Thread: Going pro Success stories

I think going pro over here is a different ball game compared to America, we have alot less population and every second man and his dog is a woodworker!
To make ends meat over here producing in large scale at cheap prices is the only way as labour cost here is high and generaly most Aussies will buy the cheaper product rather than the quality one.

Don't want to be a wet blanket, but I think you are going about this the wrong way.

First step should be to draw up a business plan and get professional advice. You can download these free from the Net.

Success in business is rarely about quality of product (look at Microsoft's first decade), its more about marketing, cash flow and a bit of luck early on. The most promising part of what you posted is your experience with RV custom stuff. You have defined a vertical market where you may be able to carve out a niche (see your business plan)

Good luck, be aware you won't make any money for at least a year. If you're successful, the end result is well worth the pain, but bear in mind over 80% of new small business ventures fail before 2 years (in OZ anyway) mainly thru cash flow issues.

Work your normal job , make and sell in your spare time from home . Once you work out what products sell well at a given price then go for it . You will be surprised what sells . Location is also a huge factor . the products i sell mainly now keep me busy for about 15hrs a week . Now when i first made them the location i was selling them i didnt sell any for a month . Now i sell at a market once a month and sell heaps, plus i put my prices up at least 20% . Somethings wont sell if they are too cheap. No good makeing products that everyone else sells .

Bodgy said it very well. You'll need finance, and to get that you'll need a clear business plan. You'll need to be able to tell your financers very clearly, where your market is, be it vertical as you mentioned with the RV work, or horizontal across various consumer towers. You'll also need to explain convincingly, why people will buy your product as opposed to anyone elses, and that will require a marketing plan of some sort.

By the time you start your business you need to have a clear statement about what you're selling (product), and who your selling it to and where they are.

Good luck with it. It won't be easy and as has been said before, be prepared to eat cheap sausages and mashed potato for 1 or 2 years.

Originally Posted by Harry72

I think going pro over here is a different ball game compared to America, we have alot less population and every second man and his dog is a woodworker!
To make ends meat over here producing in large scale at cheap prices is the only way as labour cost here is high and generaly most Aussies will buy the cheaper product rather than the quality one.

Have a good look at the yank forums, every second man and his dog is a woodworker! Apart from styling etc theres not a huge difference.

Bodgy's suggestion about a business plan is orthodox.
But business plans are built about a premise of the products you can sell.

Seanr's is the most practical way to wet your feet. If you like it then do the business plan before you spend lotsa money going full time.

This topic has been discussed on several occasions --- though this is not to say that it isn't worthy of further discussion.


FYI, here are two threads to look at:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=14266

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=10218


Qw

Thank you all who posted a reply. Sorry for my late responce. I have bin hard pressed for time latly, as you probably were when you were starting out.
I am currently working on a buisness plan. It is hard though because I have never worked in the retail end of things, so I don't have a good enough sense of the market. As I stated before, I am building a picture portfolio. I would like to have this portfolio in hand when I finaly do meet with a consultant and/or financers.
This portfolio is very important to me at this time. I must keep everything as low of a risk as possible. In order to finance my portfolio I will have to sell each peice to pay for the next (no profit yet). I have started out with an oak and glass corner hutch, identical to the one I designed and built last year for a relative (that one was cherry though). A few people saw it and wanted one, and would have gladly paid around $350-$500. I could not fill there requests at that time and I did not get there number for the future like I should have. But that is what I am talking about. I am sure this hutch will sell.
I apreciate all of your replies. From them and other research I have bin doing such as finding other simalar topics, contacting retailers and reading about making a buisness plan, I have gatherd some key points. These are...

Make a buisness plan.
Get financing.
Build a reputation.
Find a nitch market
Keap overhead as low as posible

Those are what I am working on. I want to put together a portfolio showing the type of product to be part of my buisness plan. In this plan I want to build the most popular kinds of furniture to show a financer I can deliver. (one retailer replied "Build craftsman type dining and bedroom furniture.")

So what kind of furniture do you think is most popular?

Also, How did YOU get started?

Thank you.
Have a great day!

Matt Anthony
Email [email protected]

Originally Posted by seanr

Work your normal job , make and sell in your spare time from home . Once you work out what products sell well at a given price then go for it .

I believe this is how I would go about it if I were planning to do it.

I have a friend who started selling plantation shutters that were very solid/tight, and the function was very precise. These became very popular and his construction was 2nd to none! His business took off and he couldn't keep up with the demand.

He now has a full blown custom cabinet business and does very well. On my estimate he has around 30,000 square feet of shop behind his house where he does the magic.

He started small and the consumer demand is what dictated his business expansion. His reputation built itself and he does zero commercial advertising. It's all word or mouth.

I hope this post has not bored anyone but it is a prime example of how I would go about it.

Best wishes and much success to you.

Scott

Thank you Scott. I am not sure what a plantation shutter is but that is the kind of encouragement and inspiration I am looking for.
So what is a plantation shutter?

Hello again.......plantation shutters are a style of wood blinds for inside the house. They are quite attractive and functional. They open and close with the movement of a strip of wood.

Here is a link........the white ones are very nice.

http://www.horizonshutters.com/Plantation.aspx

I was chatting to a guy the other day who has a furniture makeing business in WA . Now he has 5 guys employed a 200m2 fatory plus a showroom , he also sells floorboards and is just paying the bills . He is a little too cheap i think . At the end of the day i think i am better off working my 15-20hrs a week , no pressure and very little overheads.

Hi, this is an option I have toyed with recently, but only toyed with. A number of people keep saying I should open my own wood work business, but in all honesty I don't believe my work is up to such a saleable standard yet. Besides, I don't yet have that shed and enough toys woops tools to be able to build something in the shortest time, while keeping the build standard high.

However, if and when this becomes a viable option, then yes, a business plan will be essential.

Good luck Anything Wood. I'm very interested to hear how you progress.

Cheers
RufflyRustic

Gudday Matt, (Yep we all say Gudday over here ),


You may be aware of your local professional forum that has heaps of information on what you are asking about, but maybe you are unaware of it too - try www.woodweb.com they seem to cover everything (almost) you seem interested in.

Cheers and goodluck. Personally I love playing with my toys (I mean working with my machines) and I think if I had to do it for a living it would both change my mindset and I think I would go pretty hungry - wishing you well.

I am not sure I could cope with turning my hobby into a job, I reckon it could only happen if I lost my day job. I would have to find another hobby but that could be equally as expensive as woodworking. I have just started selling small artish type boxes, I've sold 4 (yee harr!!!) and people are hassling me for more, but I am finding it hard to do production runs, it kinda takes the fun out of it.

Good luck though.