How To Choose the Right Commercial Embroidery Machine for Home Business
- Determine whether a flatbed or multi-needle machine would better suit your needs.
- Assess which machine aligns with the features you need.
- Check the necessity of attachments based on your target market.
- Research and identify the most suitable machine brand for your home embroidery business.
Choosing Between Multi-Needle and Flatbed Embroidery Machines
What type of commercial embroidery machine for home business do you need? If your goal is to expand your home embroidery business, you will want a multi-needle embroidery machine. Why?
- Flatbeds are not designed or engineered for commercial use.
Flatbed embroidery machines are not suitable for commercial purposes. The embroidery operates on a flat surface, so this makes it challenging to embroider tubular items such as shirts, socks, and caps. This limits your target market and profit potential.
- Multi-needle machines are faster and accommodate tubular items.
- Flatbed machines are slower and less efficient.
Flatbed machines experience decreased speed due to the rectangular hoop shape. This can cause issues with registration and embroidery quality. The hoop’s side that hooks into the machine frame drives the hoop back and forth. This slows down production time. The use of non-commercial grade motors contributes to slower production.
- Multi-needle machines offer the convenience of automatic thread color changes.
- Flatbeds can only run one color at a time.
Flatbed machines need you to stop the machine to change out the thread color. This interrupts the embroidery process, contradicting the goal of continuous production for optimal business revenue.
- Multi-needle machines allow a "set it and forget it" approach.
Optimizing Costs: Essentials Vs Bells and Whistles
If you are growing a home embroidery business, it’s essential to cut expenses. The right commercial embroidery machine for home business should align your required features.
High-end home brand machines offer features like positioning stickers and simulated embroidery images. These often come at a cost. These bells and whistles are not necessities for business owners. They can impact your bottom line.
Focus on practical aspects like attachments and the largest hoop size you will need. For instance, if you intend to embroider caps, focus on a machine with a cap attachment. If you plan to embroider larger items like sweaters or jacket backs, choose a machine with a max hoop size.
Aligning Embroidery Machine Attachments with Your Target Market
- Identify your business's target market.
- Determine the preferred items or garments your target market wishes to have customized.
- Assess the required hoop size and attachments necessary to fulfill orders.