Leslie333

If you want to stay small I would focus on being a shop that is fairly specific instead of general in nature. For example, be THE batik LQS in the area and stock almost exclusively batiks, with a line of solids and a couple of other lines. Or, if the area is more traditional, then aim for that audience. I live in a larger city and each local shop has it's niche - modern, comtemporary, traditional, and one is a good mix. If you try to be everything in a small shop then any one customer may feel you have very little. If you have the best selection of just one thing you may become a destination shop, even if there are larger shops in the nearby cities. Just my opinion.

Basketman

Taking a hobby that you love is like asking a glass blower to eat what he breaks. If you want to learn to hate what you love fast... turn it into a business. It is a well known fact that a small business seldom makes a profit for the first five years, you plow everything back into the inventory and meeting expenses...I lived that way for years and personally I would suggest you find another way to invest your time and money.

charlottequilts

I don't understand that analogy at all. Are there words missing?

hugs,
Charlotte

Barb in Louisiana

What turns me off in a LQS is the high price of fabric. I just can't justify paying $14 a yard when I can get the same fabric online for $7.99. But...I will buy a kit of that expensive fabric if you have a display quilt made up so I can see how it's going to turn out. I agree that classes are a must, with kits to be available at the shop if a customer wants to purchase them. There are some kids these days who want to learn to sew and parents aren't interested in teaching them. Are you interested in providing that service? By all means, offer a beginning quilting class that will help someone learn how to use a rotary cutter and the basic rulers and how to read a pattern. Teach them how to square up an HST so they won't fear them. That is one thing I wish had been available when I started. I picked up hints here & there and am comfortable with most sewing stuff now. Do some advanced classes or groups. One of our local guilds have a several sewing groups....Bonnie Hunter and a Judy Niemeyer sewing group and a general one where you bring your own projects. What is needed in your area?

The fabric shops locally who are most successful have all developed their own niches with different types of fabrics that they specialize in. Trouble is, they don't tell you that unless you ask them. I have driven 60 miles looking for batiks and found out one only had civil war fabrics. Now I ask. I agree that having a long arm service, especially if one is not available locally is a great asset. Often when shops go out of business, they can continue earning money with the long arm business.

Good luck if you decide to do it. If I am ever in NC, I will come by to visit and maybe buy a thing or two.

fayeberry

I am not into always having the latest fabric line. I drive a distance to buy at a shop with OK prices, good sales and friendly, welcoming atmosphere. MY LQS is much more convenient, but not nearly as friendly.

twinkie

If I were to ever have a quilt shop, I would try to have a good variety and also consider having an on line store before I would try one where I have to pay all of the utilities and rent. I know that many e-bay sellers do quite well for themselves. Also you need to keep your profit margin as small as you can in order to make it successful. Those shops that try to double the cost of their fabric end up making the price out of reach for the average person. Just my humble opinion. This is totally off the subject but another aspect of owning a business. In 1985 I opened a restaurant in Florida. It was 7 miles from the closest town, 2 1/2 miles off of the inerstate, had been closed for over a year and had 4 unsuccessful owners in 5 years. The owner of the restaurant building told me I could not make a success with prices as low as I had put on my menu. With the highest price meal on the menu being $5.99 for NY strip steak dinner (remember this is Florida), and only seating 47 people, We did over $260,000 our first year with no advertising. We worked hard for it but made a decent living for our efforts. I think it is much better to have 30 paying customers a day with a little lower profit margin than it is to have 5 paying customers a day making a little more.

bearisgray

Interesting idea - how much would you be wiling to pay for these items?

dc989

Our LQS honors Joanne coupons on one regular price item on Wednesdays. It is quite a draw.

She also has a huge set up sewing room which you can use for $5 per day. She has a cutting table (no cutters or rulers) and several ironing boards with irons set up. The room is used for get together and classes.

She has a nice selection of fabric and so on with lots of samples on the walls. I believe she is doing quite well in her second year. BTW she and her shop girls are friendly and know the products. They offer help, but don't hover.
The only down side is the price of fabric. The owner only takes a reasonable mark up from what I've seen elsewhere. She does have several big sales a year to weed out fabric which doesn't sell quickly.

Hope this helps. This is the third shop in our small town. The first two closed due to lack of business. The current shop seems to be much busier and the owner has that personality that seems to draw people into the shop. The first two shops that failed did not have that warmth or personality. I can't put my finger on it, but there is a type of person who can successfully run a shop.

KalamaQuilts

there is a quilt shop in Colorado that will buy your fabric I think they pay by the pound. I read about it on Bonnie Hunter's blog. I think you would already have to have a going concern to start with, but it is a fun twist. I still wouldn't do for money what I do for love. My passion is quilting, has been for forty years.

quiltjoey

I applaud you for your ambitions. I would very carefully research demographically the area for what you are wanting to do. You can get professional people to do that for you at a cost or go to the small business seminars offered in your area. We've had several people we have known that went into business for themselves doing what they were good at but didn't have business sense to run the businesses.

Our best (imho) LQS just closed because the owner had been in business for 20-25 years and wanted to retire. Her children were grown now and she had no time to go see them. She offered beautiful fabrics, notions, thread, etc. and classes in the evenings. Her people were very knowledgeable and helpful and friendly. I loved going into her shop. The classes like someone said were usually $35 and up and you got a discount on the goods used for the class. She also had an expensive line of machines which people wanted. I am so sorry she closed but understand her need for time to do and see her family. She practically lived at the shop and told me she never got sew anymore because of managing, buying, teaching classes for the purchasers of new machines and software, etc, etc.

She sold everything to a young woman nearer Charleston who's shop mostly caters to young women who want to learn to sew things for children or children that want to sew. Most of her fabrics are for garment-like things. To take her classes, you MUST buy her fabrics. I think that is a good idea but am hoping with the new line of machines and us old customers from the other shop, the new owner will also cater to quilters and look forward to seeing us. She is learning very hard about how to do that.
I wish you the best in your endeavors and if it is what you really want to do, God bless… Please keep us informed about your decision.