Thread: Looks like my last Professional Job

Originally Posted by Different

Looks like I will be closing the doors after this job is done.
No more customers so I have to find a "real" job to pay the bills.

Looking nice. Any story behind the timber?

Sorry to hear you're shutting down, that's always sad news from a fellow woodie. I trust this doesn't involve selling up and you'll still be knocking nails on weekends?

Best of luck Ross

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Looking nice. Any story behind the timber?

Sorry to hear you're shutting down, that's always sad news from a fellow woodie. I trust this doesn't involve selling up and you'll still be knocking nails on weekends?

No not selling up or anything like that but last time I closed the doors I did not enter the shed (for woodworking) for 4 years. Just made me depressed to be in there!

Ross

Originally Posted by Different

No not selling up or anything like that but last time I closed the doors I did not enter the shed (for woodworking) for 4 years. Just made me depressed to be in there!

4 years? :eek: I dunno how you lasted; my cure for depression is turning timber into curlies. If that ever failed me... [shudder]

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

4 years? :eek: I dunno how you lasted; my cure for depression is turning timber into curlies. If that ever failed me... [shudder]

The analogy I think of is like a Track and field athlete who looses a leg is not going to feel too good going to the track and not being able to do what he has worked so hard at doing.

Ross

Sorry to hear you're giving up, always seems a shame. I'm still hoping to do the reverse and give up my proper job to spend my time making sawdust and shavings! All the best for the future

Originally Posted by Pete Vivian

Sorry to hear you're giving up, always seems a shame. I'm still hoping to do the reverse and give up my proper job to spend my time making sawdust and shavings! All the best for the future

Dont like to look at it as giving up more like retreating to fight in another battle later.

Ross

Ross,

It is a sorry day when any small business shuts it's doors, & please do not think that I am a hard nosed son of a b$$ch when I say this, but perhaps are looking at your situation through sawdust covewred glasses.

I looked at your pictures & you are clearly a talented woodworker. The fact that you have been carring on a ww business proves this.

You say you need to get a real job to pay the bill's etc., so that sucks, but we all got to do thinks we don't like from time to time. I also noted that you said this happened once before & you stayed out of the shed for 4 years. Maybe it is time to look at what you do have & what you don't have.

in the have column
talent
tools
material

in the have not column
customers

Your have column still out weighs your have not column by 3 to 1. Look at it this way mate, even a clock that does not work, is still right twice a day.

You have already resigned yourself to the fact that you need to get another job, but you do not need to stay out of the shed for any time at all. May be you new job will lead to a new customer base, or maybe you need to do some sort of business marketing & management course, but you do not need to lock the shed up mate, you just need to supliment you income to tie you over a rough patch.

While looking for a new job, maybe you could be looking at a tafe instructor's job in the wood work field.

Steve

Really, Really sorry to hear that Ross. now we'll all be deprived of your beautiful work for a while. this one looks up to your usual standards though. absolutely gorgeous! keep us updated, and stay on the bulletin board!

-Ryan

I have to agree, its a sad day when a fellow woody has to close up shop, or at least put everything on hold.

There is a TV phrase I like for this occassion and it is "we are currently experiencing technical difficulties and will be back shortly"

I am on the other side of the fence to you Different, I want to cease working fulltime and work wholly for myself. This means the uncertainty of not having reliable income and never sure of what the next job might be. No doubt you are familiar with this sort of thing.

As Ticky said you have more plusses than minuses in you favour. This makes me think that any quality woodworking/cabinetry company would snap you up in an instant.

Also it may require a change in tack, product wise, from what you have been doing to continue to keep your doors open.
It has taken me almost 2 years to identify areas in the market where I can compete and be successful.

One of which was making artists easels. I placed two demo units in two different shops to start with. They can sell them on my behalf at an agreed price.

However a chap from the National Arts Trust spied one in the shop, saw my pamphlet and rang me and said he would like 12 to start with. Bloody hell, they take about 20 hrs each to make and he wants 12 !! I'll have to take some annual leave to do this , buts its an $8000.00 order so I dont want to turn him away. He then said he would talk to the curator of the local art mueseum and sort out some from there.

Along with the easels I make a sewing cabinet and a trolley to go with it.
This also doubles as an artists cabinet as well with minor alterations.

What I'm trying to say here is dont give up. You dont know where or when the next small or large job is going to come from and it may be that a short period of working for the man is required while you do some market research and launch a whole new range of products.

I just discovered that no one here in NZ makes a Morris Chair of any worth for local markets, so I will use the design from Aus Woodsmith mag and try out a couple of shops I have in mind. I really like Morris Chairs. My grandparents had two and they were really comfy to sit.

The key is to look for niche markets that the bigger guys cant afford to be involved in.

Sorry about the novel lenght post folks, you can probably tell I'm rather passionate about woodwork

Goodluck with whatever you decide to do M8

Ross,

I have enjoyed seeing your work on this forum and would certainly hate for it not to be around for another four years,

While looking for a new job, maybe you could be looking at a tafe instructor's job in the wood work field.

This would be the best outcome, you would earn the money you need to pay the bills and in the process pass on your knowledge.

However whatever you wind up doing, I wish you well. Just don't disapear of the forums all together, theres a lot of us that aren't anywhere near as talented thet may call on your advice from time to time.

Himzo.

Hey I see no reason for you to "close the doors". If you still have your shop and tools with no overhead, you can keep building things on the weekend. Make projects of your own design, for gifts, or sell them to retailers with your buisness card and contact info attached. You won't make much money selling to retailers cause they like to rob us woodworkers blind, (Most I have talked to say they have to tripple the price they give me.) But retailers get lots of trafic, and you might not make a profit through them but your getting something better.

Advertisement.

Ross,

Sorry to hear that you are going to have to work for an employer; it seems to be really, really hard to make money from custom woodwork.

Rocker

Hope your break from the coal face goes well Ross. Perhaps as a way to find customers you should do the rounds of the interior designers around the place. They really love to have something different and you might find that they would say can you do something like this and you can design and make a unique piece for them.

Just an idea.

Studley