, find a mentor willing to accompany your business. He will tell you where to find high-quality fabrics and accessories, how to purchase equipment and organize the sale of goods.

What is better to sew: assessment of options for making children's, women's clothing, workwear and other types

To find out what products will be in demand in the region, work in several directions simultaneously. Combine the tailoring of evening dresses with the production of fabric souvenirs, and the production of workwear with the production of accessories for the garden. Make sure that the combinations are not absurd - it is strange when a company that produces hammocks and canopies produces chiffon scarves.

After selling the first batch of goods, analyze the demand again and clarify the portrait of the target audience. Review your pricing policy if necessary. So, if you sew summer sundresses of a simple cut, and your consumer is young mothers, you should not inflate your prices.

In any region there is a stable demand for children's clothing - if you manage to get a certificate for sewing one, consider that you have found a “gold mine”.

Study not only demand, but also supply in the market. Look into competitors' stores, see what they produce and at what prices they sell. Don't try to steal the ideas of other entrepreneurs - use your own ideas to attract buyers.

To prevent your business from burning out at the very beginning, calculate your income and expenses. Determine the payback period of the business. An example of calculations for a workwear sewing workshop with a productivity of 75 products per day is given in the tables below.

Table: initial investment

Table: monthly expenses

Table: Projected Income

The level of income and profit of an entrepreneur depends on the volume of products produced, consumer demand, the availability of a client base and partnerships in the field of trade.

Sales organization

Possible sales channels for clothing products:

• chain stores;
• private entrepreneurs;
• direct sales;
• trade via the Internet.

At the initial stages, agree with the owners of small stores about the supply of your goods for sale. Later connect large networks and then create your own online store.

Video: master class on sewing production

Where to start opening a mini-atelier or workshop at home

Opening a home studio is easier than opening a sewing workshop. To do this, you just need to have a modern sewing machine and equip a room in your apartment as a workshop. To develop your business, purchase equipment and organize an advertising campaign. Print and distribute leaflets, create an advertising website or group on a social network. Study fashion magazines and try to find a “zest” for your products to attract customers who value exceptional things.

A workshop equipped in an apartment must be organized

Premises, equipment, personnel

When you're ready to expand your business and move into rental space, create a business plan. Choose a room of 60–80 square meters. m., meeting the standards of the SES and fire inspection authorities, with good ventilation and a 380V electrical network.

Buy 2-3 sewing machines, racks, an overlocker, a couple of tables and mannequins. Hire employees if you are willing to provide them with wages. The key workers of the atelier are the administrator, the cutter and the seamstress.

Starting capital and payback forecast

Below are tables calculating the costs of opening a mini-atelier with the number of employees - 3 people and output - 1 product per day.

Table: costs of starting a business

Table: monthly expenses

Table: projected income and payback

As you can see, a small studio quickly pays for itself, but does not bring much profit to the owner. To increase your income level, you need to expand your business or focus on producing exclusive items at high prices.

How to promote a sewing business

To make your studio successful, establish a work schedule that is clear and convenient for clients. If you are located in a shopping center, keep the opening hours consistent with the center's opening hours.

Create a business card website with a clear description of your services and a group on a social network to maintain contact with customers.

If you sew clothes, pay special attention to customers with a non-standard figure - once you please them, and they will come back for new wardrobe items regularly.

Comply with the deadlines and quality of order fulfillment. The best advertisement is the conscientious work of the staff and polite customer service.