Going Mobile – Take your Embroidery Business on the Road

Reprinted from Stitches Magazine, November 2008.  Written by, Steven Freeman

Go Mobile

Have you ever considered taking your embroidery business on the road? Lots of embroiderers have made the leap – and been very successful.

What could be more American than taking your show on the road? Lots of embroiderers who aren’t content to operate within the confines of their home base are making the decision to take their business mobile. This brave group of entrepreneurs takes their business directly to consumers, meeting them head on under any number of conditions. From flea markets to rodeos, trade shows to parking lots near Little League games, you’ll see them set up with embroiderables and machines, ready to do business on a very personal level.

What’s the advantage of setting up a tent in the middle of a hot field to pitch your wares and services? “For what you’d spend in traditional advertising, the road show provides far more bang for your buck,” says Phil Casey, owner of The Parent Shop. “People can walk in and touch your products and see your services. There’s also the personal side of building the relationship.” He adds, “Residual sales – after the show – might be double or even triple the show revenue. You just don’t get that kind of return running ads.”

This is a primer on what to consider before packing up a van or small truck to take your embroidery business to the masses. There are a host of considerations unique to the traveling embroidery professional. And, “It’s a lot of hard work,” Casey says. “It’s time away from family, friends and your social life. So, plan for everything.”

Know who you are

Before you go on the road, make sure you really understand your business identity and your competitive advantage. If you’re the type of embroidery business that specializes in selling to school athletic departments or local sports teams, don’t go unprepared to a traveling road show aimed at fire or police departments. While there are similarities in what’s needed from an operational standpoint, the product mix and service offering will be quite different. Also, a big part of going on the road is developing the relationships vital to a strong business. If you present yourself to a group of buyers where you aren’t comfortable “talking the talk,” you’ll find yourself reading a book in your booth instead of running your machines.

This isn’t to say you can never attend shows that are outside your comfort zone or area of expertise. But if you do, you’d be well served to find a friend or colleague who’s well versed in your target group’s lingo. Let that person do the talking while you perform the back-end operations. After you’ve done this a few times and you’re familiar with the jargon (and yes, sometimes the swagger) of certain venues, you should be ready to go it on your own.

When you take your business on the road, it’s as much about the product as it is about the embroidery. This might be a little foreign to some of you who are used to running contract embroidery shops. When you’re on the road, customers won’t (for the most part) be bringing product for you to embellish. They’ll be looking to buy something you have on hand and have you embellish it for them on the spot. To this end, you should know your typical customer at this particular event and what types of embellished products they’ll want to buy. For example, don’t take leotards to the local Pop Warner football game or conversely, football jerseys to the local dance recital. While these examples are extreme and meant to be tongue in cheek, the concept is not: What you decide to display at a traveling show can make or break your success.

Another thing you might want to consider are products that may or may not be embroiderable. Don’t limit yourself only to that which can be sewn. Odds are you’ll have a captive audience. The more products you have (appropriate to the event), the better chance you have to make money. “You must be flexible and creative,” Casey says. “You don’t know what customers will be asking for, so be a good listener.”

What you need
Aside from what you need to operate your equipment and booth (see sidebar, “What to Bring to the Show,” different shows will have different requirements for what you need to bring. It’s your responsibility to determine beforehand what will be required for you to set up your temporary shop. Make sure you ask the show organizer what’s included in your booth or space. Typically, indoor shows will provide a table, two chairs, waste basket and a backdrop. Never assume electricity will be available to you. While it’s usually available, many times it’s at an additional cost and requires you to pre-order the hook up.

Outdoor events almost never include a canopy so if you want protection from the sun, make sure you bring your own. Only the most organized outdoor shows have electricity, so be prepared to bring a generator with enough power to operate your equipment.

When considering equipment to bring, it’s a good idea to consider packing as lightly as possible, as you never know from venue to venue what type of loading facilities will be available to you. Brian Belk, owner of Axiom America, a distributor for Brother International products, recommends the Brother PR620C “as a fantastic embroidery machine to take to events such as craft shows,” he says. “At a slender 82 pounds, the PR620 is truly portable.” This is also the machine Casey takes to every show he attends. He swears by the durability, quality and portability of the machine. Tip: Under no circumstances should you travel with a machine that requires a 220 three-phase power source unless you’re absolutely certain your destination can support this requirement.

You should also be prepared to bring the appropriate software and a computer for personalizing products and making any design adjustments that might be required. Belk recommends Brother APS Ethos Artisan Plus Software, while Casey likes Generations Embroidery Software. However, any of the popular digitizing packages on the market allow for the creation of text and minor design edits (assuming you purchase the appropriate product tier) to suit your needs just fine.

Potential revenues and costs
By now many of you might be thinking, “So, what’s in it for me?” Casey can clear as much as $6,000 from a three-day weekend show with residual sales doubling or even tripling the show revenue. He notes, though, that when you combine travel time, setup, tear down and show hours, your time commitment can be as much as back-to-back 10-hour days, making for a very grueling schedule.

From his business perspective, Belk estimates a mobile embroiderer’s hardware and software investment to be: equipment: $8,295 (includes a cap system and two sets of four different sized hoops from 12 inches by 8 inches to 2 inches by 1.5 inches); stand: $500; and APS Ethos digitizing software: $2,995, with the purchase of the equipment.

It’s very important to note that Belk’s list doesn’t include things such as inventory, displays, materials, promotional materials and other related show expenses. Another key cost to factor in is the price of admission for the show. These fees can vary widely, from less than $100 to several thousand dollars. These fees are usually assessed by the square footage of space you occupy and the relative size (number of attendees) expected to attend. Basically, the bigger the show, the more it’ll cost you. Also, there are usually space premiums applied to the best locations. Corner booths and other high-profile locations will almost always carry a premium at larger shows.

And finally, when doing outdoor events where electricity isn’t provided, many shows will have a strict limitation on the amount of noise you can produce. Because of this, you must purchase a higher-end generator as bargain-basement generators tend to be very noisy.

The mobile shop, when properly executed, can be an extremely lucrative proposition for the embroidery professional inclined to participate in this niche market. Like any other business venture, though, it’s fraught with risk unique to the environment. Attend a few of these shows, both large and small, and talk with some of the exhibiting decorators. If you’re courteous and catch them during a slow period, you’ll find most of them willing to discuss the pros and cons of the roadshow circuit.