Furniture, Cars and Boats.

[kodydog]

We don't do cars or boats. So whenever someone calls we suggest other upholsterers who do this type of work. Only problem is all the car people around here do furniture also. There's just is not enough business to do cars alone.

Whenever I give the phone number for the other upholsterer I always say, tell them Ladd's sent you and if you ever need household furniture done we're the ones to call. I'm pretty sure this goes on deaf ears.

I want to help the person on the phone hoping they'll remember me when they need furniture done but I can't help thinking I'm shooting myself in the foot each time I send them to someone else.

What does everyone else do?

BTW. There is one guy in Gainesville who only does cars but that's over an hour away form Lake City and Live Oak. Maybe I should send them their.

[sofadoc]

I don't have that problem around here. The car guys don't do couches, and the couch guys don't do cars. And there are very few boat guys that dabble in either.

If you call me asking for a refinisher, I'll give you the number for the best guy in town. If you need curtains, I gotta gal for you.

But when they ask me to recommend someone for cars or boats, I usually tell them "I'm sorry, but they come and go so fast around here.........I really can't keep up with them".

And that's basically the truth. There aren't any that I want to stake my reputation on with a recommendation. So I give a vague non-committal answer.

When they call asking me "What's the best way to clean furniture"............I'm no help.
I'm in the business to replace fabric, not clean it.

[papasage]

i do it all here  . i am the only car trim shop in 30 miles  and still slow  . and the only  furniture  shop  within 60 miles . i have 2  workers  one is  car man and the other is  furniture . i am owner and supervisor  over all as i can`  stand and do the work like  i did . furniture is slow and i was going for the car market . now with the economy  like it is and got two  workers    i don`t turn nothing down . not even a refinish job . i do have a large building over 100 ft long and 40 ft wide .

[kodydog]

So Papa,

I'm I foolish to send car and boat jobs to someone who does it all, cars, boats and my specialty "furniture."

Lately I've taken Sofas advice and offer a vague non-committal answer.

[sofadoc]

I also offer no helpful answers when they inquire about slipcovers, since most places that do them do re-upholstery as well.

Since slipcovers are basically an alternative to re-upholstery, I'm not too terribly interested in helping customers find a slipcover person.

I really hate it when customers browse through my sample books for an hour or two, and then ask "Where is a fabric store that sells material cheaper?" Hey, if they aren't buying it from me, they're on their own (they can find Jo Ann's without any help from me).

[bobbin]

How about slipcover people who don't do upholstery, Sofa.?  ;)  (any chance you could "loan" me some thread, oh... and some stainless steep staples? lol)

[sofadoc]

How about slipcover people who don't do upholstery, Sofa.?

Not sure. I haven't known any "slipcover only" people around here.

Many people want slipcovers because they like the "look", and want to be able to change colors with the seasons. Those are jobs that I was never going to get anyway.

Most customers around here want them for more "practical" reasons, such as washing, and possibly saving money over a complete recovery job.

Getting back on topic somewhat. Do you guys find that upholsterers who "do it all" tend to more likely be in sparsely populated areas? So their fields of expertise are dictated by the needs of the region?

[baileyuph]

Diversification in sparse areas alone - you asked? 

Not only there, it can happen anywhere.

Interest, experience, and business management and possibly demand like you suspect.

If these attributes are applied in various manners it is driven by different business goals and personal preferences.

What a business endeavors is usually driven by experience, preferences and ambitions.
Any dimension of upholstery has its challenges, one who performs in any of these dimensions will be able to relate and get my point.

Diversification is driven by professionalism, experience, business goals, and abilities.

Another point, there are those with low skills in any dimension and there are those with very sharp skills in any dimension. 

To this subject, one might add wood repairs, refinishing, mechanical work, and marketing and business management expertise to the group of dimensions.  Easy to grasp if goal setting and profit making is rolled up in this discussion.

 
I am sure if you are the only person with an industrial sewing machine withing 50 miles, they will be asked to sew anything that can be sewn, but someone who is very good and reputable will have various request to do reupholstery and repairs on anything where it applies.

As an important point, as changes take place, it is plain smart to keep up to date on anything.  Just look at the range of questions presented on this board.

Doyle

[papasage]

So Papa,

I'm I foolish to send car and boat jobs to someone who does it all, cars, boats and my specialty "furniture."

Lately I've taken Sofas advice and offer a vague non-committal answer.

the reason i do some of it all i live in a small town and  now that the furniture is built so cheep i can`t git enough to  keep me and my help busy i  don`t turn  anything down that i can do or my  employees  can do . we also do some refinishing

[Mojo]

I get inquiries all the time from coach owners. Just had someone asking me about making a 100 x 35 ft pool cover. Really ??? I have had a dozen inquiries on coach interiors and even dinette chairs. One inquiry came in from Oregon.

I try and find the customers area they are in and then find a member here to do the work. If it is local marine / auto I will pass it all off on Rick ( one of our members ). I give them his number and tell them to leave me alone. Let them harass Rick. If it is furniture I will give them Paul's number. :)

If it is on the Atlantic side I give them Junes number. If it is South of me I give them Mikes number. ( Mike hands out my cards to RV'ers in his area ). If it is the Tampa area I give them Paul's number and if it is in the Jacksonville area I will refer them to Ed.

I used to take in small jobs now and then but I don't even bother with those. We are too busy to screw with anything else.

Chris

[Mike]

I get a number of call a year asking it I do cat convertible top I say no but nicks trim shop does, usualy I get "oh I called him hes expensive. " we what do you want for nothin'.  or I get do you do boatlift cover , no and I tell them who does.   actually I sold my seadoo sunday to a guy who told me as we were talking boats he got a boat lift cover as it was a little more then the price he got for a boat cover.  that was a big pool chris. I do0 have some rv customers and if they ever need a awning topper and have a diesel
I give them chrises card but now im out so I have to give the number