Custom furniture maker (home workshop)

Local homeowners and renters who want furniture that fits their space or style, found through word of mouth, social media, local community groups and craft fairs or makers' markets.

A fixed quote per commissioned piece, set from materials plus your hours plus a margin. A deposit at order stage covers materials, with the balance paid on delivery.

• Woodworking and joinery
• Reading plans and measuring accurately
• Photographing and describing your work
• Quoting jobs realistically

• Check with your municipality whether a home-based business licence or zoning permission is needed, especially for noisy machinery
• Check your home insurance: it may not cover tools, stock or business activity, so ask about commercial general liability
• Dust, noise and fire risk: plan for dust extraction, safe finish storage and a fire extinguisher
• Sales of furniture usually carry GST/HST or provincial sales tax, so check registration rules once revenue grows
• Winter cold affects glue and finishes in unheated garages, so check your space

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $2,000 to $10,000 CAD, depending on the tools and machinery you already own, dust extraction, materials and insurance. Treat this as an estimate and adjust it to your own workshop.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $500 to $4,000, depending on how many commissions you take, the size of each piece and your pricing. The estimate assumes at least about 10 hours a week of work.

Check with your municipality whether a home-based business licence or zoning permission is needed, especially for noisy machinery. Also check your home insurance and liability cover, dust, noise and fire risk, and GST/HST or provincial sales tax registration once revenue grows.