Do any of you plan to open an atelier? Then do not sit back.
Opening an atelier is a win-win option in the fashion business.
Firstly, at the start of the studio does not require significant investments, cash - usually beat off in three months. In the process - less “frozen” money in the product, the collection does not need to be given for sale or for a long time to wait for large deliveries from production.
Secondly, there is always demand: from those who want to tailor suits, wedding and evening dresses to dance schools and the same designers who need to sew things in a small batch. If all goes well, these customers will become regular.
Thirdly, you can simultaneously release their capsule collections.
Where to start is the choice of premises. It is from the place where the format of the studio is formulated, a business plan is calculated, equipment is selected.
The expert practitioner Elena Pashina, the speaker of the course "Modern Studio Format" at Fashion Factory School, gave advice on what to look for when choosing a room.
Formats
Basically, we will focus on two formats. The first is a private atelier for sewing and repairing clothes. The second is the author’s studio, where a capsule collection can also be presented. According to the experience of Elena Pashina, the latter format is preferable.
A place
1. To open the studio you will need a space from 45 to 80 square meters.meters (80 meters is enough to organize a show room). Suppose you liked a place of 30 sq m. Then look for a semi-basement nearby to accommodate tailors and designers. But note: the distance between the two rooms should be such that the designer, if necessary, could run from one to the second.
2. Search is best done through an agency; get ready to pay for the first and last months plus a reward to your agent. Specialists in a specific area know how everything works and keep a finger on the pulse.
3. Rent "eats" a significant part of the income in the business of the studio. Investments in the arrangement are the same both in the city center and in the residential area, therefore, in principle, it is better to open in the center, but you need to do a high-level studio everywhere. Set high quality tailoring, service, design work - and the corresponding high price. Do not console yourself with arguments like "now the price of a skirt is such and such, and when I move to the center it will be higher." Installation of Elena - exit "to zero" in the first month of work.
4. Consider the "character" of the area you have chosen: that it is the concentration of offices or a "city in a city" like the Patriarch's Ponds, with its word of mouth. For promotion in a residential area the site does not help much and a sign is needed. In the historical center with a sign there will be difficulties, but here the studio can be located in a small courtyard, in any nook and cranny - they will find him.
5. The best option is a room on the ground floor. If you can’t find something with a separate entrance,it’s worth switching to business or shopping centers, with huge windows and other benefits. A similar model is now popular in Paris: a business center, inside which there are various types of sales and services. When everything, including security and parking, is located under one roof, this greatly simplifies the life of your potential client. And at the same time yours: rental rules in business centers are the same for everyone. If you have chosen a separate space, get ready to face the personal characteristics of the landlord.
Landlord
1. Landlords are divided into three groups. The representative of the first keeps everything under control: when she finds out what exactly you plan to open, she will be delighted, but from now on it will be "his" atelier. You seem to get another director or partner. There are two ways out: immediately set the distance, without waiting for the transition to a trusting relationship, or change the room.
2. The landlord of the second type is not interested in your difficulties, comes only for money, and payment takes place day after day. Also not the best option. At the cost of personal effort - and spending - you will solve all the problems with the room and the neighbors, from the grandmother from above, complaining of noise, to sewage blockages. The way out is to collect in advance the contacts of city services, which I can use, and be fully equipped.
3. The third type - it’s ideal — is a person who does business. Just like you; he understands how much you need to invest in order to get a certain return. Important detail: pay attention to where the landlord is registered. All courts take place at his place of residence.
Documents
1. Usually, all lease agreements are standard and are concluded for 11 months (otherwise, the agreement is subject to registration with the Federal Registration Service). Another thing is an additional agreement: most likely, the "private trader" -lodder will write something else in small letters. Read carefully, do not brush it off and do not put it off for later. For example, in order not to find out later that you were obliged to warn that you were leaving in 2-3 months. Another important document is the deed of transfer. Do not sign without checking everything and everything: whether the windows open and whether the previous tenants cut off all the wires.
2. In additional agreements it is possible to register nuances in your favor. Whatever the room, you will need improvements. If we are talking about a full repair - bargain, seek to reduce the cost of rent during the year and cancel payment for the first month. If the finishing touches are insignificant, ask for a free week, or better, three: all the same, it will take some time to connect the equipment.
3. When purchasing equipment or putting in order what you already have, do not forget about windows. Make them work! Expose draped mannequins, scatter rolls, the most interesting tissue samples can be inserted into frames. And make friends with a dry cleaning client next door, a shoe shop and a store: they will send customers to you.
The course "Modern studio format" starts on October 20. For 5 days, students will analyze the main stages of work: drawing up a business plan and defining a concept, finding premises and equipment, hiring employees and ways of promotion, working with clients and launching their own line.
Details: fashionfactoryschool.com/atelier
Tips prepared by Catherine Stern for Fashion Factory School
Photo: pinterest
