Home studio bespoke clothing designer

Private clients who want a perfect fit or something unique: wedding guests, brides, graduates, professionals needing tailored suits, and people who find standard sizes hard to fit.

A fixed price per commissioned piece, set from design time, fabric and number of fittings. Clients usually pay a deposit up front and the balance at the final fitting.

• Pattern cutting and garment construction
• Fashion design and sketching
• Taking accurate measurements and fitting
• Client service and clear quoting

• Check your municipality's rules on home-based businesses, including any licence and client visits
• Commercial general liability insurance, and cover for your equipment and client fabrics
• Register your business with your province and check whether you need to register for GST/HST
• The term haute couture is legally protected in France, so check before using it in your marketing
• Lumpy income and long lead times, so keep deposits separate from your running costs

Estimated startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000 CAD, depending on your sewing equipment, fabrics, fitting space, insurance and how much you already own. A part-time start can take around 15 hours per week.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $1,500 to $7,500 CAD, depending on how many commissions you take, your pricing and lead times. Income can be lumpy, so keep client deposits separate from running costs.

Check your municipality's rules on home-based businesses, including licences and client visits. Also check insurance, provincial business registration and GST/HST, and the term haute couture, which is legally protected in France, before using it in marketing.