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The Sew What’s New Archive
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From: Sewspecial
Date: 09-10-2005, 07:46 AM (1 of 14)
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I have been doing custom made Bridal and special ocassion wear part time for 25 years plus... Unfortunately I have always resorted to a full time job, because I carry the health insurance coverage for my family. I have recently been layed off from my sales position, and I have decided that I am sick of working for others and would like to Sew full time. I love sewing and I am very good at it. The problem I seem to have is pricing. Recently several of my customers have told me that the Bridal shops want $75.00 for a hem, on a Brides maid dress, my price is $30.00. OK. so now the light goes off....no wonder I'm always forced to go back to work for someone else. I don't know if its just my good nature that wants to help everyone, or I'm just plain stupid.....I need help with pricing. I do not want to do anything else for a living. I have a lot of good contacts an with luck and persistance my phone is ringing alot lately. Does anyone have a list of current pricing for Bridal and Bridesmaid alterations.....I really want to survive this time! Please Help SewSpecial |
User: Sewspecial
Member since: 09-24-2004 Total posts: 30 |
From: Catalina
Date: 09-10-2005, 08:16 AM (2 of 14)
| Hi! I started a screen printing business several years ago and what I did was call all the screen printers in town and asked them how much this or that would cost acting like a customer and I priced accordingly. Marketing and pricing are always the hardest part of starting a business. It sure sounds as thought you can raise your prices some- after all you need to make a living, even raising a hem to $50 would help. Wow cant believe they charge $75 to hem a dress, maybe I should go in business!! What may be a OK price in one area may not be in another area so its imp. you check out the businesses in your area. Good Luck. |
User: Catalina
Member since: 01-06-2005 Total posts: 119 |
From: grandmasue
Date: 09-10-2005, 10:37 AM (3 of 14)
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It's $60 to $75 for a simple 2 layer hem on a bridesmaid dress here in Wisconsin!
Grandma Sue
------------ At the end I am not showing up at my grave all pretty and well preserved...I am coming in sliding, yelling "What a ride!" |
User: grandmasue
Member since: 10-26-2004 Total posts: 138 
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From: Linda in Colorado
Date: 09-10-2005, 11:17 AM (4 of 14)
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SewSpecial, Whatever amount you have been thinking of charging for an alteration -- DOUBLE that amount and you should be about right. Or you could get a copy of Claire Schaeffer's book called "Price it Right". She has a listing of how to come up with pricing for any kind of alteration. NAYY, of course. Linda in Colorado |
User: Linda in Colorado
Member since: 03-27-2000 Total posts: 102 |
From: AndreaSews
Date: 09-11-2005, 08:29 PM (5 of 14)
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It seems to me that if you come pretty close to what the bridal shops are charging, then you can retain your customer loyalty by offering a personal approach. For ex, at the shop, one lady does the fitting, and somebody down in the basement does the sewing. Your service is, well, seamless. There are other touches that you can offer, I'm certain, that can make people feel like they've come to the right place. How long does it take you to do that hem job? You should be able to come up with a good hourly wage estimate with the amount of time you spend and the amount of money they charge. You can apply that formula to the rest of your work. At the shop, they have padded the price to allow for social security, disability insurance, and unemployment insurance. In that industry, those don't go to waste, as many alterations employees go on unemployment each winter when business slows down. Since your overhead will be lower, you can crop it down a bit, and pass that savings on to your customer.
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007 
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From: Sewspecial
Date: 09-12-2005, 10:20 AM (6 of 14)
| Thank you everyone! I appreciate all the help. I guess the big thing I need to do is remind myself I need a paycheck...If I want to continue doing what I love. I find because sewing comes easy to me, it's very easy to under price for my service. Being the type of person that likes to make people happy doesn't help either. I've put a new price list on my wall near my desk and have made a vow to look at it before I open my mouth. Hopefully this time I can endure. |
User: Sewspecial
Member since: 09-24-2004 Total posts: 30 |
From: AndreaSews
Date: 09-12-2005, 10:42 PM (7 of 14)
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Great to hear it! You know, I just had a thought. Maybe you can use that desire to make people happy to your advantage in some other ways. Little touches--Perhaps there's a small (cheap cheap, or less than 10 mins to make) item that you could stuff a pocket with when you deliver the finished work. A little surprise that makes people feel glad they came. (Think mints on your pillow at a hotel, but nothing gooey that melts in a pocket!!!!) Maybe that will also help you feel better about having charged more.
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007
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From: Teri
Date: 09-14-2005, 09:52 AM (8 of 14)
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This has been my biggest bug-a-boo, too. One of the things that has helped me is doing alterations at a dry cleaners that already had set prices. Now my home work is priced at about 75% of what my boss's prices are. By the way, I never do home jobs at the cleaners and never move the cleaner's customers over to my home jobs. Usually, the jobs I do at home are home decor jobs and the ones at the cleaners are alterations. I've made lists of how much time a job takes me and then quote that time plus some extra padding, so one curtain panel completed takes me 20 minutes, I add 10 minutes on for padding. If the job goes smoothly I then can bill the customer less than the maximum time quoted, if the job takes longer I'm still within my quoted price. This makes for happy customers.
Teri
"Where are we going, and why am I in this basket?" |
User: Teri
Member since: 09-14-2005 Total posts: 66 
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From: MaryW
Date: 09-14-2005, 11:05 AM (9 of 14)
Hi Teri and welcome to Sew Whats New. 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: Sewspecial
Date: 09-16-2005, 10:50 AM (10 of 14)
| I want to thank everyone again for their suggestions! I have to tell you, I do alterations for a well known Bridal shop...They give my number to customers when they cannot take additional alterations. It's usually short notice, but it's work. My first customer referred from them came in I charged my new pricing. To my surprise Whoo Hoo, she didn't even flinch at the price. Thanks again for the help I really do appreciate it. |
User: Sewspecial
Member since: 09-24-2004 Total posts: 30 |
From: MaryW
Date: 09-16-2005, 11:01 AM (11 of 14)
That is great  to hear. Maybe now you can get back on track. Don't take off and leave us now. We can all probably learn a few things from you too. 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542
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From: VenusElaine
Date: 10-22-2005, 07:19 PM (12 of 14)
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Two excellent reference sites for policy and pricing are www.leanna.com and www.bridesave.com. Leanna has a Bridal Studio Section packed with information. Bridesave has compiled a price list based on national averages. Both of these sites have helped me at "work" (Alteration Supervisor at a local retail store) and "home" (Goddess Creations, a home based custom clothier devoted to unique bridal, formal, pageant, and fantasy gowns). Hope this helps. VenusElaine "Always put as much effort into your marriage as you do into your wedding."
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User: VenusElaine
Member since: 10-22-2005 Total posts: 126 |
From: Helen Weiss
Date: 10-22-2005, 10:42 PM (13 of 14)
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Good suggestions! One more thought...I have trouble charging for the try-on/fitting time I spend with my coustomers. After three years of doing alterations, I'm much better at charging for my actual sewing time ($20.00 per hour), but still wince at charging for fitting. That time should be billed out, I know, but it's hard for me to do. Another thing that has helped me stay firm in my pricing resolve, is the fact that I run 5 machines, and all of them require servicing. Funny how the service fellow doesn't have a hard time charging me for his time!!
sewhappy
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User: Helen Weiss
Member since: 10-16-2003 Total posts: 69 |
From: VenusElaine
Date: 11-25-2005, 06:22 PM (14 of 14)
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Most of the alterations I do are according to my price list, which was compiled after doing timings for each, with fitting time included. My custom work is billed by the hour. This includes consultation and research, design, measuring, fitting, and sewing. VenusElaine "Always put as much effort into your marriage as you do into your wedding."
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User: VenusElaine
Member since: 10-22-2005 Total posts: 126 |
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