Patching and stitching.

[ironplanet uk900]

Over the years I've witnessed so many of us turn up our noses at, fixing bags, equestrian items, zips and the like!

Why, it's probably the most profitable service you can offer and with so many of the "big boys" refusing it, a great chance to showcase your skills and improve your profile!

 

Just sayin...

[Paul_]

Strange isn't it. 

Good money for very little outlay. 

Saying that I am very lucky, my retired father comes in one morning per week to do all that sort of thing (except zips as he refuses to do them so I have to!)

 

[ironplanet uk900]

52 minutes ago, Paul_ said:

Strange isn't it. 

Good money for very little outlay. 

Saying that I am very lucky, my retired father comes in one morning per week to do all that sort of thing (except zips as he refuses to do them so I have to!)

 

Typical old school, dont like zips, although there's massive mark up.

 

[wellsy9]

Doing zips when you are busy and working on your own is a bit of a pain as you constantly have to put the boot/shoe down to serve customers. It's much easier to cut several keys or engrave several glasses etc in much less time.

I don't mind these jobs however when I am quiet. Done a zip for a riding boot yesterday along with several bags repairs and extending velcro straps on a couple of pairs of shoes.  

[Forest Cobbler]

Out of interest what are you charging for a riding boot zip?

 

[elfman]

miminmum price for zip 25 , reattach shoulder strap  5 ,patching depends on time spent doing it  , as for some turning it away more fool them its money for old rope  

[Ian platt]

We charge £1.50 per inch for zips  and will do any stitching that comes in 

[Tom D]

i bought a clase patcher last year best money i ever spent the 3 nearest  independants dont  do sewing (  heel bar boys) its money for old rope ive increased the  range of thread colours i do  got loads of different velcro  patching leather buckles etc. theres   huge proffit in shite

[Count Muppet]

Most timpson shops don’t do it due to poor training and even worse maintenance of the patchers. Most of them don’t work properly and aren’t a priority to fix.

I don’t think the crap thread we use helps them much either

[grahamparker]

7 hours ago, ironplanet uk900 said:

Why, it's probably the most profitable service you can offer

Far from it, nothing will ever beat key cutting.

We stopped stitching about 15 years ago, no time for it. Shoe repairs are heading the same way as well.

Even with 2 of us working we still would not have time to do, i make more money in Ultion WXM keys for trade customers per week than we ever could doing a months worth of stitching.

[ironplanet uk900]

4 hours ago, wellsy9 said:

Doing zips when you are busy and working on your own is a bit of a pain as you constantly have to put the boot/shoe down to serve customers. It's much easier to cut several keys or engrave several glasses etc in much less time.

I don't mind these jobs however when I am quiet. Done a zip for a riding boot yesterday along with several bags repairs and extending velcro straps on a couple of pairs of shoes.  

If I'm busy, I tell customers I'll ring them when they're ready, you normally get to do them quicker than you think.

Comparing doing a load of keys instead is a narrow minded attitude,  cherry picking is the way to disaster!

[ironplanet uk900]

4 hours ago, Forest Cobbler said:

Out of interest what are you charging for a riding boot zip?

 

approx £30 here

[ironplanet uk900]

38 minutes ago, grahamparker said:

Far from it, nothing will ever beat key cutting.

We stopped stitching about 15 years ago, no time for it. Shoe repairs are heading the same way as well.

Even with 2 of us working we still would not have time to do, i make more money in Ultion WXM keys for trade customers per week than we ever could doing a months worth of stitching.

if you don't want to be in the shoe repair trade, thats fair enough, but to say you haven't got time because your too busy is poor management,  you obviously need more staff.

[Paul_]

4 hours ago, Forest Cobbler said:

Out of interest what are you charging for a riding boot zip?

 

£2.50 per inch, minimum £20.

[Tom D]

any zip 35  yes  key cuttings great profit , but in these troubled times you need every penny you can get i have the whole upstairs of my shop set up as a sewing room i start at 7,40 every morning , &  do the patching. ive  got a minimum charge of a fiver  for any  sewing jobs any patching a tenner, the days of  doing  shoe repairs all day have gone you have to take what you can when you can i put a zip in  handbag  got 35 quid  i get 36 quid for a leather half sole and heel more profit in the bag?,  she had been to 4 other repairers who said no , in fairness a sole and heel would have taken longer, 

[ironplanet uk900]

2 hours ago, Tom D said:

any zip 35  yes  key cuttings great profit , but in these troubled times you need every penny you can get i have the whole upstairs of my shop set up as a sewing room i start at 7,40 every morning , &  do the patching. ive  got a minimum charge of a fiver  for any  sewing jobs any patching a tenner, the days of  doing  shoe repairs all day have gone you have to take what you can when you can i put a zip in  handbag  got 35 quid  i get 36 quid for a leather half sole and heel more profit in the bag?,  she had been to 4 other repairers who said no , in fairness a sole and heel would have taken longer, 

The only thing I disagree with is  "the days of doing shoe repairs all day have gone"

I agree there's a downward trend at the moment, but I believe it will be back, especially for the strong independent.  

I love the fact you've got a dedicated room for your sewing and you make time to do it.

I could make a separate business just doing this type of work, because the usless in our trade can't or can't be bothered.  

We'd all like to cut a key every 30 seconds, yes  We'd all be millionaire's, but the fact is non of us are.

[grahamparker]

8 hours ago, ironplanet uk900 said:

if you don't want to be in the shoe repair trade, thats fair enough, but to say you haven't got time because your too busy is poor management,  you obviously need more staff.

Been there done that. We had 3 shops on the go once and 10 staff. Way to much of a headache and for less profit at the end.

With sick pay and illness and everything else that goes with employment we streamlined cut down to one shop and strive to be among the best key cutters we can be.

The main other reason is there is competition very close by one a market stall and one a very good friend who used to work for us.

Both are doing womens heels for less than £5 a pair.

To me it's ridiculous but if they want to do that then fair enough, i think one charged £12 a a knee length boot zip so our shoe repairs have been dying long before Corona but our Retail of padlocks and security hardware and key sales just keep climbing.

I sold 15 door closers while on holiday (quoted a price and got the order while away) and to get the same ammount of profit i woud need to have done 30+ boot zips so i think my time management is pretty good.

[ironplanet uk900]

personally, I think your either a shoe repairer or your not. 

Bit like me saying I don't cut yale superior because I can cut 15 UL1's while I cut a superior!

Your either on it or your not.

 

PS, he wouldn't be a good friend of mine, opening up near by and doing heels for a fiver.

 

Just sayin...

[x minit uk]

9 hours ago, Tom D said:

any zip 35  yes  key cuttings great profit , but in these troubled times you need every penny you can get i have the whole upstairs of my shop set up as a sewing room i start at 7,40 every morning , &  do the patching. ive  got a minimum charge of a fiver  for any  sewing jobs any patching a tenner, the days of  doing  shoe repairs all day have gone you have to take what you can when you can i put a zip in  handbag  got 35 quid  i get 36 quid for a leather half sole and heel more profit in the bag?,  she had been to 4 other repairers who said no , in fairness a sole and heel would have taken longer, 

Wrong, I do Shoe Repairs all day everyday, 8am until 5pm. 

[grahamparker]

Then i would say i am no longer a shoe repairer although i have just done 2 pair of ladies heels this morning.

strange how this can happen.

Just sayin...

[wellsy9]

12 hours ago, ironplanet uk900 said:

If I'm busy, I tell customers I'll ring them when they're ready, you normally get to do them quicker than you think.

Comparing doing a load of keys instead is a narrow minded attitude,  cherry picking is the way to disaster!

You maybe picked that up wrong. I didn't say I cherry picked jobs as such. I do take patching, stitching jobs etc in and tell customers to call back at a later time/date. All I said was it is hard to concentrate on certain jobs when you have a steady stream of customers calling in for keys, batteries etc. I will do the keys while customer waits unless its a bulk order but other jobs take longer. I usually do all patching jobs first thing in the morning or last thing at night when I have the time. I also agree that some of these jobs are easy money if you are willing to do them.

[elfman]

same here planet sewing and patching either 1st thing in morning or last thing at night ,never while you wait or same day 

[ironplanet uk900]

On 9/16/2020 at 10:58 AM, elfman said:

same here planet sewing and patching either 1st thing in morning or last thing at night ,never while you wait or same day 

I dont make patching a second rate service, I do while u wait like any other service I offer

[mathews]

I love patching. First thing in the morning as elfman says. Then I throw it all to the side stitch it all the next morning. Wish I had lots to do like the good old days. 

[elfman]

24 minutes ago, ironplanet uk900 said:

I dont make patching a second rate service, I do while u wait like any other service I offer

if i get a box of surgical orthotic come in then everything waits till that is done ,everyone of my regular customers know and accept it .stitching and patching waits just like everything else waits its turn ,no special treatment even if they offer to pay extra