The Seamier Side of Sewing for Survival: Operations

Now that you have customers, one after the other, you will start to notice some patterns (no pun intended) in your daily, weekly, and monthly activities. Customers call, make appointments, you meet with them, maybe shop for fabric. You help them design their garment, you make a pattern, you cut fabric and sew it together. You have fittings, you deliver the finished product, and you get paid. Yay. What could be more fun?

Your business is a system

You could make a flowchart. (I did this one in PowerPoint, no skill required!) The neat thing about a flowchart is that it helps you understand the different elements of your business and how they relate to one another. You will discover your business is a system, with inputs, processes, and outputs, all happening in the larger setting of your business environment.

Inputs

Inputs into your system consist of the customer (in all her glory and madness), you (and all your quirks and foibles), the fabric and other supplies, maybe the design, if the customer at your door has a magazine photo clutched in her sweaty little hand. The fabric is an important input, no argument, but I think you and your customer are the interesting inputs into your business system. Your customer is a complex creature, and so are you. All the qualities that make us unique come into play when we are interacting with another human being. You can try, but it's hard to leave your personality at the door, and I guarantee you your customer won't leave hers there. She will march into your studio with a personality as big as all outdoors. As well she should. She's the customer, after all, and you are there to serve her. That great big ego is an input into your system, whether you like it or not.

Processes

Custom sewing is all about processes. You already know that. That's why you like it. Drawing, designing, patternmaking, cutting, sewing, fitting, finishing... it's what you love about the business, why you started it, right? If not, better re-read the first page Before you begin. By this time, you probably have your studio arranged to maximize your efficiency. You don't have to reach far to find the tool you need at any given moment. Everything is within reach, so you don't waste time with unnecessary movement. Your materials and supplies are organized, perhaps labeled, tucked in bins or boxes? I bet you enjoy organizing your gear to make your work more efficient. You were probably one of those kids that color-coded her notebooks. Am I right? I don't think you would have chosen the custom sewing business if you didn't have a knack for understanding processes, because the task of making a garment to order is all about process.

Outputs

And notwithstanding the possibility that you have drawers full of unfinished sewing projects, you know that in order to earn money in your custom sewing business, you have to deliver a final product. Whether she comes to pick it up or you spend an hour searching for her house up some hidden canyon in Brentwood (been there, done that), you gotta deliver the goods to get paid. And along with the finished garment can come some other outputs: customer satisfaction and customer referrals.

The Business Environment

Your business interacts with elements of the environment, both internal and external. Inside your business, you've got the machines, the lighting, the music, the distractions. Outside your business (maybe in the next room) are your husband and kids, and beyond your yard are your crazy neighbors. Beyond that you've got to deal with other external elements: the laws and regulations that govern the street you live on, the taxes you are required to pay, and the weather that makes people miss their appointments (or want to hire you to make cruisewear). Business gurus writing textbooks usually divide the business environment into five or six areas: the technological environment, the legal-political environment, the economic environment, the socio-cultural environment, and the physical environment. You can read all about it in any basic management or marketing text. Ho-hum. The main thing to remember is that your business does not operate in a vacuum. You must consider many things when you operate a business. Ignoring any one of these environments can get you into trouble. Read on.

Technology. For example, if you ignore new technology, you run the risk of losing out to a more competitive business. Like, what if in the year 2025 we are all wearing clothes that light up with LED gizmos run by embedded computers that interact with smart chips we all have implanted in our foreheads? And you are still working with old-fashioned neon and phosphorescence? You can bet the prom kids will not be beating down your door. My business flopped long ago in the dinosaur days before computers, cell phones, even before pagers. It would have been the cutting edge of coolness to have had a pager. But not me. I had a phone on my desk (yes, an old analog dial-me-up Scotty kind of phone, I think it was dark brown); that was the best I could do. You can do better.

Legal-political. You certainly can't ignore the legal-political environment, not for long, anyway. Your city, your state, your Congress are passing laws constantly, and some of them will affect you. For sure, tax laws will have an impact. In this Internet age, you may be faced with concerns about customer privacy and online marketing tactics. I had a hard time with the legal environment, although I did manage to keep my Los Angeles business permit operational. I paid my taxes, even if I had to borrow on my credit cards to do it. (I was more afraid of the IRS than I was of Citibank.) I operated on the fringe, though. I paid little attention to the larger world of custom sewing... was there a larger world of custom sewing? No idea. For all I know, there was a cabal of custom sewing lobbyists in Washington D.C., intent upon convincing lawmakers to give us custom sewers a break. Huh. Probably not. Not that we couldn't use a lobbyist or two. Or a break. But if there was a lobbyist working on your behalf, you'd want to know, right? So, pay attention to the larger political environment. Even now those wackjobs in Washington are passing laws that affect you and your business.

Economic. The economic environment will affect you whether you like it or not. If you were recently laid off, you know what I'm talking about. Many businesses closed their doors during the Great Recession for lack of customers. Middle-class people still buy clothes, but now they go to Wal-Mart, Good Will, and yard sales. If you cater to an upscale clientele, odds are your customers will still clamor for custom made clothes. The rest of us poor folks must save our pennies. Choose your target market well to weather economic storms. It might be wise to choose a sector that never goes out of style no matter the economic climate, like fine tailoring.

Socio-cultural. The socio-cultural environment means know your customers. Don't assume that just because you like lace and rickrack that the people in your neighborhood feel the same way. If you want to sell clothes to certain age groups, ethnic groups, or income levels, you must adjust your presentation and approach accordingly. And respect their customs, as wacky as they may be. Yours is not to question why, not if you want their money. In this respect, the customer is always right. Honor their preferences. Me, I was fine with honoring people's preferences. I was perfectly happy to make whatever anyone wanted. Silk lingerie for a drag queen? No problem. A hat with a fake peacock? No sweat. A black leather vest with (illegal) monkey fur? Hokay, Mr. Alice Cooper, your wish is my command.

Physical. The physical environment is getting more attention these days with the Green Movement. You know, reduce, reuse, recycle. If you aren't already doing that, shame on you. Better get on board; now is the time. It's on all of us to use resources responsibly. That means using energy saving lighting and equipment. That means saving your fabric scraps to donate to quilters and theater groups. Don't be an earth hater. Now that we know better, it's time to step up and do the right thing.

Look for bottlenecks in your system

You know what a bottleneck is. The skinny part of a bottle, right? The world is full of bottlenecks. The 3-lane highway that narrows to one lane (argh!). The crowd of people trying to rush the doors of Wal-Mart on Black Friday (not me). How quick and easy it is to buy fabric, and how slow and difficult it is to turn all that fabric into useful items. You know what I am talking about. Every system has bottlenecks.

You can look for the places in your business that are slowing down your process. Seeing your business as a system helps you understand how the elements of the system are related. After awhile you will start to see where you can streamline your processes to make them more efficient. For example, I used to keep linings and interfacings in a closet. That meant when I needed them, I had to stop what I was doing, walk to the closet, search for the things I needed, and walk back. Eventually I got tired of all that walking. I built shelves under my cutting table and moved all the linings (arranged by color) and interfacings (arranged by type) where I could easily reach them without having to delay more than a moment. That leads into the next topic.

Organization

I've already talked a bit about organization in the context of systems. Being organized will save your bacon many times over. There are few things worse than misplacing someone's heirloom applique when it is time to sew it onto the bodice of their wedding gown. (Quelle horror!) Or what if you misplace their check? What are you going to do, call them up and ask them to put a stop payment on their check? Enough said.

Embedded in your business system are a bunch of smaller systems. They can be handled electronically or manually. You know, computer or paper. Or both. You're the boss.

Here's an idea. Below is a chart of the various activities in your system. For each activity, I tried to list the sales aids you might use, and the paperwork you might need. You can probably improve upon this. It's been a long time since I actually operated my sewing business, and back then it was all on paper. Now you have a computer, probably, so a lot of your recordkeeping can be handled using QuickBooks or something similar.

Activity	Selling tools	Organizational tools and recordkeeping
Meet with customer	Design books Magazines Samples Photos	Price list Catalog Mailing list Customer information form
Design	Sketching tools Swatches	Order forms Receipt book Deposit record (for money and for fabric) Sales journal
Acquire supplies		Checkbook Labeling system to mark fabric Cost sheets Time tracking forms Inventory tracking forms Purchases journal
Pattern		Cost sheets Time tracking forms Inventory tracking forms
Cutting		Cost sheets Time tracking forms Inventory tracking forms
Sewing		Cost sheets Time tracking forms Inventory tracking forms
Fitting		Alterations record Cost sheets Time tracking forms Receipt book Deposit record (for money and for fabric) Sales journal
Finishing		Cost sheets Time tracking forms Inventory tracking forms
Delivery		Time tracking forms Receipt book
After sale		Sales journal Tax journal Expense journal Financial statements

Clients

There will always be problem clients. Customers are people, and people are human, which means they are anxious, demanding, prone to jump to conclusions, and apt not to listen. Here are some problem clients I had over the years. Some of them are described in more detail on the Stories page.

Brides that cry. Brides are insane, I think we can agree on that. And who can blame them? It's only the most important day of their lives, this special day that takes months to plan and costs thousands of dollars. For some, it is an audition into a new family. For others it is proof to their own family that they finally did something right. For some brides, it is the only day when they can take centerstage without guilt. So it's little wonder that when they come to see you, clutching their massive Brides Magazine with 57 pages marked with post-it arrows, they are prone to weep and screech. Whether they know exactly what they want, or they haven't a clue, they look to you to provide guidance. You are the firm hand that will steer them through the hazards of designing a wedding gown. At first, these brides-to-be will seem fairly rational, but as the time to D-Day dwindles, you will see them become raving, slavering lunatics. And if they bring their mothers, which they often do, batten down the hatches.

Bridesmaids that cry and hate their dresses. Bridesmaids are notorious for stiffing you. They write bad checks, they promise to pay, they forget... of all the client groups I had, bridesmaids were the worst. Why? Because they are being forced (by their best friend!) to purchase a dress they didn't design, makes them look fat, and will never wear again (no matter what the bride says). They are jealous that it isn't their special day. They can't complain because that would be poor form: only the bride is allowed to hyperventilate. So the hapless bridesmaid must suck it up and pay for a hideous purple polyester crepe dress laden with flounces—for a July wedding in sweltering Sherman Oaks. I had compassion for the bridesmaids. Sometimes it seemed the bride was really out to get them. Ah, what are friends for?

Fat people. Is there a nicer way to say it? I'm not exactly svelte, so maybe you can cut me some slack. I'm speaking strictly from a three-dimensional point of view. Big bodies present challenges. When I rented the 10-foot square storefront in Ocean Park, I met the woman who owned the entire block of ramshackle storefronts. She was an enormous woman, built like a farm silo. She wore tents made from yards of polyester. Somehow I agreed to make her more. I don't know what possessed me. She made me come to her house somewhere in a swanky part of the Hollywood Hills. She took me into her bedroom. She spread bolts of silk and polyester crepe de chine across her massive bed. I was like a speck, an ant drowning in yardage. I toted it all back to my studio and proceeded to make her about twenty dresses, all the same style, from her fabric. I seem to recall I gave her a deal, probably because she was threatening to raise my rent from $100 a month to $120 a month. Anyway, obese people have jutting body parts that throw off the lines of your carefully designed garment. Hips, bellies, shoulders, oh my. Here's a funny thing about those clients who are not even slightly overweight: to them, the mirror exaggerates their figure flaws. Don't be surprised if the thin ones weep and gnash their teeth while trying to peer at their butt, while the fat ones calmly check their hemlines, write you a fat check, and sail out the door.

Asymmetrical people. I remember a woman who was asymmetrical by birth: One of her breasts was noticeably larger than the other. She needed a bridesmaid's dress. She wasn't trying to hide her lopsidedness, but she didn't want to draw attention to it, either. We designed a classic wrapped bodice dress with short bell-shaped sleeves, and a full skirt. In a pale gray or beige silk it would have been scrumptious, but the bride wanted bright fuchsia polyester crepe de chine. Oh well. At least the poor bridesmaid got to pick her style. The other asymmetrical person I remember was a diminutive young man who happened to lead a double life as a singer and a fencer. I know, crazy. He needed a gray tuxedo to wear to his gigs, and he was too small to buy one off any rack in any store except maybe Kids R Us. We chose a nice gray flannel. When it came time to fit the pants, I was astounded to discover the butt seam was pulling drastically to the left. That's when I found out he fenced, and as a result of all those lunges, his left buttock was noticeably more developed, ok, bulgier, than his right buttock. Wow. Luckily I had cut a large back seam, so I let out the left side an inch and managed to get the butt seam where it belonged. Moral of the story: always measure all sides!

People who cannot visualize something that doesn't yet exist. You won't see this one coming until it is far too late. Some people have no visual imagination. My boyfriend's mother wanted an evening jacket to wear over a fancy dress. I sketched out her idea: a drapey, swingy thigh-length style with a built-in scarf for her to fling over her shoulder. She could afford good stuff, so I showed her swatches of silk crepe. She chose a pale blue-gray. I bought the fabric. I made the jacket. It was lovely, and it looked great with her dress. I'll never forget her face when she looked at herself in the mirror. “I don't think I like it,” she whined. “It's not what I pictured.” She paid for it, of course. And I made more things for her, but after that, I did my best to drape her in the fabric, or show her someone else's garment, so she could see something real. I took for granted that everyone could visualize a garment that hadn't been made yet. I was blinded by my own skill and experience.

People who lose and gain weight. This was a recurring dilemma. It was an especially common phenomenon among brides. They got fitted for their dress a few weeks before the wedding, and then they went on a starvation diet. Naturally the dress no longer fit them, requiring some hectic last minute alterations. Or there was the bride who got pregnant. I had to do some creative problem-solving involving a large bow. After a while, I learned to build in lots of seam allowance in bodices, just in case.

Very large-busted women who want a strapless dress. Large-busted women go on cruises, get married, and party, just like everyone else. Of course they want to wear the occasional strapless style. Who can blame them? All that weight, though, needs some serious suspension struts to keep it from heading south. I discovered the joys of three-dimensional engineering when I constructed a prom dress bodice out of buckram. It worked, after a couple tries that had her mother looking both worried and skeptical. Later I learned the bliss of plastic boning, but for the big gals, short of using steel, the buckram bodice was the answer.

Clients who want a garment that defies laws of nature, like gravity. Besides the big-busted women, some customers demanded the impossible from their chosen fabric. For example, a popular style of evening wear back in the late 80s involved an off-the-shoulder look edged with wads of something thin and silky ruched up to form a huge collar around the shoulders. Some styles had a similar ruched skirt. If any of the critical threads broke, the collar or skirt would collapse like a deflated balloon. Gravity draws things downward: I'm not sure some of my clients realized that. They seemed to think I could do the impossible and make their collar or sleeve hover in air or stand vertically in defiance of gravity, practically weightless. My partner and I used to make truly gravity defying costumes, so I am not afraid. But you can't expect silk or rayon to behave like canvas or buckram. I ask you!

Clients who bring their own fabric and it’s full of moth holes. Or riddled with manufacturing flaws. Or they didn't bring enough to match plaids. Or they hand-painted flowers on silk but didn't make enough. Or they want you to make a skirt from their old Levis. Or they want you to alter their pants, and when you do, it becomes clear they always wear the pants with no underwear. Or their fabric has been folded so long it's permanently creased. Or someone brings you silk charmeuse and wants a sculptural design that requires you to line every piece with heavy satin. (See previous rant.)

Clients who show up late, or never show up at all, ever again. Tardy clients are tedious, but at least they eventually show up and pay for their orders. It was always starlets—movie star wannabes— that would ask me to make something and then fail to return for the final fitting and pickup. I'm sure it was a cash flow problem. I would call and call: Your outfit is ready, your outfit is ready. No response. Over the years I accumulated quite a collection of nice things made for people I would never see again. I sold a few, here and there, to friends or other customers. It happens. That's why it is important to always get at least half the total up front to cover all your out of pocket costs and pay for some of your time. Then if they don't come back to pick up their order, you can sell it. Drycleaners do it. So can you.

How it works from start to finish

Making the sale. Usually in the custom-clothing biz, the customer is sold before he or she picks up the phone. If you have done a good job marketing, the customer already knows some essential things about you and your business. She knows what you specialize in. She knows how to reach you. And she knows your services will not come cheap.

So there isn't a lot for you to do when the customer calls you on the phone except to make an appointment. Clearly, she has a problem: a want or need she wants you to fill. She needs a prom dress, a wedding dress, a cruise dress, a power suit. You invite her to your studio, telling her to bring pictures and the undergarments and shoes she will wear with the finished garment.

Pictures. She brings photos, drawings, or a garment she bought from Neiman Marcus and plans to return tomorrow. While you sketch, she describes the item she thinks will solve her problem. While she speaks, you must listen closely. When the customer says she wants a prom dress, she is saying what she really wants is the admiration of her friends. She says she wants a wedding gown, but what she really wants is to feel special, unique, honored, and loved on the most important day of her life. Listen to how she refers to her body: you won't get another chance to heed the red warning flags waved unintentionally by the serial bulimic.

Fabric. She may bring her own. She may ask you to shop with her, or for her. She may want to see swatches. The swatches may have to match a blouse or hat she may or may not have brought with her. You must discuss what her expectations are. And you must write it all down. Everything. Every promise you make, every assumption she has. If you are going shopping with her, make sure you get compensated appropriately for you time. Make sure she knows your time is valuable.

Paperwork, money, and deadlines. Finalize the price. Draw the garment in realistic detail. Take her measurements thoroughly and carefully, measuring all sides and dimensions. Write down all the details of your agreement. Collect some money and give her a receipt. Have her sign an order form. Get her contact information. Agree on the final deadline, a fitting timeline, and a first fitting date. Send her off with a copy of everything. Make sure she understands that if she decides to add rickrack at the last minute, it will seriously affect the timeline and the price.

Fittings. When she arrives for the first fitting, make sure she understands the work-in-progress nature of the garment. She might even be seeing a muslin mockup. Have her wear the undergarments and shoes she will wear with the finished garment. Put her on a low pedestal in front of a large and gentle mirror. If possible, arrange three mirrors so she can see her garment from all sides. Make sure the lighting is adequate. Make sure the platform is safe and steady. Be ready to give her a hand if she wobbles.

Take your time doing marking and pinning. Check all sides. Watch her face and her body language. If she says things like, “It's gorgeous, I love it,” be careful. She is working hard to convince herself she didn't make a mistake in hiring you. This is your chance to head problems off before they start, so listen very carefully to what she is not saying. You have to be humble, yet confident. Your job is to make her feel great, even if the design she chose makes her look like she's wearing a nightgown.

When the fitting is over, write down everything in as much detail as you can. Give her a copy of the changes you have agreed upon. Get more money from her, and give her a receipt. Ask if she has questions or concerns. Remind her that last minute alterations or design changes will have severe consequences on the deadline and the price.

Wedding gowns require several fittings, possibly many. Simpler garments may only require one or two. Arrange as many fittings as necessary to complete the final garment to her satisfaction. The fewer fittings required, the less time before you get paid, and the more time you will have to earn money making other garments. So get it right as quickly as possible. Remember, the customer must take time to drive to your studio, park her car, take off her clothes, and stand on a box, where she must endure the tedium of “Turn to your left. More. Turn,” accompanied by the occasional pin prick. She's trying not to think about the prospect of soon being several hundred dollars poorer. Worse than all that, though, she must handle the unpleasant realization that she will never be model-thin or princess-pretty enough for her self-imposed standards.

Confirm the sale. Most of your customers, especially the larger gals, have no illusions about how they look wearing a canary yellow suit with huge black buttons. Like a bumblebee. They know, and they don't care. It's the thin ones you must watch out for. They hate their bodies. If they feel ugly in the dress, they may never come back. This is where you must be kind, gentle, and authentic. Here is when all your empathy skills will pay off. Be ready to offer encouragement, along with reassuring screening devices as peplums, sashes, and long jackets.

Complaints. Not everyone will be thrilled with your work. You can't please them all, not all the time. Mostly you'll have rational customers who will give you no problems. If you make a mistake, you do your best to fix it, even if that means starting over. Be willing to refund her money, if you can't figure out a way to make it right. Above all, be sincerely apologetic, even when you feel like strangling her. In this Internet age, bad reviews can skewer your business. But aside from the worry of negative publicity, it's just good karma to strive to run your business with integrity.

Alterations. You can make a lot of money doing alterations for people, especially if you work for the film or commercial industry. You can also learn a lot about how garments are made by doing alterations. Not everyone likes to work on other people's musty, dusty, crusty garments. You decide.

Delivery. If you work from home, and your home studio is less than presentable, you can go to your customer's home or office. You will prepare a lovely way to present designs and fabric swatches for the initial consultation. Then for fittings, you must professionally wrap the garments to keep them clean and wrinkle-free during transport. You might need to do some on-site hand-sewing, to repair, alter, or finish a garment, so bring a well-stocked sewing kit to every fitting. Present the final product in a professional garment bag, with care instructions. Don't forget all the paperwork. Also, make sure your car is clean and presentable and that you have a good map, good directions, a cell phone, and GPS with you every time you hit the road.

Read on to find out how to keep your custom-clothing business growing.