Home workshop furniture upholsterer

Households with sentimental or good-quality furniture, vintage and secondhand furniture buyers, and interior decorators.

Quote per piece covering labour plus fabric, foam and materials. Fabric is often marked up, and labour is priced by the hour or by the job.

• Hand sewing and basic machine sewing
• Using staple guns, tools and measuring accurately
• Quoting jobs and managing customer expectations

• Check with your local council whether you need approval to run a business from home, including noise, customer visits and deliveries
• Public liability insurance, and cover for customers' furniture while it's in your care
• Foam, glues and dust: check fire safety, ventilation and furniture flammability and labelling rules that may apply
• Underpricing labour: time-test a few jobs before quoting

Startup costs are typically around $1,500 to $7,000, depending on your tools, machines, materials and insurance. These are estimates, so price up your own equipment list before you begin.

Monthly revenue is typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many jobs you take, the type of furniture and how you price your labour. This is an estimate of revenue, not profit.

Check with your local council whether you need approval to run a business from home, including noise, customer visits and deliveries. Also check public liability cover, cover for customers' furniture, and fire safety, ventilation and flammability or labelling rules.