http://www.trtiwequilt.com/ Talk to Lori! She has been in business for a year now and her shop is awesome!

My LQS is a place you can feel like your at home! They sell fabric, patterns, books, etc, but the emphasis in fabric.
They have quilt classes, they do long arm quilting and YOU can do the long arm quilting yourself! But the main thing about this LQS is the friendly atmosphere! The owner is just like everyone else, a quilter, a wife and mom, and a struggling American trying to pay bills! SO she understands when you just want to come by a look at the fabric you can't afford today. Her prices are really reasonable just for that reason. But the warm welcome each time you drop by is what brings you back. She knows just about every customer by name! There is another LQS in town, but they are more like a store that is for " Upper Crust" people and my LQS is for the meat and potatoes people!

For me a key for success, is to offer classes for all levels of quilters. With the increase in online fabric purchasing, a successful quilt shop needs to diversify to bring in revenue and differentiate your shop from the Joann's and walmart. Las Vegas is a vacation destination spot and a web presence will bring in quilters on vacation. It is exciting, but be sure to have a good business plan in place, a good source of revenue to live on for at least 1 year, and some helpful friends who will work with you and develop a friendly rapport that some lqs do not have. Keep us informed, good luck!!!

How knowledgeable and friendly the employees are is important to me. Also important is that they accept beginners and answer questions, no matter how stupid.

However, I am most loyal to shops that have chosen a charity to support (especially if it is one I am involved with!). My best experience with that was a shop where I once lived that gave our Project Linus chapter a place to meet, was a blanket drop-off location, stored some of our fabric for us, and the icing on the cake -- they even made up simple kits for us. A shop doesn't have to go that far, but they can do little things, such as announce work days in their newsletters, offer a door prize for a quilt guild retreat, offer a premium for a quilt show or fair quilt, display a Linus quilt in the store for a few weeks, or in the case of our local Bernina shop -- offer space for a Saturday work day for an Eagle Scout cool tie making project.

These kind of actions also promote sewing/quilting, and what goes around comes around!

Dayle

Maybe I'm weird but I've often thought about what it would be like to own my own shop. The two things I decided are a must are a LARGE variety of fabrics and lots of classes continually throughout the year. Classes are what start lots of people in quilting and also what keeps it interesting for those of us that love learning new techniques. I also love seeing classes for kids! Good Luck to you!

Good customer service, good fabric selection, lots of good sample quilts, some classes, and quilting supplies. I really wish you well in this venture. I know it takes a lot of hard work.

I think my LQS is successful because they sell Bernina and Babylock machines. Rents are expensive around here and I doubt they would make it selling only fabric and patterns, etc. They also offer a lot of classes. I am taking a class next month to learn the long arm they have in the shop. The fee includes 2 hours of machine time after the class.

A good quilt shop has friendly owners and employees. They remember you and greet you as a returning customer when you come in.

They have a variety of fabrics arranged in a logical manner. I like to see the each line arranged together, with similar lines grouped together by their major theme (like all the 1930's in one area or the florals together).

If snail mail is sent, it is sent out early enough so that customers have a chance to plan to come to the event (sale, class, etc.). For example, a store near my mom would send out their fliers so close to the event date that I would receive them on a Friday for that Saturday. Problem was, I was usually on the road to my mom's and wouldn't get my Friday mail until Sunday. So anything they mailed me was a major waste of money because I never had a chance to come to the event.

Include pictures for each class description. Include class descriptions and pictures on the website. I find it much easier to find info on the web than to try to get into the store to see what's scheduled and/or have to refer to a flier. Also have class samples WITH class info attached displayed in the store for shoppers to view. Along the line of classes, be willing to take recommendations for future classes. One place I know let's people design a class - the shopper gets a small group of friends together and the owner/employee teaches a class on the subject they picked.

Do not require that students purchase all fabric and/or special class supplies from you. But, give a discount when class supplies are purchased (maybe tied to the time of registration?).

I like the idea of a some sort of loyalty/reward program. One store put your name in a drawing each time you brought your own bag in (saves you $$ on bags) and drew a monthly winner for a small notion or gift card. You could also do the same when someone "kills a bolt".

NO PETS in the store. I've been places that allow the owner's dog to wander around the store and while I love dogs and am more than happy to pet and love on them, I'm also allergic and don't want to bring contaminated fabric into my home. I can wash my clothes as soon as I get home, but I don't want to wash my entire fabric purchase the minute I walk in the door.

Above all, be friendly!

qbquilts

Oh - want to add, if you can, have someone on staff who can service machines. It's another source of revenue. You don't want your revenue to come from just one source (fabric). Classes, the long arm quilting, machines (sales and services) will all add to the revenue stream.

First, good luck, and hope if you choose to take on this venture you have the time of your life!

I personally find a quilt shop with warm and friendly staff is the most important. In my area I find if you are not part of the inner circle of the LQS you are totally invisible when you step over the threshold. To me variety is the #2 important thing, but all the variety in the world will not entice me to the shop if the folks inside are cold, distant and dismissive.