Embroidery can be a great at-home business for those who enjoy it.  It is relatively easy to set up, too.  Here are some of the things to consider when setting up shop at home.

First, the most important thing to do is to find a space.  Ideally, this will be a separate room of the house, but whatever you decide you want to have a private space that you can say “when I am in here, I am working”.  You should be able to block out non-work distractions in some fashion.  Make sure that your family and friends know that you are not to be disturbed when you are working unless it is an absolute emergency.  The biggest downfall of working at home is that it is so easy to get distracted by other things.

In your space, you will want to set up your work area.  This may include a desk, computer, and phone for taking and processing orders and billing.  You will need some sort of storage system for all of your supplies.  Organization is the key to keeping things running smoothly.  A desk full of papers, knick-knacks and assorted junk is not conducive to running a business, nor is a closet so filled to the brim that you cannot find what you need.  Find a filing system that works for you to keep track of receipts, invoices, client information, and tax forms.  Visit a craft store, home-improvement store, or container store to get ideas of ways to organize craft supplies to make them easy to access.

In your workspace, you will also want a place to do your actual creating.  The type of work that you do will dictate your needs.  If you do your work on a sewing machine, you will need a place to set that up.  If you do more things by hand, a comfortable chair to sit in may be a must.  Adequate lighting is needed for all types of projects.  This may require the addition of lamps or higher wattage bulbs in your area.  You will also want to consider how you will store work-in-progress projects and items to be picked up or shipped so that they will not be disturbed when you are away.  This is especially true if you have young children or pets in your home.  You wouldn’t want to come back for the store to find chocolaty fingerprints or cat hair all over your newly completed project!

Do not forget that you are also going to need supplies for your projects!  For embroidery, you are more than likely going to need a large variety of thread colors and needle sizes.   Not to mention scissors, hoops to keep projects together, several thimbles, and other sewing supplies.   Depending on the items you plan on embroidering, you may need a variety of other materials as well.  If you are planning on embroidering T-shirts, for example, you will want to have a variety of sizes and maybe even colors on hand before you begin.  Depending on your current collection, you may also need additional patterns or design ideas.

Next you will want to come up with a plan on how to run your business.  Will you take orders over the phone or by email?  Are you going to accept calls during all times of the day or only certain hours?  Do you need a permit or license to sell items out of your home?  You may want to contact your city hall to find out if any special permits are needed.  Other things you might consider adding are:  a separate bank account to use for expenditures and deposit payments to, business software to help you track sales and profits, a separate phone line with voicemail to use for phone orders, and a separate email account to use for internet orders.

You are also going to want to look into advertising opportunities to get your name out to public.  This might include attending craft shows, wearing your embroidery around, or taking out ads in local newspapers or magazines.  Researching costs of advertising ahead of time can allow you to add it into the budget when you are estimating start up costs.

With some planning and a few supplies, you can have your embroidery business up and running.  Remember that organization and focus are essential, but also so is enjoying what you do.

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