Made-to-measure curtains from home

Homeowners, landlords staging properties, and interior designers or decorators who need a reliable sewing workroom.

Charge per curtain panel or per metre or foot of fabric used for making, plus measuring and installation fees. You can also earn a markup on fabric and hardware.

• Sewing and pattern cutting
• Accurate measuring
• Customer service
• Pricing and quoting

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and whether zoning allows client visits or deliveries
• Commercial general liability insurance, especially if you install in clients' homes
• Costly mistakes from mismeasuring or cutting expensive fabric, so measure twice and confirm orders in writing
• Register for GST/HST (and PST/QST where it applies) once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check your provincial rules

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $1,500 to $6,000, depending on your sewing equipment, fabric samples and workroom setup. Mismeasuring or cutting expensive fabric can be costly, so measure twice.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $600 to $3,500, depending on how many orders you take and the hours you work. The estimate assumes at least about 8 hours of work a week.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and whether zoning allows client visits or deliveries. Also check commercial general liability insurance if you install in homes, and GST/HST (and PST/QST) registration rules.