Top 5 Tips for Starting Your Own Longarm Quilting Business
Posted by Shelly Pagliai on Nov 29th 2022
If you’ve been thinking about starting a business of quilting for hire, then I’ve got just the book for you: Quilting for Hire! It’s a workbook/idea book that will help you with all the things you need to think about as you’re getting started setting up your longarm business.
I often tell quilters that they don’t have to have every single thing done and in order before they start. You can do the most important things to get up and running, and then keep working on the rest as you build your business over time.
However, it IS good (and necessary) to have a few things in place before you start, so today I’m giving you my Top Five tips for the things I think are important to have in place when you start quilting for hire.
1. Own a quilting machine that you love and trust.
First and foremost, you will need a quilting machine (obviously)! If you don’t have one, then you need to do your research and go shopping. In the book, there is a checklist of features to look for, research, and think about as you shop. There’s also a handy downloadable form you can print and fill out to take along as you talk to machine dealers or do your research online. It’s helpful to know what questions you’d like to ask, and imperative that you test drive a variety of machines to see what fits with you and the way you want to work.
If you already have a machine, make sure that you get along well with it, that it’s in good shape to do the jobs you’ll ask of it, and that you have any necessary maintenance or desired upgrades done to it. Maybe it’s time to trade in for a newer model, or you simply need to make sure the one you have is in its best working condition. You don’t need problems plaguing you, such as tension issues from a damaged bobbin case, or skipped stitches because the timing is off. Get those things fixed, have plenty of fresh needles and empty bobbins on hand, and you’ll be ready to tackle customer quilts with confidence.
2. Set up your space for maximum productivity.
A longarm machine takes up a lot of space in your studio. I’m sure you took this into consideration as you were shopping for your machine because you knew you’d have to have a place to put it once you bought it! But there are other things to consider as well.
You want your work to flow smoothly, so you’ll need ample room to move around without tripping over or bumping into things, and you’ll need storage space for all your tools and supplies. In the book, there are plenty of suggestions for storing your thread, batting, tools, and even customer quilts. There are also some diagrams for studio layouts to give you a starting point for designing your setup.
Be sure to think about using the vertical space available to you, but I’m speaking from experience when I say “Don’t mount shelves so close to your machine that you bump your head on them” — haha!
Utilizing movable storage items, such as rolling carts, baskets, and bins is also a good idea. I store my rolled pantograph patterns in a shoe cubby. It sits on a shelf in my studio, and I can sort the rolls by type into the holes, making it much easier to locate one when I need it.
Think about the way you work, and how you can possibly make it easier for yourself.
3. Prepare some samples of your work to show.
If someone is hiring you for the first time, they may wish to see some of your work in order to determine if your style is what they’re looking for, and if you’re a good fit for each other. As you’ve been practicing in preparation for quilting for hire, you’ve had a chance to prepare a variety of different types of quilting that you might be willing to do for others, so you can have these samples on hand to show them.
If you meet with your customers in person, they can see the actual quilts, but if you work with customers who ship their quilts back and forth to you, you can show your work on your website if you have one, or on your social media channels. Send your potential customers the links so they can go have a look.
If you are trying to attract more new customers, make up some samples in the style you’d like to work in, and show them off in those same places, or take them for show and tell at your guild meetings. Have business cards or brochures ready to hand out as well, so that they can easily contact you when they have a quilt top ready for you to work your magic on.
4. Establish your pricing information.
Don’t get caught with that deer-in-the-headlights look when someone asks you what you’d charge for quilting a quilt for them. Sit down with yourself and figure this all out before you begin, so that you can confidently give them an answer, hand them a detailed brochure, email them a PDF file, or direct them to a website that has all the pertinent information. If you don’t have this information ready, you might short-change yourself, or set an undesirable precedent that leaves you working for pennies. Be prepared!
There’s a section in the book devoted to the things you need to consider and think about when setting your pricing, with examples even!
5. Have all of your legal paperwork in order.
Make sure when you’re starting a business (especially if it’s in your home) that you have all of your permits and licenses. Check with your HOA, city office, county office, and if necessary, a lawyer, accountant, and insurance agent to make sure you are covered on all the legal fronts. You may need a business license, a sales tax number, a zoning permit, proper insurance coverage, or some other type of paperwork (depending on where you live) to make sure you are covered for the business you intend to conduct. Some locations may require more paperwork than others, and it’s best to have it all in place so that you don’t get shut down for operating illegally!
Once you’re up and running, there are still many things to think about, but there’s a lot more information in the book on all of these topics, and more!
One of the nice features of the book is that you can use it over and over again, to help you review how your business is doing, and to help you decide how you might like to grow or change it as it evolves through the years.
So are you ready to get started?
Don’t be afraid to jump right in — the quilting world needs you!
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ABOUT SHELLY PAGLIAI
Shelly Pagliai is a newly discovered designer from Wien, Missouri. She has designed quilts and block-of-the-month patterns for various shops and is a talented machine quilter who has had her work shown all over the country. The Kansas City Star was fortunate to have her as the designer for its 2015 block-of-the-month feature, "Hazel’s Diary." She is a professional longarm quilter and owner of Prairie Moon Quilts.
