When you have decided to start an embroidery business, the first concern is determining what type of material to choose and several questions can arise. This article may help to ease your process.
You are a newbie individual in embroidery
You should try to determine what type of clientele you are going to offer your services to professionals or individuals. In this configuration, the most reasonable is to invest in a single head machine, which will allow you to learn and familiarize yourself with different embroidery techniques.
However, there are different types of single head machines with different features:
If you are a start-up; choose a family single head such as the Tajima SAI, Brother PR1050, or 670, Ricoma EM-1010 models. These machines are light, easy to use, for the most part, include programming directly from the control keyboard and above all benefit from a reasonable price. They are usually delivered with frame sets and cap frames. Some of these machines would eventually allow you to invest in other personalized techniques (transfer, Flex, etc.)These different machines allow you to understand all the embroidery techniques (tubular, flat embroidery) and will offer you the possibility of starting to produce, with a perfect result, small series of up to more than 50 pieces. The budget is larger.
An important point to remember: it is practically impossible to make a profit with a single head machine without offering the textile support, except for very particular niches such as custom work, the production of prototypes, or the luxury market. Also think, if you have large series requests, to subcontract to industrial embroiderers, which will allow you to keep your customer and be competitive in terms of prices.
You already are a professional who wants to start your embroidery business
It is necessary to evaluate precisely the type of services that you are going to have to carry out and the volume of business that you are likely to deal with, even if this is not always easy. Depending on this study, you will be able to refine your choice of machines.
For medium series, ranging from one unit to 100 pieces, it would be advisable to opt for a 4-head machine. For higher series, and 8 heads would be more appropriate. With these production capacities, it is possible for you to make your activity profitable and to be competitive on the market, by acting as a subcontractor. However, it should be noted that working on a multi-head machine requires perfect knowledge of the various embroidery techniques and above all a comfortable working space and perfect organization. The right training is often a good investment.
When it comes to purchasing, new equipment is always safer. Choose brands such as Tajima, Barudan, and ZSK, which are specialists in industrial multi-head machines. There are also good opportunities in the market. Remember to have the machine checked by a technician if you buy it directly from a colleague.
Or you may limit yourself to a single head machine until your business is stable, and then invest in a large machine. This way, you can limit your investments and quietly learn the trade, while retaining your customers.
However, the embroidery business is not limited to machines. You must also plan your budget for consumables, software, maintenance, and the layout of your workspace.
