As embroidery professionals, we know the sounds and the rhythms of our machines intimately — the hum of the needles, the intricacy of each layer forming, one after another, and the satisfaction of a completed and flawless design. But there’s a pivotal moment in every successful embroidery business owner’s journey when you realize that technical skill alone won’t take you to the next level. It’s transformation from being a machine operator to becoming an entrepreneur. When you make this shift, the ripple effect is truly impressive. The switch isn’t just about titles; it’s about a mindset overhaul that revolutionizes how you run your business.
So, how do you move from machine operator to entrepreneur? It starts with understanding how you see yourself and your role in your business. When someone asks you the ever-popular question, “What do you do?” how do you respond? Grab a pen and paper, write down how you answer this question, right now (no cheating, do not read ahead yet). Go ahead, I will wait while you write down your answer.
Your answer provides excellent insight into how you see yourself and your role as an embroidery and apparel decoration professional. How you think about yourself, and more importantly, how you identify your role in your business, is critical to your ability to achieve success.
Some of the most common answers are:
- I do embroidery
- I have an embroidery machine
- I run an embroidery business
- I own [insert your business name here]
Unfortunately, these responses probably do not mean much to the person with whom you are speaking. The word embroidery often makes people think of an older woman holding a needle and thread and making something pretty and old-fashioned. That is certainly not what we do! Unless your business is in a retail or high-traffic area and has excellent signage, your company name may not be one they recognize, doing you little good when you mention it by name. If you answered the question above in a way that is similar to any of the examples listed, it is likely that you are in the machine operator mindset, and making your business decisions from this perspective.
The machine operator mindset focuses on production, precision, and technical excellence. As an embroidery machine operator, you’re in the trenches, perfecting thread tension, adjusting machine settings, hooping the next run, and ensuring that every design is just right. This is critical work. Unfortunately, it is also very limiting. You are tied to the machine, and the level of profit for your business hinges entirely on your ability to keep that machine running.
An entrepreneurial mindset
As a business owner and entrepreneur, your focus broadens from running your equipment to strategizing growth, building client relationships, building your brand, and maximizing profitability. It’s about seeing your work as a pivotal component of a bigger picture — the success of your business. You own a business, and your product is the embroidered and decorated apparel and products. It may seem like a minor difference. Reframing how you think of yourself in relation to your business will trigger changes in how you make decisons, how you spend your time, and reprioritzes the work you do each day. It leads to long-term success.
Entrepreneurs think big and they think ahead. They are not just focused on the here and now. They think about what’s possible in the future as much or more than they think about what is scheduled on the equipment this week. Entrepreneurs ask questions like, “How can I get in front of more potential customers?” “How can I serve my customers better?” “What would the next level of my business look like?” and “How can I take my business to that next level?”
There is a key difference between the operator mindset and the entrepreneurial mindset. Operators work in their business, while entrepreneurs work on their business. Making the transition may not be easy, but it is certainly worth it. Your passion for embroidery can fuel a thriving business that not only creates decorated apparel and products, but also enhances your customers’ brands and creates lasting partnerships with your customers.
When you adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, you start to see your business through your customers’ eyes. You realize that your value isn’t just in producing high-quality embroidery; it’s in solving your customers’ problems, offering creative solutions, and exceeding their expectations. Perhaps your customers need a faster turnaround time for a specific order, or unique apparel options, or design expertise they can’t find anywhere else. Entrepreneurs look for and then deliver on these needs. Machine operators sell shirts and hats.
As you transition into the role of a business owner, you become a partner in helping your customers’ businesses shine. Your embroidered and decorated apparel and products go beyond colorful threads and needles — the things you create become a statement, a representation of their brand values, and a key element in the company’s success story. Your customers match your mindset shift, evolving from thinking of you as their “shirt guy” to thinking of you as part of their marketing and branding team, filling a key role in that capacity. There is a domino effect that leads to growth and collective success.
Machine operators usually try to do it all themselves, as “No one else can do it like I do.” Entrepreneurs recognize the power of building a team. By learning to let go of the need to create every single stitch, you can delegate some of the day-to-day production, freeing yourself up to focus on growing your business.
Even if you have no employees, you can find contract shops with whom you can build relationships so that you can depend on them to create the work as well as you would and meet the order deadlines as you would. If you do have staff, spending the time to bring them up to your level of satisfaction is the best investment of your time you can make.
Once you make the shift to an entrepreneurial mindset, you are no longer limited by the number of hours you can spend at your machine. You can think about scaling your business, developing new marketing, or streamlining your order process with a better system. These things not only increase your income but also build a business that can thrive without your constant presence running your equipment.
One of the hardest parts of this transition is letting go of the equipment. It can feel like losing a piece of your identity; at least it did for me. Remember, stepping back doesn’t mean losing control — it means gaining the freedom to craft your ideal business. Your time is better spent steering the ship than rowing it.
So many of the embroidery professionals I work with feel unprepared and unqualified to run the business side of their companies. The good news is that you do not have to figure it out alone. There are so many resources available to you, from industry groups to online courses, to help you master marketing, financial management, and sales. Invest in yourself and develop your business skills as wholeheartedly as you invest in your equipment.
I have worked with so many embroidery business owners and helped them make this shift. It is inspiring to speak with them several months or a year later and hear that they have grown their business by 25%, 50%, or more. It is possible to have a single-head embroidery machine and generate $100,000, $200,000, or even $500,000 in sales when you have the entrepreneurial mindset and trust your production partners.
When you learn to trust your desire to say “Yes,” to your customers and know that you can find a way to deliver, even if you do not create a single stitch yourself. Other decorators have let go of the digitizing, and found someone to create their embroidery design files, freeing up as much as 20 hours a week for them to make sales and run their machines. That one change pushed their sales from $27,000 to nearly $75,000 in just under a year.
This pivotal shift is not just about changing how you work; it’s about changing how you see yourself and the role you have in your business. Going from “I do embroidery” to “I’m a business owner. We offer branded apparel and products” is a powerful transformation. It opens the door to building something long term and bigger than yourself.
Transitioning from operator to entrepreneur is a shift that requires courage, effort, and a willingness to embrace change. The rewards are extraordinary. When you start thinking like a business owner, you’ll not only transform your business but potentially, also your life.
Your machine may be at the heart of your work, but being an entrepreneur is the soul of your success. Take the first step today, and watch the ripple effect unfold.
