It was a humid evening in Bhatinda, Punjab. Preet sat by the dim light of a single bulb in her living room. The kids were busy doing their homework, but the tension in the house was rising. The family’s furniture business had been struggling over delayed customer payments. The bills were piling up, and her husband, working abroad, was left carrying the burden alone.
In the corner of the room sat an old hand sewing machine that once belonged to her mother. Preet kept glancing at it, her mind racing: “Maybe this is how I can help. Maybe I can start tailoring business from home.”
That thought was the spark that would change her life.
Early Challenges: From Homemaker to Risk-Taker
Preet was 36 when she first decided to step out of her comfort zone. A high school graduate who had never worked before, she had only seen her life revolve around her family. But as bills piled up, she knew she had to do something.
With encouragement from her parents, she brushed up on her stitching skills. They even helped her buy her first hand-operated sewing machine.
“Family hi toh hoti hai, jo sabse pehle aapke saath khadi hoti hai,” she says gratefully.
Her first order was a small alteration job for a neighbour, a salwar kameez. She re-stitched it nervously, her hands trembling, but when the customer smiled and paid her ₹150, it felt like the beginning of something bigger. That night, she told herself, “Yes, I can start a tailoring business from home and make it work.”
Scaling Up: From a Corner Table to Buzzing Boutique
Word spread quickly in her neighborhood. Soon, women started bringing their Punjabi suits and frocks, men requested stitching for pathan suits, and mothers asked for kids’ clothes alterations.
Within a year, her home turned into Preet Boutique House, a home-based tailoring business that buzzed with activity. She wasn’t just stitching clothes, she was stitching confidence into her community.
Preet kept her prices fair. A simple suit costs ₹300, one with lining ₹500, and designer suits go up to ₹800. “I’ve kept my rates reasonable, as per the area,” she says. “But in the future, I dream of opening a proper designer boutique.
Preet also began teaching young girls. Today, she runs a tailoring training centre where three students learn under her guidance.
“Ladkiyaan aati hain silai seekhne. Main unse kehti hoon – ek silai machine hi kafi hai apne ghar ko chalane ke liye ,” she explains.
Her journey became a women tailoring business success story that inspired others around her.
Expansion with a Loan: Smart Moves, Bigger Dreams
By 2024, Preet’s business had grown steadily, with monthly revenues touching ₹75,000 and profits of nearly ₹65,000. But she knew that growth needed investment. She approached Mahila Money with a proposal:
- Buy two more sewing machines and an embroidery machine.
- Expand her training classes to include more students.
- Meet the rising demand during festive seasons.
She was approved for a tailoring business loan of ₹50,000. Preet already knew exactly how to use it.
“Paise ko hamesha aage badhane ke liye lagao. Silaai machine se hi toh business badega,” she says.
Interestingly, she also kept aside a small portion of the loan to host Kanjaks during Navratri, showing how deeply her faith ties into her financial planning. “Loan ke paison me se kuch shagun kanjako ke liye rakhe hai, aakhir ye sab unhi ki denn hai”, she says with a smile.
The Future Vision: Teaching, Earning, Inspiring
Preet dreams of turning her boutique into a larger tailoring training centre, a place where girls from interior Punjab towns can come, learn tailoring, and start tailoring business from home themselves.
She envisions taking bulk orders for uniforms, expanding into designer embroidery, and even opening a small showroom. But above all, she wants her students to one day become businesswomen in their own right.
“Business tabhi khushhaal hota hai jab aap apni strength dusro ko bhi dete ho,” she says.
Faith in Mata Rani: The Anchor Behind Her Success
Every day at 5 a.m., before the machines hum, Preet lights a diya before Mata Rani’s idol. For her, devotion isn’t a ritual, it’s an anchor. She believes Mata Rani gave her the courage to begin, the wisdom to sustain, and now, the resources to expand.
“Garibi se ladna hota hai, uske aage jhukna nahi. Vishwas aur mehnat dono saath ho, toh aapko koi rok nahi sakta,” she says softly.
By 6 a.m., the house is already in motion, tiffins packed, breakfast prepped, fabrics sorted, measurements noted. At 10 a.m., the boutique corner comes alive; by evening, she’s still taking calls from clients and checking her students’ stitch lines.
She laughs, “Main thodi over-enthusiastic hoon, mujhe busy rehna pasand hai.” Ghar wale mazaak mein kehte hain, “Arre Preet, ek minute aaram bhi kar liya kar!” She grins and points to the small shrine: “Energy yahin se aati hai.”
For many women who start tailoring business from home, this rhythm, ghar ka kaam alongside orders, isn’t exhaustion; it’s purpose.
That faith also shapes her horizon. She’s saving for Navratri Kanjaks, planning two new machines, and dreaming of a designer line.
“Dua aur discipline,” she says, “Preet Boutique House ko yahin se shehar tak le jayenge, taaki aas-paas ke gaonon mein bhi hamara naam bane.”
Smart Money Habits: Why Finance Matters as Much as Skill
Behind her spiritual strength lies sharp financial discipline. Half her boutique payments come through digital modes, ensuring transparency. She files ITRs regularly, maintains her Udyam registration, and has zero fixed monthly liabilities.
She often tells her students: “Start tailoring business from home, but keep records clear. Online payments and neat accounts will help you grow. Finance is the backbone of business.”
A Message for Women Entrepreneurs
Preet’s journey is not just about one woman’s determination; it’s a blueprint journey for countless women who wonder if they, too, can start something from their homes.
Her message is simple:
- Start small. Even a hand sewing machine can lay the foundation of a tailoring business in India.
- Be disciplined. Treat your work seriously, maintain accounts, and embrace digital payments.
- Have faith. Whether in yourself or a higher power, belief will push you through obstacles.
- Lift others. Teaching skills to other women is how communities thrive.
For women wondering how to start tailoring business from home, Preet’s journey shows that courage, faith, and financial wisdom can turn a humble machine into a thriving livelihood.
Read more success stories:
How This Mom Turned Her Gift Item Business into a Corporate Gifting Success Story
How This Varanasi Woman, Shilpi, Built a Banarasi Saree Reselling Business from Her Living Room
How a Loan Helped Anushree Drape Her Dreams in Profits – Boosting Her Income from ₹25K to ₹40K!
If you are a woman entrepreneur who wants to take your business to new heights and is in need of working capital and entrepreneurship resources, come speak to us on Mahila Money. For more such #JiyoApneDumPe live conversations, download the Mahila Money App on Play Store or visit us on www.mahila.money
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