Marketing for an atelier or sewing company. Service promotion.
Epigraph: "To dress Russians, you have to sew with Italian quality and Chinese prices."Sewing to order is fashionable and prestigious, but not everyone can afford the services of an elite atelier. Let's look at the work of thread and needle professionals from the point of view of a small business. Can a good dressmaker today have her own atelier? Experts are skeptical. Today, creating exclusive clothes is more of an expensive pleasure than a profitable business, according to experts in the light industry.
Classification and specialization of the studio
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Specialization and niches |
Customers |
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Wedding and evening fashion |
Private individuals |
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Knitwear and knitting |
Private individuals |
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Leather clothing |
Private individuals | |
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Overalls (for workers) |
Clients of the fuel and energy complex |
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Overalls - medicine and ferret |
Clients: sanatoriums, restaurant companies, medical institutions, private clinics | |
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Private sewing services |
Middle class | |
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Minor clothing repair |
Mass low-income customer | |
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Clothing for dance groups |
Creative teams | |
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School uniform and corporate clothes |
Private schools and firms | |
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Fur coats and sheepskin coats |
Mass consumer | |
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Tailoring of curtains and bed linen |
interior salons |
Segments
The wedding is the largest and most stable segment. This is the most profitable segment of the market. Another money segment is tailoring of fur coats. But we will opt for wedding and evening fashion.
Competitors in the bridal and evening fashion market
1. Atelier
2. Wedding salons of the finished dress
3. Dressmakers homeworkers
4. Fashion brand stores
Product competitor Finished wedding dresses production:
Ukraine,
Belarus,
Moscow
Client portrait
1. Youth getting married, brides
2 Parents of graduates
3 wealthy ladies who want to look young and fashionable
Gender of the client - 99% - women
Seasonality of demand
Wedding dresses - May-September
Evening dresses - November-December
Dresses for High school prom- April May
Studio attendance
The most sensitive period is New Year's Eve. The average daily attendance is 5-10 people. The minimum flow of clients required for the studio to work for a month on zero, 5 people a day - an expert assessment.
A place for an atelier
It is better to open an atelier, which will be engaged in tailoring and repairing clothes, as close as possible to the city center, the interviewed experts advise. Firstly, shops selling fabrics are concentrated there. The traditional place for the atelier is the first floor of a residential building. also in recent times noticed that tailoring and repair studios open in shopping malls with high traffic. Clothing stores are concentrated there, which means there will be high demand for fitting and repair services.
Shopping centers
Clothing stores (concentration)
Fabric stores (concentration)
Atelier business problems
1. High production cost. Dear labor. Expensive stuff.
2 Strong competition from imported dresses from large manufacturers
3 Very little secondary sales. The client is always new. You need to spend more on a new client.
4 Systemic crisis of light industry in Russia. The absence of the fashion industry and the real modeling business.
5 Lack of culture of secular and evening life. Few places and events to show dresses.
Market situation
The light industry of Russia is experiencing a deep structural crisis, despite the growth in consumption and the increase in demand for its services. Fashion in Russia is sandwiched between two fires - between China and Italy. If the client has no money, he takes more cheap goods production of Belarus, Ukraine, China, Turkey, if he has money, he buys Italy, or high-quality finished brands from Europe.
The pressure on private ateliers has intensified in recent years. Let's list the reasons
First reason. The construction of large shopping centers led to the expansion of quality European ready-to-wear brands into the market. As market operators note, in the last few years the demand for tailoring has fallen - the market is overflowing with finished products.
The second reason. From year to year, the flow of Russians who travel abroad is increasing. In Europe, quality clothing is cheaper than in Russia, and Russians dress there. Russia's accession to the WTO is coming - this will lead to a fall in clothing prices.
Third reason. Large domestic enterprises of light industry are getting on their feet and new fashion designers are appearing. If 5 years ago, apart from Yudashkin, no one knew, now the names of young fashion designers have increased. Money is being invested in their promotion at the federal level. They are better and more advertised than a small provincial studio.
How are the studios adapting to this situation?
They begin to trade in imported clothes themselves.
They open small points in Shopping Centers for fitting purchased products, and for one advertise their services.
Ateliers are looking for specialization: fur coats, knitwear or curtains.
Studio problems:
High staff costs
High rental costs.
Dependence on the flow of customers and the number of orders.
Opening your own atelier is a type of business that will always be successful if you approach the organization of an advertising campaign correctly. It is very difficult to promote such a business from scratch without any investments, but this also applies to other types of business. For a business to generate income, an initial investment is required. To advertise the atelier, you will need funds for advertising in newspapers and magazines, it is desirable that these magazines be devoted to needlework or sewing. So, you can convey information about your institution a huge number interested people.
When describing your atelier, emphasize the benefits of working with you. Specify prices for standard services taking into account the price level of competitors. At first they should be an order of magnitude lower. You will need to establish cooperation with specialized stores where you can buy fabric, sewing supplies, accessories for the production of handicrafts. In the above stores, leave your business cards, advertising posters. In the largest woven shops, you can organize the acceptance of orders for tailoring or alteration of clothes according to individual orders. This will require hiring a well-trained person who can establish contact with the client and fully satisfy his needs. The first impression of the work of your studio will remain the most important. It is from the first impression that it depends on whether they will come to you again or prefer the ateliers of competitors.
Making a portfolio of studio work in the public domain
You can start your own website, which will present examples of your work, as well as the cost of each of them. Customers love when prices are listed, it helps them make a choice in your favor in advance. Together with the atelier, you can open a showcase with a sale finished products. Here you can implement finished products and working form. For example, to avoid the downtime of your atelier and the work of employees, you can sew medical gowns or work clothes in parallel, which you then sell in the respective companies.
In order to advertise the studio, you can enter into contracts with big companies, with the aim of sewing corporate clothing for the company. In such companies, you can also leave your business cards and data. For large and regular customers make good discounts, stimulating the desire to cooperate with your company in the future.
Hire highly professional specialists to work in the atelier. The success of your business depends on their professionalism. The work must be carried out by seamstresses within a strictly specified time frame, carefully, taking into account all the wishes of the client. Quick and high-quality work, coupled with affordable prices, will quickly make your atelier a popular establishment that does not need additional advertising. You can encourage new customers with discounts on the first order, this is, firstly, convenient way find out the advertising source that brought the client; secondly, increase loyalty at the very beginning of the client-brand relationship.
- What documents are needed
- What equipment is required
- How to attract customers
Multi-colored dresses and sundresses, light windbreakers and jackets with fur, children's suits and pajamas with appliqués - which is just not available in modern stores and shopping centers. But even with such an abundance, there will always be those who want to sew a dress or suit to order, especially since the price / quality ratio today leaves much to be desired, since either inexpensive goods from China are sold on the market, or clothing prices are unreasonably high. Finding a really high-quality and stylish thing is not so easy. It is even more difficult to choose clothes for a person with a non-standard figure. Therefore, the sewing studio remains relevant in small towns and cities. Another thing is that only real professionals can run this business, who not only have an idea about the sewing business, but know all the secrets and nuances of the sewing business.
Sewing business: where to start
You need to start by studying the market and determining the services that the studio can provide. If there is an establishment nearby that specializes in sewing clothes for women, it may be worth opening an atelier for men. Or include in the list of services that competitors do not provide. The more services - the more customers you can attract in a short period of time.
Here is a sample list of services for clients;
- tailoring by individual order;
- copying models of famous designers;
- design and tailoring of evening dresses;
- repair of old things.
The list can be shortened or expanded, depending on the capabilities and desires of the entrepreneur, but it is worth thinking over it well before starting to draw up a business plan for a sewing studio
How to choose and decorate a room
A small studio, in your apartment, but it is preferable to immediately rent a room. For this, areas in shopping centers or the first floors of houses in residential areas are suitable. Consider the pros and cons of such a lease.
In shopping centers
- high traffic, hence easier to attract customers
- buyers who need to take in or shorten a newly purchased item can contact.
- there is security.
In living quarters
- difficulty in attracting customers;
- additional costs for security or signaling;
- the difficulty of finding an atelier, despite signs and signs.
For the premises of the studio, an area of at least 25 square meters is suitable. m., and it should house a room for receiving visitors, a fitting room and a room for work at the rate of 7 sq. m. per person.
What documents are needed
To conduct legal activities, you need to complete all the documents. First of all, you need to register as individual entrepreneur and indicate OKVED 93.5 “Provision of other. personal services to the population"
Depending on the services provided, you need to choose, for example, OKVED code 18.22 for the production of outerwear or OKVED code 52.74 "Repair of household and personal items not included in other groups."
After that, you need to get permits from the SES and the State Fire Supervision.
What equipment is required
For a small studio you need a minimum set of equipment- sewing machines - 3
- cutting table - 1
- overlock - 1
- mannequin -1
- iron - 2
- ironing board -1
- rack -1
Everything will require from 75 thousand rubles. It is also necessary to turn on lamps, patterns, scissors, needles, threads, zippers, buttons. That is, another 30 thousand rubles will be required. Furniture for the visitor's room - 25 thousand rubles.
How to find qualified personnel
Many owners of prestigious studios hire only employees with at least 3 years of experience. Although in some cases they accept graduates of vocational schools, who are trained specifically to work in their institution. The main thing you need to pay attention to when taking seamstresses is the accuracy of seams, cutters - so that the fabric does not “ride” in the first minutes.
To begin with, 1 cutter and 2-3 seamstresses will be enough, who can receive from 30 to 40% of the order and 1 cleaner. It is likely that other employees will agree to perform the functions of a cleaner.
How to attract customers
The key to a service business is customer acquisition. Advertising campaign is, of course, needed. But for a small studio, it makes no sense to spend money on serious advertising. Enough posts on social networks, bright signs and signs. There is a chance to get good clients through paid advertising on the Internet.
The promotion of the atelier is also possible thanks to special “chips”, for example: a cutter's visit to the house, the purchase of fabrics, sewing on credit, etc.
You can also talk to the sellers of the nearest stores, who are interested in selling as many things as possible. They can reassure and direct customers to you who need to sew or hem a thing.
How much does it cost to open an atelier in 2017: the profitability of the enterprise
Depending on the city, the location of the atelier, the cost of materials and equipment, the cost of opening an atelier may be different. If you include the repair of the premises, the purchase of equipment, paperwork, advertising, you should count on the amount of 180 thousand rubles. Every month you will have to spend money on taxes, salaries of employees, rent, purchase Supplies, depreciation.
Earnings will depend largely on the number of services provided. Sometimes it is possible to earn no less or even more on the repair and “fitting” of things than on orders.
With the work schedule of the atelier from 10 to 20, you can take 15 orders per day from 200 to 500 rubles, as well as 5 orders for 1500 rubles and more. But to put a patch, for example, it will take 3 hours, and to sew a dress - at least 3 days. A good atelier can receive an average of 20-25 orders for tailoring and 200-250 for repairs. Earnings per month can be from 70 thousand rubles, while the net income will be 30-35%.
The costs, as a rule, pay off in a period of 3 months to a year, and if desired, it will be possible to think about expanding the business or include new "chips".
It's good to open a franchise studio. We can offer several options.
- "IMPERO exclusivemanufacture" - atelier-shop of men's clothing - 350 thousand rubles.
- "Nimble weaver" - a network of ateliers for emergency repairs clothes - 100 thousand rubles
- "Calabrio" - a network of shops for individual tailoring of business suits - 274 thousand rubles.
Although there will be more costs, the promotion of the enterprise will not be required. You can choose any option. The main thing is that sewing studios are in demand and their services are in demand.
Download business plan for a sewing studio
As for any enterprise, the atelier needs advertising. The fact that a new studio has opened is known only to you. The main purpose of advertising is to make yourself known and attract attention.
The first thing to do is give the studio a name. In no case should it be the same or similar to the name of another studio in your city. Make a sign. But on initial stage you can get by with a pavement sign that will attract people passing by.
A good location with high traffic, combined with a good sign, will ensure a good flow of customers. According to statistics, almost 50% of customers learn about the studio only thanks to the sign above the entrance.
But this should not be limited. It is necessary to place information about the atelier in all kinds of city reference systems - print (newspapers, magazines), telephone reference cities, start a page or website on the Internet. It is there that potential clients make inquiries about the atelier.
The Internet is currently taking up more and more space, almost every family has a computer and people spend 2-3 hours of their free time there. At the very beginning of the sewing business, there is not enough money for everything, including advertising.
(who cares)
Post up to 25 products and services. Be sure to use! Over time, you will be able to order your own original website.
Experience shows that the main clients of the atelier are people from nearby areas. That's why studio advertising should be targeted, covering the territory, approximately within a kilometer radius from the studio. A good return is given by posting ads in the entrances and mailing flyers by mailboxes.
From the experience of a working studio.
Another type of low-cost, in my opinion, advertising is notifying clients via SMS messages (when filling out a receipt, I always take the client’s phone number, and if there are any changes, for example, the new kind services, let me know). The client is pleased that he is remembered, it is beneficial for me.
And also, if it will be useful to someone.
With the inevitable increase in prices, you have to lose some customers, which, of course, is undesirable. But clients have different opportunities and it is necessary to take this into account so that situations are not created when, having raised prices, you don’t know whom to feel sorry for: a client who, you know, can’t afford it, or yourself, who can’t afford cheap services. We have to send them to other workshops, which means saying goodbye to this visitor.
Therefore, a system of differentiated prices (tariffs) has been introduced in my workshop. (Although, as you know, our price is negotiable).
I'll give you an example.
Pants hem. It can be done in different ways: with and without braid, hidden and with a cobweb (which I am categorically against!). But sometimes the client does not care - if only it would be cheaper. It is necessary to explain how one price differs from another, and next time he will probably choose a different price and a different quality.
Hemming the bottom of the product is generally a responsible operation, it depends on its quality appearance of the entire product, but for some reason it is most often entrusted to students. So the work of the student should be evaluated differently than the work of the master.
Good luck in your hard work!
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As a rule, ateliers are opened by people with experience in this field. They know the niche from the inside, understand its specifics, know how to communicate with customers, etc. However, the studio owners do not always know how to promote their project. In the article, we will figure out which marketing techniques work and which are outdated.
We define the target audience
- For wealthy clients who want to get an exclusive item
- For those who are interested in high-quality repair and alteration of clothes
Both options are possible at the same time. But it is important to understand that promotional products for them should be different.
Outdoor and interior advertising
More focused on those who need urgent services clothing repair. First of all, evaluate how visible the studio is from the street. A simple informative sign is just what you need. A creative name is not necessary here, but the word “atelier” will immediately inform the client that here he can sew clothes or order repairs. Standers are another great option for advertising ateliers. Place here information about the most popular services and their cost. For example, a zipper replacement from 100 ₽.
If the premises are located on the territory of the shopping center, think about how to inform customers about yourself. For example, you can hang a banner near the entrance or elevator. You can place a mini-price on it: a description of the main services and their cost.
Leaflets
An old but proven way that might work. Do not write banal phrases about the speed and quality of work. Show clearly what your advantage over competitors is. Place on flyers information about discounts and promotions. For example, a 10% discount when contacting the studio in the morning. Or special offer for express services.
Website and social media accounts
This channel is relevant for customers who are looking for services for individual tailoring or complex clothing repair. They need examples of work, a detailed price list and reviews. To save on creating a website, keep it simple but informative.
If you offer premium services, work with expensive fabrics and complex orders, it is better not to skimp on the development of an Internet resource. Remember: this is part of your image, and investing in it will pay off.
business cards
Not the most popular form of advertising today. Relevant if you know where they can be distributed. For example, you can agree on mutual advertising with a fabric store.
Examples of advertisements for tailoring and repairing clothes
Don't try within one advertising text tell the whole history of the company, its key advantages and mention the best offers. Break the information into several blocks. It doesn't matter if it's a social media post or a flyer. For example, in terms of:
- We have Best offer by price: discounts, promotions
- We have best materials: direct delivery of fabrics and accessories from Europe
- We have masters with 10 years of experience