# Starting an Embroidery business



## SHALO (Apr 5, 2008)

Hello All,
Here is my story, I am trying to see if it is worth to start my own business.
Here is my background:
**I have about 8 years of screen printing manual an automatic I have done everything from A-Z.
**I have about 12 years of embroidery and digitizing experience working on 4 , 6 and 12 head SWF machines. doing regular embroidery to make patches- split front applique ,caps, straw hats,....
** I am also doing artwork for screen printing companies, sign companies using ( Illustrator, Photoshop, Corel Draw)
** I also cut transfer designs and names and numbers and press them as well
**.I managed my own orders from contacting customers to scheduling them to meet the deadline in the company I worked for .

My plan is just to do Embroidery and transfer and maybe get a solvent printer to make banners and digital transfers but outsource the screen printing part ( I don't like the smell of the screen cleaners)

I am looking to make at least $80,000 profit a year.
Is this doable?
I am not a salesman at all 

I have done some 3D designing for signmakers and 3D printed prototyping as well ( I use Solidworks )

Do you think I should run my own business or get a graphic design job and work for someone else??



I would appreciate any input
Thanks
Alex


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## Signature Series (Jun 11, 2016)

There is one huge red flag and thankfully you are asking the right questions before you invest in your business instead of after like so many before you. 

Your skill set is impressive but the down side is there are 1000's of you out in the world. Sure there are some better than others as with all professions but even if you are in the top 1% it will do you little good if you do not know how or have the skill set to market and sell your products. 

That is the one thing 95% of individuals starting a small business seem to overlook. Unless you can find a partner that is a professional sales and marketing guru you have virtually zero chance to break even never the less clear $85K.


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## alrozac (Dec 20, 2012)

If you are not a sales person I don't know how you can do it. You can't just sit and wait for customers to come running to you for embroidery. Keep in mind that you need to keep that machine going full time to make that kind of money.


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## Signature Series (Jun 11, 2016)

Reminds me of what a mentor told me 15+ years ago when I started.

If you want to work more hours, more days for less money with no vacations or benefits than start your own business.


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## SHALO (Apr 5, 2008)

Thank you very much for your inputs "Signature Series" & "Alrozac" , for you input,
Currently I work average of 11 hours a day at work and when I come home I start cutting transfer names and decals or do some freelance artwork and Digitizing ,so God knows how many hours I work daily . 
I was thinking if I open a shop and have a Google ad and yellow page ad and maybe a local newspaper and couple of yard sign and maybe mail out postcard introducing myself ,then people will start to come . I don't know maybe i am just dreaming ..

I am assuming making good money with no college education with my skill set is far from reality.( as you guys said there are 1000's of me out there)

Do you have any suggestion if i don't want to work for others for the rest of my life?


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

SHALO said:


> Thank you very much for your inputs "Signature Series" & "Alrozac" , for you input,
> Currently I work average of 11 hours a day at work and when I come home I start cutting transfer names and decals or do some freelance artwork and Digitizing ,so God knows how many hours I work daily .
> I was thinking if I open a shop and have a Google ad and yellow page ad and maybe a local newspaper and couple of yard sign and maybe mail out postcard introducing myself ,then people will start to come . I don't know maybe i am just dreaming ..
> 
> ...


You've obviously learned a great deal over the years working for others. How much exposure/insight do you have into the sales/marketing that goes on where you work? Do you know who does that work and what they actually do? What sorts of advertising the place does and what that costs?

It sounds like you have some ideas about how to go about marketing--all the better if you came up with that based on what your employer does. Though, an established shop may be getting a lot of repeat business and word-of-mouth, which you won't have.

I sell my own line of designs online, so a different type of business than you are talking about, but I can say:

There are always more things I could be spending my time on than there is time to spend.
Marketing is the hard part.
Advertising feels like gambling, and for me it is hard to feel good about throwing money at it. Maybe I would feel different if I ever got the hang of it.


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## SHALO (Apr 5, 2008)

Thank you NoXid,
Honestly my work place hired couple of sales person but non of them could bring business in so they were let go, then they start to drop the price very low on the screen printing and embroidery + Free artwork to grab people's attention. 
they did "Constant Contact" Email blast for a month .
I would say over %85 of the customers find them by word-of-mouth- and google search


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## Aredy1955 (Aug 27, 2016)

You need to do a lot of research about the business you are going to start but you need to have some good knowledge about your business and you should do more and more hard work be successful.


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## Printavo (Oct 7, 2007)

Sales will be about 80% of your job. You'll want to get friendly with every club, organization, company, school in the area and make sure they know what you do. Wear a tshirt that says what you do. Maybe something like "Ask me about this t-shirt" on the back. 

Start small, provide great service and grow from there, repeat what works.


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## Hotpuppy (Sep 21, 2016)

I think you learned the one thing not to do at work... sell on price.

Embroidery is a relationship sales game and you have to be willing to do small orders. I recommend you get an older, solid single head Tajima. SWF is a close second but it's not the same. If you like them though, buy one.

Run little orders for small businesses. Nobody wants that business and you can make good money doing 1 to 6 shirts here and there. If you get a big job, contract it out.

Make sure you either steer clear of work or work an agreement with them upfront. I would consider an employee moonlighting to be unfair competition if they didn't tell me upfront. I don't want to grow my competition and set them up in business while showing them all my tricks and customers. Sorry, I've done that before and didn't enjoy the outcome.


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