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.

Oh and I've just made my first Memory Bears this summer, for a friend, and there is real interest in them. I've a couple of samples still to make up, but both are on my cutting table today so I can get them photographed and listed. It's a bit niche but it'll all help.

If you are in a rural village, is it cute, sweet or whatever!

What are your people skills like?

Could you put together a day out at your premises where you put together kits and everyone makes them together with you assisting or teaching? Something simple to make from go to whoa? Attic24 Lucy takes people to Europe and Morocco for crochet camps and I think she has hosted days local to her, too.

Theatre /film costume design & creation?
Are there any studios, theatres near you?

When Game of Thrones was being filmed in Belfast my job took me onto the studio’s Paint Hall site and one of the areas I got to see was the costume workrooms. Looked like a very busy, creative fun environment.

Can you get work from sewing machine shops that need people to demonstrate machines and teach people who buy machines how to use them? The shop I got my machine from offered two free one on one classes with the machine and a lady came in to teach me.

Also a shop selling sewing machines would value your experience as a salesperson as you could advise inexperienced customers which machine to get.

Try selling through Etsy, Vinted, and Depop.

Can you create patterns and sell them on line?

Do not undervalue your experience and skills in establishing and running your own small business with all the marketing, customer service skills, purchasing, tax accounting, finances, pricing etc. that involves.

What are your people skills like?

Pretty awful by the looks of things. I'm autistic and find it very hard to cope with long periods of peopling. So I suspect the problem is actually me. Again, I'm loving the honesty of these replies as it's making me realise quite how badly wrong I'm going, and maybe where.

I really am truly thankful for every reply, I don't mean the above in a nasty way - sometimes it needs to be pointed out and I needed to be told I was being disdainful. The poster was right. I was. I'm assuming it could be read on my face, too. God, what a mess I've made.

I was thinking similar. The wedding dress alterations lady my daughter went to was always very busy and not cheap. Also maybe making bespoke wedding dresses?

I agree with the tiktok advice - I follow a girl on there who makes knitted earwarmers on a loom. She seems so many because she's tiktok popular. Similarly crocheted I follow - always stowed off with orders

@businessorbust sorry if this has already been mentioned, but I knew someone who, as well as sewing outfits etc, used to carry out repair work for a laundrette. I don't know if such a thing still exists, maybe reach out to places like Timsons?

Is it possible to advertise repair/alterations as well.
I recently needed ds blazer sorting (very small job) and it cost me quite a bit (I don't have a steady hand to have completed myself 😂). Uniform shops might need someone?

What about working as a housekeeper in a private home? Things like cooking, laundry, clothes repairs, light cleaning (usually people will have a regular alongside). It's much better paid than the likes of retail and might suit you in terms of skill set.

I'd love to go on a sewing workshop/course and be happy to pay for someone's expertise but they seem (seam 😀) to be on days I work or times I could be in work as I have to cover holidays so unfortunately I can't commit.

Perhaps you could advertise short introduction to sewing courses as Christmas gifts? Include a couple of fat quarters, spool of thread, ribbon and a simple pattern for a gift bag for beginners for example or how to cut out and read a pattern and make it for those a bit more confident with their sewing skills.

Firstly, I'm no expert, but...
I was thinking about your experience with the shell lady.

The key thing you identified was that you need to make more money.
You've spent time on things that don't sell.

There's a lot of good suggestions on here, but I think what you may need to do is be quite selective and don't spread yourself too thin trying to service and promote too many lines so that you can't really focus on developing all of them to the same extent.

What about choosing just a few things that you KNOW for sure will be popular ( this may require a bit of research) but keeping it as simple as possible so that they don't take a huge amount of time, or a big investment in materials... particularly with coming up to Christmas... and really focusing on how and where to sell them.

I particularly liked the ideas about putting together kits ( I can imagine simple ones doing really well at Primary school fairs) and teaching people how to put them together... ( and making tik tok videos of this to attract new customers) and also for parties. Or targetted school workshops And the memory bears idea since so many in the thread seemed to think they were popular. And having an open day for the whole unit where your workshop is based... could organise a sale you could all participate in and share contacts/ideas. (someone to sell food and drinks eg)

I noticed you are also telling yourself off a bit for being in a position where you are struggling. But you had good reasons.. the pandemic, the rising mortgage and cost of living crisis not having enough room at home and so on. This has happened to many businesses. I think from your post that you sound like a talented, hardworking and enterprising person and you are currently doing the best thing you could do, which is asking around for ideas and advice from those with similar experience and rethinking how you do things. Have faith in yourself!!!

@DuckbilledSplatterPuff
you just made me cry. Thank you xx

Please don't take my use of 'disdainful' too much to heart. I was pretty blunt with you, it's true, but because I don't want you to bang your head on a brick wall.

The key to a successful business is a) to sell things people want to buy b) at a price point that your target market can and will pay c) which also allows you to turn a profit. If your stuff isn't selling, you are not hitting either a) or b). And you aren't going to convince people to like and value the things you think they should like and value. You either have to find new customers who like and value the things you make or make things that the customers you have access to do want.

You could try something similar to this?

Oh OP. Please don't say you've made a mess of things. Not many people keep their own business running for 20 years.....that's making a success of things.

Just a small change of direction and a boost of confidence and you'll be romping away again.

Before I retired I was a gardener. I got lots of business through other local tradespeople. I was in a kind of buddy group with all sorts of independent tradespeople - landscapers, builders, cleaners and hairdressers - if one of our clients ever said, 'Do you know anyone who can reroof my shed/come round and cut my hair/plant up my summer pots?' we would all recommend each other.

Palling up with local interior designers, estate agents, builders, cleaners, decorators might be really useful for your soft furnishing work and hairdressers, bridal shops, beauticians and florists for your dressmaking/wedding work.

Another tip would be to target potential clients. Leaflet drop new build developments or houses you see the removal van offloading at.

In my experience I did a huge amount of work for elderly clients who used to do their own work but now were unable to and were glad to have a reliable, honest person do the job for them. Perhaps leafleting retirement homes would be an idea.

Go for it girl. You've got this.

Can you advertise in fabric shops for your cushion and blinds making services? I've bo idea how much it costs to advertise in the local freebie monthly magazines we get in the post but that might be worth a shot too.

Other possibilities - seamstress in any local theatres? Can you do pattern making? If so, pattern making or sewing up clothes for art school students may work? As in those who are doing final year/end of year shows don't always do the pattern making or all of the sewing for final pieces.

If you have any Mother of the Bride shops as well as wedding dress shops, can you see if they need an in-house seamstress for alterations. They most likely have relationships with seamstresses but having someone in-house might save them money/earn them money. Not every day or every week but you could offer up once a fortnight and do all the fittings then, and sew in-house? (I have zero clue if that is a good idea)

You do have a market for cushions, blinds and soft furnishings, I would see if you could chase it.

Absolutely this. If you've done all that you have the skills to do an Admin job. Have a look at temp agencies where you could get some varied experience or your local council.

A friend of mine is a creative person and makes a living from this on Notonthehighstreet, her own website, etc. In leaner times she has worked as a greeting card merchandiser which was something she could do fairly flexibly and used her skills well. It seemed to afford her a bit of breathing space to take her creative business in a new direction (think clothing to ceramics or posters to greeting cards - that kind of thing). I’m sorry times are tough at the moment but thought I’d mention this as a possibility for you too.

I pay to attend group dressmaking groups, it's about £20 a class and there are up to 8 in a group. It's always fully booked, about 8 classes a week run. You do need the right space and machines and plenty of equipment though! I love it. Are there any fabric shops near you that could do with teaming up?
It is such a shame your skills are not valued, I am sorry to hear that.

Could you look into the homeschooling market and do a sewing class with kids in the day? That might not be a stable income, but it could lead to other things (parents buying blinds, etc)

Kits are a really appealing idea, and something I've been thinking of getting for my teen DD who is interested in sewing but doesn't have the skills for anything complicated yet. A pre-measured and cut kit for a cute bag could work.

Online selling of physical products is a nightmare, but you could also consider designing patterns with how-to guides to go with them. Downloadable PDFs at £5 - £10 each would be a great sideline to all the actual sewing you're doing. Obviously it takes time to develop the patterns and create the PDF guides, but once it's done you don't have to think about it anymore.

You've had a lot of good advice in the thread so far. Good luck!

I've room and machines for 4 students and currently have Monday nights and Wednesday mornings blocked out for classes. It's £24 for 2 hours, so it's close to what you're paying, but my class size is smaller.
Interest, but no bookings. The town class is about the same price and squeezes in 16 people. Its so bizarre as I get her students moaning to me that they never get any time with the tutor, or space at the cutting table. I say "come here, plenty of both". But they don't. It's me. It must be me. I'm clearly disliked.

Things I like about my dressmaking class are mainly that the 'teacher' provides very gentle encouragement and support, no teaching as such, just helpful hints and a bit of humour. We also have lots of tea and biscuits and nice people to chat to.

I doubt that, honestly don’t have a pity party. Are the town classes 24 for 2 hours?

Also why don’t you habe classes in a bigger area. So what if you’ve to drive an hour,

however of wedding dresses aren’t making the money , just stop, phase it out, focus on what makes the money. People can measure up themselves. You’re not Hilary’s. Get back on Etsy with a new offering. Stay on folksy. Making cushions and blinds might not be as much fun as dress making, but you will feel a shit load better when you’re order book is full and your unit safe.

and as a pp said, with Christmas coming up. Now’s the time, loads of people refresh their homes before the relatives descend.