VernaL

I was in one of our LQS on Sunday. It was full of people. There was a class or Friendship group meeting in the classroom. There were a lot of women buying and I saw 4 husbands with them. One was picking out fabrics for a quilt for him. It is not a chain store and they don't sell machines. They have lots of classes and do longarm quilting. We are not too far from the Road show and I wonder if shoppers were getting ready for that. This is a wonderful shop, great service, great selection of fabrics and lots of room. They don't sell decorator fabrics, just fabric for quilting applique, etc. Lots of patterns. I don't know how wealthy they are, but they are keeping their shoppers happy. I would say they have about 3 or 4 other QS within about 15 miles from them. I think the others are doing ok too. I guess it just depends on the area.

quilterella

After having a Quilt shop for over five years, I would have to say, yes, you can earn a decent wage from your own store. BUT, you have to be very careful in your purchasing, because it is so easy to get caught up in the fabric frenzy with sales people. I loved having my own shop, the friends I met, and just the daily satisfaction, to see the smiles, knowing that I had made somebody's day. I miss my shop everyday, unfortunately, between a shoulder surgery and a divorce (both 5 years ago), it was no longer feasible for me to keep the shop. I continue to dream, maybe, someday, opening another one. There would be no other greater wish, than to have my own store again.

sewbeit

i admire you and dont want you to give up your dream..but i really would do my homework..location is number one..will you need help you need to pay for or are you going to be there doing it all...women are fickle..so dont assume they are going to support you 100 percent...machines are where the money is..but then you needsomeone that is knowlegible..then you need mechanics..and you have to have classes and the list goes on..plus dont bank on making any money the first few years..and with this economy..my advice would bee to wait it out a bit longer and in the meantime aquaint yourself with patterns,fabrics..take your own classes..become savvy first..good luck to you

lots2do

The shop owners I know are not extremely concerned about the cotton prices. They have established businesses and quilting is very big in this area.

IrishNY

You need to be do some sort of market feasibility study to determine how many customers you have in a certain radius of a prospective location. Stores do far better with a significant population base to support it. If most of your customers are from a distance, they will come less often and spend less money. Make sure there is enough demand in the area before you worry about what to carry and how many classes to hold.

Good luck - we all want to see new stores open. :thumbup:

2livesdown7togo

Maybe working a few hours here and there in your LQS would tell you a lot about what you need to know to succeed. Let them pay you in fabric for four hours every other week?

VernaL

This sounds like a good idea. You would see more of the inner workings of the business.

Kascie

Dear Baby Catcher: I don't want to break your bubble, but it is not as glamorous as it looks. When we were opening a wool store in Canada, I was told by a shop owner to think of the things like vacuuming, cleaning the toilet, making sure the til was full, making sure the time frames were covered, making sure the garbage went out, etc. etc. Plus, missing vacations because there was no one to work, Well after 20 years, it's still true. Sure, you'll enjoy the glamour of the material, but you have to get a clientele and work constantly to maintain it. Accept all this things, and go to it!!!! blog: A Really Good Yarn

harryb1834

I just spoke to a quilt shop owner last night. She is closing the business as i am typing this. 15 years in business and she said it has never been this bad. My observation as a small business owner is you have to adapt to the economic times. Stay close to your customers and listen to thier needs. This shop practically sold nothing on its website. How can you do that in 2011?
- Harry

geosprouter

I live in a small town about 20 miles north of Spokane, Wa the population is about 4,000. We have a Quilt store that is going into it's 5th year. It is not a big store but, they have a nice selection of fabric, they have a handi quilter that they will train you on and then let you rent, they have classes and seem to be doing well. It is great to have a LQS and I try to support them as much as possible. They are friendly and helpful.