Thread: Looks like my last Professional Job

Ross,
There is very little original left to say and definitely no platitudes will lessen the pain. I have often wondered how a craftsman can make a living and still charge a marketplace price for the finished product. Even more wonder when I look at the quality in your postings. I'm no journeyman, just a weekend warrior, but to cost out my workshop time at the rate I pay my office staff would have any potential customer laughing as he walked ...no, - ran.... away!
Good luck in anything you choose to do, but stay in touch with the BB, we can all do with advise from time to time.
All the best, mate.
Cheers,
Graeme

(Ain't it great that we can regard someone we've never met as "mate" through the wonders of the internet!)

Stop feeling sorry for yourself !!!!!
Get a part time job , earning $400-$600 p/w
Do your woodwork part time to supplement the income and before you know it you are financialy comfortable !
I know as i do this and make good money ... Keep it as CASHIES ...
Sell your products at craft markets , the ones that happen once a month at various locations . I did it after years of hummming and harrring , should of done it years ago.

Originally Posted by Ashore

Ross
You are right when you say stuff happens and chance plays no favorites
However the thing that jumps out at me when reading your posts is that you are not a loser, you face the facts and deal with them , good or bad .In my experiance a person with that sort of attitude will not fail and you are that sort of person.
So Ross I sincerly hope the old addage proves true
" When one door closes another opens"


Rgds

Russell

Russell
Mate thanks and I hope you are right!

Ross

Originally Posted by seanr

Stop feeling sorry for yourself !!!!!
Get a part time job , earning $400-$600 p/w
Do your woodwork part time to supplement the income and before you know it you are financialy comfortable !
I know as i do this and make good money ... Keep it as CASHIES ...
Sell your products at craft markets , the ones that happen once a month at various locations . I did it after years of hummming and harrring , should of done it years ago.

1.) I am not feeling sorry for myself I was just stating facts but thanks for your razor sharp observations!

2.)I do work part time and it would take a lot more than that to make me financialy comfortable.

3.) Sorry but the sort of things I make dont sell at craft markets they just get scratched by the passing buck toothed rednecks and their 13 children.

Ross

Ross,

It's the lack of mitres, mate. I keep telling you - you need mitres

Hope it all works out for you.

Originally Posted by silentC

Ross,

It's the lack of mitres, mate. I keep telling you - you need mitres

Hope it all works out for you.

Mate Dont start me on the Mitres I warned you about the bloody Mitres before.
The only good Mitre is a dead Mitre!!!


Ross

hmmmmmm . . . . dovetail picture frame . . . . no maybe a mortice and tenon

Oh - nice slab table.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Different

Yes it is a marketing issue in a way but the problem is resources (Capital) to allow me to do that which will bring in new work.
I agree with your comments about self promotion and I admit I am crap at it but nor am I interested in it or any other facet of business or moner or law or tax or the corporate world I just make stuff the best I can. Problem is most people simply dont give a **** about such things these days. Yes there is a small number of people who do but only about 5% of the population.

Ross

Well the way i see it, you need to go and get a job making furniture for wages. Dosnt matter who you are or how good your work is, if your not interested in promoting yourself, your skill, your craft, or have no interested in the business side of running a small workshop, then you have no hope what so ever. And unless you develope an interest in them, their is no point sittin back dreaming of comming back to fight in another battle later, because it to will fail a misserable death

Originally Posted by Lignum

Well the way i see it, you need to go and get a job making furniture for wages. Dosnt matter who you are or how good your work is, if your not interested in promoting yourself, your skill, your craft, or have no interested in the business side of running a small workshop, then you have no hope what so ever. And unless you develope an interest in them, their is no point sittin back dreaming of comming back to fight in another battle later, because it to will fail a misserable death

Thanks for that rather limited observation! Who says your way or the accepted or popular way is the only way Why not mine?
You are somebody who accepts that the way things are is the way they should be, I do not!!!.
I for one would like to see things move bact to a time where one can humbly go about their business without having to shamelessly flog themselves and their work because people are so busy and self absorbed that they only notice the loud and garrish things abou them!

Ross

Sadly I can relate to a lot of what you are saying, I have done restoration work and the peasants want it for sod all.
French polish an old table, don't want to pay more than $100 for 10 hours w3ork plus materials, Pyss off, not interested.
Can also relate to the rednecks and their dribbling brats pawing everything, and listening to the comments 'not as shiny as the "good" stuff at Harvey N's'
Bloody peasants, thankfully there are a few who appreciate what you do and hopefully they will find you.
I went back to work mainly because I was bored but as a little money spinner I make jump wings out of treated pine, why, because:
#1 I love horses and the people who compete on them
#2 They are well made and solid
3# They cost me $30 and 10 minutes to put together and I sell them for $65
4# John Howard has no idea
Good luck for the future.

I relate to that too Ross,
But the world is run by politicians and other mediocre minds,
so that just won't happen.
But sometimes we can find a way to be diffferent.

Originally Posted by Different

Thanks for that rather limited observation! Who says your way or the accepted or popular way is the only way Why not mine?
You are somebody who accepts that the way things are is the way they should be, I do not!!!.

Its not so much my way (but i strongly believe its the right way) but it seems the be the accepted way all over the world with small shop profesionals. And if you care to do a search of successful designer/makers here in Aus and overseas and read their thoughts on how they run their workshops, youl find what i wrote is common to everyone of them, and thats why they can compete in the tough world that we all want to be apart of.

You were the one who originally posted the words "Looks like I will be closing the doors after this job is done. No more customers" So everyone wrote back sympathizing with you saying bad luck, bla blah, which made you feel all warm and fuzzy and better for the experience. I wrote back saying its terrible when a woodie has to fold, BUT alls not lost because you CAN run a successfull shop with the right planing and marketing... You say mine was a "limited observation" and "Who says your way or the accepted or popular way is the only way. Why not mine?" Well all i can say to that is between the two of us, who has no customers and who has plenty. Its all in the promotion and marketing, thats all.

And to all out there who talk how this person or workshop, or that business is going bad or broke, because of this, that or the "customers are at fault" and "wont pay" or the bloody polititions have stuffed it up, or John Howard was responsible for their sloppy mortices... Well they deserve to fail. Good businesses are possitive busnisses with possitive attitudes, and the public will reconise that and treat you accordingly. Pass enthusiasm and confidence onto your clients, convince them you work is of a high standard both visually and mechanicly, gaurantee they wont have to wait longer than 8 weeks and they will Gladly pay good money for work well done.

Originally Posted by Different

I for one would like to see things move bact to a time where one can humbly go about their business without having to shamelessly flog themselves and their work because people are so busy and self absorbed that they only notice the loud and garrish things abou them! Ross

I agree totaly... Thats why my next car will be a Model-T Ford and next Table saw will be steam powered.

Originally Posted by Lignum

I agree totaly... Thats why my next car will be a Model-T Ford and next Table saw will be steam powered.

Yes the observation is limited you know almost nothing about me or my business in fact by most standards it has been a success. It even makes a small profit it is just that it does not pay my personal bills but that is another story!
I dont have the energy to argue the points one by one but suffice to say I dont agree and suspect that in all things you are just a little bit more right than everyone else and no doubt run a sucessful business of your own.

Ross

Originally Posted by Iain

Sadly I can relate to a lot of what you are saying, I have done restoration work and the peasants want it for sod all.
French polish an old table, don't want to pay more than $100 for 10 hours w3ork plus materials, Pyss off, not interested.
Can also relate to the rednecks and their dribbling brats pawing everything, and listening to the comments 'not as shiny as the "good" stuff at Harvey N's'
Bloody peasants, thankfully there are a few who appreciate what you do and hopefully they will find you.
I went back to work mainly because I was bored but as a little money spinner I make jump wings out of treated pine, why, because:
#1 I love horses and the people who compete on them
#2 They are well made and solid
3# They cost me $30 and 10 minutes to put together and I sell them for $65
4# John Howard has no idea
Good luck for the future.

Funny that! the wife told me the other day to whip up some Jump wings for people we know so I might give that a crack.
I too love horses and those who compete except the Percheron who stood on my foot last week!

Ross