Suggestions for starting again.

[cowfoot]

Mike -

You’re quite right about some aspects of Alan Peter’s business model being outdated - the price of property/workshop space is a particular killer.
However, he was also writing long before the internet. As some opportunities disappear, others open up. He’d have been amazed at how simple it is to advertise and sell products nowadays.
As for writing promotional articles being a dead-end, in my experience it’s quite the opposite. I wrote a few articles for Houzz (I suggested it, they jumped down my throat) which were so succesful in driving traffic to my website I had to turn projects down. You’ve got a far superior background to mine in terms of craft training and experience, you can express yourself clearly (plenty can’t!) - you’d be surprised at how many people want to hear about it. Doubt you’d get paid much for the articles but it certainly beats Google Ads.

 

[Hornbeam]

I'm going to make an occasional table this weekend and see if that will sell.

Mike.[/quote]
hi Mike, like a lot of internet forum threads, there is some good advice and some very negative stuff, You have to take a take both to give you a balanced view. I think you should stick with your current job as it gives you security and focus on making a number of small pieces that challenge you and give you a good feeling. Making things with no time/money pressure though is totally different from commercial reality.
Do you have images of previous work/work in progress to share. I would put it on as many forms of social media as you can.

How did the table progress this week end
Ian

 

[El Barto]

the latest being the most simple and taking 15hrs (plus £55’s worth of Ash)...I reckon they could turn a profit

I wouldn't bet your house on it,

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/tabl ... de-tables/

http://www.sebastiancox.co.uk/shop?category=Bayleaf

There’s a price somewhere between those two extremes that buyers would also be happy with.

I can't say I like anything about this company but it is a great example of marketing/branding perfection, something that relates to earlier posts here about one's online presence. They know exactly their target audience and have completely played to it. It is 100% suitably wafty nonsense (they even have a little number showing emissions next to products!). It's all total BS but I bet it's effective and I bet it makes them money. Gotta at least respect the hustle if not the work.

 

[woodbrains]

I'm going to make an occasional table this weekend and see if that will sell.

Mike.

hi Mike, like a lot of internet forum threads, there is some good advice and some very negative stuff, You have to take a take both to give you a balanced view. I think you should stick with your current job as it gives you security and focus on making a number of small pieces that challenge you and give you a good feeling. Making things with no time/money pressure though is totally different from commercial reality.
Do you have images of previous work/work in progress to share. I would put it on as many forms of social media as you can.

How did the table progress this week end
Ian[/quote]

Hello,

I ended up re finishing the kitchen worktops instead!

This is another reason I want to make things as a job. When family things or household jobs crop up, my weekends in the shed get sidelined. There are only four in a month, so doing a biggish project like I used to takes so long, it feels like they never get done.

Mike.