Walking on sunshine!

A chance meeting on holiday 20 years ago, started one man’s journey into garment decoration. P&P editor Melanie Attlesey speaks to Brian Quinn, owner of Liverpool-based Q-Apparel, about the last 20 years of business.

Two decades ago, Brian was at a crossroads in his life. He had spent 26 years working for Johnsons Workwear, working his way up from the factory floor to the role of service manager, when he was suddenly made redundant.

Faced with this prospect, Brian and his wife decided to take a relaxing holiday to Spain. One evening in the bar, the pair started chatting to another few couples as you do while on holiday. “All the fellas were called Brian, which was obviously quite unusual!” laughs Brian.

As talk turned a bit more personal, Brian revealed that he had recently been made redundant and was unsure where to next take his career.

One of the Brians, who was Brian Garrington from Swansea (former owner of J&S Pet Products) suggested that Brian should invest his redundancy money in an embroidery machine and get started in garment decoration. He provided Brian with all the advice he needed to know on an A4 sheet of paper, which included a list of recommended suppliers such as TC Threads, BTC activewear and Midwest Machinery. “I’m still using these suppliers today,” he adds.

Not wanting to lose the skills and knowledge of workwear and garments he had garnered over the years Brian thought this would be a viable career path. It also meant he could become his own boss. The only other alternative he could see was to become an HGV driver.

First embroidery machine purchased

With his first Happy single-head embroidery machine purchased the next step for Brian was to get some clients and start embroidering.

Armed with 20 business cards in his pocket and product samples in his boot, Brian hit the local industrial estate to try and drum up some business.

“My first day out, I sat in my car for 20 minutes giving myself a good talking to before I got out. I was terrified. But over the next few weeks and months I got better at it, one trick was singing a certain song to myself just as I was walking up to the building. This gave me a spring in my step and I walked in more confidently. The song, for those who want to know, was ‘Walking on Sunshine’ by Katrina and the Waves,” he explains.

One other way that Brian built his client base was through the Merseyside BNI networking organisation. Members are encouraged to promote their services and products to others within the network to help each other grow their businesses. “Being in that room each morning, I likened it to doing 20 to 30 cold calls each time I presented my services. With the weekly meetings I grew in confidence and business experience. Without BNI’s help I doubt I would have lasted 20 years in business,” says Brian.

Some of the customers that Brian picked up during those early days still regularly order from him, which is testament to the service and quality of product that he provides. And the customers he has picked up over the years have all come to him as a result of referrals and word of mouth, without a single piece of advertising or social media promotion.

“My first customer was a printer in a small unit, about the size of a garage. He has grown over the years and now employs around eight or nine lads. As he’s grown, it’s helped me to grow. I’ve got another customer who I met through the BNI network who is a roofer that started as a one-man band. Now he’s got 20 lads on the staff and I provide them with all their trousers, bodywarmers and the rest,” explains Brian.

Still going strong

Not only has Brian maintained relationships with these customers over the last 20 years, but his very first embroidery machine is still going strong. Over the years he has expanded his equipment portfolio, which now extends to two Happy single-head machines, a Brother four-head machine, a sublimation printer and a plotter/ cutter. “The best piece of advice I was given when I started my business was to build it up year-on-year by adding a new piece of equipment, which is exactly what I have done,” Brian says.

Along with the expansion in equipment, Brian has also expanded his workshop from the garage at home, to his own unit. “It got to the point where I had boxes absolutely everywhere! Spilling out from the garage into the hallway. My poor wife was very understanding!” laughs Brian.

Moving into his own unit allowed Brian to take his business to the next level. Also helping him to separate his working life from his home life. Brian stayed in his first unit for eight years and moved into his most recent one back in February.

“Even though I was only working in the garage I put on a shirt and tie to go to work. It was about five years into the job where I thought ‘why are you wearing a tie’!” Brian laughs. “It helped with the mindset.”

Being your own boss sounds like the ultimate dream, but it can come with its own perils. You have to be disciplined and manage your own time. It can be lonely at times – after all humans are social creatures. But if you are dedicated enough and willing to put the hard graft in, you can end up running a successful business just like Brian.

He says: “There have been hard times. There have been stressful times. But on the whole, I have enjoyed every second of the last 20 years. It’s been a laugh and I’ve met some good people.”

Perfect business advice

As someone who has successfully run his own business for the last two decades, Brian is in an ideal position to offer advice to those looking to get started in the world of garment decoration and become their own boss.

“You can’t sell headaches. I learnt that working with Johnsons. Don’t sell something that is going to come back to you. I’ve always advocated selling quality products only. Don’t sell the cheap rubbish stuff,” he says.

Brian is now reaching the point in his life where he is beginning to think about retirement. As such he is looking at increasing the value of the business now to leave it in the best place possible for someone to purchase within the next few years.

Being self-employed is no picnic. There are many aspects and factors to take into consideration before you set out. But if you have the same work ethic as Brian, you will be able to make it work for you.