What does it take to run a mending business?
Some insights from a week of answering questions
On Monday, I announced the closing of Old Flame Mending’s brick and mortar shop. I was honest about it; I’ve been at it for 6 years, I’ve poured many forms of energy into this business, and right now I have nothing left to give. We’re closing down honorably and without too much panic, which feels good.
Our closing is at a weird time as a clothing repair business— mid-June through early August tend to be the “summertime slump” weeks. Since the announcement, we are now experiencing sales that rival our September and April numbers- times of the year when people are transitioning their wardrobes and rediscovering needed repairs + alterations. The influx of orders tells me that we created a beloved brand and a loyal customer base, or at least enough of a following that people want to experience our business one last time, which I’m so proud of.
People keep asking me how I’m doing— honestly, I’m fine. I am relieved. I am grateful. I feel like an uncertain senior in May; seeing the end of a tunnel, knowing that I’ll feel lighter soon, but also terrified and uncertain of what is on the other side. There’s a melancholy and also a frenzied hope to it all- “bittersweet” is a word that has come up a lot. Wondering what my next job and career trajectory will look like. Trying to soak up every second with my coworkers and regular customers. Knowing that by closing one door, there are many other doors behind it that I’m also closing, leaving people behind as other doors merely crack open.
I have had so much support this past week. It feels good to be validated by so many friends, acquaintances, and strangers, both on- and offline. I’ve received a lot of encouragement for making the choice to take care of myself, and I’ve also received messages that confirm my hunch that what I built was something special, loved by many. Those are two conflicting realities I’m holding; I reconcile them by knowing that we are thankfully ending on a good note, and realizing that success does not always mean longevity.
One success I’m taking from this business is the multi-faceted knowledge I have gained from building something from scratch and making it up as I went along. It has been just a week since I made the announcement, but it’s been many, many weeks of contemplating this decision- more weeks than I’d like to admit. We’re not even closed yet and I’ve already reflected a lot on what I would do differently if I decide to build this or something like it again. I know that in time, I’ll come to more conclusions about what worked and what didn’t, but I’d like to share some things that have been on my mind…
Things I would do again:
-Start small and learn from early interactions
-Build trust with prospective customers
-Say yes a lot
-Set up systems that are easy to access + understand by customers
-Provide excellent customer service
-Value our workforce
-Hire people who are kind, dynamic, and passionate
-Take a political stance in messaging
-Use workshops + classes to build community
-Support colleagues + be helpful
Things I would do differently:
-Enroll in leadership training
-Hire a bookkeeper early in the game
-Spend less resources on merchandise/ introduce it later on
-Invest in machines + materials
-Hone in on production management + efficiency sooner than later
-Establish a labor budget in the beginning that grows with the business
-Use sales benchmarks to make more decisions about the ebbs + flows of turnaround times
-Make tailoring services a smaller segment to focus on mending
-Solidify pricing
-Create entry-level positions to save money on labor and have an on-ramp for professional + technical growth for the team
-Experiment with paying less for retail space vs. paying more for a space in a main shopping district vs. not having a brick and mortar shop at all
And yet…. I still don’t know if doing all of these things would have moved the needle enough. For the past 3 years in particular, I kept changing up our processes, trying new ideas for growth, and shifting our offerings. I’ve had so many colleagues- small business owners and people in the circularity space- reach out to me lamenting how hard it is to run a small, ethical business. The trend of seeing so many other businesses and slow fashion brands close in recent years speaks to how much we’re up against: fast fashion + microtrends, cheap labor, globalization, a volatile economy, capitalism, the devaluation of women’s work, etc.
Someone recently asked me what it would take for the mending industry to grow on a large scale. I have a few thoughts on that, too:
-For mending to grow + flourish, we need more small business support. I am working on that through building a coalition of small mending businesses with MendIt.
-We also need to see a robust, specialized union for workers who sew for a living, similar to unions in other trades like electricians, where there is support for not only fair wages but also programming for apprenticeships + education.
-Sometimes, time is the main ingredient for change + consumer shifts. As climate disaster nears, more people will begin to look for solutions. There is an interplay between consumer wants, offerings from corporate brands, public education, and government legislation. A major shift regarding consumer behavior will take all four of these segments to create significant change.
I have never stopped believing in the importance of repair, and I’m curious to see what is around the corner. I know that my skills and expertise will come in handy, but I’m not sure in what capacity or form. I do know that there is a small but growing interest in mending, and I believe that there is a lot of potential in this industry. I just hope that I’m not opting out at the wrong time and that I’ll be able to easily jump back in when, where, and however needed. For now, I’d like to offer my take-aways and knowledge, and continue to be helpful in growing this movement.