Hey everyone, I've been lurking around this forum for awhile and found a lot of helpful advice on all aspects of upholstery and I want to thank you all.
I attended Wyotech with big dreams and spent a good chunk of change there, I'm very thankful with the job that I got coming out of school working with a body shop that had a hand full of restorations, being hired as the upholsterer and general body tech was exciting and very scary. To my surprise the shop had been spiraling downhill, I can only hope it picks itself back up but waiting to find out seems like I'm holding myself back from my true potential.
I love my job and who I work for and would do anything for the shop, but for being open for going on 7 years and local residents still not knowing we're there or what we do confuses me. I cant even remember when was the last time I put some good use to my machine at the shop and it really disappointed me.
This new year is when I want to make all my talk reality. I'm having to start out of my parents garage so I'd be able to have pick up and drop offs of seats, panels, bikes and misc projects. I was referred to a chiropractor to redo a table of his he recently had done and isn't happy with how it turned out. Also a friend of mine opened a body shop and is doing very well, I'll be doing a model a to be finished in spring for him.
I'm trying to find everything I need to be legal and so I can buy materials wholesale. I want to have steady work in a year where I can be on my own using my second machine and what little spare cash to pay for any start up.
Any advice you guys have is really appreciated, I'm not sure where else I'd go if this forum wasn't around.
I recommend getting this book, http://www.amazon.com/Small-Time-Operator-Business-Trouble/dp/1589796640/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325034498&sr=8-1 , and reading it. As much as having the technical skills is keeping a good hand on the numbers (expenses, charges, overhead, billing, etc.)
State laws vary, but check into what it takes to open a business in your state. Yes, you are a business, this is not just pin money from a hobby. You want to start out legit, that means paying taxes and not just some guy working for cash out the back of his pickup (or at his garage door). Being registered with the state will also open doors for "to the trade" establishments and get you potential business discount prices at your suppliers, tax exempt purchases on materials, etc.
If you have it in your area, you should also contact your local SCORE chapter. They run regular free and chargeable seminars on business start-ups and operations.
Hi Gregorzz and thanks for joining us.
Quote from: Gregorzz on December 27, 2011, 03:29:29 pm
To my surprise the shop had been spiraling downhill, I can only hope it picks itself back up but waiting to find out seems like I'm holding myself back from my true potential.
Been there done that. The good thing is you still have an excellent attitude. I think you have a good handle on where you are and what you want to do.
Both of hammers suggestions are good. Read every thing you can get your hands on. Self motivation and starting a business. And check out SCORE.
There are tons of bike shows out there. Drop by and meet the people that are building these machines. Find out what their needs are and fill them.
Working on a Model A is exciting. Find out what club he belongs to and visit or join it. Tell every one there what you do. Hit the car shows and meet every one you can.
Your going to be very busy the next two or three years but there is nothing more satisfying then owning a successful business and saying I made it.
I understand how hard it can be to "get your name out there". The hardest part of it all is the "hands on", face to face marketing. Just because you're good at your work doesn't mean people will come to you when they need work done!
You have to "network" (I hate that term). Go to the events that feature the sorts of work you want to do, skip those that don't. (eg: I can fix horse blankets, but they're dirty and stink and I want to make draperies and slipcovers and "stink" ain't in the equation!). I'll fix 'em when starved for cash, but only then. And then only for cash.
I'm presently in basically the same place that you are. I have loads of skill and a nice shop, but am "thin" on contacts and so regular work is dicey. But I'm still holdin' down a "straight job" and can afford to absorb the transition.
I used to listen to a business program where the host always recommended against this. I know it's done often. His philosophy was it was too easy to quit and just fall back into working for the man unless you have your butt on the line.
Quote from: bobbin on December 28, 2011, 05:00:58 pm
But I'm still holdin' down a "straight job" and can afford to absorb the transition.
Congrats on choosing to start your own business. September was 11 years for PRO Stitch Auto Interiors and we are still going strong. It sure doesn't FEEL like 11 years.
One question and one suggestion, besides endorsing everything that everyone else has said. You do need to be legal and have your ducks in a row. My accountant handles all of our quarterly/yearly/whatever filings in conjunction with my wife to make sure we don't miss or omit anything.
Question: Have you officially left the body shop? If not, what about you taking the bull by the horns and working to promote the business?? Maybe comission basis for bodyshop work, and in addition, promote yourself as the upholsterer to come see for auto, as well as general upholstery and anything else you can drum up. The first few months I was open, I rented space in my former bosses restoration shop (they did british car restoration). It gave me a cheap place to get started and his traffic naturally blended into my traffic and vice versa. His being a bad businessman saw the bodyshop close only a few months later (he also was in bad health), but if your "boss" is on board with you hitting the pavement and getting the name out there, it could be a good setup for both.
My advice: If you are going to be an upholstery shop owner, jump into it for all you're worth. I started PRO Stitch in September 2000 with my wife's blessing. We decided together that if I was going to run a business, that would be my career. I wasn't going to flip burgers or do another job and try to get some upholstery work on the side and at night. It would never progress from there. Instead, everything was focused on making PRO Stitch thrive from the getgo, and it did. I got no startup loans and refused to go into debt (except for $2,000 to buy my first sewing machine). Everything else, I earned it THEN spent it. You learn to improvise and adapt and it helps a decade later when you know the grassroots way of doing things.
Good luck and keep us posted.
That book looks interesting and I may buy it. My girlfriend, it's starting to get hard to call her that cause we've been together going on five years, recently got a job as supervisor at the local library and she's been showing me resources that I didn't know existed. She also had me listen to a couple audio books because my commute to work is an hour one way, so it's a great time to listen to them. I visited my teacher a couple months ago for help on doing patterns from scratch, I'd never done it before and the customer was expecting high quality from me. She motivated me and gave some tips on what she'd done the same thing in her younger days.
I did bookmark the SCORE website when I stumbled upon it when I was looking for any information from the state websites.
All of you guys have great points and I'm stopping myself from making a huge response. I have the motivation and know that I'll have to put some serious time into it. The last two years of constant learning, screwing up, the pressure of doing it right the first time even if I have no clue what I'm doing is something I love and hate.
Is there any other Upholstery related forums or sources similar to this? I saw that the hog ring came up not to long ago, but never really found anything else ever since I came out of school looking for helpful stuff.
Hey now. If you is at da Get up and Go upholstery forum, den you is at da TOP already. lololol
There is solid reasoning behind that advice, 'hammer. However, the practical reality is that heating oil is $3.67/gallon and winter lasts a long time here. I also really like putting money away for retirement. ;)
I'm too much of a realist to push away from the dock before the work stream is steady enough to keep things on an even keel. Sorry, just old, I guess.
Bobbin what feild of sewin are you Into marine awnings? I'd think in ME there's would be plenty of work with all the water. I prety much jumps into this 20 years ago learning as i went you've vot a head start already with he skill you just need to vet the work. Once you do a few they tend to multiply. With word of mouth. I just was backing out of my drive and got a word of mouth lead stop to see me
Mike, my intent is to get away from the heavier work of awnings and marine canvas. I'm tired of the really big pcs. and the attendant grime that comes with them. I don't want to drag heavy winter covers and mooring covers around my shop for the rest of my working days! My preference is to focus more on drapery, cushion/marine interior work, and slipcovers, with that in mind I have been selective in the jobs I've taken on in my own shop, keeping an eye on the sort of work I wish to do in the future rather than putting myself in a position where taking on anything/everything becomes necessary just to "make the bills".
To that end, I've found the discussions of marketing, networking, and branding very interesting and very helpful.
Quote from: bobbin on December 31, 2011, 12:15:50 pm
Mike, my intent is to get away from the heavier work of awnings and marine canvas.
My preference is to focus more on drapery, cushion/marine interior work, and slipcovers, with that in mind I have been selective in the jobs I've taken on in my own shop
I know that there are plenty of shops that do all types of upholstery. Cars, boats, awnings, furniture (including refinishing), and drapes.
Bobbin makes a good point. It's tough to drag some giant nasty canvas piece through the machine, and then turn around and sew a cushion out of some delicate fabric that's as white as the driven snow.
A lot of upholsterers wouldn't feel complete unless they were proficient in
ALL phases of the business. Not me. I'm quite satisfied knowing furniture only. If that means that I don't fit the textbook definition of "upholsterer", I'm cool with that. I have no interest in being "All things to all people".
But it doesn't stop me from being in awe of those who have mastered all types of the trade.
Stitcher, if you took no start up loans and did what I am doing (earn it first, then reinvest it your business) how did you meet your personal expenses? Does your wife work outside your home? does her work cover your household's monthly bills, health coverage, and retirement savings? or did the two of you opt to "roll the dice" and just "go for it"?
I have worked too hard for too long to get where I am. And I'm not willing to put myself on "starvation rations" when diligence and patience will allow me to move to the next phase in due time.
To Sofa.'s point about "not being all things to all people", my skills are varied and I've worked in a variety of aspects of the needle trades over the years. I've like some considerably more than others, too!
I like the fine fabrics and precision of clothing work and tailoring. I like fabric, color, line, texture, and the interplay of those things in interior design work. I love that drapery work and slipcover work is precise and is an essential building block in the interior design field. I love the history of it all. I get a real kick out of awning work and seeing its use turn outdoor spaces into comfortable living areas in the more temperate months. It's fun! And the neat and compact aspect of marine interiors fascinates me and I'd like to see more "interior design" brought to that aspect of the marine canvas trade. I see a real gap in that department in my immediate area.
I have NO desire to play the weather game and put myself in its thrall to earn my daily bread. I don't want to deal with framing, fittings, etc., let alone installation work. NO interest whatsover. Canvas work is a young person's game. I played it for awhile and enjoyed it greatly, too. But the practical reality of it is that I'm getting no younger and canvas work is heavy and dirty because repairs are part and parcel of the work. Let the young 'uns haul it around. I'd rather work with designers and deliver neat, clean, precise work that precisely represents their concepts for a particular space. My tailoring background, work space, and machinery makes me a "shoo-in" for the finer details required of interior work. I have always sewn for a living and it's what I do best. My goal is to continue to do that work in a more controlled environment and on my own terms.
Quote from: bobbin on December 31, 2011, 01:04:05 pm
I have worked too hard for too long to get where I am. And I'm not willing to put myself on "starvation rations" when diligence and patience will allow me to move to the next phase in due time.
I'll bet that for every 10 that "Threw caution to the wind" and dove off into a business start-up, 9 of them ended up doing something else to put food on the table until the business got established.
The beauty of this business is that it's a trade that you
CAN grow into at your own speed. That's why this board has a fair amount of members who made a mid-life career change into the stitching biz.
I was fortunate to grow up in an already established family business.
If I'd had to take that "Leap of faith", would I still be doing this work today? Probably not. If life had taken me down a different path, I'd probably still be down that path. And I'd be happy.
Bobbin. You pretty much hit the nail on the head. I worked for two years in a restoration shop that did mainly british cars. the same building had an upholsterer working, who had not been able to pay his rent and was "consumed" by the resto shop and was supposed to do inhouse work. One day he walked out. There were three cars sitting in his part of the shop (galaxy, 54 pontiac and a new sedan). My boss had another guy bolt in the seat to the sedan and it left. Then nothing for a few months. We just kept working, those cars sat up in the upholstery part of the shop collecting dust. Customers would walk into our shop and ask for a headliner, convertible top, seat repair, etc. My boss's answer "we don't do that anymore."
Finally he got nervous because the Galaxy was owned by an attorney from Kentucky. He was afraid of being sued and asked me if I thought I could do the car. I did a "business plan" on how I'd run the upholstery shop, read Don Taylor's book on upholstery and borrowed the boss's singer industrial presser foot machine in September 2000. The Galaxy was being done Lowrider style. I'd read about how to sew, then try a dummy piece of material, and if it worked, I'd use the real material and sew a panel. The car ended up with about 700 covered buttons in an "old skool: biscuit tufted interior, new convertible top and custom-built trunk. It's pictures are still in my portfolio.
My former boss was my "silent partner" which lasted about a month. During that time I realized I needed a walking foot machine and borrowed the money to buy my Consew. My accountant suggested buying out the other guy and NOT having a partner. Best move I could ever make. My father loaned me $1,500 to do this, and then died, so I didn't pay him back.
It was a good situation for startup. WOrk was sitting waiting, I got dirt cheap rent ($250/month) and I was in the showroom of an old auto dealership, so had great placement in town for people to be aware of what I was doing. From day 1, my approach to work has always been the same. I work on the long-term projects as I'm doing daily work. My first ever daily job was rewrapping the footrest on a customer's la-z-boy recliner. From that day on, I've done guerilla marketing, always had business cards, name on my truck and t-shirts and made the shop work.
Six months after opening we bought our 5-acre property that currently houses PRO Stitch. Again, God was looking down on us, and provided a move-in ready shop on the edge of town, with a nice house, at an affordable price. I honestly don't see how a business can stay open paying rent to an outside source (obviously most can't based on the number of closed buildings in our town over the last few years). We have a great setup.
My wife and I agreed that I should "go for it" from the getgo, as long as I was able to bring in the same weekly paycheck that I was earning at the resto shop. I didn't have insurance or benefits at the resto shop, and still don't as a self-employed business owner. My wife at the start worked for a state association, complete with benefits. She now is a nurse and still handles the insurance coverage. The more I read about small business owners, that's how they do it. But PRO Stitch has always pulled it's own weight. The shop is perfect, but it isn't swanky. I don't have a fancy retail area or excess. LIke I said in my earlier post, I did it with no startup loans. RIght now we are totally debt free (including credit card paid off monthly) and working on building up an emergency fund should our government continue to screw the common man. I just take it one day at a time and do the best job possible for each and every customer.
I enjoy the marine upholstery As more gratifying results but it doese take space.
I find in a small shop canvas takes Very little , especially covers. Just make a pattern and sew new canvas
I hardly ever see a old dirty restsich anymore
sofa I'm also a one aspect guy I've been asked to do auto work but I alway turn it away I just don't want to get spread out and furniture never e en been asked But for a few outdoor cushion jobs that I've done
Just wondering bobbin doese your husband work?
When I switched over to sewing from my construction work I also had a small bait shop while I learned the trade.
It was funny with only so much square footage between the two shops at first more was taken for the sport shop when the canvas started making more Then it was taken Back and more space was given to the canvas side as it needed more and was more Important
Yeah, Mike, the husband still works though he's closer to the "magic age" than I am. This isn't the time to stop socking away retirement money and plunge into a new venture if you're of a conservative money bent.
We've both accepted that we'll have to work as long as we're able and we're fine with that. The greater issue is how to do it with the least amount of aggravation and how to set ourselves up to do it from shops here at home. And so my decision to begin moving away from the bigger, heavier, grimier aspect of canvas work and into aspects of interior decoration that will not be so physically taxing as the years go by.
Quote from: bobbin on December 31, 2011, 01:29:58 pm
I like the fine fabrics and precision of clothing work and tailoring. I like fabric, color, line, texture, and the interplay of those things in interior design work.
I with you on this point - I'm like a kid at Christmas when new fabric swatch books arrive. But my market is exterior upholstery and canvas, less canvas than before, though. Like you, I'm tired of lugging around huge covers and trying to get them rolled up under the sewing machine arm. Just last week I turned down an opportunity to bid a mooring cover for a 30' fastcat. Just too much Sunbrella. I'm no longer in the position of having to take any and all jobs. So rather than expand my horizons, I'm narrowing them. I'll do upholstery and farm out or no-bid the canvas work unless it's very small pieces.
One thing I've learned over the years in starting and running this business is that probably the most valuable asset I have, other than the requisite skills (which I don't see as a competitive edge), is an outgoing personality. Lots of great patterning and sewing skills out there and mine are good, but certainly not the best. But I attribute my success to an ability to find common ground with people from all walks of life. I can talk to just about anybody about anything and have only rarely lost a job that I bid on. People fascinate me. And I love to spend hours on the docks talking to boat owners and captains. Too much so. It inhibits my productivity.
And starting "cold turkey" can be done - I did it, but it's not easy on the nerves. I drained my savings the first year, but learned that I can live on a lot less than I thought I could and still maintain a decent standard of living. It's been 7 years now and I don't think I'd change a thing. I made some poor decisions along the way, but without those, I'd never have learned.
June
I have started two small businesses in my lifetime, both while working a fulltime job and in both cases the business "took off" when I left the job and left myself with no option other than to make it work. This may not be good advice for some but in my case it has worked twice.
Just my .02
Tim
I think it makes good sense to keep your day job until the time is right.
When will that time be? You'll just "know". When the time IS right, it won't seem so much like a "leap of faith".
I was in a very enviable position when I started my upholstery business. I retired as a marketing and pr analyst and was also a business consultant during that time. I had no plans of going into the upholstery field. I had never learned how to sew professionally and knew nothing about machines, fabrics or sewing skills.
I bought a classic car and called a couple upholstery shops to talk to them about doing my interior. The 1st stitcher was an arrogant ass and a complete jerk. The second stitcher quoted me $ 10 K for two bench seats, 4 door panels and a headliner. It was twice what the car was worth. So I went out and bought a cheap ass'ed Chinese machine off e-bay for my wife ( who is a phenomenal seamstress ) and suggested she learn how to make the interior for my classic car. She told me to shove the machine up my rear end and learn to do it myself. ( Fair enough since she is an extremely busy high school math teacher with little spare time........lol. ) That's how I got started.
I found a niche in RV's and have stuck with that market segment. I have no interest in any other upholstery work and routinely turn work down for autos, marine and furniture. I will do cushion work because I love it but otherwise my entire focus is on RV's. I taught myself how to sew ( after my wife taught me how to run a machine and showed me different stitching techniques and how to assemble seams ). I watched videos and spent half my day on this forum reading and asking questions. The other half I spent inside my 20 ft enclosed trailer sewing anything I could get my hands on. I bought piles of remnants at JoAnn fabrics and just sewed. Cushions, bag's, pouches, etc. Once I learned the machine and had a decent set of sewing skills I started hiring myself out. My name got circulated around the RV community and away things went. I now have to carefully control my growth so I do not get overwhelmed.
I should mention I do not do this work for a living. I am retired with a great pension and full medical and dental benefits for life. I could close up my shop and sell out tomorrow and be just fine. I do this work because I enjoy it, it keeps me busy in retirement and it is an awesome distraction from battling this frigging disease. It also has given me a sense of purpose and has made me feel productive in my daily life. That is an important thing when fighting leukemia.
I do not have a clue as to how long I will keep working but for the time being I love it and will continue to deliver to my customers the very best product money can buy. It is my goal with every single job.
Chris
I wanted to add my own advice here on your situation. I would probably start your business on the side and maintain your other employment until things take off for you. My reason is because the economy is not the greatest and from everything I am seeing and reading things wont get much better in 2012. ( Higher fuel prices and anemic growth ).
I also would warn against making deals with the current owner. I see no sense in building his business by marketing it and doing all the hard work. If your going to expend time and energy to help build a business, do it for your self, not someone else. As a business consultant I have seen this happen numerous times and rarely do they end pretty. Most end up with ugly results and a lot of bad feelings.
Open up your shop in your Mom & Dad's garage and start building your business. Try and maintain employment elsewhere till you get rolling and established.
JMHO and I wish you the best of luck. If I can help you in anyway, let me know. :)
Chris
Thanks for all the advice everyone, a lot has been going on. Sometimes it seems things go wrong at the worst of times and it blows.
Work at the body shop picked up a bit but just enough to keep the two of us busy.
I got my DBA and tax numbers in order, working on getting a hold of a couple suppliers and sample books.
I had finished the chiropractor bed and he had another one lined up but needed done quickly because it was his main bed. He payed in advance and even had a tip and seems very happy with the work, he recommended me to a friend who needed a truck seat bolster fixed who was also happy with the fix.
I met up with my teacher a couple weeks ago at a car show, she's gonna have me and some past students swing by to learn boat canvas and interiors. I'm real excited for that :)
Trying to stay motivated and make due with what little time and cash I've got.
Greg stay focused and stick to your plan. And for Gods sake never stop learning.
I agree it can be stressfull to get started and I also agree don't go in with ideas for your bosses business.,
he will be already stuck in his ways as far as business sense and won't give you nothing but feeling resentment after a while toward them ...you won't regret going on your own Gregorzz ,
I was scared to death and I now wished I had done it years ago ....do it from your home . I almost made the mistake when I started hastily thinking I should rent a nice shop ..my husband told me to wait for a couple years before jumping the gun.. I wouldn't have made it . Take your time .
It takes time to get clientell and the business is up and down until you get a good name.
I too welcome you ! I have only been here off and on but recently I feel the need to stay connected and this is absolutely the right place to go with any questions.
Good luck !!
How to start a business:
Number 1. Start
Number 2. Take next step but you don't know what that is until you start
Number 3. Make mistakes, 19 out of 20 times you will be wrong so don't bet the bank on any one.
Number 4. Correct mistakes as best you can by making more mistakes.
Number 5. Keep going which means make more mistakes
Number 6. Stop making the same mistakes by learning from your mistakes and creating new mistakes.
Number 7. Analyze your mistakes and challenges and correct as needed and build your good ideas and profitable ideas and correct your bad ones.
Number 8. Keep going building the good and limiting the bad.
Number 9. Repeat...
In a nut shell, you will be wrong pretty much every time but you don't know in advance what will work and what will not. So you must start and do to find out. There is no oracle in business. There is no guaranteed success. The only guarantee is risk and hard work.
I know this sounds like a joke, but after 25 or so years in business, this is how it pretty much is. I have no way of knowing what will and what will not succeed. PET ROCKS???? Who know????
If you want to know the secret to business for you not to have risk or problems or no fear, there is none.
You have to risk and make mistakes which means you have to start. There is no short cut only hard work and pain and loss and mistakes and worry and problems. This is why so many try and fail and why even more never start.
Keep that in mind. Do not bet the bank on any one idea or business. Keep your cool and start small and build.
My thinking is, just start even if it's small. Mainly just get started and learn as you go. You business will be so small and so limited in income that it will not be that hard to figure it out as you go. Just keep it simple but start.
Starting is the short cut to successes. Dreaming, planning, thinking someday, and making ready is the long road to getting no where.
Just do it already.
If you really want a quick and easy way to build your business fast, teach upholstery classes.
I taught for about 10 years and found that teaching was great advertising and was a great way to show yourself as an expert in upholstery.
Try this, find a fabric store and ask to teach a weekly or bi-weekly upholstery class. You can charge for it if you like, but make it a must that they recommend you to their customers who are looking for an upholsterer. Also insist that they let you put up an in store display of your class and even some of your work to advertise the class. This must include your contact information.
The best place I ever taught was Hancock Fabrics. They were driving about 60% of my business.
Also I made handouts on how to figure yardage, figure foam, what kind of padding to use, and so on and on and on. I pretty much just wrote and printed up "How To" guides on upholstery for Hancock's customers. And yes my name, phone number, and email was all on the doc.
I placed these How To guides around their store next to the foam, the upholstery fabric, the cutting table, the dacron and so on. The main thing was the it helped their customers to buy fabric and supplies and their staff to be more knowledgeable on fabric and upholstery as well. My name and contact information was just there just in case they had some furniture they wanted me to upholsterer.
It was the best free good will work and profit and business builder I ever had.
Sadly Hancock in my town was closed do to their retail sales were low to their sq footage. Darn you corporate overlords!!!
Give it a try,
Good decisions come from wisdom.
Wisdom comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad decisions.
The more good decisions you make the more successful you will be.