Upholstery Business Startup

[Gregorzz]

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.

[byhammerandhand]

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.

[kodydog]

Hi Gregorzz and thanks for joining us.

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.

[bobbin]

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.

[byhammerandhand]

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.

  But I'm still holdin' down a "straight job" and can afford to absorb the transition.

[stitcher_guy]

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.

[Gregorzz]

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.

[stitcher_guy]

Hey now. If you is at da Get up and Go upholstery forum, den you is at da TOP already. lololol

[bobbin]

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. 

[Mike]

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 

[bobbin]

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. 

[sofadoc]

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.

[bobbin]

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.

[bobbin]

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.

[sofadoc]

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.