becoming a cabinet maker

[Max Power]

Given me an idea actually. I have an up market customer who seems to like me. I'm sure she'd be happy to 'borrow' a piece indefinitely and show it to her friends, with a view to commission on any sales made thereafter.

If she's "up-market" she's a Client not a customer Graham :lol:

 

[Graham Orm]

Given me an idea actually. I have an up market customer who seems to like me. I'm sure she'd be happy to 'borrow' a piece indefinitely and show it to her friends, with a view to commission on any sales made thereafter.

If she's "up-market" she's a Client not a customer Graham :lol:

Oops :wink:

 

[nanscombe]

Given me an idea actually. I have an up market customer who seems to like me. I'm sure she'd be happy to 'borrow' a piece indefinitely and show it to her friends, with a view to commission on any sales made thereafter.

The more people that see your work the better. If it sits in someone else's home, rather than your workshop (or home), the more chance that the right person will see it and want one themselves. :wink:

 

[MickCheese]

I'm not qualified to say weather you could make a living from this idea or not. Woodwork is my hobby and unlike you I am prepared to accept the many down sides of work in order to be able to do the things I enjoy in my spare time.
One thing I am qualified enough to tell you is that running a home based business is the most frustrating thing you could possibly try to do, the only person who thinks you are at work is you and any problem that arises among your family and friends they will turn to you to help because they are at work and you are at home.

This is so true.

My wife is a sole trader working from home, not woodwork but breeding and selling 'creepy crawlies', tarantulas, scorpions and such. (She looks normal but I keep telling her she is not!)

But my point is that like the poster above she constantly gets put upon to collect other family members kids from school when they are sick, asked to lunch by friends and in general no one thinks she works. She actually works a lot harder than I, she works longer hours and gets paid less.

So

A job in IT may sound dull and boring but it will give you security and then take an evening class in basic cabinet making. That will tell you if you have the skill set to make a god of it.

Good luck.

Mick

 

[RogerS]

....
A job in IT may sound dull and boring but it will give you security and then take an evening class in basic cabinet making. ....

Mick

I think it might be a bit late for that......from the OP

I have left my I.T job :wink:

 

[Water-Mark]

Work is work and there will always be times you dislike it whatever you do.

As someone who has been self employed for a number of decades now, most of my working life in fact I'd like to add the business of holidays, sick and pension.

There's a lot to be said for a 9 - 5 with benefits, even one you don't like.

 

[RogerS]

Work is work and there will always be times you dislike it whatever you do.

As someone who has been self employed for a number of decades now, most of my working life in fact I'd like to add the business of holidays, sick and pension.

There's a lot to be said for a 9 - 5 with benefits, even one you don't like.

Not to mention that regular salary cheque each month.

And knowing that weekends, the time is your own. Not spent playing catch-up on the work you did/didn't do in the week.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Ah, the other man's grass is always greener, eh?
It certainly is.
S

 

[Peter Sefton]

Self-employment is hard work and not for everyone, but how many of you self-employed makers would go back to your old life of working for someone in a job that you didn't like?
Other professions may be more financially rewarding but I enjoy furniture making as much today as I did 30 years ago when I started out. I have so many students that come to me that do earn very well but hate every day at work. You’re a long time working and a long time dead I say do what you enjoy but test the water first.

 

[doctor Bob]

Some of the guys on here seem to do really long hours.
I try and do a 5 day week, I work 3-4 Saturday mornings a year.
I probably work a 50 week.
It wasn't like this when I started out but now I sort of think what is the point of having my own business if I can't have a good way of life.

 

[mseries]

Not all IT jobs are dull and boring and not all IT jobs are that secure either.

 

[petermillard]

It wasn't like this when I started out but now I sort of think what is the point of having my own business if I can't have a good way of life.

This, exactly. I've been self-employed all my working life and the odd long day or a bit of weekend work sometimes is unavoidable, but I mostly work a roughly 9 hr day, five days a week. As for pension, paid holidays and sick leave; it's my business - it's up to me to build those costs into my fee structure. So I do.

Cheers, Pete

 

[sawdust1]

hi all, when i started on the road as a full time furniture maker about 26 years ago their were not that many of us out here in the sticks but now every one with a few tools in the garage wants to become one, now i don't have a problem with that but it does dilute the pool of potential customers available. I have found that over the years as the jobs have fallen away slightly ( their is only so much furniture a client can squeeze into their house) i have had to branch out into carpentry, joinery and property maintenance to bring in enough money to pay the bills. Luckily i have no mortgage, but still being the only breadwinner with a family of 4 its been a struggle. The days of having a 4 month waiting list have gone, and the constant worry of looking for jobs is stressful, the hours are long as when i have finished on site after tea i will be in the workshop for several hours, the workshop is 100M from the house and the nearest neighbour is 1/4 mile away so late night noise is no problem, but deadlines have to be met and bills have to be payed so have no choice. Would i change it, probably not, who wants a regular pay packet with payed holidays and sick pay and weekends off mmmm sounds nice.

 

[No skills]

I have found this thread quite interesting. As somebody that wants/needs a change of job and has been considering cabinetmaking as a future I couldn't imagine just trying to walk into it nearly blindly after quiting a job far far removed from it :shock:

Getting a work space/tooling/experience and just building a business is a fairly huge undertaking, if I ever got to the point where I could just work part time somewhere and run the business to make my income I would honestly think I had done very well. Just running a business as my sole income just seems so unlikely.

I might soon be forced to walk out of the job I have currently so perhaps I'll end up stacking shelves at Tesco, at least I'll have time to think about it

 

[Dangermouse]

As has been said, first get some training, that's a MUST if you have done little or no cabinet work before. It can cost a fortune if you go for new professional grade tools, so go second-hand / vintage, plenty about and a lot cheaper than new and dare I say most are better made and will last longer. You will need some machinery, you cant do all of it by hand, its the old thing " time is money" and unless your the best cabinet maker in the world and people will wait six months for a tea tray, you will have to do a job in relatively quick time. also it usually takes at least a couple of years for a business to be established and making money, so you might have to have a part time job for a while. you do need to advertise and get known, if you make the best things in the country they will be worthless unless people know they can buy them from you, a website is a good start. even if your being as tight as with money as I am, ( LOL ) you will need a few thousand to get up and running, so think where will this come from, savings or to be borrowed and repayments factored in. You can make money, not a fortune, but you have to be pragmatic and don't look on being a cabinet maker as some Shangri-La where everything is smelling of roses, it ain't. Also you say you will be using your garage, so if you do use some machinery, make sure your electrics are up to the job and you will have to keep the people next door on side, so that means keeping the noise down and you will have to check if you need planning permission for change of use and you might have to pay business rates. that is if you tell the council..........

 

[Steve Jones]

20+ years ago I did City and Guilds in Handmade furniture, also Timber preparation and passed them both.

Although I'm now self employed I work in the gardening industry, doing a course at college wont necessarily get you into the line of work you want to do. The problems I had trying to get into woodworking after college were that nearly all companies in this locality wanted a 'time served' person rather than a 'straight out of college' person.

My advice whatever you decide to do is think about it wisely, being self employed is not all a bed of roses and there have been many occasions when I'd have preferred a guaranteed pay cheque at the end of the week.

Steve

 

[riclepp]

For my two pennyworth.
I have a job I hate and detest, but it pays the bills and allows me to buy the tools I need and training. Yes, I too wish to become a cabinet Maker like my father before me (he was time served). The biggest issue as mentioned numerous times above, is getting noticed by potential customers! I have now made several peices of furniture for my home and have added to a facebook page and seperate website. I do not at this point in tme wish to advertise in the local free press (even though I have to pay ....free press?) Although I don't mind this delay, I am finding getting the necessary experience a problem, as there is only so much you can do initially, before you need help and advice from and experienced and well versed cabinet maker (you try and offer your time for free to other cabinet makers, they just laugh at you, been there, done that!!). Most course that I have seen are as stated before are in Devon!!!! Although if you have the cash and ability to travel, then it isn't a problem... Depends on who it is with you are looking on avarage around 14k for a long course and this dose not include, rent, food, books, travel and tools (so more like £25k). For some people that is a full years wage, but as they say got to speculate to accumilate. Business plans are essential to any business, if you don't know who to do one go to the tax office or bank they will help.

I have had a business that I closed as customers were wanting the training but didn't or delayed payment, which affected my business's ability to function. It is hard, very hard to get where you want, but with determination it is possible, that is if you want to succed with your plans. Mine will, but softly, softly catchy monkey way. So Mani, give it a go you have nothing to lose and if all fails at least you can say you tried and no-one can ever take that away from you.

 

[Peter Sefton]

There are a couple of courses in Devon but not for £14,000 as far as I am aware but look further afield and that fee is available, there are several private schools and some more bench rental type workshops around the country. Some of us make running a craft based business a substantial part of the training. You can be the best maker in the world but without any customers and a profit margin your days will be numbered. Short courses may be available at local colleges but not many still exist which is very sad. The state colleges are no longer very interested in furniture making as they are expensive courses to run and much better funding can be gained from Auto CAD and other courses with less health and safety issues.

 

[n0legs]

:idea:

 

[SteveB43]

+1 for what n0legs said, start small, build up a portfolio, yes maybe give some stuff away as Jacob says, (visibility and presence) and build up a customer base,even a few 'clients' if you're lucky...
sometimes it's necessity that is the driver, in MickCheeses' case, is it not bigger and tougher hammers to keep them creepycrawlies at bay ?? (hammer)
speaking of creepycrawlies, anyone's workshop had one of these little visitors?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ea...-false-widow-spiders-spreading-across-UK.html

also +1 for cashflow, I think that's the main reason business will fail in the first year..