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Another sideline that can be very profitable is building and installing cornices. Only problem is that most cornice work comes from decorators, and they probably already have someone who does them in conjunction with other soft furnishings.

Excellent suggestions.  My wife already had to sub contract out a custom cornice.  She is working with a few decorators as well which I see as a good income stream, if I market her services to more decorators.

There is a member on this board who can add significance to the dimension of marketing - Mojo (board name).  Read his previous post and talk - his understanding and experiences plus record is one to read/hear and enjoy - it is an inspiration.

Thank You Doyle

I wish you well in your endeavors. I hope you learn the trade and enjoy it. Help your wife however you can.

Thank You

Yes, marine can be difficult to master. And even when you do master it, the competition can be fierce. Marine is a difficult sector of upholstery to just "dabble in" as a sideline to other sectors.

Commercial re-upholstery has been a Godsend to my career. Restaurants, beauty shops, medical exam tables, etc. For me, way more profitable than residential furniture.

Furniture repairs, foam replacement practically pay the bills while consuming very little of my time.

Thanks for the insights. 

What services is she currently offering? What type's of work is she turning away that the competition may be taking on? What do you see as a viable market in your area that is not being satisfied and that the two of you are set up to tackle with minimum start up capital? Don't take up boat tops if her shop is on the third floor, kinda thing LOL.I'll await your answer before I post more.

At present she does re-upholstery, custom cushions and pillows, the occasional commercial job, and is dabbling in wood refinishing.  She set out in Oct 2015 to try and build a business and so far so good on word of mouth, referrals and repeat business.

She turns away leather items, marine and auto, recliners and over stuffed furniture.  

I'm just jumping into the market research but here in our part of FL marine would be a viable market.  But, from what I understand marine can be difficult to master.

Thanks again for your time.  

You are well beyond any learning curve - I wasn't sure from the initial post.  
You're talking 100 after taxes ?   That seems  steep to me in a one person shop.  I don't believe anyone here goes into a craft business if the first intention is the level of earning.

I'm aiming for 75-100K -after taxes, but I'm realistic.  My wife jumped into it for the love of it so I understand that part of it.  I'm looking at it as a career change that would have the potential to offset existing income or come close.  I'm a creative person at heart so building or restoring furniture intrigues me.

Thanks Virgina!  All great points. 

Thanks Paul & Steve.

I should have mentioned I already help her strip the furniture, pick projects up and deliver as much as I can while working full time at my job.  Nice one on the appreciation Steve, but I can check those off already:).

I should have expanded a little more on the long term goal.  Paying someone to strip and/or even help her sew are potential options.  I'm considering what I could do to make it a full time career change for me too -build a business so to speak.  The marketing part won't be a problem as that is what I do in my career (digital marketing).  She already has great word of mouth and referrals which can be difficult to get from the start.

Do you seasoned professionals feel a 75K-100K business is realistic as a one person shop?  Granted assistance would be needed with stripping, pickup/delivery etc.  I assumed that expansion of services (diversify income streams) would be the best scenario if I were to help her grow.  I have no want to sew, but everything else from the creative side to learning a new trade are of interest to me.

Regards,

[Question:]

Hi,

I'm not in the upholstery profession (yet), but my wife is.  She is very skilled, her business is doing well and has been doing re-upholstery for a few years.  She was trained by a real professional for a few years prior to that.  Around Oct 2015 she rented a shop and started getting her name out there -so far so good. 

I'd like to get any feedback from the forum about what skill set I would benefit by learning.  Granted, growth takes time but I'm trying to find a niche (if there is one) in my area that I could develop a skill set in, in order to help her grow.

I perceive a plateau as a one person shop unless you have someone working with you.


Question:
If there was one thing a newbie should focus on (sewing not an option) that could help expand services offered, what would that be?  Are you seeing trends that certain services are being requested more often then previously, etc?

Thanks in advance for your time.