Furniture workshop supplying designers and retailers

Interior designers, cafes and restaurants, boutique retailers, offices, and private customers wanting larger or custom work.

Quoted price per job or per batch, often with a deposit and progress payments. Trade clients can bring regular repeat orders.

• Joinery and machine woodworking
• Costing and quoting larger jobs
• Managing deadlines and suppliers
• Dealing with trade clients

• Zoning and council approval for a workshop unit, so check before signing a lease
• Public liability and product liability insurance, plus workers compensation insurance once you hire
• Machine safety, dust extraction and fire risk from finishes and sawdust, so check your state's work health and safety rules
• Lease terms and cash flow, as rent and materials are paid before clients pay you
• Late-paying trade clients, so use deposits and clear payment terms

Startup costs are typically around $20,000 to $80,000, depending on your machinery, workshop set-up and the materials you buy. These are estimates, and rent and materials are paid before clients pay you, so plan your cash flow.

Monthly revenue is typically around $6,000 to $30,000, depending on job size, how many trade clients you win and how full your production runs are. It is a full-time business, typically from about 35 hours a week.

Check zoning and council approval before signing a lease, public and product liability insurance, and workers compensation once you hire. Also check your state's work health and safety rules on machine safety, dust extraction and fire risk from finishes and sawdust.