anyone run their own design and manuf furniture co.

[tomatwark]

Wolfey

If you had put the last post first you may not have got such a reaction, it is the sort of post that gains respect.

The point that was trying to be made, I think was that some of us have been in business as long and longer than you and are very sceptical about this table and the profit.

I am sitting here today in my office doing quotes and working out the lads jobs for next week, so know all about working weekends and evenings etc.

This is a good place to bounce ideas off each other and pick up tips ( Bob pointed something out to me last week that was so simple I kicked myself for not having thought of it, I have only been in this game for 30 years so I am still learning.)

I am sure that there will be a lot of people that would like to see you set up your new venture and also may be able to offer advice or and alternative way of solving a problem, or point out if something may not be a good idea.

If you read the threads that appear on here from time to time you will see, there is a common factor to a lot of them in that people seem to think that this is an easy game to get into.

I read somewhere once ( can't remember where ) that over 50% of woodworking businesses go bust in the first couple of years and it is down to thinking that it is a case of buying some machines, renting a workshop and starting to make things to sell.

Most of the negatives that are raised on these threads are really just making people think before they jump and in a very brutal way hopefully stopping them form making a mistake.

 

[Rhossydd]

not shore how to do the 'Thanked Button thing'

Just click the small button, bottom right with the yellow 'thumbs up' graphic.

Good on you for showing a positive side too! It can't all be doom and gloom.

 

[navypaul]

"Over the years I've looked in on this forum this is an area that has never been discussed positively, which I feel is a shame for members truly looking for advise to make it in the industry.
To put it blunt... If id have come here for advice when thinking of setting up my first joinery shop I would never of done it!!... Some members on here seem to just bring it down, be it due to their failings or miss fortunes within the industry I do not think it is fair to members looking for a helping hand of positivity on sacrificing everything they have to give it a go.."

finally a ray of light, i went to bed last night questioning my self if there was any point to it, as there was very little positivity or success stories, as you said but for every one that succeeds countless fail so its not surprising the negative vibe

there has been some good advice and you can learn from the failings as well as the successes of people.

 

[Zeddedhed]

navypaul,
I think the point here is that those of us that are in business for ourselves are keen to bring a dose of reality. My career as a self employed woodworker began in the eighties when it was hard to fail, especially if you worked in the construction side of things.

I've had several friends who have planned to give up a day job that provides for them and their families and to go into business for themselves and 'live the dream'.

I would guess that 1 in 1000 truly achieve that (wealth, satisfaction, the yacht etc etc). Probably 10% of the remainder do well for themselves and make a comfortable living, as good as or maybe even ultimately better than their previous career would have provided.
The rest either make a basic living (wage) or realise that it's much harder than they thought and pack it in.

I know 5 designer makers personally and not one of them makes more than £30k from it - most of them a lot less. They all subsidise their work with either general joinery, built ins or other work (one works in a timber yard, one in a Library and one in a fast food restaurant - I don't know what the other two are currently doing) and all of them have partners working full time. I can't remember the last time any of them took a proper holiday.

That's not negative. It's true.

 

[tomatwark]

As far as I can recalled no one has ever come out and said do not do it, but do your research before you jump, find out what your local market wants as this will be where you start, there is no point in making something that the customer in your town will not want or cannot afford.

Find out if there are other woodworkers near by doing similar things, if there is not, the reason may be there is not a demand in your area for what you are thinking of making, so have a plan B. This may be not what you are wanting to do but if you can make a living using the machines you have already bought you should survive while you work on plan C which hopefully incorporate part of Plan A.

The key is don't have a dream of making certain items and try to stick to it at all costs if it is not making you money, always look at an opportunity, as sometimes a discussion with a customer or even a competitor can lead to interesting times.

At the end of the day yes you are going into this because you enjoy it ( although there will be lots of times you will wonder why did you start !!!!!!!!), the main reason is to make money, even if it is just comfortable living.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Am I the only one who wants to see what an 11 grand console table looks like?

 

[Jacob]

I am thinking about starting a small furniture co. designing and making my own range as an online business i have the outline of a business plan and many original designs (used to design for a company up north years ago, went to college and all that) the thing i have made seen to be well received so i am trying to give it ago

has anyone gone down the same route, im looking for some advice and potential pitfalls

regards

paul

Make stuff that you like and would consider buying yourself if you weren't a maker (and could afford it).
There doesn't have to be a business plan or procedure - basically make some stuff and set about selling it, as best you can, even if it's just to your mum. It's all good practice with feedback at every step.

 

[sawdust1]

wood monkey i asked for a picture and still waiting, if i made a table that was that special to command such a high price tag i would want to show it off to the world.
I don't think anyone is being negative here, if we all said go for it you will make a fortune, how helpful would that be. Some of us have been here for a long time so know the pitfalls so when a newbie asks for some advice us oldies are going to tell it as it is and
not paper over the cracks.
I'm loving this thread, shop talk, its why i joined.
At 56 i'm no expert so can learn as much as give advice.

 

[RobinBHM]

im not looking at 11k tables as i think that would be unrealistic im looking at a price-point of £800-1k occasional tables and £1.5.2.2k tv stand/table stuff in that area, 5K sofa etc. so not attracting the OFW market but not limiting the market to the uber rich just those which like better quality uk made original if design. maybe a bit quirky but not too high fashion and i only have to match my current wage and ill be happy at say an average profit of £500 to £1k for non sofa furniture and £2K per sofa i only need to sell an average 3 in 2 weeks plus i have my current occupation providing another war dont break out

There may well be a market for tv stand/table furniture. The chrome and glass gv stands usually look rubbish and not very useful, maybe your original designs could fill a gap in the market, perhaps being a partly modular AV media wall that has a back for cable management. There maybe sone useful advice available on AVforums.

I know some joinery companies that buy in their frame material machined to section, so they only have to end joint and assemble. If you are able to design furniture down to fully dimensioned piece parg drawings maybe you could buy in some parts madd by a contract CNC company and limit yourself to assembly and finishing.

Im not sure how well furniture will sell from a website rather than a showroom, something to research.

I realise advise offered on this forum can seem negative, but dont give up the idea -use the negative advise as a reason to plan harder

 

[pcb1962]

Am I the only one who wants to see what an 11 grand console table looks like?

No, I'd like to see it too. That's the kind of money I'd expect to pay for something (smallish) from Doucette and Wolfe.

 

[HOJ]

I am thinking about starting a small furniture co. designing and making my own range as an online business

I am involved with a design studio business, based in London, Online, we make a range of items that used to be sold as "Finished" (read painted).

We now sell them "Naked" for the customer to finish in their preferred choice of colour.(read paint themselves).

Everything is template driven, we run of batches at a time, so have stock for despatch.

 

[RobinBHM]

I am thinking about starting a small furniture co. designing and making my own range as an online business

I am involved with a design studio business, based in London, Online, we make a range of items that used to be sold as "Finished" (read painted).

We now sell them "Naked" for the customer to finish in their preferred choice of colour.(read paint themselves).

Everything is template driven, we run of batches at a time, so have stock for despatch.

That's an interesting market sector, quite a few years ago I remember coming across scumble goosie that sell unpainted furniture ready for paknt effects to be applied.

What types and style of furniture does your design studio sell?

 

[navypaul]

navypaul,
I think the point here is that those of us that are in business for ourselves are keen to bring a dose of reality. My career as a self employed woodworker began in the eighties when it was hard to fail, especially if you worked in the construction side of things.

I've had several friends who have planned to give up a day job that provides for them and their families and to go into business for themselves and 'live the dream'.

I would guess that 1 in 1000 truly achieve that (wealth, satisfaction, the yacht etc etc). Probably 10% of the remainder do well for themselves and make a comfortable living, as good as or maybe even ultimately better than their previous career would have provided.
The rest either make a basic living (wage) or realise that it's much harder than they thought and pack it in.

I know 5 designer makers personally and not one of them makes more than £30k from it - most of them a lot less. They all subsidise their work with either general joinery, built ins or other work (one works in a timber yard, one in a Library and one in a fast food restaurant - I don't know what the other two are currently doing) and all of them have partners working full time. I can't remember the last time any of them took a proper holiday.

That's not negative. It's true.

if its true can it not be negative also? i understand what you are saying there doesn't seem to be too many success stories highlighted here and then wolfie i think it was came in and said he made a good bit of profit on a table and is setting up other businesses concurrently now that's positivity, most people have given some good words of encouragement, and made good points and others dont think they understood the post.

although it was an interesting statement about the 5 design and build guys who all had limited success i would like to get in touch with them if possible.

 

[navypaul]

There may well be a market for tv stand/table furniture. The chrome and glass gv stands usually look rubbish and not very useful, maybe your original designs could fill a gap in the market, perhaps being a partly modular AV media wall that has a back for cable management. There maybe sone useful advice available on AVforums.

I know some joinery companies that buy in their frame material machined to section, so they only have to end joint and assemble. If you are able to design furniture down to fully dimensioned piece parg drawings maybe you could buy in some parts madd by a contract CNC company and limit yourself to assembly and finishing.

Im not sure how well furniture will sell from a website rather than a showroom, something to research.

I realise advise offered on this forum can seem negative, but dont give up the idea -use the negative advise as a reason to plan harder [/quote]

internet sales will be the big stumbling block if anything is going to be, stores snatch too much profit and limit your audience to local areas or craft fares i want to avoid that if possible and spread the word as far as possible, and the net is the perfect medium for it just getting it noticed may be tricky but thats where social media comes in have you ever soon how many 'how to' vids there are and the very large amount of views they get if your not using social media then your only playing at business man imo why limit yourself to local area, the net can be a daunting place for those that dont understand it but it is the rest of the world out there and it can be looking for you, im sure £11k table man knows this and the guy who makes cheap pine furniture will certainly know this

made.com gets more virtual footfall a day than most big towns do a week

i have been paying close attention to what they are saying but closer attention to what is not being said by most of the posters and that speaks volumes.

regards

 

[navypaul]

I am thinking about starting a small furniture co. designing and making my own range as an online business

I am involved with a design studio business, based in London, Online, we make a range of items that used to be sold as "Finished" (read painted).

We now sell them "Naked" for the customer to finish in their preferred choice of colour.(read paint themselves).

Everything is template driven, we run of batches at a time, so have stock for despatch.

whats the co. sounds like we should talk

 

[navypaul]

I am thinking about starting a small furniture co. designing and making my own range as an online business i have the outline of a business plan and many original designs (used to design for a company up north years ago, went to college and all that) the thing i have made seen to be well received so i am trying to give it ago

has anyone gone down the same route, im looking for some advice and potential pitfalls

regards

paul

Make stuff that you like and would consider buying yourself if you weren't a maker (and could afford it).
There doesn't have to be a business plan or procedure - basically make some stuff and set about selling it, as best you can, even if it's just to your mum. It's all good practice with feedback at every step.

thats pretty much it i am my target audience and my stuff so far has been received very well, thats largely how this all came about

 

[navypaul]

[quote="navypaul but do your research before you jump, find out what your local market wants as this will be where you start, there is no point in making something that the customer in your town will not want or cannot afford.

Find out if there are other woodworkers near by doing similar things, if there is not, the reason may be there is not a demand in your area for what you are thinking of making,

my plan is an online shop to sell to the country/world or whoever wants it. no limitations on market just probs associated with it

 

[Zeddedhed]

my plan is an online shop to sell to the country/world or whoever wants it. no limitations on market just probs associated with it

Check out Indigo furniture. I'm sure there are others but they seem to doing well. I'm not a huge fan of their stuff but it sells well by all accounts.

For the record, I would be the last person to try and discourage someone with your obvious enthusiasm. I just want to ensure that people considering going it alone are hearing both sides.

I know that I have a tendency to filter out negative opinions if I really want something. I'm not suggesting you do the same but just in case

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and keep us all posted. I for one will be delighted for you if you make it big.

 

[navypaul]

my plan is an online shop to sell to the country/world or whoever wants it. no limitations on market just probs associated with it

Check out Indigo furniture. I'm sure there are others but they seem to doing well. I'm not a huge fan of their stuff but it sells well by all accounts.

For the record, I would be the last person to try and discourage someone with your obvious enthusiasm. I just want to ensure that people considering going it alone are hearing both sides.

I know that I have a tendency to filter out negative opinions if I really want something. I'm not suggesting you do the same but just in case

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and keep us all posted. I for one will be delighted for you if you make it big.

thanks for the words i know it can all go wrong or not as well as i planned for im no stranger to adversity but i think rarely do chances and the necessity to change your life come. any and all info is appreciated regardless of tone. its something not completely new to me but doing it all myself its a terrifying prospect so i have respect for anyone who does it regardless of how much they earn from it, im not that material and BIG to me is probably modest to most.

ultimately i just want to spend more time at home with the family. (by home i mean the same county as my family 30 months in 7 years )

hopefully by the end of the year/early next year it will all be up and running. lets hope. x

thanks all
paul

 

[Dusty]

Hi Paul , thought I would chib in with my thoughts , I have worked for myself for 15 years now , started life in the coinstruction industry 20 years ago , site work etc . Over the years , ended up doing more at private reisdences . I had alot of demand for made to fit Items for homes , wether shelves , cuboards etc . I slowly pushed into more workshop based production .

I still carry out work at properties but I try and keep the workshop running . I make all the usual , windows , doors , cuboards etc and a bit of furniture on request and some items for a company based on period items . Inbetween is my production , not "art" but furniture with a twist , using wood , metal , concrete . I make a reasonable number from my work but the marketing is the hard part .

What I am trying to say is , dont get blinkered into one track , never say no ( unless daft ) . Use any and all connection , you will be suprised , as Wolfe said , one little job repairing Dorris's rotten window board might end up in a custom timber build , quite often I have done well from repeat / referred custom . I know this is not your business model , but if it helps fund it , dont turn it down .

Good Luck with your ambition and drive and keep us all posted

Dusty