Quilting and Patchwork

Moving Your Quilting Business

by Mary Emma Allen on July 21st, 2007

  What happens to your quilting or fabric  business when you move? With the traditional quilting or fabric store that depends on customers stopping in to purchase, you lose business when you relocate.  An Internet fabric or quilting business, often operated out of your home, continues wherever you may move.

Of course, with a business that’s entirely operated on the Internet, like Dorothy Thompson’s,  with no inventory, or one like Mark Allen’s business with CafePress taking orders and handling shipping, there’s no question about continuing if you move.  However, what about the business where you do have inventory and physically ship out orders?

If this business depends mainly on orders received from customers visiting your site and ordering or sending orders in via postal mail rather than stopping by your shop, you can continue wherever you move, as long as zoning regulations at your new home don’t interfere.

Recently I learned about a quilt/fabric art supply business operated from the owner’s home.  She and her family are moving to another city in another state.  She notified her customers that there will be a lapse of a few days, while her fabric and quilting supplies, along with household goods and personal belongings are in transit.  However, she plans to be set up to ship orders in a few days from her new home.  Also, fabric from her suppliers will be shipped to the new address.

If she operated a business that depended entirely or mostly on customers stopping at her shop, she’d have great difficulty and a lapse in business and income.   

These might be factors to consider when you’re thinking about developing a quilting related or fabric business.

If you’ve ever had to move your business, how have you managed it?  What difficulties did you encounter?  Was yours an Internet based or entirely dependent on customers/clients coming by? Was yours operated from your home or from an outside location?  I’d enjoy hearing from you and having you share your story.

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