Upholstery Business Startup

[stitcher_guy]

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.

[Mike]

 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  

[bobbin]

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. 

[JuneC]

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

[timtheboatguy]

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

[sofadoc]

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".

[Mojo]

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

[Mojo]

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

[Gregorzz]

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.

[kodydog]

Greg stay focused and stick to your plan. And for Gods sake never stop learning.

[lc]

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 !!

[Ihavenoname]

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.

[Ihavenoname]

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,

[kodydog]

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.