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Idea: Alterations business

By Becky McCray

If you can sew, there is demand for alterations. As hand crafts of all sorts make a come-back, this is one opportunity you might not have thought of.

My local sew-er just told me she is swamped with business, always. People bring all sorts of clothing needing a hem, or sleeves shortened, or holes patched, to the dry cleaners. The cleaners hand the jobs over to her. She does no marketing, and has more demand than she can handle, from a town of 5000 people.

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About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns - December 10, 2020
  • In an economic crisis, spend your brainpower before your dollars - November 25, 2020
  • Video: How to fill empty car dealership buildings for the holidays - November 6, 2020
  • How has 2020 changed the challenges rural small towns face? Tell us here - October 20, 2020
  • The Idea Friendly Method to surviving a business crisis - October 6, 2020
  • Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13 - September 26, 2020
  • Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
  • Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
  • Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020
  • Economic self defense for small towns  - June 7, 2020

September 13, 2010 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, ideas

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Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    September 26, 2010 at 9:16 pm

    I started alterations 7 years ago in my home after losing a job. A small ad and cards and flyers got me started. I just moved my business downtown and expect to do wonderfully. People I don’t know drop in all the time just to bless me for opening an alterations business in town.
    Anyone who can do a good job hemming and sewing on buttons can start a business. You can add more things as you learn them.

  2. Becky McCray says

    September 26, 2010 at 9:21 pm

    Thanks for adding your experience.

  3. Shar Roberts says

    February 13, 2014 at 3:07 pm

    I have been a seamstress all of my adult life. Now that my retirement is near. I will be opening an alterations business located on the same property that I live on. I also live near a small town under 10,000 so I am finding this post very encouraging.

    Thanks for the post

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