The time for curtains on a rope has irrevocably gone, and today everyone is very meticulous about the design of such an element as curtains. Now the main thing is not their direct function of protecting from sunlight, but the ability to make the interior attractive and charming or become a certain style accent. It turns out that sewing curtains at the moment is a fairly demanded business that brings high profits.
Firms that offer design services in general have increasingly begun to manufacture and design curtains. However, if you decide to independently open a company that provides such services, then you should know that a correctly drawn up business plan for a curtain salon, as well as a responsible approach to this matter, will allow you to achieve excellent results. It is worth understanding all the nuances of this business.
Highlights
The business plan of the curtain salon should include a sewing workshop and a salon in which you can present various categories of fabrics, as well as finished products. Quite often, companies that make sewing curtains also sell related products, namely: fabrics, curtain rods, all kinds of accessories for curtains.
Naturally, you will need a special room in which the whole process will take place. Sewing curtains will not require you to have huge areas. Here, everything is considered according to a simple formula: for each seamstress, 7 square meters of area is required, and for each worker of a different skill, 5 meters.
It turns out that at the initial stage your workshop for sewing curtains will be able to accommodate a room of 30 square meters. In addition, you will need to purchase professional equipment. You will need an overlock, a professional sewing machine, an apparatus for blind seams, a cutting table, an iron, an ironing table.
All this will cost you quite a considerable amount, but if you are not ready to immediately pay a lot of money, you can purchase used devices, since the degree of wear resistance of such units is quite large. If necessary, then it will be possible to purchase additional equipment, for example, for laying lambrequins or shrinking tissue.
Issue price
So, we can say that before you open an atelier for tailoring curtains, you need to decide how much all the necessary equipment will cost. A sewing machine can cost from $ 300, an overlock will cost $ 1800-2000, and a machine for blind seams - about $ 1000. Of course, this is quite a lot. However, it is worth considering how much it costs to sew curtains. Each client will leave in your salon from 500 dollars. Thanks to this, we can say that in 6-7 months all the money spent on equipment may well return, and even in excess.
Staff
You must understand that if you yourself do not have a sufficient set of knowledge and skills to work independently, then you will need to hire professional cutters and seamstresses. The quality of finished products completely depends on their skills. It is very important that the finished result matches the picture proposed by the designer. Otherwise, customers will be unhappy, and you will not see the desired profit.
Store opening
The business plan of the curtain salon must necessarily include the opening of a store, which is necessary not only for image. Display of samples of your products can be arranged even in an apartment, and the more rooms, openings, niches and other elements, the more space for designer imagination - all this will be cleaned and draped with curtains of different styles.
And the larger the choice given to the client, the higher the chances of finding his client. The customer will not be content with traditional curtains, but will appreciate the quality, exclusivity and style. Therefore, the salon should work 100% and demonstrate absolutely everything that you can offer.
Virtual salon - an alternative to the real with a lack of funds
If you have compiled a business plan for a curtain salon, and at the same time understand that your initial financial capabilities do not allow you to organize an exhibition hall, then you can make it virtual. To do this, you need to create your own website on which you will place a colorful catalog of materials and design options. For the first time this will be enough. And when tailoring curtains will start to bring you tangible profits, you will organize a salon where potential customers will be able to personally see everything.
Subtleties and nuances of business
An important enough stage is the process of developing a customer base. Here you must attract all the means that are only available to you: to intensify your connections in the world of architects and designers, to attend specialized exhibitions and participate in them, use word of mouth and advertising. Thanks to all this, you will gradually become more and more famous, and with the support of the quality of tailoring at the required level, do not feel a lack of customers.
There are still some nuances associated with this business. It is clear that you will purchase fabrics exclusively from large manufacturers or wholesalers. All necessary accessories for work in the form of brackets, cornices and other things will be purchased according to the catalogs of manufacturers known in this segment, and the economy option can be bought at construction supermarkets.
Another important point is the following: all fabrics and accessories should be purchased exclusively for a specific order. Let the client pay, not you, otherwise you can go broke. If you are interested in what to call a curtain salon, then it is worth saying that the name should be attractive, but not banal. You should study what names people in your community like. You can even conduct a survey among your friends.
Related products
Although the blinds of Russian consumers are not in great demand, since they are usually associated with dusty stripes that can be seen on the windows of offices, you can find allies in the face of companies specializing in their production.
Any experienced specialist in the field of sales will be able to convince the client that he needs not only curtains that perform decorative and functional roles, but also blinds that can save expensive fabrics from burnout. In addition, blinds can play in contrasts with curtains, which will create a rather complex composition.
Or you can just make them a color accent in the overall style. So you will help sellers of blinds, and in return they will recommend you to their customers. This cooperation will be mutually beneficial. You may also be interested in the production of roller blinds, in which case you will cover an even larger market segment.
Alternative business options
Of course, the above action plan is exemplary for achieving a result in the described business. Various options are possible. For example, you can focus on organizing exclusively a sewing workshop. Here you will be faced with the task of completing it with the necessary equipment, hiring high-class cutters and seamstresses, as well as the proper organization of the work process. You will not have to deal with picky customers, your task will only be to complete orders for ready-made sketches. It is quite possible to do without a sewing workshop, but just hire a few sewing homeworkers.
Another option can be called this: you will look for customers, the designer will create unique sketches for future curtains for them, and the direct work of sewing products can be transferred to the shoulders of third-party specialists, whom you will attract to complete each order.
This option is suitable for business at the opening stage, while there are still not too many customers, and then you can organize your own workshop. Here the main role is assigned to the designer. It is on his shoulders that the duties of the measurer, as well as the sales manager, will fall. And you will need to open an exhibition salon where all samples will be presented.
Summary
It is also worth mentioning the optimal location for opening the cabin. It makes sense to organize it where there are stores selling building materials, furniture, as well as other goods related to repair and interior design. In this case, you will attract a client as one of the important links in creating the unique style of his home. And being close to other important stores guarantees a large influx of visitors, 20% of which will definitely become your customers.
It is important to choose the appropriate legal form - it can be an individual enterprise or LLC. It is better to stay on the first option, since it will be easier for you to register, less documents will be required.
