How big of a family does your business support?

[PetermansUph]

So, how big is your family? We now have three children, one of which is a newborn. Between homeschooling and tending to the newborn, my wife (who works side by side with me) is stretched as far as she can go tending to the family needs. Since she does all the sewing, this adds to her list. Yes, we are booked up very well, but we are finding ourselves working well into the evenings along with most Saturdays just to keep up with the schedule book. That soon takes the fun out of our profession! We are now at the point to where I'm heading out in the work force for extra income and to take the load off of her. We're still 'full time', but just tapering off the upholstery load. We are pretty thrifty with our spending, but the $$ is getting thinner and thinner. Since my family's welfare is very important to me, I have no problem seeking other employment. If you are supporting a larger family strictly with upholstery, let me know your secret! :D
Craig

[sofadoc]

I'm 52. My kids are grown now. But the upholstery business has always been the bulk of our income.
My wife used to help me. But we soon realized that we needed a job that provided
insurance benefits. So she got an outside job years ago. Her entire salary goes for insurance, and savings.
I agree that it would be tough to support a family of 5 on an upholstery business income alone.

[Rich]

I think it probably depends on how much potential work the area you cover provides, how efficiently you work, how much you're able to charge, and a host of other factors. One thing's for sure, we all have only 24 hours in a day and you can only do so much in the time you have. I know what it's like to get burned out, having been doing this full time for 33 years. For the first 12, I had employees and many headaches (and stomach aches too). When we moved to Maryland, I thought I'd wait before hiring. With the exceptions of two short-term part timers, It' been my wife and I. She's P/T and has for a long time had other P/T work. We pay our own health ins. and although our children are grown (last one in college now) we haven't yet gotten to the point where we could say we can scale it back now. We're in our 50's and God willing, I plan on working at this past 65. I would like to cut back my hours at that point. I'm not getting burned out any longer and I think it's b/c I know which jobs to pass on and how to charge for a profit. But for sure, this is not an easy business to make a buck in by any means and if I had to do it over, I'd probably do the same thing. No, I'm half joking b/c I've had opportunitis to do other work and always came back to this, even after a move from N.Y. 21 years ago. There are many big corporation and government jobs in this area and maybe I should've gotten into something like that and had an easier life, but I have enjoyed the idea of doing things my way with no political conflicts that I know run rampant in thework world. I enjoy seeing my customers faces when they see their chairs done and I know the physical labor has kept me from getting lazy while the new skills I find it necessary to keep learning keep it interesting. So, I've come this far, not without a struggle, but probably doing what I wanted to do all along.
Rich

[kiwistuffer]

You are simply not charging out your time properly,If I was unable to make a living doing upholstery I would not be doing it.Is there any sort of business mentoring scheme in your area?they can be very helpful in clarifying issues for you. 

[MinUph]

About a half a family in todays economy.  ???

[Mojo]

I would get in touch with Russ and ask him what his secret is. He is in the same situation as you, a wife and several kids. He works alone though and manages well and I believe him and his wife get along fine.
I know he is always solidly booked for work.

Myself, I am no help to you. My business does nothing more then supply me with mad money or funds to soak into our properties. I work part time and I am extremely picky on what work I take in. I do not do marine or auto work and mainly specialize in RV work. That is my area of expertise because I know RV's inside and out and I know exactly what these customers demand.

When I was younger and my kids were young I worked two jobs, similar to what your talking about. I worked for the company I retired from and early in my career I worked alot of mid nights and afternoons. So I worked for a funeral home part time during the day embalming bodies, doing body removals and working funerals. In my later years I formed my own marketing and PR company and worked mainly in the auto sector ( Big 3 as well as NASCAR ). All of this was to make a better life for my family.

I can sympathize with you. It is damn tough raising a family and balancing all of your needs as well as theirs. It is also tough making enough money to keep the household going. I was always a workaholic and would work till I collapsed. But if I had it all to do over again I would have worked less. I missed out on alot with my kids.

Today I am retired and work whenever I feel like it. :)

I wish you the best and hope that Russ answers this as he would have some very valuable input for you.

Chris

[mike802]

I almost lost my business once, I took out a bank loan to get started, worked real hard for three years to pay it off.  Once that was done I expanded, hired some help that turned out to be three people who were on the job trainees.  Took out some more loans and then the bottom dropped out of the economy, that was in 1987.  Everything closed up here, many long time big name employers, one was Tampax and several other names you may not recognize.  I had to lay off my employees and I worked by myself for several years after, but soon I had to take a job also.  I kept the shop open part time, doing what ever came in.  I ended up with a good job, making the best money I had ever made with paid vacation and everything, but I just couldn't put up with office politics.  The economy had readjusted and one day I had a tift with my boss and told him to take his job and shove it.  Going back into the upholstery business full time once again I decided never to borrow money form a bank.  I wanted to work for myself, not the bank.  I also decided never to work for minimum wage again.  Back in the eighty's my business was doing well, but in the end I would go home with a minimum wage paycheck.  I decided to charge what I had to charge to make a decent living, or find a different business.  This mind set made a big difference, I have been doing well for the past five years and the business has grown tremendously.  With the economy the way is is now, I am very glad I did not borrow money, but I am very nervous with the way things are going.  My business of off this year as second home owners are tightening their belt, still busy and jobs keep coming in, but slower than last year.  My wife takes care of mentally handicapped people for the state and there have been budget cuts there as well. 

[Rich]

I also decided never to work for minimum wage again.  Back in the eighty's my business was doing well, but in the end I would go home with a minimum wage paycheck.  I decided to charge what I had to charge to make a decent living, or find a different business. 

There's a lesson there. Has anyone ever noticed that things usually go better than you imagined when you feel you have nothing to lose? When you are afraid to raise prices, you muddle along year after year just barely paying your bills. You're afraid to raise prices fearing a loss in business. Then, out of desperation, just as you're ready to hang it up, you decide your going to throw caution to the wind and raise them anyway and you're pleasantly surprised to find that you don't lose customers and the bottom line looks better than ever!
I think this works with a lot of things. Of course, right now might not be the best time to do this, (then again, it might!) but business runs in cycles and in time, it will be time to take a reassesment on things.
Rich

[Saddleman]

Yes, we are booked up very well, but we are finding ourselves working well into the evenings along with most Saturdays just to keep up with the schedule book. That soon takes the fun out of our profession! We are now at the point to where I'm heading out in the work force for extra income and to take the load off of her.

Sounds like you should charge more for your work.  It could very well thin out the jobs, but increase your income.  Which sounds like you need both.  ;D

[scottymc]

I have been running a guest house for the last 8 months now and it has been really good. It's quite interesting what you guys are saying about charging what you need to get to make a living, rather than charging a cheaper price to get the job on your bench and regretting it as soon as it's there. Especially when next week that job is holding up a job from some one who actually wants to pay for it. Anyway when we started a friend who had been in the business years told us to have your rules and stick to them, and if a customer didn't like them just tell them those are the rules and if they don't like them they can go elsewhere, if they argue don't try to explain the reasons for the rules as that is engaging you in the arguement . Any time we have been asked to bend the rules and relented 70% of the time it has been a pain in the ass for us, so we have learnt to stick to the rules and it is easier especially if you have two people answering the phone as your both on the same page, we don't give discounts if people ask for them, we give them if we think it could be good business. We find we are getting way more bookings with a no nonsense approach, do too many cheap jobs and you'll get all there cheapskate friends knocking on your door too.   

[Ihavenoname]

It's not can you make a living?

it's do I value my work and myself to make it clear that I am paid what I'm worth?  Am I big enough to ask for what I need and want? If "no" then move on.

I'm tired of every one saying it's the economy or the liberals or the satanists or the government or the ex-wife. No it's you.

When was the last time you did something to raise your income other then working longer or harder?

Chances are not for a long time.