Replies

1. 
   Westchester | May 15, 2004 03:01am | #1

   Hey Molten,

   I'm sure the work is coming.  Maybe not in time to meet your wishes but have no doubt it will come.  Your efforts will pay off.  Keep sending out those flyers.

   I slowed down here in N.Y. after the attack  (I'm keeping those who were lost in my thoughts)  and combination of corporations playing games with peoples money. 

   Anyway, I went after business I had never gave much consideration too -  it took time but the little jobs are filling a void.  Will it ever be as it was - I don't think so - therefore watch your expenses and you'll do fine.

   Regards,

   SA

2. 
   301 | May 15, 2004 07:22am | #2

   I started off with a booth in an antique mall.  I filled it with pieces (antique reproductions) that I had built on pure speculation and put a stack of my business cards out.  The owner threw a lot of business my way doing repairs and restorations.  My cards disappeared and brought in more and more calls.  Best customers were ones I met while going into my booth to "check up" on things.  I present well (blush, blush) and developed several important clients who have helped me a lot through the years.  The down side?  After Osama hurt our economy the mall turned into a ghost town, don't know if it would work again (I luckily still have a 6 month back-log of work).  Also the spec pieces did not sell too well, they turned into samples and some still linger 6 years later... hint: make lots of book shelves they will always sell.

   Best thing about talking to many potential customers was to discover 'exactly' what the market was interested in.  You will have to do your own market research yourself and I guarantee you will be surprised by what you discover about your customers and their wants.

3. 
   CharlieP | May 15, 2004 04:09pm | #3

   Keep in mind that the time between getting a flyer and deciding that you cannot live without a piece of custom furniture is far more than three weeks, even for the wealthy.  Somehow you need to have a "long term" presence so that people can find you 6 months later, when they decide that they want something - long after the flyer is gone.  I am betting that business cards and a web site are less likely to be discarded than a flyer.

   I am still a part-timer, but I have noticed that the pieces that people admire - that get their attention - are often not the pieces that they would want in their home.  A plain cabinet won't get attention, but when someone is looking for a custom cabinet to fit a particular area, they are likely to order something rather plain.  On the other hand they are more likely to stop and admire your workmanship in a fancy cabinet made of multiple exotic woods (that don't necessarily go with anything in their house). 

   Someone who makes lots of "boxes" that they sell at craft shows explained that it is always the very exotic wood that gets people's attention - makes them stop to talk, but that the "ordinary" boxes are the ones that they often buy.  But without the exotic box they wouldn't have stopped to look. 

   I am designing a lingerie chest to use as a "show piece" since it will be relatively small (easy to move) and is something that isn't in every bedroom (so people won't say "I have one" and just walk by).  I will be willing to sell it, but expect that it is more likely to lead to sales of more ordinary work.  When I retire to woodworking I will let you know how this theory works!

   ________________________
   Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texas
   http://www.plesums.com/wood