Charging for clothing alterations
Charging for clothing alterations
This is one of those areas that people find difficult to deal with. Asking people for money is hard at the best of times, and if you do not have a specific way of approaching this subject, you may become too embarrassed to ask for the price you would prefer to receive for the alteration. Charging for clothing alterations is an area that you have to work out for yourself, however I thought I would share what I do as a way to help you make some decisions.
My approach has always been the same. I let people know what I charge per hour. Over the years, I have been told that I should not mention what I charge per hour. I disagreed then and I disagree now. We are all different, and we all have our own ways of doing things. From day one in my first shop, I decided to work on an hourly rate. At the time this hourly rate was TOO LOW, and it wasn't until a few years went by that I realised my mistake. The shop was so busy, and there was so much work coming in that I did not realise the mistake until the end of the second financial year and there was not enough money in the account to pay taxes etc.
This is a mistake that many people make in business. Even if you have regular money coming in, you must also have extra put aside for contingencies and other expenses.
If you are doing this as a business working from home, then your hourly rate would probably be less than someone who has a shop. If I was in a shop I would charge AUD$60 per hour but I work from home so I charge AUD$40.00 per hour. Try to be realistic with your rate. Undercharging will only be doing yourself a disservice. One day you will become resentful of a job that takes you an hour and a half to do, and you charge the customer AUD$20.00. If you are slow, then of course you should not charge the customer for your slowness, but if you work at a reasonable pace, then you should be paid for the time it takes to complete the work.
I have created a Clothing Alteration Business Package which includes a 13 page Price Guide. There is also a formula so that you can determine what you should be charging.
A casual seamstress working in a dressmaking or clothing alteration shop, in Australia, as an employee is earning AUD$20.00 plus superannuation (2011 rates). This is the standard casual hourly rate. These people go to work every day, they do not have to pay the rent on the shop, pay the taxes, electricity, phone, accountant, haberdashery and so on.
Operating a dressmaking or clothing alteration shop and paying wages in Australia, the owner must consider ALL costs to determine the correct rate to charge the customer. If the shop owner is charging less than AUD$60.00 per hour he/she will go backwards after all costs are taken into account. This means you can pay casual staff to work for you, pay your rent, phone and give yourself a wage. Anything less than this and you are doing one of two things. You are behind in your bills, or you are working very long hours to cope.
I have heard some very sad stories of people who are working very long hours, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT CHARGING ENOUGH. Do you want your health to suffer because you are not able to charge correctly?
No one can tell you how much to charge, but I can (as above) let you know what I charge so that you can work out what will be best for you. The clothing manufacturing industry is a haven for cheap labor in poorer countries. Everything needs to be in perspective, as in the cost of living in these countries, but even so, it is appalling how some manufacturers treat their staff.
I am telling you this so that you do not feel bad when someone asks what you charge to shorten a hem, and they say "But I only paid $10 for the jeans". It is irrelevant how much they paid. The jeans could be worth $2,000 and I would still charge $15 for a hem. Most shops charge from $25 - 35 in Australia, so by comparison I am cheaper. I work from home and I am happy with AUD$40 per hour. If you want to earn more, charge more. It's your business.
Happy altering
Judith Turner