Llama Posted July 28, 2013 Report Share Posted July 28, 2013 Background: I am a married father of two. My wife is on the tail end of getting her Doctorate in Psychology. I will have my bachelors degree in Business Administration within the next year or so, and I will continue for my MBA. I have a little more than three years left for my MBA. My wife and I have decided that now is the right time to have our third child. With me being in school, and the job market being horrible, we have made the decision for me start a business in woodworking. I have three years for this to work. I have made furniture, guitars/basses, little boxes and little animal figures for friends and family. So, I know I have what it takes to make quality items that stand the test of time. However, it is daunting to enter this world in such a shaky economy. I feel as though the fairs and such are my best options to get my name and products out there in the public eye. I know a few people that do well selling smaller items, and getting commissions on larger pieces. I do not know what kind of comments to expect, but I wanted to share this with you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted July 28, 2013 Report Share Posted July 28, 2013 Many people only dream of starting their own business. It takes courage and determination, so good for you! A good friend of mine just left her full time job, as the expectwtions for her job were getting larger, with longer hours, and a pay cut. She opened her own business staging homes, and has never looked back. She often tells me that she loves going to work everyday, and she can also spend much more time with her family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2013 Thank you. I am determined to make this work. It is scary though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick218 Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 What products are you marketing? Or is it General cabinetry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 What products are you marketing? Or is it General cabinetry? My favorite things to make are Shaker style tables and furniture. Another big hit with family and friends are bandsawn reindeer. I've made those in bubinga, walnut, basswood and cocobolo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dwacker Posted July 29, 2013 Popular Post Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 The best advice I can give is to to buy a truck load of Top Ramem now. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 Sometimes it can be hard to estimate the amount of labor and materials that it takes to complete a project. If you miss calculate you can end up working nights and weekends to finish a job and make less than minimum wage. Lessons like that stick with you for life, but they can be real tough to survive financially. Double check your materials list and always get current prices from your suppliers. I have quoted small jobs based on the price I remembered and then found out there was a big price increase. ouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 The best advice I can give is to to buy a truck load of Top Ramem now. Reminds me of a cue makers quote... I'm sure it applies to other fields as well. Wanna make a million making and selling cues? Start with 2 million! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 Wdwerker... My time will be difficult to estimate. I'm sure I'll get better with time. I buy all my wood from a supplier about thirty minutes away, nice guys too. I can see a large project getting out of hand as well, perhaps a large dresser with nice hardware. I usually draw things up using a cad software called Autodesk Inventor. It's very quick, and I can render a finished image to show a client. I have a strong background as a machinist so I am very comfortable working from blueprints. Alot more than say sketchup or pen and paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 Time can be difficult. The best way to learn about time is to build. Alot of guys sit around and wait for a job, lose their shirt and call it a learning experience. Get out in the shop and build the stuff you think is going to sell. If your market is shaker tables then build shaker tables. You dont need a specific customer to build. The builds are your learning experience. If you structure your business properly the builds are a write off. They can be written off without putting them into an inventory asset. Use these builds as your catalog photo pieces. Compare your time and materials to what others are charging for a finished piece to test what the market will bare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 I'm not a professional, but I'm sure you could make Craigslist your friend as well. You could make some items and sell them with free advertising. Also, something I did to get some extra income on down time, I made some projects for family and friends for little more than cost of all materials, gas to get materials, etc. This turned into a word of mouth thing, and now I have a list of friends of friends of friends who would like things made at "retail" cost. They know that I do not do this for a living, rather a hobby. I get to pick and choose which projects I want to do, so this works for me. But I grew my "client base" about ten fold in under two months. Like I said though, I only do a project every now and then when I have time. I am not dependent on these jobs for income, but merely pleasure of the art. Just some food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 That is the start of my plan. I have been very casual making items for friends, so timing isn't that solid yet. I am making an entry table for my home in the Shaker style. I will also be starting a flame maple version of the tables as well. A friend of mine asked for a set in bubinga. He also wants a coffee table in the same style. Material for that is more than mahogany Pricing is something I need more information on as well. I've seen a very large range in prices. Craigslist may be an option. I think people look at it as a site for used items, so I'll have to be careful to make the distinction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 I also used my friends and family as learning experiences for build techniques. They are paying for the costs of material, so I am not losing out on anything, if you want to think about it that way. Raised panels, dove tails, mortise and tenon, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 You have to try to seperate out the dreamers from actual businesses. You will see many woodworkers with websites or on Etsy selling things like Maloof rockers in some insane price range. They dont sell their products they just post them on the internet. When you compare prices look at real a business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 You have to try to seperate out the dreamers from actual businesses. You will see many woodworkers with websites or on Etsy selling things like Maloof rockers in some insane price range. They dont sell their products they just post them on the internet. When you compare prices look at real a business. BUT MY WORK IS ART, AND IT SHOULD BE PRICED THAT WAY! /sarcasm I look at those websites and see outrageous prices all over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 One of the first sites I looked at was Chris Beeksvort. He sells for high prices, but he's famous I have a good basis in reality. I am not a bargin bin, but I'm not recognized either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 One of the first sites I looked at was Chris Beeksvort. He sells for high prices, but he's famous I have a good basis in reality. I am not a bargin bin, but I'm not recognized either. You will notice most of these "famous" folks do a bunch of writing, this is where they make their living. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 True. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris H Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 Check out Custommade.com You don't have to do any more work than you want to. I only do WW part time, but they have helped me to grow my clientele. I have only done two projects through them, but both have been repeat customers. You pay only for jobs you get. Its a great way to get clients and build up your business without having the nightmare of inventory issues for sites like Etsy, or Ebay. I use all 3, but for very different products. Nick-nack stuff (<$50 in materials) I usually bulk produce and try to sell on Ebay, Etsy, or craft fairs. Large projects, like furniture, I only build to spec. I have sat on a table for a almost a year before off loading for a loss (Labor, not material). Lesson learned. I am only a part timer, but I can see easily getting 3-4 jobs a week through CM if I tried. I only take small jobs, and only local clients. Shipping is too much of a headache for me on furniture. Just don't steal any of my clients! There is actually one other West Bender on CM I am regularly bidding against. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 Custom made has been full (not accepting makers) for quite some time and is about to go big. It used to be small and you had a chance. With the new funding they are going to be huge. Not sure that is a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 I did submit my email. We'll see. Thanks for the link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 The best advice I can give is to to buy a truck load of Top Ramem now. PB, a straight to the point as ever, nearest we have is pot noodle Mel, it may be of interest to you that Paul Sellers is blogging on this concept and as someone who has made a living as a woodworker his perspective and advice could be useful. I think Paul used to work in a general joinery shop in the UK from what I can make out. I think the experience of working within industry can be very useful indeed. Are there any workshops nearby that you could do some work experience at? I can only speak for my locality but I know very good cabinet makers who have to fill the gap with general joinery (windows, doors, built in furniture). I like the fact you have set yourself a goal and you seem to have some great skills too. I wish you all the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted July 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2013 Thanks! I will check that out. As for the cabinet shop idea, there isn't too much around by me that is any more than an entry level plywood junkie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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