Bespoke tailoring and alterations studio

Grooms and wedding parties, professionals wanting a well-fitting suit, people with hard-to-fit sizes, and customers who prefer to repair and adjust rather than replace clothes.

Fixed prices for alterations and quoted prices for bespoke garments, usually with a deposit upfront. A bespoke piece can take many hours, so pricing needs to cover your time and fabric.

• Pattern cutting and garment construction
• Fitting and measuring different body shapes
• Pricing and quoting work
• Customer service and managing deadlines

• Commercial lease terms and business rates, so check what applies to your unit
• Public liability insurance, plus cover for stock, equipment and customers' garments
• Taking deposits and agreeing deadlines clearly, as wedding dates are fixed
• Slow bespoke work can mean uneven income, so keep alterations coming in alongside it
• Consumer rights rules for made-to-measure goods, so check what applies to your terms

Startup costs are typically around £4,000 to £18,000, depending on your premises and equipment. These are estimates, so build your own figures from lease terms, equipment quotes and insurance prices before you commit.

Monthly revenue is typically around £2,000 to £8,000, depending on how much alteration and bespoke work you win. That is revenue rather than profit, so rent, materials and insurance come out of it.

Check your commercial lease terms and business rates, public liability insurance, cover for stock and customers' garments, and how consumer rights rules apply to made-to-measure goods. Agree deposits and deadlines clearly, as wedding dates are fixed.