Images Magazine November 18

KB BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT www.images-magazine.com 42 images NOVEMBER 2018 machines have gained market share. Although they are increasingly seen as an option by a certain segment of decorators, prosumer machines differ from commercial equipment in a handful of key areas. Many I n the previous article, I discussed some of the chief concerns embroiderers should consider when selecting a machine, from deciding the right time to invest to finding the best machine to fit your particular market and circumstances, as well as the accessories needed to make the best use of your chosen equipment. In this article I‘d like to expand on these topics by examining in more detail the procurement and installation processes. My aim is to arm you against making a decision that might be bad for your bottom line, whether you are looking for your first single-head machine and can’t choose a vendor, mulling over whether to add additional heads, or trying to figure out the difficulties of literally getting a machine through the door. Single-head selections: professional versus prosumer In the past, the discussion of which single-head machines made sense when starting or expanding a commercial business would elicit only a debate over the three most well-established brand names and their latest releases. In recent years there have been new players entering the scene, but although this includes budget-priced commercial imports that strip down some features to keep prices low, the growing segment that has been surprisingly strong is that of ‘prosumer’ (or crossover) machines. These machines are targeted to the home and craft market, but largely share characteristics of machines traditionally classed as commercial equipment, eg multiple needles, large embroidery fields, drivers for caps and headwear, and the like. With the spread of these machines and more and more cottage- industry stitchers moving from craft through online selling to land at fully- fledged commercial decoration, these In the second of his two-part series on buying an embroidery machine, Erich Campbell delves into the pros and cons of the different types of machines available How to buy the right embroiderymachine have slower running speeds and smaller decoration areas than similar commercial analogues, despite having a much larger area than earlier single- needle home machines once boasted. Their origin in the home market means that most have features like assisted threading, positioning assistance and other automations and restrictions to aid less-skilled operators. That said, it must be admitted that these machines ably handle light-duty commercial production much better than their flat-bed single-needle counterparts in the home market, or even the earlier iterations of multi-needle machines in the craft segment. You need to know your monthly overheads to calculate how many garments you need to sell to pay your lease Recently, prosumer machines have been popping up in professional settings Prosumer (or crossover) machines are increasingly used for event embroidery