Starting a kiltmaking business

[Barb T]

Hi all

An X-Marker just PMd me to ask advice about starting a kiltmaking business. I sent him a reply, but I thought that I would post my reply here both for the benefit of others and so that others could chime in where they disagree or where I have left something out.

The first thing I would suggest is to have someone who is a really good kiltmaker take a look at one of the kilts you've made and let you know if you have things you ought to improve on before "stepping out" as a kiltmaker. I'm more than happy to give anyone a critique (although I won't do it from photos - I'd have to see the kilt "in the flesh"), and I'm sure that Matt or Wally would be willing as well, although I may be presuming! If you're going to make something other than a hand-stitched trad kilt, pick someone really good at making the kinds of kilts you make.

The second thing I'd say is that, if you decide to make kilts professionally, you should do it professionally. Even though you might not be trying to make a living at kiltmaking, many others are. If you underprice your work relative to what professional kiltmakers charge, you not only undervalue your own work but you steal business unfairly from others. It might be OK with you to choose to make kilts for $2 an hour, but it's not OK from the perspective of community perception of what is fair labor for a kiltmaker. One way to offer a less expensive product is to offer customers a choice in tartan. Charge a flat, reasonable, professional fee for labor, and let a customer choose less expensive tartan (e.g., from Marton Mills) if they want to economize.

Third, do you smoke, or is there a smoker in your house? If so, you shouldn't make custom-made kilts.

And now some answers to two specific questions asked by the XMarker:

What would you consider to be the best first steps in setting up kilt making services? You need to register as a business and get the necessary permits. Each state has a web site with the requirements for starting a business (New York's is at http://www.nys-permits.org/). You must do this for sales tax and income tax purposes. Depending on zoning requirements, you may need to file a zoning exemption petition to have an "at-home" business. It typically isn't difficult to get approval if it doesn't involve a storefront or commercial traffic, but you still have to do it in many places to be legal. Keep accurate records and consult with an accountant if you don't know what can be considered legitimate business expenses, etc. If you decide to do any work by the old-fashioned barter system, be sure that you understand your legal/tax obligations. Barter "sales" are, in fact, taxable and must be reported as income *at fair market value* to the IRS.

What do the mills need in order to sell you cloth at wholesale price? Most will set up an account if it appears that you are a legitimate business. Letterhead helps, as does a clear business address. Some places (e.g., House of Edgar) have a formal application that requires a couple of business references. Lochcarron and Dalgliesh didn't used to, and I presume that they still don't. It's easier if you want to provide a credit card for them to have on file and charge tartan orders to, rather than asking them to ship tartan on credit to you. Unless you order a ton of tartan every year, don't expect them to send you samples/swatches for free.

Where and how did you first reach your local customers? Local Highland dancers. They always need kilts, and the local dance teacher is a great place to start. You can also advertise with local pipe bands. Personally, I loathe making band kilts (boring - too many of the same tartan), but it can be steady work if a band is active and has a lot of turnover. Individual pipers in bands also commonly own a second kilt for solo piping, so that's another possibility that comes with advertising with a local pipe band.

OK - those are my two cents. What do others have to add or disagree with?

[Chas]

I agree with all you have said and would add only this.

Any person going into business should have (must have ?) more than one string to their bow. If they can only do one thing, what are they going to do in the weeks and maybe months between kilts? It does not matter how good they are at doing what they do, if no one wants the product at that time. We are, after all, in the midst of a world-wide recession.

The budding kilt-maker should look at the many and various kilt accessories, which could be sold as 'loss leaders' to draw a customer in.

I have personally known too many businesses that have folded because in the end they were a 'one trick pony'.

Regards

Chas

[Downix]

I have been studying this myself for awhile. Getting it down now. There are several ways which to process, but the key is to figure out your niche. Also to figure out your own strengths and how to use them.

[Frank McGrath]

And have enough resources to support yourself until the business gets rolling. Enough money in the bank to eat and support your family, for at least one year.
One should also have a well thought out business plan before starting any commercial endeavor.

[kc8ufv]

And have enough resources to support yourself until the business gets rolling. Enough money in the bank to eat and support your family, for at least one year.
One should also have a well thought out business plan before starting any commercial endeavor.

This applies to any business, though, you really should make it 2-3 years. Most new business operate at a loss for the first year or two, as they ramp up. It may be best to start as a side job. That's how my IT consulting runs....

[jhockin]

Barb T said: "Third, do you smoke, or is there a smoker in your house? If so, you shouldn't make custom-made kilts."

I think the Wizard smokes (a pipe?) - but I presume the point is not to smoke where the smell will get into/on the fabrics?

[artificer]

Barb T said: "Third, do you smoke, or is there a smoker in your house? If so, you shouldn't make custom-made kilts."

I think the Wizard smokes (a pipe?) - but I presume the point is not to smoke where the smell will get into/on the fabrics?

Aye, but the Wizard has a workshop. If you're making kilts (or anything, really) out of your home, you shouldn't be smoking anywhere NEAR fabric/leather - basically anywhere in the home.

I'd also go so far as to say that people should seriously consider the place of pets in home/work spaces.

IF you've got a dedicated room you can keep pet smells and hair out of, you're probably okay, but nobody wants a brand new kilt/sporran/hose with pet hair on it!

[Downix]

Aye, but the Wizard has a workshop. If you're making kilts (or anything, really) out of your home, you shouldn't be smoking anywhere NEAR fabric/leather - basically anywhere in the home.

I'd also go so far as to say that people should seriously consider the place of pets in home/work spaces.

IF you've got a dedicated room you can keep pet smells and hair out of, you're probably okay, but nobody wants a brand new kilt/sporran/hose with pet hair on it!

I was going to mention this. Making a kilt in my cat-home, turned out the cat hair got on everything. Have since made a cat-free room to work in.

[Barb T]

Barb T said: "Third, do you smoke, or is there a smoker in your house? If so, you shouldn't make custom-made kilts."

I think the Wizard smokes (a pipe?) - but I presume the point is not to smoke where the smell will get into/on the fabrics?

Steve has a shop, where all of the kilts are made.

My comment presumed that, if someone were starting a custom kiltmaking business, it would be in the home. I worked with someone a couple of years ago, and she was a smoker and making kilts in her home for a band. The stench of the kilts was unbelievable, and she didn't even know it.

[Beertigger]

With all respect, using something like iLife to base your business on isn't the best of moves. If you want to appear high in search engines, have an attractive functional site that converts those who are browsing into those who are buying, and be easy to maintain and update, using a professional is the way to go.

If anybody can make a website to use for a business, anybody can knock together a kilt and sell that too.

Or, you can use a professional who's practiced his craft for years (and in the web world, has stayed up to date with the latest technology).

If you don't have at least a few grand to put into a website for an online, mailorder enterprise dealing with high-end goods, you're not very serious. A reasonably complex ecommerce site can run into the tens of thousands.

Much as with kilts, you can develop different levels of quality in a website. There's the funky printed bath towel for pocket change, an heirloom quality masterpiece for big bucks, or the high quality, reasonably priced middle choice.