The number of home based businesses (HBB) utilizing home economic skills and entrepreneurial skills has increased in the 1980's. This has brought about an awareness of the numerous problems being faced by the owners of these businesses. This study was designed to investigate the problem of pricing sewing services in HBB's. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationships between self esteem, self perceived clothing construction skill level, and the prices charged for the sewing services.

Data were collected using Rosenberg's self esteem 10 item questionnaire and three garment case studies in which the participants quoted prices and times for constructing each garment. A 51 item skills list, in which each participant rated her own clothing construction skills, was also completed. Demographic data was also collected. The instruments were field tested with seven seamstresses in the Blacksburg area. The pricing results from the case study field tests were used as standards for comparison in the study. The sample was made up of 46 seamstresses whose names were obtained from Virginia Cooperative Extension home economists.

The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlations, and Multiple Linear Regressions. Self esteem was found to be significantly correlated to self perceived clothing construction skill level. Broad price ranges were quoted for each garment. Urban price quotes were slightly higher than rural prices.