Made-to-order furniture from a home workshop

Local homeowners wanting custom sizes or quality pieces, plus interior designers and small cafes or offices needing one-off items.

A fixed price per piece, usually quoted from materials plus your time, with a deposit up front. Repeat and referral work builds from finished pieces.

• Woodworking and joinery
• Reading plans and measuring accurately
• Quoting and costing jobs
• Finishing and attention to detail

• Council approval for a home-based business, especially noise, dust and deliveries, so check with your local council
• Public liability and product liability insurance, and cover for your tools and stock
• Dust extraction, safe machine use and finishes with fumes, so check your state's work health and safety guidance
• You will need an ABN, and GST registration once you reach the turnover threshold
• Underpricing your time, as handmade work takes longer than most people expect

Startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on the tools and machines you already own, the materials you stock and your insurance. Treat these as estimates and price your own equipment list before buying.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how many pieces you build, your pricing and your hours, starting from about 10 a week. That is revenue, not profit, and handmade work often takes longer than expected.

Things to check include council approval for a home-based business (noise, dust and deliveries), public and product liability insurance, and your state's work health and safety guidance on dust and fumes. You will also need an ABN, and GST registration once you reach the threshold.