The art of tailoring entails more than just sewing or mending clothes, so says professionals in this line of work.Tailors say an entrepreneur in this business must be able to measure accurately, sew, iron and make adequate fittings. They say other job duties of the tailor include alterations to clothing, repairing torn fabrics, sewing on zippers, hemming and more.The tailor must have the ability to use the sewing machine with ease, because he may be required to tailor anything, from a dolls clothing to a brides wedding dress, experts say.It is important that he or she becomes familiar with working with different fabrics such as cotton, wool, satin, polyester and more, a tailor with over eight years experience in the profession, Mr. Ganiyu Babatunde, says.As a tailor, you will discuss with your customers to determine their specifications for the clothing and you will sow most fittings to ensure they fit the customer well and it is your duty to make necessary alterations.The income generated from tailoring is dependent on the individual expertise, the location, the period or season of the year and the negotiating ability of the entrepreneur with his or her clients.Tailoring in Nigeria, according to entrepreneurs, is a skill which blossoms with selected seasons of the year. They note that festive seasons are often characterised with increased tailoring activities, as customers sew new dresses as they celebrate such periods.They say the business guarantees stable returns to the entrepreneur, provided the tailor has the adequate skill and has his business outlet strategically located.When you have the basic equipment, and of course, have the required expertise, you can make up to N60,000 in a month; but this depends largely on where your shop is situated, says Babatunde, whose business is located at Kosofe, Ketu, Lagos.He says that when starting a tailoring business, the entrepreneur may also decide to work from home or, in most cases, find a shop location.Babatunde adds, The important thing is that you should take in consideration how you will reach your customers when deciding on a location. A good location will look more professional and appealing to individual customers,He, however, notes that if the entrepreneur plans on getting his tailoring jobs from other businesses such as local dry cleaners, bridal or clothing stores, he may decide to forgo the option of searching for a strategic location.On the required start up capital for the business, Babatunde says the basic cost will include funds for a professional sewing machine, threads of all colours, sewing needles and different kinds of buttons.He explains that the beginner will need an iron to keep the clothes looking straight, neat and presentable for his customers, adding that if he cannot iron the clothes, he may use the services of local dry cleaners. He advises that tailors should also have enough hangers.The Manager of Alice Designers in Alaba, Ojo, Lagos, Mrs. Alice Okoroafor, says the tailor should endeavour to protect himself from tailoring- associated problems. She notes that since the tailor is responsible for working with and caring for other peoples clothing, it is essential that he protects himself from possible liabilities.She says, If you by accident damage or lose the clothing, or if your customer is not happy with how the sewing of his cloth turns out, having insurance for such business can put a limit on your losses. This can be of great importance should any of your customers choose to sue you.She advises that new entrants should conduct detailed market research in their areas of choice before embarking on the business in such location, adding that this can help determine which area will provide the best opportunity for the business to thrive.On things to find out during the research, Okoroafor says the entrepreneur must check if there is stiff competition in the selected area, and if there is enough demand in the location to support other tailoring businesses.She also says the tailor must be able to know his limit, stressing that if he is not familiar with a specific type of sewing such as decorative stitching, he should not hesitate to tell his customers.She says, Or better still, hire another person with experience to do it. You are better off losing one job than gaining an unhappy customer and negative publicity which can prevent many new customers.According to her, words of mouth about a tailor are a very effective way of advertising or destroying ones business.She notes that the tailor must provide excellent services and keep his current customers happy, as this will help produce positive word- of- mouth publicity. When customers are happy with a service they tend to tell their friends about it, she says.Speaking on the development of small and medium scale enterprises in the country, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede says at a function for SMEs in Lagos recently that Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions should give support to entrepreneurs in the sector.He notes that the private sector is strategic to the development of any economy, stating that developed countries of the world attained meaningful progress as a result of the contributions of the sector.
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