Advice & Suggestions Please

[mtrager]

I have recently retired after 31 years working as a Statistician. My hobby during the latter 10 years was woodworking - specifically furniture making. Now I would like to turn the hobby into a small business. We retired to new city and I do not have any contacts, etc
.
My question is how does one get started getting "known"? I really do not want to invest the time developing a web site since I suspect not much payoff there. As I said, I want to stay small doing no more than 5-10 pieces per year. And I want to remain a one-man shop.

Any and all advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Mitch Trager

 

[cskipper]

Welcome to the area and site. I'll be watching for answers to that too. There is a western ncwoodworker group that meets monthly. Meet the local lumbar yards and sawyers. Go to the Folk Art Center. Ask if you could display a piece you made in a local business or the visitor center. Obviously I hope some has better ideas than mine!

 

[K Humphries]

Look for juried shows and get some pieces in them. A good standing in a few would start a name recognition.

kenny

 

[cpowell]

I believe you have retired to a great area and an area that should have a market for your work since a LOT of people are retiring to that area and I would think that a fair number of them have plenty of disposable income.

You mentioned a target of one piece a month. What kind of pieces do you want to make? What style do you have in mind? Do you simply want to make enough off of your work to pay for new shop [strike]toys[/strike] tools? Will you specialize in one-of-a-kind exotic wood pieces that may take hundreds of hours to make, like John Fry? http://www.chiselandbit.com/

Have you tried any mode of advertising? Attended any galleries/shows that would attract the audience you want to meet?

What about high end furniture stores in your area? Can you build a relationship with one of them. Build a piece and have them display it on consignment?

I don't know that a website would light up the phone lines but it would provide you a place to show off your work. If a potential customer phones you then you could point them to the website.

I wish I could help more. I may be in a similar position one day, who knows?


Chuck

 

[Travis Porter]

Get some business cards and spread them around is one suggestion. Build pieces for friends, churches, and other places where people gather. Getting started and doing quality work and from that word of mouth travels.

I used to do some work on the side, but it lost its fun for me as it became more of a job than a hobby. I made money on some, lost money on some. My biggest complaint was knowing I had to go out and work in the shop because I had a deadline. No longer was it at my pace. Your comment on only doing so many pieces a year makes sense to me and would help keep it at your pace.

My .02. Good Luck!

 

[rhett]

I website is a definate as cpowell pointed out, when clients get your number, it is a good way to show your portfolio of work without having to meet with them just to show some pics. Another suggestion is having some postcards of your best work made up and send them to interior designers in your area. Most often when someone wants furniture, they just go to a showroom and buy it. An person with money goes to a designer with an idea. The designer can then contact you. If it is studio furniture you want to make, you have to create a strong body of work, get high quality pictures and present them to galleries. It takes a long time to make a name for yourself, but with perseverence, determination, and hard work, anyone can achieve what they set out to do. Good Luck!

 

[adowden]

Mitch,

I have two young children and get alot of my business is based on projects that I have donated to their preschool auction. It is amazing how word of mouth spreads. Also I visited a professional woodworker of over 30 years who is semi-retired. I actually stopped by to ask him questions about building a shop. It turns out that he refers jobs that he doesn't want to do to me. The State Fair has a woodworking project competition also.

Chuck offers many good things to think about. I like special custom projects to meet specific considerations. That keeps it fun for me. Good Luck with your business.

Amy