Before you can start a tailor business in Nigeria, there are many things to consider. First off, what type of clothing do you want to specialize on? Will it be suits for men or women’s dresses and skirts?
A good idea is starting out small by making shirts because the materials needed are less expensive than other types of clothes like pants.
You’ll also need an extra sewing machine that only does buttonholes so your staff member will not have to switch machines during production; as well as more tools such as scissors with very sharp points for precision cutting jobs and embroidery needles used primarily on lace items.
Once you start producing lots of garments, you will have to get a license from the Nigerian government.
The National Agency for Industrial Oportunity (NAIOP) is responsible for this and they’ll charge you a small fee or a percentage of your total sales within the first few months. You should also acquire an insurance policy against all property damages and losses in case of fire.
When it comes to marketing your business, most tailors use newspaper ads, flyers and online classifieds. It’s better to advertise locally because the internet is expensive for many businesses here in Nigeria; although, an advertisement on nairaland could be done regularly as it will get you more attention.
Now if you’re only making clothes for friends and family, then a flyer can be made that people will see in your community. This is another reason why it’s better to start with shirts since you can make more than one at the same time.
If those don’t seem appealing, you could start working with an existing tailoring shop and become their supplier.
That way, you’ll be able to get the wholesale price from them and only have to pay for your own utilities; although this is risky because if they don’t get enough business, they can still refuse giving you a fair share of their profit. This is why it’s important to also advertise yourself locally.
And lastly, be patient and hardworking. Even if you start off small, it will take some time to get noticed in the business world here in Nigeria; although once people do, they’ll want to keep doing business with you because of your good quality products and fair prices.
Things Needed To Start Tailoring Business In Nigeria
The process of tailoring clothes for clients is a centuries old tradition and people are more than happy to be spending their time on such an endeavor. But, they need some things first so if you’re looking into starting up your own trade in Nigeria then read this list!
Step 1: Know The Market You Are Focusing On
If you want to cater to a specific demographic then do so. If it’s the children of Lagos that you are focusing on, then know what their tendencies are and how they would react to your products. That way you can tailor your garments differently for them than for someone flipping burgers in Lagos.
Step 2: Get A Tailor’s Kit And Start Making Your Own Patterns
If you’re a tailor then this is something that will come easily to you but if you don’t know how to sew simple patterns, then it would be best if you either taught yourself or found someone else who could do your patterns for you.
Step 3: Start Accumulating The Things You Need To Sew Clothes
You’ll need different things to do certain jobs so make sure to start collecting the tools of trade as soon as possible even if it’s one piece at a time. You’re not going to get around that!
Step 4: Get Licenses And Permits
There are a lot of regulations that you need to pay attention to in Nigeria as far as running a business is concerned. So, you’ll have your permits and licenses sorted out before all else! Use the links below to help you with this step:
Step 5: Network And Gain Experience Wherever You Can
There are a lot of opportunities for training in Nigeria, and you should take advantage of them as much as possible. They will also help to give you an idea of what it is that people expect from you as a tailor and what they wouldn’t want at all!
Step 6: Get An Apprenticeship With A Tailor
You can’t learn all of your trade in a day. Even the best tailor would not be able to do that so why don’t you get an apprenticeship with someone who has been doing it for some time now? There are many tailors in Nigeria to choose from but here’s a list: http://ifashion.in/tailorlist/
Step 7: Start Small And Learn From Your Mistakes If You Make Any
Don’t get ahead of yourself. The process of starting your own business is an exciting one but you take it slow and steady at the same time so that you can learn as much about tailoring clothes as possible. You don’t need to be the best in your trade just give yourself time and you will gradually come into your own.
Step 8: Have Patience And Be Flexible
Most of all remember that life is not going to go as planned so it’s possible that the road ahead won’t be a smooth one. That’s okay because you have a lot of time so all your setbacks can be overcome with patience and flexibility.
Step 9: Keep Learning And Be The Best You Can Be At What You Do
Keep learning more about how to do things the right way while being the best that you can be at what you do. Don’t compare yourself to others, just I that the best tailor you can be and people will flock to your shop!
Step 10: Be Patient And Stay Flexible While Opening Your Shop
Leave yourself plenty of time for planning so that you can focus on what it is that you want to do. Once you’re all settled in then it would be okay to start doing business but it would be best if you wait until you have enough work with.
Step 11: Start Networking And Get Connected With The Right People
Networking is an important part of doing business in Nigeria and by getting connected with the right people, they can help you figure out how to do things the right way. You will also have the opportunity to get to know your competition so that you can learn from them.
Step 12: Make Sure Products Are Ready For Shipment
If there is one thing that has been holding back a lot of entrepreneurs in Nigeria, it’s products not being ready for shipment at the right time. That means paying attention to when things are finished and if there is any delay then you’ll have to compensate for it.
Step 13: Learn How To Do Estimating And Invoicing For Customers Personally
Once you start getting a lot of customers, it would be best if you learned how to do estimating and invoicing yourself so that you can learn how to read customers and be sure of the prices you’re charging them. You can use Shipwire as a great tool for this step.
Step 14: Learn How To Communicate Effectively With Customers As Your Business Grows
Communication is one of the most important things when it comes to doing business in Nigeria because if you treat customers well while also doing a great job, they’ll sing your praises to everyone in the style industry.
Step 15: Have An Online Store Or Website To Show How Great You Are
Online stores and websites have become very popular in Nigeria lately because there are so many advantages to having one including getting your products seen by people across the world.
Step 16: Be Quick And Flexible Enough To Handle Problems As They Arise
There is no such thing as a perfect business and the more you try to make things perfect, the more chances there are for mistakes. So just learn how to be flexible enough and quick when it comes to problems.
Step 17: Have The Attitude Of An Operator As You Grow Day By Day
Operator is a term used with people who are always on the move and never stop to rest. That’s someone who has an attitude that you should strive to become as you grow your business so that there will be no time for loafing around.
Step 18: Be Confident And Take Risks As You Build Up Your Business
When you’re confident in what you do, that means taking risks as it relates to business and having the confidence to make things happen. So go ahead, start small and then build up from there as you become a force to be reckoned with!
How To Manage Tailoring Business?
In this era of brand-name products and ready mades, it is easy to be impressed by tailoring business. Especially those who have started their own clothing outlets are very much optimistic about the prospects in this field. As a matter of fact, the concept of brand-name goods or ready-mades can never be an alternative to tailor-made garments. Clothes that are tailored specially for a person give an extra feel good factor to the wearer.
So if you have decided to make a foray into the field of tailoring, it is important for you to be well-versed with all aspects of this business. Tailor craftsman usually works on a contract basis. Sometimes he/she is given a particular cloth and pattern to work on. At other times, the client lays down the specifications and patterns of the garment that needs to be made. It is important for you to understand these aspects so as to make your business successful.
Necessary
So let us have a look at some of the aspects of this business that will help you to get success in your venture.
Accessories
Apart from the garment, a tailor makes available accessories like belts, ties and buttons. Most of the time these are hardly noticed by people but they do make a difference in the overall appearance of the person wearing them. So it is important for you to make sure that you have all these accessories available in your stock.
Garment
One of the main aspects of a tailor business is the garment making. In order to ensure success, it is important for you to make sure that the garment that you are selling or making for others is durable and comfortable. The quality of tailoring will definitely help you to make a lasting impression among your customers and help grow the business.
Being well-versed with all aspects of tailoring is important in order to create that image of a tailor that will guarantee success in this field. As far as men’s clothing is concerned, It is very much essential for the garments to contain some extra detailing and embroidery. This will help you to get a better response from your customers and help grow the business.
As far as women’s clothing is concerned, apart from the detailing, it is important that these are made in such a way that they look attractive and comfortable when worn by a person. It will also be useful for you to make sure that the latest fashion in your stock so as to attract more customers.
A tailor can also add a value to leather goods. He/she is expected to make them well and give an appropriate finish. You need not necessarily stick to making garments or leather goods, but it is important for you to be aware aspects of the business so as to make your venture successful.
So if you have decided to be a tailor, it is very important for you to get well-versed with all aspects of this business. This will help you grow faster and ensure success in this field.
Is Tailoring Business Worth It? Yes or No?
When you’re considering a new business opportunity, whether online or offline, the first thing to consider is that tailoring is not just about selling clothes.
If you were to set up a clothing store in the mall and sell only one kind of garment, after some time you would probably realize that your profits are shrinking because all your customers have alentrepreneur your one-style-fits-all product.
The main reason why customers get bored of just one kind of garment is because we are always looking for something new and exciting. We do not like to settle for the same lifestyle, food, drinks or entertainment over and over again either. Therefore you will need to continuously create a variety of products to maintain the interest of your customers.
So this is how you turn tailoring into a money making business: it’s not so much about selling clothes as it is about creating an image for yourself that creates demand for something new and exciting.
If you are starting a tailor shop, then you will need enough space to store your inventory while you are building your business. You will also need a section to work on customers, sewing garments that they have purchased from you or buying clothes and having them tailored to their specifications.
You will also want to create an image for yourself by using certain colors in your store like red, white or black, or hues of pink or brown. You may also want to display certain accessories in your shop as well.
If you feel that red is the best color for your store, then you can hang a red or black curtain up above the entrance door. You could even hang up some large photographs of happy customers wearing clothes that were tailored by you and.
As people come to your shop, you will want to make them feel good when they’re inside. You could play music in the background or display some pictures of happy customers on the wall near your cash register.
As far as making an appearance is concerned, it’s important to always look neat and clean. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman in this business because your appearance is the first thing that will make them want to buy from you.
It doesn’t matter if they come into your shop to purchase a $20 suit or something that costs $20,000 dollars because it’s the experience of buying from you that matters most.
This is how tailoring can become a very lucrative business if you are able to create the right image for yourself. However, there is one more thing that you will need in order to get started and that’s money! Yes, it does cost a lot of money to get this kind of business going so the first step would be to see how much it costs.
The Basic Cost
You will need to figure out the most basic cost of starting a tailor shop. The first thing you will need is enough money to purchase all the necessary equipment and other materials that you are going to need in order to get started.
You will also need a location to work from whether this is inside your home or somewhere else, but it’s important to choose a place where you can leave all your equipment without worrying about it getting stolen.
Taking the above factors into consideration, you will probably need at least $4,000 dollars in order to get started on this kind of business.
However if you don’t have much money but still have some skills and time to invest, then you can start from home and slowly build your business up over time.
This is how tailoring can become a very lucrative business if you are able to create the right image for yourself.
However, there is one more thing that you will need in order to get started and that’s money! Yes, it does cost a lot of money to get this kind of business going so the first step would be to see how much it costs.
How Much Will it Cost?
You do not need a large amount of money in order to get started with this kind of business because you will only need enough money to purchase the tools that you are going to use and then whatever else is needed.
As far as equipment is concerned, you will need to get a sewing machine and then a table or workbench so that you can sit while working.
If you are planning to sell your services for alterations of dresses or suits from the customers who come into your shop, then you will also need some large mirrors so that they can see mirror in front of them.
If you sell your clothes from a store, then you will also need large mirrors so that they can see how the outfit looks when it’s on.
These are just some of the basic things that you will need to get started and once this is done, your business can begin. Hope this post is helpful?