new business endeavor

[sewingmom]

I was approached today by a lady that is wanting to start a business. It would require me to design and sew uniforms with stretch or flex of some sort in strategic places (crotch, knees elbows, back of armscye). She thinks we have a market and need to patent a design. I never met her before but we were introduced by a mutual friend that connected us because of our mutual need for a retirement business and my love of sewing. I made a date with her to meet witn me and my husband in 9 days. I am not sure but it is sort of in the vein that I have been thinking. I had already planned to buy an industrial sewing machine this year. I recently met a lady that wanted to sell her industrial serger for $1000. I told her I might be interested if she would throw in a week of daily lessons if I bought it. What do you think. Any input for any of the scrub suit sewers or the current and former medical professionals. Pro. sewers?

[Mom of Six]

No advise. Just Good Luck! I hope it works out for you!

[Upholsteress]

If YOU are designing and sewing... what is the other lady doing?

How big of a market do you feel you can target? And how much of a call is there for this type of garment? Almost sounds like it would be a "special needs/custom" type of product. In which case.. you wouldn't need a partner... just do your footwaork and sew up the orders as they come in. As the biz grows... you could then add a partner or hire an additional seamstress.

Just my initial thoughts.

[sewingmom]

She is thinking design and make the prototype. Then create a cottage industry with other seamstress employees to cover a larger market. She is a Nurse in home health . The feild of nursing is an area of middle income prosperity as are the alied health professions. It is also an area where we are always stooping reaching across a bed, reaching to hang an Iv, lifting and tugging at patients etc. With the ageing population that is an area where jobs will always be available thus the need for the appropriate clothing. Actually I am sort of wondering where she will fit in, but I would suppose marketing.

[DorothyL]

There is a whole lot more to running a business than making the product. If she is doing all the other stuff and you just make the product don't worry, she'll be doing her share.
Dorothy

[sewingmom]

Dorothy, As you said there is more to a business than manufactoring the product. I would be willing to invent and just take a share of the profits/royalties, and not be in a partnership. I am thinking that is the safe way to go. It could be and adventure.
Cheryl, thank you for your input also. I work in the healthcare field also and the legwork and the selling are not one of my gifts. You have given me food for thought.
Barb, thank you for the encouragment.

[Sewing Lady]

Please be wary. I see a lot of these kind of folks pretty often. They want you to do the hard part (create) and they do the other stuff. It can eat up a ton of your time and most of the time I find that there isn't a very big payoff. I hope that this is different for you than me. I get a lot of people with IDEAS and they want to pick my brain for the how too's of the game.

Anymore, I tell them I will make a pattern and a proto type for xdollars and then let them deal. I have lost more sleep than I have made money working with start ups.

Good Luck though. Let us know what you end up doing. BTW, get a contract.!!!!

[sewingmom]

Leighanna, I was hoping for your in-put. I think a prototype and initial design for royalties is all I am interested in going for. I will make myself a uniform using some of my Ideas. If they like it I will get a contract drawn up for x amount of dollars for the design and pattern draft and x amount of dollars for each uniform sold that is made by that pattern. (could be a way to get DH to buy Pattern master Botique for me)

[DorothyL]

Remember to talk to an attorney and have her or him look at the contract(s).
Dorothy

[MartySews2]

By all means BEWARE!!! Just from what you have mentioned, I gather she wants to be the queen bee and you the worker. Have an attorney draw up the contract plus be sure to read the fine print before you sign anything. Since I've retired, I have been approached by a lot of people wanting me to help start-up a business with them. The whole purpose of retiring was to be able to take things easy and enjoy my family; not work myself to death. If this is truly what you want to do, then give it a 90 day trial. Most people these days are not going to pay the price for the amount that you will need to make a profit. Think about these things:
1. How many hours a day do you plan to work?
2. Who will maintain the equipment? You or the company you've joined?
3. It takes about 5 years for any start-up business to begin to show a profit. Who pays the bills in the meantime?
4. Even with an aging community, are there enough nurse professionals in the area who will pay the requested price for the uniform?
5. How many uniforms are you expected to produce a week?
6. What about your family time, vacations, illness or medical emergencies?
7. How will you be paid in the meantime?
8. How will the profits be divided?
9. What are your local zoning laws on home based businesses?
10. Who will be paying the state sales taxes and keeping up with the financial end of the business?
11. Who will pay for the business license and annual fees?
12. What will you get out of this business arrangement?
13. If the company goes broke, who is liable for the vendors, inventory, and taxes?
14. Who is buying the industrial equipment? You or the company?
15. Who is responsible for utilities and is your home wired to handle industrial equipment?

While in theory, it sounds like a great idea but many people get in way over their heads because these issues were not even thought about or addressed. Please BEWARE!
Marty