ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Tips on Starting A School Uniform Sewing Business

  

Do you know that there are over 500 schools (both Crèche, primary and secondary) in Lagos state; and each of these schools have a specific uniform or attire for their students.

Or let’s look beyond educational institutions. Do you know that other individuals and corporate organizations are in need of uniforms for their security personnel, staff, etc?

There are also a lot or military (Army, Air Force, Navy), paramilitary (Civil Defense Corps,Police Force) and non-paramilitary (Road Safety, Traffic Warden, Kick against Indiscipline, Vigilante groups, etc) organizations in Nigeria that make use of uniforms. You can position yourself as a uniform supplier and make money from it.

Setting up a school uniform sewing business is a profitable venture in Lagos that requires moderate startup capital.  You don’t necessarily need to know how to sew to establish this kind of business.

If you have the required startup capital, you can acquire all the types of sewing machines required, rent a spacious facility and then employ trained tailors and marketers as well.

Below is a Sample Business Plan Template you can employ

1. Carry out Your Feasibility Studies

This is to help you outline what you would need to setup the business, the amount required to setup the business from scratch. How you can source for materials, locate those who need your services and how to market your business. It pays to get first hand information from the field before taking any important decision.

2. Draft Your Business Plan

 Your business plan will definitely give you a clear picture of how your business will become in a couple of years ahead – it can predict the future of your business. In starting your own school uniform sewing business, your business plan helps you put structures in place that will help you build the business.

Therefore, ensure that you spend quality time drafting your business plan before venturing out to start running the business. In case you can’t come up with a good business plan, you can contract it to business consultant to help draft one. Just ensure you choose a consultant with a moderate fee, because truly some business consultant can be very expensive.

The truth is that if you have a convincing business plan, it becomes easy for you to obtain business loans from your bank and also to attract investors to help finance your business.

3. Raise Your Startup Capital

You would need money to buy all the sewing machines required, you need money to rent or lease a spacious facility, your would need money to equip the facility and you would also need money to buy insurance cover for your facility and business.

Ensure that you raise the required startup capital and there are several ways you can raise startup capital for your business.

 4. Lease or Rent a Spacious Facility

No doubt you would need a spacious facility in a nice location to setup your school uniform sewing business. So, when shopping for a facility, ensure that it is a facility that has enough space to contain all your sewing machines, your ironing and cutting boards and space for storage of both materials and finished school uniforms ready for delivery.

5. Acquire Your Sewing Machines and Other Equipment Needed

There are several sewing machines that you would need to run a school uniform sewing business. These machines are relatively cheap if you are purchasing them in large quantity. Depending on how big you intend starting your school uniform sewing business, you would need at least 10 sewing machines to start with, 4 ironing and cutting boards, a dozen of scissors, supply of various colors of sewing threads, 4 industrial pressing irons, Button pressing machines, 2 weaving machines, and supply of tape rules et al.

6. Employ Competent Tailors

The quality of the uniform you produce from your sewing factory is largely dependent on the expertise of the tailors your employ. Consequently, employ only competent tailors. Although, you might have to pay more if you are hiring a tailor with vast experience, but the truth is that a very neat and good job will bring more business opportunities to you.

7. Market and Promote Your Business

This is a very important step in running any business. To market your business, you can approach school proprietors and proprietress with sample of school uniforms you produced. The truth is that if you are able to secure contracts to produce school uniforms for more than 2 schools, you will be amazed at how much you will make.

To be successful in this business,you will have to ensure that your jobs are neat, of good standard and that your marketing team are proactive and can also meet or surpass their targets. -(Credit: MyTopBusinessIdeas)