What advice would I give my past self about sewing business, if I had the chance?
That's a very good question. Entrepreneurship and sewing for customers have been my daily bread for the past few years. And that's why it's still a part of me, and I've decided not to keep my procedures and experiences to myself. But first, let's look at what I actually did and where I am today.
My name is Helena Lachowiczová, and I own the brand Šibabi.
I started from scratch. I myself blazed several trails some time ago, which many creators later followed.
Of course, I made a lot of mistakes along the way, some costing me money, others time. What would I advise my past self if she came to me and asked: "How can I finally succeed? Make some money and not just have a lot of work and an empty wallet?"
1. Calculate your living expenses
This would definitely be the first thing I would advise my past self, who decided that she wanted to make a living by manufacturing and selling children's (or any other) clothing. But this will be valid in any area of business. The moment you take the plunge and embark on that journey, it means you accept responsibility for everything that happens from that day on. For income. For expenses. For losses and for wins. You accept responsibility for your life. No one will do this for you anymore. No one will come and say: "Hey, it didn't work out, never mind." or "Well, it's sad you don't have clients, but there's nothing you can do, it didn't work out."
Therefore, you must first ensure that you know what you need to pay for. How much to earn and for what. Analyze your own living expenses, truly all of them and down to the last detail. Absolutely do not forget to include items such as a children's club for 350 CZK per month, etc. You have to calculate everything. And what cannot be calculated, average it. But always round up, never down. Set aside a monthly amount for fluctuating expenses. For example, for food.
And write all of this down on a board and prioritize. If you have just lost your job or need to find money in your budget. You will definitely find it here.
Cut everything that is not vital. What is superfluous. For example, a visit to the hairdresser, nails, solariums. Does your child go to a private kindergarten? Are you short of money in your budget? Then put your child in a state kindergarten. In short, you have to keep all the wasteful items on the list in check in the beginning and restrain yourself in the first few months and not spend unnecessarily. I know. It's hard. You'll say, yeah, but that's why I'm an entrepreneur! So I can have that child in that better school. But realize that if you're not earning, it's a great luxury.
The first months of business are tough, and you need to keep expenses as low as possible. Limit everything that is not necessary for the household to function.
2. Create a small collection
This is quite crucial advice. And I will share it openly, even though it's part of my own Know-How and part of a method that works. I was the first to test this method in the Czech Republic and put it together step by step to be functional repeatedly throughout the year of doing business in this field.
The advice is, start working on your collection as soon as possible. Choose one piece of clothing and two accessories that complement the main piece well. I started with classic leggings and a hat, headband. I think also with booties. But that was too much back then, and I definitely wouldn't do it again.
So for the initial launch, you need to create this small set. You can choose three different designs or you can go with four, but I definitely wouldn't go wider. For the first experience with this sales model, it's just right.
3. Don't spend money on fabrics and components that just sit in storage
Especially at the beginning of your business, you must pay attention to finances and the flow of materials and money. It's useless to have idle money sitting in fabrics on shelves. Therefore, for your first collection, order patterns in maximum 2-meter lengths. Trust me, you'll assemble your first collection with fabrics under a meter. You don't need more.
Every material sitting idle is burned money that is then very difficult to recover. Therefore, keep your shelves empty. Create a special place for fabrics for new collections and fill them very carefully. Especially at the beginning, when you simply don't have money to spare.
You will buy other fabrics and materials as soon as you receive the first pre-orders.
4. Don't sell what you can't do perfectly
This is another crucial piece of advice. It's important not to overestimate yourself; it's good to learn to sew at the beginning, but also to sell well.
That's your number one task. Your audience won't be large enough to appreciate many combinations or too many options or difficult patterns.
If you want to impress customers with something no one has ever presented before, be careful to sew it perfectly, even under time pressure. And you need to expect that time pressure will occur.
Choose the path of certainty and create an attractive, simple collection that will always find its customers. For example, leggings, harem pants, hats.
Don't overcomplicate things, and rather learn how to sell everything as effectively as possible.
"If you constantly just examine whether you've sewn it perfectly, you'll never sell well"
Focusing more on the needle and thread and how well you've sewn it in your business, rather than on promotion, presentation, and sales. Then you won't sell anything, but it will be sewn perfectly. The area we focus on the most always thrives the most....
5. Choose unique patterns
Enrich your small collection with unique patterns. And one important thing I must mention here.
Unique in the market. Not for you. Of course, it must resonate with you. But you must free yourself from the mindset of a seamstress who, after walking around one pattern for a week, no longer finds it beautiful and unique. For your customers, everything that isn't Pepco, Reserved, Lindex, and H&M is unique.
Does this resonate with you?
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Who am I?
Helena Lachowiczová
I am an entrepreneur, pattern designer, and I teach women and men to sew beautiful pieces with precision and ease. I am also a mentor to aspiring creators, both male and female, who would like to achieve the success in their field that I have achieved with Šibabi. Contact email: info@sibabi.cz
