What can I possibly do?

[businessorbust]

Namechanged for this because I am utterly despairing and feeling really sad and humiliated.

I started my own business almost 20 years ago, as a seamstress. I never wanted to grow the business and employ staff, I just wanted to make a living. I initially worked from a room at home but 6 years ago moved into premises. I can't return home as our circumstances have changed and we no longer have a spare room.

All was going okay, then Covid hit. I was lucky enough to get a little financial support that paid my rent and kept me afloat. I thought that would be the worst it would get, then Liz Truss came along and my mortgage more than doubled.

The Cost of Living crisis is killing me. I'm not getting the number of clients I used to get, those who come don't want to spend any money with me bar a few and I'm exhausted trying to keep what feels like a sinking ship afloat.

I've tried offering sewing classes and workshops. All wonderful, we love them.....wait, you want us to PAY????

I've tried craft fairs etc. All wonderful, we love your work and your style......wait, HOW MUCH??????

I've tried facebook and instagram adverts. I've looked a local newspapers for adverts but they're £££££ and I just don't have it.

My unit neighbours and I are planning an open day to invite people in just to see what we do, as our building is kind of hidden. We're not allowed external adverts so no A boards or signage of any kind.

I've got a website, I use instagram and FB to show what I'm doing, I'm dropping adverts wherever I can, and honestly, nothing seems to be working.

I'm millimetres away from jacking it all in and finding a job instead, but I've absolutely no skills beyond my ability to sew, design and craft. My other talent is cooking. I'm also 56 so already on the scrap heap agewise. I'm fairly fit but have some health issues that mean a heavy physical job is probably beyond my abilities. I can't drive for money due to the terms of my driving licence (eg taxi or delivery driver)

I'm looking for work, but am totally at a loss as to how my skills could translate into some sort of employment. That's why I'm self employed in the first place.

I'd be deeply appreciative if anyone has any ideas of where I can go next, because all I see at the moment is a deep chasm that I'm about to jump into.

I think that with your website, marketing skills, you could do an office admin role?

Or retail work as you have customer service experience.

Would working out of your home be an option? So you're not paying for premises. Taking in repairs and alterations to do at home then travel to craft fairs and offer crafting parties and workshops at people's homes maybe?

Or could you take a part time job and do sewing at home also part time.
Somewhere like a craft/hobby/homeware store would be ideal.

"I initially worked from a room at home but 6 years ago moved into premises. I can't return home as our circumstances have changed and we no longer have a spare room."

3rd & 4th sentences of the OP.

I do actually think, if you could balance a PT job and dropping the sewing to PT, that would give you time to look around and think about what you could do? There are all sorts of jobs that might catch your eye?

Could you look for retail work that uses your skills? Hobbycraft, department stores that sell fabric, independent fabric or wool shops, clothes shops that offer alterations? Schools that do textiles, home economics and art A levels - might have technician work? Could you look at teaching dressmaking classes in a college?

Thank you everyone.

I've been applying for part time work just to see if I can tide myself over, and keep the business afloat. I've changed direction before - initially I was making curtains so had to go measure up in people's homes. My health issues meant I lost my driving licence for a number of years, so during that period I moved to clothing alterations, etc. I now do both and have gone through troughs before, but this one feels very different as I'm paying for a unit that isn't making money.

My sewing classes are priced competitively, and the ones in the local town are busy. I'm in a rural village location however, so I suspect that's part of the problem. There's loads of parking and a terrific bus service so there's no real reason, but it does seem to be putting people off.

I don't use so much of the software the admin type jobs require. I mean, I can use word and excel a wee bit, but I see people on here saying things like "tables" and "formulae" and I'm lost at sea. I don't know that I'd be an asset in a busy admin setting. My fear is I'd be an absolute burden and I'd hate to be a burden on anyone else.

The school technician type idea is an excellent suggestion - not a direction I'd thought of. Thank you, I'll explore that.

I’d make it work at home. Work from there, you seem to be putting unnecessary stress on yourself

do you have an Etsy shop? Do you sell on line? I see you talk about advertising, but I don’t see you talking about online selling.

Sorry I’d also add, on line, curtains, cushions, blinds, lamp shades . Pick a variety of nice materials. Give a lead time.

I order a lot of my soft furnishings from Etsy, and there are some wonderful women on there, hugely skilled, that make products up to your spec.

Also people don’t need to come to see you? That’s a really dated approach. People can say the material give measurements, you make, and send to them.

Yes, I try to sell online. Etsy didn't work for me (too big and the drop shippers did my head in) so I moved to Folksy, which is similar but UK based.

I get a lot of publicity via Folksy, they seem to like my items and use me in gift guides etc a lot, but the purchasers don't follow through. It may be that my prices are too high for the market, but at the price I sell at, I'm not even making minimum wage. I can't drop them any more without it being utterly pointless. I might as well burn the fabric in the car park.

I've had a few features in magazines (well, one magazine, and it didn't survive Covid) doing sewing tutorials as well, and that came from Folksy.

I'm overwhelmed and frightened and upset and humiliated and yes, I understand that things are really difficult for many many people right now, so having a dress made for you is definitely a luxury that people will just not do. But these same people who tell me my work is too expensive leave me and walk across to the cafe and spend £10 on 2 coffees and a scone......it's tough to swallow. Pun not intended.

I couldn't do the business as it is at home sadly - no spare room and I have pets so it's not conducive to working on wedding gowns etc. I could make things for craft fairs but they've been worthless for me. The last one I did, I sold a single £10 bag whilst the stall next to me made £700. She was selling scallop shells with bits of serviettes glued to the inside and the edge painted gold, selling them as "trinket dishes". Tenner a pop. She did incredibly well.

Is there a local weekly town market where you could have a stall to sell your craft products (rather than pricey craft fairs) ?

Can you approach local community centres/adult education colleges to teach people how to sew and 'up-cycle' clothes? you could also diversify your skills and offer embroidery, knitting and other craft classes.

It would be a shame to not run your small business anymore.

I would really try to convert a little corner of your home into your sewing space so you can at least continue to work, even if you can't have a dedicated room, and then take a part time job to add to your income.

Working in a local clothes shop maybe and you could offer them to do clothes alterations for their customers too so you can get a bit of business that way.

Have you contacted wedding dress shops/high end boutiques to maybe be their go to person for alterations.

Someone I used to know was the alteration person at a dry cleaners they used to pick up the items every couple of days and drop them back when alterations/mending done.

Have you tried making TikTok videos of your work? Can be very effective. Instagram too. Maybe look up popular trends and hashtags around the "mended" trend, and even the embroidered trend from the 90's that's back (embroidered jeans etc). If you developed a following you could then attract custom.

www.elle.com/fashion/a46490441/mended-haul-sustainable-fashion-repair-trend-2024/

I'm also wondering if you could find a cheaper premises? Could you share a premises with one of the other artists / crafters you know, something complimentary (eg jewellery maker) and play to each others strengths? Maybe offer a discount to each others customers?

And finally do you make wedding dresses? Another service which does incredibly well through Instagram and TikTok especially with a sustainable edge like making new wedding dresses from vintage ones or something?

Two things I’m currently considering using someone with awesome sewing skills for are making Roman blinds and memory bears (using clothing left behind by a loved one).

Are these potentially areas you could diversify into as they seem to be in short supply here.

I also live rurally, and it seems that small businesses are either really busy, or not!

Now is probably the time to organise / advertise specific autumnal or Christmas themed sessions.

What approaching local PTAs to see about a stall at their Christmas fairs? If you did small kits of a simple kids craft (you could probably use off cuts to create), you could also add a business card in each pack.

Or, I see people getting lots of business advertising to make memory blankets on Facebook - people would post you a number of items, and you make them into a sort of patchwork quilt. Would that work?

Best of luck!

these same people who tell me my work is too expensive leave me and walk across to the cafe and spend £10 on 2 coffees and a scone......it's tough to swallow. Pun not intended.

...I could make things for craft fairs but they've been worthless for me. The last one I did, I sold a single £10 bag whilst the stall next to me made £700. She was selling scallop shells with bits of serviettes glued to the inside and the edge painted gold, selling them as "trinket dishes". Tenner a pop. She did incredibly well.

You've got some other good suggestions, and I hope some of them work out for you. But the above jumped out at me, because it shows you're out of step with your market. You sound... disdainful of your prospective customers' priorities, and that isn't going to serve you. Those coffees and scone are worth it to the people who spend on them in a way that your alterations aren't. Ditto the craft fair. Either you're targeting the wrong market, you're pricing wrong, or you aren't making things that people want to buy. Scallop shell lady is, whatever you think of her strategy, or the taste of her customers.

I would advise that you look at what people who are having success in the crafts, sewing, homewares etc. market are doing. What are they selling and to whom? Where do they earn their margin? What's their differentiator? It might be you're charging too little and thus targeting the wrong people.

Are there any local interior design shops or services who you can approach to see if they need any help with making blinds, curtains etc to fulfil customer orders?

Do you do kids craft parties? These are really popular around us. Offer a couple of crafts, some light snacks etc. I paid £15 a head for DD1's craft party this year and she loved it. The lady who does them by us is always busy. Themed craft evenings for Halloween/Christmas etc? Pizza and craft nights, byob?

What about selling kits for people to make themselves? I know someone who does bookbinding tutorials and kits. She videos herself making something step by step and then sells access to the videos and also kits with everything you need to follow along. It means that she is making money more than once, because she can sell them over and over. Or video tutorials on how to mend or upcycle fabrics?

I’ll be very honest with you, when I go to craft fairs and see something that I like, I always think oh I could do myself one of those! So I don’t buy. (But I usually never get round to making it either!). So, if I could buy a kit and follow the steps, I’d be much more inclined to do that.

Could you find more of a niche market? For example altering clothes for people who have disabilities? Easy access, discrete holes for things like stomas, shorter length, no seams, poppers instead of buttons etc. I have a young adult son who has learning disabilities and struggles with buttons and small zips and is pretty short so finding things like smart trousers that aren’t made for OAPS or in horrible fabric would be great.

or how about loca colleges or universities? My friend with similar skills to you is now a lecturer at a local Uni who offer fashion courses.

My seamstress used a cabin in their garden, is this an option? You pick them up second hand

Wedding dresses or cosplay costumes seem to be something people will splash out on.

Honestly op I’ve never heard of folksy. So I’m not sure how big that platform is. And I’m also not sure tailor making clothes is ever going to be significant. I think it’s your business model.

the market is going to be in soft furnishings, curtains, cushions, lamp shades , blinds. If wedding dresses aren’t paying the bills then stop making them. You need to go more mass market , quiet luxury, bespoke items.

quite frankly I pay a small fortune for Roman blinds, cushions and lamp shades., and I won’t be alone.
the thing is you can’t doggedly stick to what’s not working,and keep finding excuses not to change. Your business will fail.

My cousin has a similar business but has also had to diversify - she's done well out of contacting all the local laundrettes, dry cleaners, wedding dress shops in the whole area and being on their list for alterations as someone suggested above. She also got a part-time job in Hobbycraft if there is a similar type shop local to you - might be worth a look especially with Christmas temp positions coming up. My cousin didn't have any retail experience but has the subject knowledge and enthusiasm and obviously lots of previous interactions with customers etc...

She's also contacted local vintage clothes shops and left cards there advertising her service etc, although not had any business from them yet.
Maybe a vintage clothes fair might be worth contacting though? I've sometimes seen on-site alterations at those types of things.
Also, as someone said above, our local Facebook group is full of memory bears and they demand is outstripping supply. It might not be exactly what you want to be making but could being in some cash but also lots of contacts...

Thanks everyone, especially DreadPirateRoberts and Chocolatebuttons for the slaps of reality. I really do appreciate what you're saying and thank you for the honesty.

What chocolatebuttons said resonated with me a lot - I DO get a lot more money from making roman blinds and lampshades so I need to focus on them. The clothes thing isn't enough to support us.

Much appreciated, all of you xx

Meant to add - I know you've tried lessons etc but have you been in touch with all the local pottery-painting kids places to see if you could have a regular slot at one of those? We also have lots of local bars offering kit and knitter type evenings - they might be worth in offering classes to?