twatson Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Good morning! I am just beginning to research the idea of starting a longarm quilting business. My position at school is being cut in half and I am casting around for something to do that I will love. (trying to see this as an opportunity rather than a setback) I have been quilting (machine piecing/hand quilting) for about 15 years. I love my quilting time. I am wondering if I would love doing longarm as a small business out of my home. I have toyed with the idea of opening a quilt shop, but longarm quilting out of my home seems like it might be a much less intimidating step for me. I am gathering info from several long arm sites. I am also getting info from a small business org. called GROW (Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women) that educates in the intricacies of starting your own business. I will continue to peruse the forums and really appreciate the info that is found here. Thank you all so much! TWatson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Welcome to the group! I think all of us here love what we do and there are many factors involved in determining whether this will work for you and be all that you hope it will be. There's great info in the forums here so if you read through there and have specific questions, ask and someone will try to answer. For starters, I would consider: 1. Location - Do you have a spot in your home that you can give up for the longarm; if you will have customers coming to your home, are there subdivision restrictions that will prevent a home based business. I'm sure your GROW group will address zoning/business license issues. 2. Physical limitations - If you are planning to quilt a few quilts to makeup for lost income, you may not be quilting 15 hours a day but if you plan to do that, it's hard on my old body. 3. Getting the business - there's some good info here on getting business. I think once you show your work, the business just comes but you may want to check with the local quilt shops to see how long the wait time is for longarmers in your area. That will give you a good indication of what you might expect although it surely isn't a defining factor. We have no local quilt shops here but we have plenty of piecers and although most think I'm way too expensive, I still get plenty of business. Basically I think if you have a place to put the machine and if you love quilting, you'll love longarming and I recommend you call APQS first thing Monday morning and order a machine!! No, really . . do your homework and then call APQS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Give the folks at APQS a call. They can send you some information on their wonderful machines, along with a business planning guide -- it helps you know the questions to ask to find out if this is something that will work in your area. I think you are wise to consider longarm quilting instead of opening a shop. There are a couple of reasons: although a new longarm requires a substantial investment, it is a much smaller investment than a whole quilt shop; the hours you choose to work on quilts in a longarm business are up to you to decide and not dictated by that sign on the door; your return on investment will happen much more quickly. Welcome to our group. Try to find a show and test drive machines. I hope you'll find the quality and support here at APQS to be as wonderful as I did. My Liberty will be arriving in a few days. I am sew very EXCITED!! Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Linda: I've been off and on and haven't read every post lately. Is your room all ready for your Liberty? How excited are you?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APQS Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 APQS offers a quilting business starter kit that includes information about machines, start-up return on your investment and other considerations. You can preview the kit online here: http://www.apqs.com/quiltbiz.htm And order the kit itself here: http://www.apqs.com/ordercatalog.htm APQS.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 Both Carol Thelan and Linda Taylor have excellant books about starting a machine quilting business and include lots of info about buying a new machine. Just remember Linda is geared toward Gammils and the info on the various machine features may be a bit out of date with all the changes happening as time goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twatson Posted June 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2004 Thanks for all of your input! I have ordered the catalogue and starting a business kit from APQS and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival. You all seem so enthusiastic I am getting excited by this idea and I just started looking into it. It seems so much more doable than the quilt shop idea. (way too overwhelming) I have a cousin who may want to join me in this venture. She does short arm quilting for several people right now and is just as intriqued by longarm as I am. Thanks again! I am going out to look at the books Jeri suggested. Twatson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 Judy - I thought I was going to be right on pace to have the room ready the day before the machine arrived, but my brother took sick today while we were working. Scared the heck out of me -- I wanted to take him to the doctor's, but at least he let me drive him home. I'll be trying to finish some of the drywall myself tonight, but I can't get it all done. I think my Liberty will be here Tuesday or Wednesday. The tracking says it will be in Portland tonight at 11:30, and that's only 2 hours away from me!! My brother, however, how wants to sand and refinish the old hardwood floors in the studio before I put the machine in. I was just going to buy a rug!! I have to go out of town for a few days at the end of the week, and he say he will do it while I am gone so I can put the machine up when I get back. Don't know if I can wait. It might kill me! Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 Linda: I know it's hard to wait but you probably will be happier in the long run if you take the time to refinish those floors. Are you still going to put a rug down so you don't wear them out in the areas where you'll be walking the most? How on earth are you going to go out of town and leave that new baby at home?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 I don't know how I'm going to bear it Judy. If it weren't my annual axe murderer convention (all my buddies I've met on the internet! ) I would probably just stay home. But, if Ted is intent on sanding and sealing those floors, I guess I'd rather be out of town while he's doing it! I just hope that he's feeling well enough. I got a little more work done up there tonight after I finished mowing the lawns in the 85 degree heat. I ought to sleep well tonight! Nope! Just checked! My Liberty is in PORTLAND! If I hopped in the car now, I could probably go find the shipping company and pet her for a spell before I fall asleep -- what do you think? Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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