How i started an embroidery business + (MAKING MY FIRST $1,000!)

[@ebieyerinbadiru797]

I think this is the most realistic KZbin I have ever watched, I have an embroidery machine that I don’t really used maybe used once and it cost $1,300 and I just wanted to do something with it. Thank you for this video

[@marthalohr4063]

I admire your resourcefulness! I’ve always been self employed, am retired now but I love to hear how young women are making a living through their own devices! Good luck to you!

[@Catfishing87]

This was a really good, straight forward, truthful video. 10 minutes well spent lol

[@Baldcafe]

Yeah do more content like this this is fun

[@sharonf6094]

Nice to meet you Kendra. Enjoy the journey!

[@shereneecollection]

Yes keep posting your Journey, I too want to start an embroidery business. Thanks for sharing.

[@Kendraaspencer]

I hope you are able to start when you’re ready! It had been a fun creative outlet for me, as well as some extra income

[@pearllucas452]

Thank you so much for sharing such an inspiring journey, can’t wait to see & hear more of your success. New subscriber 😊

[@Kendraaspencer]

I’m pregnant so taking a break right now but thank you for your support!

[@AZS_VERY_OWN]

This is awesome! Rooting for you!

[@Kendraaspencer]

Thanks so much!!

[@aliciahart4227]

I am wanting to do this so much. Please keep sharing and share what things have worked. What products you’ve disliked or had issues with.

[@Kendraaspencer]

Thanks so much for your comment! I’ll be answering this in my next video 😊

[@jessermsekni3674]

This is so inspiring~ Thank you so much for sharing!

[@Kendraaspencer]

You are so welcome!

[@lisagifford3766]

My husband and I are structuring a home embroidery business. You're an inspiration. Thank you

[@Kendraaspencer]

Awe thank you! That’s great you’re in on it together!! I wish you both the best 😊

[@robkamanda]

Thank you for this video. It is motivating me to get off my toosh and and working my embroidery machine.

[@Kendraaspencer]

Glad I could be an encouraging force!!

[@egoings4733]

Good job! I enjoyed, and was inspired by your video.

[@ckay-cleaningmynest3303]

I really want to get into embroidery and I find your videos motivating. Would you mind showing how use the machine, like a tutorial of it 🌼🌼

[@Kendraaspencer]

Hi!! I love that idea thanks for the suggestion!

[@reneeboyd7695]

Wishing you the best in your journey.

[@1100crazypink]

Now I wanna buy an embroidery machine! Lol please more embroidery content! I’d love to see your progress!

[@Kendraaspencer]

Lol do it!! Thank you I value the encouragement 😊 I plan on it!

[@kawaiiplants]

Thanks for sharing!💕 I’m thinking about starting an embroidery business too.

[@Kendraaspencer]

So exciting!! 🙌🏼

[@trinapullum3986]

How do you have items digitized? I think you're off to a great start. How do you determine the prices? How much were your sweatshirts?

[@Kendraaspencer]

Hi Trina! Great questions. I use JJ Digitizing right now and I've been very happy with him. Look him up on Google and you'll see his website. He's worked with me for maybe 6-8 designs so far! Prices vary on both material cost, stitch count, and any digitizing fee. Roughly speaking, I double the cost of my materials, double the digitizing fee, and then set a reasonable price for the stitching out, depending on how detailed and how long it will take. I've charged anywhere from $35-$75 just depending on what it is! In all of my previous videos, you'll be seeing me use only Gildans. I am signed up as wholesale customer with S&S Activewear and I can get them for about $6 each, with $9 shipping. Recently, I have started using Independent Trading Co sweatshirts because I found them to be my favorite material at the price point! About $10 a sweatshirt through S&S.

[@stuffbyjulie9866]

Congratulations!! I have a machine and do small things for craft shows. Have yet to do a shirt though. Hope to see more videos from you.

[@Kendraaspencer]

That’s awesome!! Sweatshirt weather has been great for sales, I’m not sure what I will be transitioning to in the summer though. Any suggestions based off of what you make?

[@TruckinMommy]

I'd love more videos! I just got my se600 my hoop size is a 4x4 but I couldn't afford the pe1900. I still think I can make $$ with it though. This video was super encouraging

[@Kendraaspencer]

Yes you totally can!! I’d recommend doing animal portraits in that size frame!

[@Portablefan19]

I laughed when you said my embroidery machine on dining table because I kept my machine on dining table too 😅.

[@Kendraaspencer]

Lol it’s not the cutest but it works 😄

[@Cloudsofsand]

Can you touch on what you do for the digitizing side? that is what is confusing me the most.

[@Kendraaspencer]

Digitizing is 99% outsourced by most embroiderers. For me, I primarily used JJ Digitizing. I just uploaded a file, and he did the rest.

[@katherinehendrix4896]

You go girl! Keep going :)

[@Kendraaspencer]

Aw thank you 🙏

[@allenmoses-to1tg]

Very interesting idea.

[@Kendraaspencer]

I’ll take that as a complement! Lol

[@ChrisScofield-e5m]

My wife loves our machine she decorates a lot of her clothes

[@Kendraaspencer]

That’s awesome I love a good hobby

[@lindagiddes4551]

This is exactly what I’ve been going through, I do embroidery on a brother se 1900 single needle machine, but I’m scared to post my items because I’m not sure how it will work out. I’m going to use my Instagram account and see if I can make some sales like you are, thank you for showing your video

[@Kendraaspencer]

Glad I could help!! I recommend following lots of local accounts to bring awareness to your work! I get messaged every week 😁

[@88karlam]

@@Kendraaspencer did you register your business and /or get a license prior to starting it or just doing it solely on instagram?

[@motivatedshopper]

Very informative video

[@isaacornelas5521]

What machine did you start with/have now?

[@johannaholmes3870]

I love that you are sharing your embroidery experience. In order to open an IG business account and sell on IG or Etsy do you need to register your business in your local state or become an LLC?

[@Kendraaspencer]

Not for Instagram or Etsy, but I did need a business license to get a Sales Permit to submit to S&S Activewear to get wholesale prices!

[@delorislynch207]

Hell?o, I am new I purchased a Brother PRS 100, love the machine. My question to you is what low-cost software should I get, that is easy to use? or do I have to have embroidery software

[@Kendraaspencer]

Tell me what I should make next! 🎉

[@zoerundle7704]

you should try an embroidery design coming out of a shirt pocket, or something else creative along those lines!

[@Kathleen58]

I just bought an embroidery machine about a month ago. I’d like to figure out how to get a design from my windows pc to a thumb drive and from that to my Stellaire and it will not read it.( still think I need I need software for this because I have tried several times with epic fail ). So mean while I just artspira and it works great.

[@Kendraaspencer]

KZbin is your friend!!! I don’t use windows so I’m not sure. Wish you great success!

[@chriscortez2884]

I like to see

[@victoriakennedy11]

How did you start actually learning to embroider? I’m scared to make the leap of buying the machine because digitizing designs seems so difficult to learn!

[@Kendraaspencer]

I just watched KZbin videos 😆 @kenblkwrk is a great digitizer and he has videos where he goes through the process!

[@victoriakennedy11]

@@Kendraaspencer thank you!!! 🩷

[@jakeriley3675]

More vlogs!

[@Kendraaspencer]

Agreed!

[@Memoreism]

Cool! For the dog embroidery, did you make the digitizing also? Or did you pay someone else to do it?

[@Kendraaspencer]

I’ve only paid someone to do digitizing through JJ Digitizing. Or I’ve bought files off of sites like Etsy for lettering and put it together in a free software

[@lindsayannebelliveau]

I love this!! which sewing machine did you get?

[@Kendraaspencer]

It’s the Babylock Flourish II, I don’t think this model is available anymore though

[@UseYourManners123]

This sounds like it wouldn’t be overwhelming me! ❤ ty. How did you learn how to sell on Instagram? Ty

[@Kendraaspencer]

We had an existing business where we would reach out to local people using our cities hashtags! I just did the same with businesses in my area

[@user-cu6lc7lj8s]

Hi I enjoyed your content and video I also have a embroidery business in Pakistan but I want to know how to grab order from International in bulk quantity

[@Kendraaspencer]

Not sure sorry

[@salemaelayedi9426]

I wish and from my dreams to have one so that I have my own project 😔

[@Kendraaspencer]

I wish you the best!!

[@yg_uzuky2459]

Hello so you started selling on Etsy first ? Or insta ? How people paid ? PayPal ? And they were just messaging you to tell you the order?

[@Kendraaspencer]

I have listings on Etsy but I haven’t ever gotten an order through that. Instagram is how I’ve gotten 90% of my orders and yes I do most of communicating through DM’s or texting

[@preciosaskreations4715]

What type of payments you have for customers? Do you have a website?

[@Kendraaspencer]

No website. Just Venmo mainly

[@realaxingmeditation9244]

Hello, I hope you are well! I want to congratulate you on your journey. I bought a Janome MB4 Multi-needle embroidery machine. I'm trying to make extra money from embroidery and sublimation, however not sure how to advertise on social media. Can you give me any advice please? I'm a counselor, my wife just was terminated from her job as a caseworker with DSS due to a vehicle accident in their vehicle which was not her fault, so I'm trying to replace that income. Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you.

[@Kendraaspencer]

Sorry to hear about the unfortunate circumstances effecting your family! As far as social media marketing goes, I would start with making it known that you are taking orders for the holidays coming up on your personal accounts and link your business page. Get a logo and name and make business cards through FedEx and take them into local businesses asking if they need any sweatshirts, beanies, or any other apparel for employee gifts or new uniforms. My largest order this year, I think around $1,500 was from a local business that wanted to give jackets away at a conference they were hosting, and tote bags with their logo on it. Hope you get some good orders going!

[@angelindisguise9005]

Your a sweetie thank you. Your hoenst and i appreciate that

[@DanielRomero-xq2jk]

What software do you use to digitize the patterns?

[@Kendraaspencer]

I hired someone

[@stacyharlow4778]

Did you have any prior sewing experience?

[@Kendraaspencer]

Not at all!

[@jaaaade1328]

What brand of sweatshirt do you use?

[@Kendraaspencer]

My favorite is Independent Trading Co! But for practicing and for little projects, Gildan is hard to beat

[@euphimas1137]

Hey guys just starting my embroidery business if you have any communities or want to start one about designing,marketing, and need to knows let me know!

[@Kendraaspencer]

Love the community building energy!

[@habanero6332]

If you want things to last you put embroidery on it and you put it on good quality materials…..if your husband goes through a lot of clothing then it does not matter if the design transfer cracks because you are not wasting money on quality shirts or embroidery. Pointless embroidering on things you go through quickly.

[@Kendraaspencer]

In his service industry where clothes can get dirty quickly, I can see your point. But he can also reserve the embroidery shirts for days where he’s only out bidding for jobs and meeting people. It’s worth it to me!

[@habanero6332]

@@Kendraaspencer Yes I understand. I am also in the print and embroidery industry and it is known that paying for embroidery is costly and should really only be on good quality lasting clothing.

[@bmacd11b]

Which payments methods worked out for you? Any tips on promoting yourself on social media?

[@Kendraaspencer]

So far Venmo is the most popular option that people want to pay by. As for social media, following other businesses in my town and running a few giveaways seemed to help increase my messages when I was more active

[@carolannh48]

You can sell on Instagram? Great job!

[@Kendraaspencer]

Yeah so just by creating a business account I take custom orders through DM’s and accept payment through Venmo and have the client pick up their order when completed 👍🏼 works really well

[@lindagiddes4551]

What machine do you have?

[@Kendraaspencer]

I have a Baby Lock Flourish II!

[@jonathanagudelo6383]

How you said started from $0 but spent $800 on a machine…. Doesn’t make any sense

[@JJDK485]

Maybe she borrowed from her husband. 😅😅😅

[@dawnrosewood7060]

Howw? I've had my shop open for a few months and no sales yet

[@Kendraaspencer]

How are you reaching your target audience?