We were lucky to catch up with Berna Pardue recently and have shared our conversation below.

Berna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Scaling up from my home business was hard. Trying to keep up with the ever-growing demand and seeing my little sewing side gig blossom into a full blown bridal alterations business convinced me that taking risks is necessary to grow!
My business background wants to see growth year after year, but was growing really possible at the stage I was at? That’s when my husband and I started wondering: Do I keep my business in my home? Do I hire someone to help me keep up with my work? Do I trade the stability that my home business offers for growth that is not guaranteed? My fear of taking a chance held me back.
I had financial fears. I did not know if I was going to make enough money to pay for it all. Cost of insurance, utilities, signage, furnishings and equipment, employee payroll, taxes, etc. all increase in a commercial space. The list is endless! I also had a fear of not being able to keep up with the high quality my customers were accustomed to. I feared leaving the security of my home after seven years. I feared losing the client-centric focus my business had.
To overcome these fears, I started working on the things I had control over. I saved enough money to pay for six months of expenses. If needed, I could use some of our retirement funds to finance the lease for a year. I hired people to help with prep work, taking the time to train them for higher level sewing.
Thanks to this preparation, I got my new place; my business is growing quicker than I expected! We have expanded to not only serve brides but everyday clients as well. Many more people come through the door, and we’ve become one of the top rated alterations shops in the area.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I learned sewing from a very early age, learning from my mom. When my children were little, I took a part-time job with a friend who owns an alterations business. She saw my potential, and she kindly trained me in the skills necessary to do high quality alterations.

Our focus is bridal alterations. We do garment redesigns, customizations, added accessories, veils, sleeves; we empower the bride to feel confident and beautiful as she walks down the isle in a gown that is fully hers.

We also have a dedicated team for non-bridal alterations, working from jeans to designer brands. We have become the style gurus for many of our clients.

We are meticulous in our work. We make sure that the garment fits perfectly when a client picks it up. No garment will go out the door that does not meet our quality standard. And we are honest and quick to tell our clients when a garment cannot be altered or does not need alterations, giving them alternatives to meet their needs.

Deadlines are sacred. Gowns and other garments will be ready on the agreed pick up date.

We are very proud of the trust our clients give us by leaving their precious wedding gown with us.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Doing consistent high quality work for the last nine years has helped build my reputation in the area. I treat my clients with kindness, and I understand that their garments are unique, precious and sometimes irreplaceable. I listen to their concerns, and I work with them to find solutions to their unique needs.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Peer to peer recommendations and online reviews has been the best source of new clients. We have also love the partnership we have with bridal stores and boutiques in the area who in turn recommend us to their clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tailoredtoyou.us
• Instagram: @tailoredtoyounwa
• Facebook: @tailoredtoyounwa
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tailored-to-you-fayetteville?osq=Tailored+To+You

Image Credits

Brian Rudissil at Zipline Studios