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From: kylefty
Date: 01-07-2004, 03:49 PM (1 of 11)
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Has anyone read The Business of Sewing Vol. 1 or 2 written by Barbara Wright Sykes? I have been looking to order them but would like to know if they have been of any interest or help to anyone. |
User: kylefty
Member since: 01-02-2003 Total posts: 33 |
From: sewserious
Date: 01-07-2004, 06:28 PM (2 of 11)
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I was NOT impressed at all. Very poorly written. There may be some valuable information in there, but darned if I have time to wade through the poor layout to find it. There was way more time spent on pricing than anything else. If you have these, don't bother to buy her pricing book either. You won't need it. I shelled out the bucks for them all and the information is just repeated from one book to the other. |
User: sewserious
Member since: 08-24-2003 Total posts: 112 
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From: lou-dezynz
Date: 01-08-2004, 01:36 AM (3 of 11)
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I have "The Business of Sewing" [I guess it's v.1, as there's no volume noted] & thought it was ok for someone just starting up and looking for very general info. I was more impressed by her "Pricing Without Fear" tho NO ONE will REALLY ever give a clear perception on price. Every similar books notes to include your material, time, skill level and factor in opportunity cost [economy of what we give up in choosing sewing as business; for ex: if having young kids, needing to pay someone to tend to them to stay out of your sewing room; or paying for time intensive services such as house cleaning, dry cleaning, et al...] I recall YEARS ago having read ads for books which IMPLIED that standardized fee schedules were included; later finding that they were not. I think it boils down to 1. confidence level; 2. avoiding fear of DISCUSSING this topic [in such places as SWN forums] and admitting what we do charge, realizing that skill level and accessibility, etc all are factored into our fees charged; 3. avoiding fear of asking/ answering others questions point blank, like "what did you charge when you began?" "how do you relay intended price increases to customers and justify them?" "how often do you re-evaluate your fees charged?" These books which tell us to merely "add in what your time is worth to you" do nothing except dance around the questions which most sewing for profit- minded people need help in figuring. Lastly, when told "don't under-rate yourself", my answer to that is: then have your book provide standardized fee lists for the sake of the entire sewing community! Also, if you love to sew, have only done it for self, family, home, gifts; been told "you should sell/ make these"... and if just getting your feet wet in sewing for profit, then advertise your desire to do so, listing your fee schedule as "Introductory Pricing Below applies for 60days from date". If bombarded with work, you probably did undercharge; getting no reply doesn't, however, mean that you necessary out-priced yourself. I could not possibly charge for sewing what I was formerly billed out for hourly when working in law pre-disability [5/89] as I'd need to be selling my skills on Rodeo Drive! I would, however, be VERY willing to honestly discuss fees in an open honest forum, in order to gauge ourself and help those starting out. If we weren't all so leery of discussing this, the need for such books would be near- obsolete. lou <<email address removed for privacy>> Take life as it comes; there's always someone in a worse situation!
**I have A GREAT DEAL OF sew-quilt-craft FABRIC, PATTERNS, BOOKS, TOOLS for sale, along w/ vintage machines. Must sell off much of the contents of my sewing room due to lost home in divorce, need to downsize re relocating..** CHECK MY PHOTOS OF ITEMS FOR SALE at <http://photos.yahoo.com/<email address removed for privacy>> PAYPAL PREFERRED <<email address removed for privacy>> |
User: lou-dezynz
Member since: 02-02-2002 Total posts: 61 |
From: sewserious
Date: 01-08-2004, 07:14 AM (4 of 11)
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I have to agree with the pricing books. While they do list formulas that can be helpful in figuring out different ways to charge, anyone who is going into business for themselves should already have the attitude that they are going to make a profit and will charge accordingly. |
User: sewserious
Member since: 08-24-2003 Total posts: 112
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From: kylefty
Date: 01-08-2004, 08:48 PM (5 of 11)
| Thanks for the advice, saved me a lot of money. |
User: kylefty
Member since: 01-02-2003 Total posts: 33 |
From: feliciasews
Date: 01-22-2004, 08:01 AM (6 of 11)
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I attended a workshop put on by the SBDC (Small Business Development under the SBA). All of Barbara Wright Sykes books were recommended highly by the government, so I decided to pick them up to see for myself. I am so glad I did. I have Barbara’s first book and I can truthfully say that both of her new books The Business Of Sewing Volumes 1 and 2, have new information that is invaluable to those of us who sew for profit. As an instructor, I realize you must reinforce certain points for those readers who may not know the business as well. But to say that Ms. Wright Sykes has repeated information from book to book is professionally unfair. We need educators and contributors like this lady, who has tirelessly worked and given our profession a good name. I have since purchased her other new books: Marketing Your Sewing Business and Do You Sew For Profit, both are outstanding text with a myriad of solid information. I have selected her text books for my classes. It is easy to see why her work is endorsed by: Nancy Zieman, Simplicity and McCall’s Pattern Company, American Home Sewing and Craft Assoc., LA Times, etc. As an instructor and educator, I encourage those of you who sew for profit to judge for yourself the merit of Barbara Wright Sykes work; you will not be disappointed! Felicia |
User: feliciasews
Member since: 01-22-2004 Total posts: 2 |
From: sewserious
Date: 01-23-2004, 06:58 AM (7 of 11)
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I did purchase most of her books and I WAS DISAPPOINTED. There is SOME good information there, but it is poorly presented and the layout of the books is not well done. I have a hard time finding what I need in those books. It is NOT unfair to voice my opinions about the books. I invested a lot of money in them. I found the same type of information in several other books and the information in them was presented in a much more straightforward manner. |
User: sewserious
Member since: 08-24-2003 Total posts: 112
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From: lou-dezynz
Date: 01-23-2004, 09:39 PM (8 of 11)
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I have to agree with being rather disappointed. Perhaps for those considering sewing for profit for the first time, these may be useful, as are aLL sew reference & tech spec books. But for the new to "FP sales" there's really no way to gauge how to price your TIME. Again, this is something that we all seem to keep to ourselfves for some reason- perhaps fear of comp? I knmow for certain that I have on occasion under rated my own time in factoring pricing, and while proud of the sale and finished work/ garment, it tends to make you feel rather under- accepted. pACC has standards on this too, tho again very vague. Another better sources- in my opinion- is Nancy Restuccia's "Publish Your Patterns!...", one of several books for which I've written reviews. I believe that this [pattern pub] may be the few means of assuring payment for time, factored in accordingly- that is pattern and design publication vs work for hire. What an inexperienced sewer may bill at $5.00 per hour, tho need 20 hours to complete may be equaivalent to what a more experienced sewer can complete in 4 hours at $30.00 per hour. So just how is a new-bee supposed to make a standardized comparison for published prices. Sewing is amongst the only industries in which no hourly scale is set for census comparisons. Again, the sole way to overcome this is for ALL of us to help by adfmitting to the time/ hourly rate charged when a novice, vs when becoming more experienced. Also focusing on areas of sewing is an important aspect in sewing for profit. Charging for a couturier gown/ bridal wear by drafting designs is far different then sewing from patterns. All of these- and more- factors need be considered. Is anyone else willing to openly discuss rates so as to help those getting started? lou-dezynz Take life as it comes; there's always someone in a worse situation!
**I have A GREAT DEAL OF sew-quilt-craft FABRIC, PATTERNS, BOOKS, TOOLS for sale, along w/ vintage machines. Must sell off much of the contents of my sewing room due to lost home in divorce, need to downsize re relocating..** CHECK MY PHOTOS OF ITEMS FOR SALE at <http://photos.yahoo.com/<email address removed for privacy>> PAYPAL PREFERRED <<email address removed for privacy>> |
User: lou-dezynz
Member since: 02-02-2002 Total posts: 61 |
From: sewserious
Date: 01-24-2004, 09:02 AM (9 of 11)
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One of the things I did not like about this book is that she states there is only one way to really price your work. That is simply not true. She has a complicated method for figuring your pricing with a time and motion study. That's wonderful, but a person would have to spend days, weeks, or months to develop that time and motion study before starting a business. Not very productive IMHO. And the method does not account for the fact that someone new to the business or particular speciality will be slower than someone who is an old hand at it. It is also something that has to be redone on a periodic basis so as to ajust pricing. I prefer to charge a standard price by the pattern piece with a certain charge per zipper, per buttonhole, or other details. This is easier, quicker, and allows for more profit on my part if I am quicker without having to adjust prices or do a complicated study or formula on a periodic basis. |
User: sewserious
Member since: 08-24-2003 Total posts: 112
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From: lou-dezynz
Date: 02-06-2004, 04:35 PM (10 of 11)
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Hi, I just posted under "what do I charge" & since we've discussed that here, I thought I'd share that info. Found a site which contains sewing/ business price lists which can be used as a guideline. Lou-Dezynz
Take life as it comes; there's always someone in a worse situation!
**I have A GREAT DEAL OF sew-quilt-craft FABRIC, PATTERNS, BOOKS, TOOLS for sale, along w/ vintage machines. Must sell off much of the contents of my sewing room due to lost home in divorce, need to downsize re relocating..** CHECK MY PHOTOS OF ITEMS FOR SALE at <http://photos.yahoo.com/<email address removed for privacy>> PAYPAL PREFERRED <<email address removed for privacy>> |
User: lou-dezynz
Member since: 02-02-2002 Total posts: 61 |
From: weB2cats
Date: 04-05-2004, 05:16 PM (11 of 11)
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Most of the books I've purchased on the subject of sewing as a business are very outdated or cover areas I've no interest in, such as bridal wear. Or they don't cover other areas of concern-such as selling to the public, away from the home of operation. I'd like to learn more about the avenues of selling apparel, whether on consignment or through a weekend marketing venture. How does one go about selling directly to retailers? Is there a way to approach prospective retailers? Which avenue is the most cost effective in the beginning of a startup biz? I am a designer/manufacturer and need to get the merchandise of ladies Hawaiian dress apparel out to the public while still maintaining some control on profits. Consignment seems highly risky as things can be stolen or lost in the confusion on handling other merchandise. I'd love to her some success stories. |
User: weB2cats
Member since: 11-07-2002 Total posts: 232 |
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