Nigerians enjoy wearing clothing that is specifically made to fit the country. They are specifically tailored to their size, preferences and style preferences and are not the same as clothing that is general and accessible to a broad range of clients. In this article you’ll learn how to begin an enterprise of tailoring in Nigeria.
Let’s sew some new clothes…
Table of Contents
How to begin a successful business of tailoring in Nigeria
Learn these tips to begin your tailoring business that is successful in Nigeria:
1. Develop a business strategy for your tailor-made business
Like any other type of company, a fashion design company requires a plan of business that outlines the company’s goals and goals. This is only the top of the Iceberg.
Like the name suggests the word “business plan” encompasses all the things that must be thought of prior to tailoring businesses is a success.
Your business plan that you create must include your rent costs along with equipment purchases, expenses for maintenance. It should also include your field of expertise, your ideal clients, the cost of electricity and your objectives for the next few months, and more.
2. Select a field of expertise that you can specialize in
Your tailoring business could be specific or general. The first tailors were general and cater to everyone. Nowadays, the majority of tailors are specialists.
Your fashion-related business in Nigeria is able to cater to specific markets or groups of people. You could decide to make and sew clothing for children, plus-size females, teens, students and so on.
Being a part of a niche means you are able to brand your design company and gain recognition even among your other tailors. These are the most lucrative tailoring niches for business in Nigeria:
- Baby and child’s clothing
- Home decorations
- Professional-looking suits
- Wedding dresses
- School uniforms
3. Learn the essential skills
When you’ve chosen a topic then you need to complete all the instruction you require to begin a business and put it into practice. Keep in mind that certain techniques are best learned from tailors that have already been established in the business.
They can be approached for sewing or business training. Another method to learn by working with other tailors for specific assignments.
If you’re still young , and aren’t worried about it applying to one of the most renowned fashion houses in your region and become an apprentice.
An apprenticeship is the most effective way to get a head start in any tailoring company. In general, it lasts between 6 months and 2 years, based on the level of fashion know-how you already have (and as well as your interest).
Even though you may not receive the respect you deserve during your training, you’ll acquire professional abilities that could be the main source of income throughout your life.
4. Fund your tailoring business
The best method to fund the tailoring company is to borrow your savings from your own pocket or to raise funds from your family and friends. If that’s not enough, consider other options.
If you require a significant amount of cash (like N2 million or more) to begin your tailoring company, a bank business loan is the most effective option. If the loan is lower than N500,000, you can get commercial loans through cooperative credit society and microfinance banks.
5. Pick a spot for your tailor-made business
While you could manage a tailoring company from your home (if you’re starting with a small budget) the most effective option is to set up a tailoring shop in person.
This way, people who are not your friends and other passers-by can also bring clothes materials to sewing. How do you determine a great spot?
In addition it is essential that your tailoring company be situated in a bustling commercial area. It could also be located in a residential location (close to homes of people) however, it should be located in an area in which your clients pass through on a daily basis.
The place you select for your tailoring company should be based on an uninterrupted supply of electricity that is accessible by road and have an acceptable crime rate and also be near to your residence.
6. Brand and register your tailoring business
The next thing you need to do is choose a company name. You can choose any of your names or choose the name of your brand.
In any case, your tailored company name should be linked to fashion, easy to read and remember, and also appealing visually. Then, you can make a logo for your brand.
After that after that, you must begin to register your tailoring business through the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). It is possible to register your business as sole proprietorship or a partnership, however the safest organization can be a limited-liability corporation.
7. Find the necessary equipment for tailoring.
If you’re not privy to large amounts of capital to start your business it is possible to start your tailoring business by using an affordable sewing machine at home.
But it’s able to manage a tiny amount of work, and the user interface isn’t as comfortable as sewing machines that are professional grade.
Many fashion designers own at the very least a serger-overlock machine as well as a high-quality sewing machine. Apart from being easy to operate, this sewing equipment can produce top-quality clothes that will please your customers.
Here are some additional tools and equipment that you’ll require to begin a tailoring company in Nigeria.
- Sewing needles (for the machine and your hands)
- Customize chalk or pen, Markers
- Self-healing cutting mat
- Pins and pincushions
- Small craft scissors
- Plastic ruler made of clear
- Measuring tape
- Pinking shears
- Fabric shears
- Rotary cutter
- Seam gauge
- Seam tearper
- Fabric Glue
- Ott light
- Yarn
and numerous other tools.
8. Hire fashion designers
This is an option and not all tailoring companies need to be able to do this. Even if your fashion-related firm is huge and you have a lot of customers it is not necessary to recruit employees if you employ numerous apprentices.
9. Market your fashion design business
There are a variety of ways to promote your tailoring business to prospective customers. It is possible to begin by placing a an advertising signboard in strategic places as well as road junctions in close proximity to your business.
The majority of your clients will be in the vicinity So you should consider using flyers, posters, and handbills. It is also possible to pay local radio stations to advertise your company in the air.
If you are a specialist in youth and teen clothes, you can move to digital however, you should only target local places. These social networks are completely free and you can place your fashion company through local listings of business websites and directories.
Conclusion
You can make general sewing like the majority of tailors in your neighborhood. You could also work as a fashion designer but focus specifically on certain kinds of clothing. The most common examples are wedding dresses and uniforms for school, suits native clothes, and other similar items.
Since the beginning of time, Nigerians have been developing an akin to clothing made specifically for their specific requirements. This has resulted in a wealth of profitable opportunities in the tailoring industry.