Tips for setting up your shoe repair shop
If you have some manual skill and knowledge in the shoe repair trade and you want to open a business, setting up a shoe repair shop is a craft business that can give you money.
We all have in our closet, both men and women, some semi-new shoes, slippers, shoes, heels, boots that we can’t wear because they have small flaws. Today it is difficult to find a professional who masters the technique of shoe repair. Although these services continue to be demanded by the public, the shoe repair profession, like so many other craft activities, is disappearing due to the lack of continuity in the sector.
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The recovery of craft trades such as shoemaking has become another way of accessing the labour market that is worthwhile. Many people need and are looking for a workshop every day where they can get a good service and also with an accessible price for their pockets.
Tips for setting up a shoe repair workshop
If you have some manual ability, it won’t take much effort to learn the trade. And if you are lucky enough to train alongside a shoe craftsman, three months will be enough time to take care of any repairs.
To set up a shoe repair workshop, the first thing to do is to get a small space or premises with enough space to be able to work in about 6 or 10 square metres. This space will allow us to have all our implements in a suitable place and for each of our customers to be able to enter and move around in total comfort without having to walk tightly or anything, this often takes away customers.
At the beginning you can take care of your business and later when you have more customers you can get one or two assistants who know about the subject and that allow you to cover all the demand for work because if for one reason or another we rejected to do a job with the shoes of some people we are sure that we will lose the confidence of that person and go to another workshop so whenever you have a need will go there and not to our business.
You should know that to open a shoe repair shop, the machinery and tools will take the most important outlay. The finishing bench and the sewing machine will be the essential elements to start providing your services, the purchase of the basic tools and the initial materials.
Do not forget that the opening licence of this business includes the possibility of installing machinery for the duplication of keys in the establishment. If you want to cover any customer demand, you will have to have a very complete team in which you can work with any type of key. The key copy is a good complement for the workshop and has a very high profit margin.
Services and products you can offer in your shoe workshop
Shoe repair.
Shoe accessories, such as dyes, creams, waxes, dilators, stain removers, repairers, insoles, laces…
Duplication of different types of keys.
Engraving of plates.
Signs.
Manufacture of rubber stamps.
Requirements for starting in a shoe repair shop
This business project can be carried out by making it specialized not only in the repair of shoes, but also in other leather articles of daily use of certain garments and accessories that have a wear, sometimes excessive by the use.
In many cases, this type of wear is easily repaired by a professional, avoiding having to replace the garment or accessory with a new one, which would be much more expensive.
Therefore, the philosophy of the centre should be to avoid the programmed obsolescence that is currently imposed on many products, and to recognize an intrinsic value to the footwear, for which it is worth repairing.
Therefore, the owner of this business must direct his attention to the potential customer, the one who appreciates a product in a special way and wants to restore or repair it because it has suffered damages. Offering a very high quality service to attract as many customers as possible.
Advantages of a shoe repair shop
This business, being independent, brings important profits to the entrepreneur if he knows how to manage it and perseveres in its consolidation. Another advantage of the business is that a classification of clients can be made depending on the type of services they require. Following this guideline, clients range from small repairs and shoe maintenance. Customers who demand modifications to the shoe or bag (spikes or dyes, for example), to customers who demand catering services. Being the main distribution channel through the workshop store, although it would be interesting to have a promotional website for future services and business expansion.
Problems in a shoe repair shop
Perhaps one of the problems may be the cost of tools and equipment, because it will be necessary to make an investment to carry out the activity in the purchase of basic tools.
Later, and depending on the needs of the different jobs, other more specific tools will be acquired. The basic tools are: Cutting and trimming blades, irons, scissors, moulds, brushes, hammers, needles, awls, among others. The outlay for this concept is estimated at about 1,000 euros.
Another problem that may arise is with the initial stock of consumables and other items for sale, conservation and repair, which are basically: threads, soles, half-soles, covers, zippers, dyes, glues and so on, so it is also needed in this case an amount of about 1,000 euros.
Success stories
A success story in the footwear sector, which though not necessarily about repairs, is Chula Interchangeable Shoes & Accessories, an innovative concept in footwear with interchangeable accessories. These off-road designs, as defined by the company, allow for the same shoe to vary in height, shape and colour. It all depends on the heel you want to add.
Another successful business in footwear is the sale by catalogue of products such as footwear, which has the facility that to lift orders, customers can do so by telephone, by text messages, whatssapp and at the delivery point, without the need to leave any advance payment.