How do you know?

[cthomps]

I have sewn professionally for over 30 years.  Mostly alterations, repairs, production, design, bridal etc.  I have also dabbled in canvas, sail repair, and upholstery for as many years.

My question is this.  I have never advertised upholstery.  I do not know if my skills are competent enough.  I have a lot of miscellaneous project for people with the help of you all.  Chairs, restaurant booths, snowmobile seats, tractor seats, pontoon, bar rails, foot stools, ottomans,  countless cushions and pillows etc.  It as been all from word of mouth.  When people call, I try and do a best guess to determine if I have the necessary skills to complete the project.  I have all the books, and cd's and you, for help.  I also have a public library and university library available. 

I have determined that I would rather have a big check from a big project, than a little "hem the jeans" check.  I'm just not sure when I can change  from....."I do some upholstery" to "I am an upholsterer". 

I live in a town of about 15000, and there isn't anyone else doing upholstery in the area.  In the closest town, there is a shop where folks with disabilities learn to do the work.  There is a one year wait.  I have most of the tools, and a pretty good stash of supplies.  Any insight would be appreciated.  Thank you.

[SteveA]

I'm not a full time upholsterer either but if I was in your shoes and had the ability to expand - I would hire an accomplished upholster to work side by side with -  based on a percentage split you can both live with. 
SA

[bobbin]

You will know you're ready when you look at the work turned out locally and immediately see all the "little things" that aren't quite right.  Lack of attention to detail (matching), zipper alignment, wiggly welting... you know!

I appreciate the question because the hardest thing for me was making the actual decision to leave a secure (dead end) job to pursue the same work in my own shop.  Look at the competition's work very carefully. 

[sofadoc]

My observation for most all trades has been:

If you're too stupid to know how stupid you are.......you're NOT ready.
But if you're smart enough to know how stupid you are.........you're ready.

If you need me to explain my theory further......you're not ready.

I think you'll do just fine. You just need to get your feet wet. I'm sure that given your background, you can produce quality work. The only question is whether or not you can do it in a timely manner so as to generate a profit.

[cthomps]

I'm not a full time upholsterer either but if I was in your shoes and had the ability to expand - I would hire an accomplished upholster to work side by side with -  based on a percentage split you can both live with. 
SA

There is no one else in this area doing upholstery, so this would not be an option for me.  Also, I couldn't afford to pay anyone. 

Poor workman ship has always bothered me.  I see it all the time and it drives me crazy.  I am definitely a perfectionist with my work.  I understand that every piece of furniture is different, and you can only learn by doing.  I also know that it will take me longer while I am learning. 

I do not carry fabric so my biggest fear is that if I mess up, I cant purchase additional fabric at my expense to fix it. 

I received an email about two of these chairs yesterday.  I will work up an estimate after the holiday.  I do have a button machine and have done tufting before.  I think I can figure out the pillow back.  The customer said they have been in the family for many years and have been reupholstered once. ( I thought the skirts look terrible by the way )  I am just afraid that they may be too difficult for a intermediate.  What do you all think?  Any perceived trouble spots?

I am truly thankful for all of your help!  When I consider this work, I always know you are all there for me for advise. 

Happy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah!

Carol

ps.  I have tried to attach a picture of the chairs with no success.  The file is small enough, so I don't understand why it is not working.  I am using Microsoft photo editor.  The chairs are swivel rockers, button tufted arms and back, with attached pillow back.

[sofadoc]

I do not carry fabric so my biggest fear is that if I mess up, I cant purchase additional fabric at my expense to fix it.

Since most customers nowadays are furnishing fabric that they bought cheap at an outlet store or online, I have absolutely no qualms about having them furnish a couple of extra yards. Most of them do it voluntarily anyway.

Don't beat yourself up trying to cut it close on yardage.

As for posting pics here, you may have to use a photo storage website such as photobucket, and copy and paste the IMG Thumb here.

www.postimage.org   is a nice free one.

[SteveA]

Carol,
When I was learning my trade and wasn't as good as the older guys on the block - I made monetary concessions. I took on hard jobs thereby improving my techniques but charged only slightly above cost so that if a customer took exception - I would mention the great deal they got.  With little flaws - people only see them when they are picking up the goods but in a few weeks the flaws seem to disappear.  If you take your time I'm sure you'll notice mistakes before they occur. 
SA

[baileyuph]

general comments:

Dennis is correct on providing COM customers with yardage estimates.  I have been a little stubborn or smart (really don't know which) when asked for yardage estimate.  I feel, since I am not getting the fabric sale, I am reluctant to give an accurate estimate when I haven't seen the chair or the fabric which can vary in integrity (flaws) and width of fabric as importantly as the chair size and detail involved can drive yardage.  Many cases, I just flat out say get the fabric seller to estimate your yardage.  Then, if the item to be upholstered and fabric is brought to me, then I will do a cursory overview and if it is obviously short on fabric, suggest they go back and buy more to insure enough.

Some discount fabric houses can get fairly close if pattern and intricate patterning isn't involved.

Com is a blessing to small upholstery shops, as one can spend a lot of time showing/discussing fabrics.  If the customer is going to buy from me, for sure buy, then I find it doesn't take long to show and get a selection.  That type of transaction is the most pleasant and beneficial for both me and the customer.

But......today's market is what it is and it is best to go along and try to get along without getting yourself responsible for something that you should not be responsible.  

As a comment, I have noticed that decorators and designers (don't really know the difference because they do the same job in a typical situation) will also run the yardage higher.......wonder why.......wink.  If a mistake is made when buying fabric, it is usually the clerks at the discount houses.

Make no mistake about it I get a lot of drapery material for reupholstering.  But, if it is pointed out to the custome, often statements like "we never use this item or ...something of that nature is their response, I know what is driving the situation.    Money!

As far as getting a trained upholster to  help in a start up direction, I do not know of a trained upholster, who wants work, really is out of work and needs a job.  We are in a dying skill (relatively) situation.

Smart or stupid, well I am the biggest dummy around but smarter than most dummies, I
know I am a dummy".  Things change in this business in everything, equipment, the market, one has to "change" or business could get tougher.

I work on it all, where ever upholstery is involved, consequently, there is a lot of exposure to "change" .  Look at the seats in a 50,40, 30, and on age of car, then compare all of them to the seats in a less than 10 year old car.  Then, answer the questions that will come up reguarding how will this seat be worked on -

(consider an example of one with a myriad of options - electrical - plus air bags, special seaming not even mentioning what you will be confronted with respect to spring and padding repairs).  It all happens, this is when the dummy really has to know how dumb he is because there is not much room for mistakes.)

Think of what you have on your hands if an airbag is detonated!  To add, there aren't many places (classes) where one can get training on this type of tech stuff, so it is back to self teaching the dummy.  These type of problems were not near this scale when the work was on what was built 30 years or so ago.

So, when is one ready?  Good question! Also ready for what, this is a diversified business.  Even furniture and depending on age (technology plus materials used) that can be a real challenge.   It isn't all about sewing and fitting, frames (joints frequently need repairs which has nothing to do with using a sewing machine) often, but not always need a pretty decent wood craftsman before going forward on upholstery.

This is what can make people like me real dumb, but where there is a "will" there can be a "way" most of the time.  If you have time to get smart.  Smile

Doyle

[sofadoc]

As far as getting a trained upholster to  help in a start up direction, I do not know of a trained upholster, who wants work, really is out of work and needs a job.  We are in a dying skill (relatively) situation.

Exactly. Maybe 20 years ago, you could find a good upholsterer that was out of work, and needed a job.

But there are so few of us now, there is no excuse for a good upholsterer to be looking for work.

If they're any good........they already have their own shop.

There used to be a custom furniture factory in the next town over. The guy couldn't keep any good help, because as soon as they gained a little experience, they started working out of their own garage. Even if they only did one job a week, they still cleared more money than working for an hourly wage at a factory.


Difference between decorators and designers? Beats me. They're both sorely lacking in practical knowledge IMO. They just know what looks pretty.

[baileyuph]

Nope, no one with Dennis skills and abilities and knowledges and need to work are likely to be out of a job.  Ironically, those with a lot less are also employed.

There might be correlation between out of work and geographics, that is intuition talking, you know the dummy side.  There might be or not be statistics supporting that one.

Diversification in skills and experience, surely keeps anyone in our craft employed, if every thing is positive.  Drugs are a no no for almost any job.

In business, variances in work to the main stream work of our trades (furniture, auto, possibly more) crop up.  More frequently than the past, I get work come to me for non routine requirements.  A major corporation needed (needs continue) a large number of items entitled covers, a prototype was made to show and immediately I got an order for over a hundred to make.  Now, I learn they have 18 locations in my state and will initiate a order to equip each location with covers.  The covers, to be short, are decorative and relatively detailed.  It seems someone above is watching over me.  Business is like weeds in the lawn, keep growing.  This is definitely not a complaint.

One direction to take, if opportunity exist, is;  work for as many good shops as you can, be ambitious and learn everything from unlocking the front door to going to the bank, be surprised what that will teach you.

Doyle

[SteveA]

Doyle + Sofa - I guess I'm hearing + realizing the geographic differences  ! 


Here in NY there are many accomplished upholsters on salary who would leave their existing job for as little as a $5.00 / hour increase. We are crowded with upholstery shops and salary folks who push the work out.  Maybe I should have said journeyman rather than accomplished.  Nonetheless I am sure that if I wanted an experienced upholsterer for my shop and I was willing to pay $ 24.00 / hour - I'd have 5 applicants applying tomorrow.  If I offered a percentage deal - the available work force would triple.  The only thing these folks ask you is - I need more staples, glue, foam, and padding.
SA

[sofadoc]

Steve and Doyle: You guys certainly point out an obvious hole in my theory :)

My comments are mainly aimed at small-town America.

And I realize that the auto/marine sector of upholstery is way more competitive. I only speak from a small-town furniture perspective. That seemed to be the perspective that Carol was coming from.

It DOES seem that in large cities or coastal areas, there are good upholsterers who can't find work, and not-so-good ones who have jobs. I guess that injustice exists in all trades.

Occasionally, a big-city upholsterer will walk in my door looking for a job. One of them recently came in with a very impressive resume that included pics of some incredible work. But of course, he expected a big-city salary at a small-town shop.............ain't gonna happen.

I just don't think that a highly skilled upholsterer will walk into Carol's shop in a town of 15K, and be willing to work at a salary that she can afford. If he does, then something is probably wrong with him. Either he drinks, steals, or both.

[bobbin]

The biggest hurdle for me was actually believing that the work I so carefully cranked out for my employer could be had for MY OWN SHOP if I made the effort to set it up properly. 

I'd look at magazines and I'd think, "I can do that".  Then I'd look at magazines and say, "if I'd done it, I'd have done this/that/etc.".  And the more I made suggestions to Boss and was slapped down for my effort/creativity? the more I began to seriously consider my own gig.  I was more interested in machinery and product innovation than Boss and it finally dawned on me that I had more and varied equipment in my own shop than was available in Boss's!  (duh)

Frankly? the toughest thing was making the decision!  Once I made the decision it was pretty easy to "crunch the numbers" and put the accounting machinery in place.  With respect to the latter:  actually learning how to use the software was harder than delivering the sort of work I already knew was easy for me!  I am still wrestling with marketing and establishing a more even work flow, but I know I can "deliver the goods". 

I'll wager you can, too!

[Mojo]

Carol:

You mentioned one thing in your post that tells me your ready.............

Your a perfectionist. People who are perfectionists or have OCD rarely turn out bad work. It just isn't in their physical makeup. If anything perfectionists will go broke spending to much time and materials trying to make everything perfect. If you have done some work already and you were satisfied then I would venture to guess that your ready.

There is a big difference between someone who is a perfectionist and takes pride in their work and some hack who could give a rats ass and shoves work out the door simply for the financial gain.

I believe your ready so get out there and get after it. :)


Chris
Chris

[gene]

Carol, you wrote in your initial post:

My question is this.

You never asked a question.

Now, I don't have OCD, but you folks using "your" instead of "you're" is driving me crazy. Well, actually, I think I already drove there many moons ago. I was behind the wheel so I only have myself to thank.


I'm very big on the book The E-Myth Revisited, because it has been so helpful for me.

Three hats we wear as small business owners:

1. The technician: this is you actually doing the work. You sound like you are a dedicated and quality conscience technician / craftsperson, Carol.

2. The entrepreneur: this is you wanting to expand and provide more services to your customers - to do more and different things.

3. The manager: this is you being cautious and wondering how it will work out. Will you succeed? Will you be able to handle the increased volume, the new stresses, the learning curve for new services that you will be providing?

It sounds to me like you are putting time into all three areas.

Best of luck,

Gene