I’m sure you’ve seen canvas bags with monograms embroidered on them. They’re cute, customized, and creative. Those three Cs can help you establish your own monogram embroidery business at home

So what do you need to start a monogram business from home?

First–and most importantly–you need an embroidery machine that uses computer software to create the monograms on fabric. I suggest buying the best machine you can afford, because the high-end machines have more capabilities than the basic machines offer. If you can’t afford new, scour eBay to buy an embroidery machine there.

Most sewing machine shops provide free classes if you purchase one of their machines (and they charge a nominal fee if you get your machine elsewhere).

Sit down and think about your business. If you are a visual person use a white board and markers or pen and paper to write out information about your monogram business. Decide if you want to monogram absolutely everything, or just canvas bags, just baby items, just shoes, etc.

Buy embroidery threads for your machine in several different colors. Get software that has several different fonts for your embroidery machine. A good monogram business offers their customers a wide array of fonts, colors, and sizes.

Find a supplier where you can purchase plain canvas bags, bibs, etc. In large cities, hit the wholesale district to find what you need. In smaller cities and towns, you can find reputable suppliers by networking with seamstresses or others in the business.

Practice, practice, practice! Use scraps of fabric to practice your monogramming in order to perfect your technique. You don’t want to sell your customers shoddy products with mistakes and imperfections, nor do you want to waste money by practicing on costly items.

Advertise your new monogram business by word of mouth at first. I highly suggest widening your customer base by selling your items online. If you already have an eBay account that you buy with, I suggest registering a new eBay account that you use for selling only. This keeps everything neat and clean when tax season rolls around.

Want more information? Read a “How to Start an Embroidery Business Guide.”

Good luck!