New Business Advice

[àluinn]

Hi Everyone,

First real post over the introduction one I did last night, (please be gentle). I've identified what I think it the correct part of the forum.

Bit of background, I got covid pretty bad and ended up in a coma, I was in hospital for 4.5 months before getting home and then my hearing failed. I was unable to return to my previous job as an airline pilot as my hearing fell below the CAA threshold to hold a class 1 medical so find myself in my mid 40's looking to forge a new career. Which is a bit daunting when I thought I was on a set path till retirement.



I have had a few lightbulb moments where I think I've identified gaps in the marker or niche's to exploit. The issue is most times I don't experience in the industry or after investigation it seems full of pitfalls.

About a week ago I had one of these Eureka moments and have spend the last week engrossed in padding out the idea. I've already spoken to a lovely lady at the Tartan registry and a number of helpful people at a few mills. If Neil, Anne or Lucy frequent here, thank you again.

I've identified a few mills I think could do the quantity and lead times I require (Ingles Buchan, Lochcarron, Andrew Elliot) unfortunately two of them have yet to respond despite chasing emails which is a little disheartening.

There's a few questions I hope the actual professionals on here may be able to answer, it would really help me out if you could share your knowledge. I've spent the last day learning all about 10oz and 16oz and their uses, setts and herring bone edges on a particular edge. Scottish provenance and supporting similar business' here is key.



Initial Run - to prove the concept I'd start with commissioning scarves. Can anyone suggest how many will both pique interest from a mill and take me from plucky amateur status and the general thresholds where the price per item drops?

Production - How are scarves made, is e.g. 30m of fabric produced and then cut and turned into them or do/can they come off the loom good to go? I appreciate to a professional weaver this may come across as the dumbest question ever.

Pricing - If anyone is willing to share that sort of information on the forum or in DM I'd appreciate it. Even just ballpark figures.

Materials - How does the cost of cashmere vs lambswool for a trade customer differ? Are there any additional considerations?

Mills - In addition to the three mentioned above would anyone else recommend any others or throw their own hat in the ring?

Lead Times - I've been told a month to set everything up and three months later the finished items. Is that about right? Some people I have spoken to have said there are setup fees that are waived with a certain length of fabric is ordered.

Relationships - What is the best way to establish a trade relationship, what do commercial weavers look for in trade customers? ..... other than paying on time and in full.

White Label - Will any of the mills produce packaging with my company logo and brand identity?

Labels - A big part of it is having something that conveys exclusivity, I notice Harris Tweed have labels with sequential numbers, can anyone suggest companies who can produce these please? Are these domestically produced or unique to Harris Tweed?

Additional Products - There may very well be scope for kilts and other goods. Harris Tweed have expanded into leather goods (wallets, purses, handbags) which incorporate their fabrics. With things like this are the components sourced abroad and assembled here, assembled abroad, is the manufacturer a third party who can produce for any customer?

Widening the fabric range/designs - Initially it will be bespoke tartans, but in time I think there could be a market for tweed and houndstooth and printed silks. For the weaving aspect can most mills accomplish the first three? And do any have the capacity for silks (probably printed patterns) or is that another thing entirely?

Any other advice, best practices, top tips, red flags or must do's would be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance,

Stephen

[Steve Ashton]

Can you give us an idea of what your end goal is with this?

Are you planning on entering the retail sales market?
Perhaps supplying to retail shops?

Are you planning to start your own shop?

Where are you trying to go with this?

[àluinn]

Web based direct sales to consumer, predominantly to mainland Europe.

Maybe in time there would be scope to supply physical bricks and mortar retailers here in Scotland, one outlet with exclusivity per major city.

[Pleater]

My daughter and son in law took a trip to Iceland recently and brought back a hand woven scarf. It even had the name of the weaver on the ticket.

At one time I made similar scarves on a toy loom - but a simple tabby weave, the Icelandic one is twill woven. It is a soft weave, not like kilting cloth.
You might be able to discover the price online, the bag shows a website www.handknitted.is the ticket on the scarf has Scarfur.is.

The scarf is just under 12 inches wide (it is going to be metric and 30cm of course - yes it is) and the length including the fringe is 80 inches - the threads might have been measured out to 81 inches as the fringe is twisted and knotted. Finished length of the fringe is 2 and 1/4 inches

With expensive fibres such as cashmere removing the weft to create the fringe could cut into the profit considerably.

I am not sure that a mill with a main output of 60 inch wide kilting tartan would be the best source of 30cm strips - particularly in different tartans - just the cost of warping might prove prohibitive. Mills usually work with wool or man made fibre yarns - luxury yarns would not really feature in their normal output. Kilt material uses fine yarn but the scarves I made and have been given are soft and fairly thick yarn.

I just remembered a weaver in Ringwood - Hampshire - he used to make scarves - long gone now (it gets to be quite irksome realising that the people most dear to the heart are mostly long departed this world) also made pieces of Kevlar material for the Police riot gear.

I suppose the obvious question is have you considered setting up a loom and making the scarves yourself?

Anne the Pleater

[àluinn]

My daughter and son in law took a trip to Iceland recently and brought back a hand woven scarf. It even had the name of the weaver on the ticket.

At one time I made similar scarves on a toy loom - but a simple tabby weave, the Icelandic one is twill woven. It is a soft weave, not like kilting cloth.
You might be able to discover the price online, the bag shows a website www.handknitted.is the ticket on the scarf has Scarfur.is.

The scarf is just under 12 inches wide (it is going to be metric and 30cm of course - yes it is) and the length including the fringe is 80 inches - the threads might have been measured out to 81 inches as the fringe is twisted and knotted. Finished length of the fringe is 2 and 1/4 inches

With expensive fibres such as cashmere removing the weft to create the fringe could cut into the profit considerably.

I am not sure that a mill with a main output of 60 inch wide kilting tartan would be the best source of 30cm strips - particularly in different tartans - just the cost of warping might prove prohibitive. Mills usually work with wool or man made fibre yarns - luxury yarns would not really feature in their normal output. Kilt material uses fine yarn but the scarves I made and have been given are soft and fairly thick yarn.

I just remembered a weaver in Ringwood - Hampshire - he used to make scarves - long gone now (it gets to be quite irksome realising that the people most dear to the heart are mostly long departed this world) also made pieces of Kevlar material for the Police riot gear.

I suppose the obvious question is have you considered setting up a loom and making the scarves yourself?

Anne the Pleater

Hi Anne,

Thanks for your reply. I'll try and address each in turn.

The scale I see a market in, I need a commercial weaver for volume. I wouldn't know where to start with a loom and to be honest I don't know if being at the business end of manufacture is the best use of my time or skills.

The idea is to emphasise and showcase the quality of Scottish products, fabrics and design. I'd be keen to ensure that any ancillary products are sourced from likeminded business' here first, however I accept with modern supply chains some components may have to be sourced from abroad and assembled here.

Therefore the Icelandic scarf maker, I'll check out but it doesn't really fit with my plans.

[Pleater]

I would expect the Icelandic hand weaver would not have any spare capacity, nor be able to provide the output you envisage.
- it was only as a guide to possible prices you could expect for something remotely similar.

My main concern is still the disparity of the fabrics between kilts and scarves - and also that you want to have bespoke tartans made for you - there is an implied cost for just in the luxury yarn you mention and the setting up of the loom.

Anne the Pleater

[àluinn]

I would expect the Icelandic hand weaver would not have any spare capacity, nor be able to provide the output you envisage.
- it was only as a guide to possible prices you could expect for something remotely similar.

My main concern is still the disparity of the fabrics between kilts and scarves - and also that you want to have bespoke tartans made for you - there is an implied cost for just in the luxury yarn you mention and the setting up of the loom.

Anne the Pleater

From my research today and another helpful person I spoke the scarf fabric seems to be around 10oz. Scarves would be all produced initially for proof of concept and a market. Kilts and other products would grow in time and don't incur the large initial outlays. Hopefully the popularity of the scarf design can then lead to requests for additional products.

So while a heavier tartan fabric is something I'm mindful of the scarves are the focus, followed by organic growth.

[Pleater]

From my research today and another helpful person I spoke the scarf fabric seems to be around 10oz. Scarves would be all produced initially for proof of concept and a market. Kilts and other products would grow in time and don't incur the large initial outlays. Hopefully the popularity of the scarf design can then lead to requests for additional products.

So while a heavier tartan fabric is something I'm mindful of the scarves are the focus, followed by organic growth.

Have you found a mill willing to weave bespoke tartan 30 cm wide with suitable gaps in the fabric to form the fringes, which would need to be twisted by hand, at a price you could afford?

I am concerned that you want unicorns from places where ponies roam.

Anne the Pleater

[Pleater]

We do, actually have a weaver on the forum - our very own 'Spider', he goes by figheadair here - which does mean weaver but is a common name for the long legged spiders also called daddy long legs.

Someone far more skilled than myself in the craft,

Anne the Pleater