Q1: Are you handy with a needle and thread?
Q2: Do you enjoy sewing clothes for yourself or your children?
Q3: Are friends and relatives always asking you to make sewing repairs?

If your answer is “YES” for the above questions, then you have the perfect beginnings for a work at home sewing business.

Sewing is a skill that is coming back into fashion as more people seek to reduce their clothing costs and make the clothes that they have last longer. Many WAHMs find profitable businesses in offering their sewing skills to people who do not have the time or the skill to make repairs or alterations on their clothes. There are even several profitable sewing niches, like cloth diapers and slings, which have found interest online.

Getting started with your sewing business starts with deciding what you want to do. You can specialize in one type of sewing (bridal party gowns) or you can take a wide variety of jobs. Since it is your business, it is totally up to you how to run it. Some people specialize in children clothing, alterations/repairs, women clothing or formal wear. Although sewing clothing is the most profitable field, many WAHMs enjoy offering home decor services and make curtains, slipcovers and other home accents.

Before you start advertising, make sure that you have the supplies that you will need. If you have an older sewing machine that has bad days, you might want to consider getting a new machine so you can work more efficiently. The cost of a new machine is worth it compared to the time that you will save. Plus, the new sewing machine is a tax write-off. You probably already have the sewing notions that you will need to get started. If you need something for a specific project, you will just buy it at the time.

You will also need to decide on set prices before you begin advertising your services. If you are doing repairs, you can charge a certain price per task. If you are custom sewing clothing, you can either charge a flat fee or charge by the hour. For larger projects, like wedding dresses, charging by the hour can work out to be a better deal for both you and the client.

Start your business off on the right foot by getting a business license. You will want to make sure that everything is legal and that you keep accurate records of your expenses and income. There are also several tax deductions that you can take as a business owner, and you will have access to wholesale sewing supplies.

Make some business cards to distribute to people you know. Also, leave them at certain places around town depending on what type of sewing you are specializing in. For example, if you sew children clothing, you can arrange to have your cards available at local daycare centers. One of the most powerful ways to advertise your business is through word of mouth. Your friends, family and acquaintances will surely send clients to you once they know you have hung your shingle up for business.

Having a sewing business is a great way to do something that you love, help other people and make some money all at the same time. There are many WAHM jobs to choose from, but having a sewing business definitely offers the best deal for those who love to sew.

Opening your own online store as a WAHM is easy when you take your business online. Online shopping is very common nowadays and more people are comfortable with making purchases from online stores. If you have something that you are passionate about selling, consider opening an online store.

Before you start an online store, do some research online and check out your potential competition. If you have a business idea in mind, it is worth the time and effort to see what else is being sold in your category of products. If you have no idea what you want to sell, you will also want to search on the internet and find out what would be most profitable to sell.

When you make the selection of what you are going to sell, remember to think niche. A niche is a small category of products that meet the needs of a specific group of people. Your online store should not have a wal-mart approach where there is a little bit of everything for everyone. Online commerce is all about small categories of interest. There are so many things to choose from, you have more success when you cater to a small and specific group of people.

The best place to start with finding a niche is thinking about your own interests. When you sell to a niche that you know well, you are more likely to know what products will be of interest to those people. You can sell to your customers based on your own experiences.

Many WAHMs start an online store because they have homemade products to offer. An example is handmade baby clothes and cloth diapers. Many WAHMs have found success with putting their sewing skills to work and selling their wares online. Other popular handmade online stores include bath and body products, candles and gift baskets.

This does not mean that you cannot have online store success if you do not make your own products. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of WAHMs who have success by opening stores stocked with store-bought inventory.

Whatever your choice, whether handmade or store bought, there are many options for hosting your online store. These options depend on how comfortable you are with web design. Many companies, like Yahoo, offer store websites that are very user friendly and simple to set up. They can cost anywhere from $30 to $200 per month for the storefront services. Many WAHMs also find success with eBay stores, which allow them to sell in auctions or in a fixed price format.

Look at all of your options before you choose your online store hosting. Remember that the quality of your hosting will reflect the quality of your business. The last thing you need is your entire website going down due to cheap hosting. The best choice is to find a reputable host that will provide you with a storefront and hosting for a reasonable price. Do not try to pinch pennies on this aspect of your business. You could end up out of business in no time.

Once you have found a place to host your store, you will need to drive internet traffic to the store. One of the easiest ways is to trade banners with other WAHMs’ online stores. Many WAHMs support each other in their online efforts. This form of networking is a great way to introduce your products to customers who already look to support WAHMs. You can also advertise using pay per click advertising and work on your website so that it increases in page ranking for certain search terms.

Keep your customers coming back with an easy to navigate website, simple ordering techniques and good customer service. Even though most of your business will be done online, it is a good idea to get a business phone line and put that number on your website. This way customers can feel confident in purchasing from you because they know they can speak to a real person if there is a problem with their order.