THE Q & A SERIES - STARTING A BUSINESS WITHOUT FORMAL TRAINING
Hi there!
I think this is such a great series you are doing, and I really appreciate how thorough your responses are! I am a home sewist and an aspiring designer and pattern-maker. I don’t have any formal training, and I have a background in a completely different field (education). I’m really struggling against the voice in my head that’s telling me I’ll never be able to do this and all my efforts won’t go anywhere.
I was wondering if you have any advice for someone who is trying to learn patternmaking and fashion design, and hoping to starting a business without formal training? I’m soaking up as much as I can from classes on Bluprint and Skillshare, and I’d be so appreciative of any additional resources or suggestions you may have for someone who is starting from scratch!
Thank you for taking the time to read this!
Sofia
Hi Sofia,
This is a great question, and one that I think many creatives struggle with, or have at least thought about! Many creative ventures are self-taught, and it makes sense that for many there is a tipping point where you go from sewing (or any other type of craft) for fun to realising it could be the beginning of a new career or business venture.
I have to be honest and say that I find this question a little tricky to answer because I do have a formal education in fashion design and I can see a clear path from my university degree, to where I am now (although the journey has been far from linear). In saying that though, so little of my day-to-day work for In the Folds is related to what I learned at university, so I’m almost certain I could be doing my job without my degree behind me.
When I started In the Folds I envisaged days at the studio, patternmaking new pieces, cutting fabric and sewing samples. The reality is very different. I spend most of my days working on my computer, doing many different tasks that I have learned on the job, by reading countless marketing and business books, watching hours of Youtube videos, doing online courses, following tutorials meticulously to make something work in the way I would like it to or just plain winging it until I work it out. So although my degree gave me a really solid foundation of skills and knowledge to get started with, it is definitely the learning I have done since then that has kept my business running. I often think that if I was going to go back to university and study something it would be business, marketing or entrepreneurship as, at the end of the day, I think these are the skills that lead to a business being successful.
In terms of more tangible advice and resources for you, it sounds like you are on the right track - learning what you can from online course and practicing at home.
I have a few other suggestions that might help, some very practical, while others are about mindset.
Get used to that voice
If you’re wanting to start a business or go out on your own in any way - or even change careers - get used to that little voice in your head that’s telling you that your efforts won’t go anywhere. Unfortunately that voice comes with the territory, but I can tell you that it gets easier to manage (well at least mine has).
This voice of mine became present in my life when I decided to work in the home sewing world, rather than the fashion industry. I questioned whether I was going the right way, if I would be able to get the experience I needed for a fashion job, if I was wasting my education…. you name it, I thought it! But the excitement of starting a new business and serving a community of makers trumped those fears every time and I worked on just ignoring that voice when it began to whisper.
After a while though, as my business grew and I learned more and more skills related to running it, I started to quantify my learnings and realised that what I was learning was experience I could use to get another job, if for any reason I needed to. All this is to say, try to get to a place where you focus on the skills you are learning, as new skills will always lead to something. It may not be exactly what you have in mind now, but skills are valuable and if all goes pear shaped, you can put them on your CV and find a job related to the new found skills. Well at least that's my plan!
Value the skills you do have
I’m not sure what exactly you are planning on doing if you do take this leap, but your career in education could really help in the sewing world, if that’s where you are hoping to end up! I think one of the most important aspects of my job is making clear and easy to follow instructions that all makers will understand - so I’d imagine your experience in teaching would really help you with aspects of the job like this!
I can imagine that you also have plenty of skills that are very relevant to the career you are hoping to go into, that you haven't even thought about. For example, I have a lot of work experience in customer service and didn't realise how helpful that would be until I started my business and people mentioned time and time again how much they appreciate the level of service I provide to my customers. Until that point I saw this experience as completely irrelevant to the job - I now can see countless parallels to things I have learned through previous (unrelated) jobs I have had and the work I do today.
Find a mentor
Can you find a tutor or mentor in your local area, or even online? You might reach out to local fashion schools or colleges to see if there are any students towards the end of their courses who might be interested in private tutoring - or even a teacher who teaches on the side.
A couple of years ago I was struggling with the fit of a particular pattern and I found a local patternmaker that could help. Although what she showed me was helpful, the main thing that she helped me with was my confidence! I was doing things correctly and she reminded me that patternmaking (even for the patternmakers who have been doing it for decades), involves trial and error and I just needed to stick with it until I found the right solution.
Work experience
Have you thought about doing work experience or an internship? I know this can be almost impossible if you work full time, but I learned a lot from interning with a local designer when I was at university. If you are in a position to do this, you may want to contact a few small designers in your local area and see if they would be open to you lending a hand for a few hours a week. I think the smaller the business, the better!
I interned with a designer who was working on her own and I learned so much! I was able to work on a range of different things, as she was doing it all herself, and it also means there’s time for you to talk one-on-one with someone who is doing the type of job you would like to do.
Get help / outsource
The other thing I think you need to think about is that you really don’t have to do it all! People say this all the time and I really didn’t believe it until a couple of years into running In the Folds.
When I started the business I did every little thing myself - whether I was good at it or not. By this point I have a much better idea of the tasks I should be doing and the tasks I can outsource. For example, when I started, I manually graded my patterns into the 10 sizes in my size range (in Adobe Illustrator as I don’t have computer grading software)! As you can probably imagine, it was a long and very monotonous process.
Eventually I realised I needed to outsource this task as there was no way I could produce more patterns at the rate I was going. I found a fantastic freelancer online, who was able to grade the patterns with CAD software for a rate that is far cheaper than the days it was taking me to grade manually. It did help that I do know how to grade patterns though as I can check the patterns when they’re returned and spot any issues if there are any. So I'd recommend at least wrapping your head around the process of grading before outsourcing, if you can. I think this and this is a good place to start if you would like to get your head around grading.
Have the right people around you
Also try and get as many creative people around you. I run my business from a shared creative space and having others who are on a similar journey to me does the world of difference. I also have my partner and friends who I can call who really understand my business and can put my doubts to rest when that little voice returns.
On this note, have these types of conversations with the people who will understand. Some people will always direct you to the safe path, or encourage you to stay put with what you're doing. That is completely fine, I just wouldn't be asking their advice if you need a little nudge to take the leap you want to take.
Look to others for guidance / inspiration
Look at other people doing the kind of job you would like to do and speak to them if you can, or listen to / read interviews they have done.
You will realise that there are plenty of people out there doing jobs in industries that they don’t have formal qualifications in. I love reading interviews and listening to podcasts with people from my industry (or related industries) and learning how they got to where they are. Often the route is far less straightforward than it seems from the outside! Jenny Rushmore of Cashmerette is also a great example of this or Heather Lou of Closet Case Patterns - who took her experience in interior design into the world of patternmaking. If you are looking for more business inspiration and start-up success stories, I’d also recommend listening to How I Built This.
I hope this motivated you and didn’t overwhelm you. Try to pace yourself and not get carried away by the details. In time you will be able to look back and realise how much you have learned and how much closer you are to reaching your goal!
Happy sewing,
Emily
resources mentioned in this issue
Making Sense of pattern grading by Threads. Post can be found here.
How to make a sewing pattern bigger (or smaller) - pattern grading by Melly Sews. Post can be found here.
Times, they are a 'changing: A conversation about Growth and adaptation - Elizabeth Suzann. Audio essay can be found here.
Elizabeth Suzann, Ask me anything: Professional. Post can be found here.
Elizabeth Suzann, Ask me anything: Personal. Post can be found here.
Curvy Sewing with Jenny Rushmore - Love to Sew podcast. Episode can be found here.
Let's talk money with Heather Lewenza - Seamwork Radio. Episode can be found here.
How I Built This with Guy Raz. Listen to the podcast here.
P.S. Would you like to know what the Q & A series is all about? This page tells you a little bit more about the motive behind the series. Past issues from the Q & A series can be found here.
Don't have a question, but found this newsletter helpful? I'd love to hear from you! Get in touch and say hi.
