If you're just starting out or looking at small run jobs, the best investment is an entry-level embroidery machine such as Brother's new PR-650, which will launch this month (September). This semi-commercial machine has its own USB ports, allowing designs to be transferred to the machine without the need for a computer - great for saving space in a small office or workshop.

Before embarking on an embroidery venture, you need to think about quality control. How are you going to ensure you provide customers with the kind of quality results they've come to expect from you as a business? It's important to have a thorough discussion with the person ordering the design about their expectations before you even accept the commission. If a customer has a logo with a lot of very intricate detailing, you need to be able to show them accurately how this will look when it's embroidered. Efficiency is also important and you'll need to make sure you can deliver orders in a reasonable time frame.

To help with both of these issues, the PR-650 machine features an enhanced LCD screen for crystal clear previews of designs before stitching and faster processing making it quicker to edit and preview designs and speeding up the production process.

Having the right equipment is all very well, but if you want to go beyond pre-programmed template designs and start producing really impressive designs for your customers, you'll need a solid piece of software, like Brother's PE Design 8, to help you convert your ideas into stitches.

A sophisticated software package will allow you (or your customers) to create your own designs and then convert them to embroidery data that your machine can transfer to clothing. In addition to this, there are a few other capabilities that should be included in a good piece of embroidery. Here's a quick guide to the features that could add to the success of your embroidery venture:

Built-in designs are useful to have - even if you intend to create your own individual motifs and images. A good piece of software will come with at least 300 of these so that you can get stitching straightaway.

Realistic stitch preview is essential if you want to get a good idea of what your design will look like before you start stitching. Things don't always look exactly how you'd imagined them, so it's definitely worth checking everything before it's too late.

Built-in fonts are essential for adding simple lettering to logos and slogans and a font creator will allow you to design your own fonts for more bespoke designs. This adds to the flexibility you can offer your customers when it comes to creating their own designs.

A print and stitch function will allow you to embellish the printed designs you may already be creating. By loading your printed design into your embroidery machine using the software, you can then choose where to add stitches over the top - a great way to combine two different kinds of embellishment.

Auto cross stitch and appliqué functions will broaden the kinds of embellishments you can offer to customers even further, enabling you to create a wide range of products using a variety of techniques.

Photo-stitch functionality will enable you to offer your customers the ultimate in personalisation - having their photos recreated as embroidered pictures on clothing. Whether it's a memorable holiday shot, a winning team portrait or the company mascot, a photo-stitch feature will allow you to reproduce it to great effect on fabric.

Ease of use is possibly one of the most important things to look for in a software package - especially if you're just starting out. Look out for beginner modes that can help you get started while you get comfortable with the format and wizards that can guide you through the processes involved for the most common tools.

For more information on Brother embroidery products, visit www.brother.co.uk/sewing or call 08444 999444.

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