Custom guitar and ukulele maker (home workshop)

Hobbyist and gigging musicians, local music teachers, and small music shops that want something unique.

A fixed price per instrument, often with a deposit up front. Extras like custom inlays, cases and repairs add income between builds.

• Woodworking and hand or power tool skills
• Patience and attention to detail
• Playing or understanding instruments
• Talking through custom orders with clients

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence or has zoning limits on workshops, noise or dust
• Finishing products can be flammable and harmful to breathe, so check fire safety, ventilation and proper respirator use
• Some tonewoods, such as rosewoods, are restricted under international trade rules (CITES), so check sourcing and paperwork before buying or selling across borders
• Check your home insurance, and consider commercial general liability or product liability cover
• Wood moves in dry heated winters and humid summers, so plan for seasoning, storage and warranty terms
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check provincial rules

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $3,000 to $12,000 CAD, depending on your tools and workshop setup. Monthly revenue is estimated at around $500 to $4,000, depending on how many instruments you build and sell.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence or limits workshop noise and dust. Also check fire safety and ventilation for finishing products, CITES rules for restricted tonewoods such as rosewoods, your insurance cover, and GST/HST registration.

Useful skills include woodworking and tool use, patience and attention to detail, an understanding of instruments, and the ability to talk through custom orders with clients. The estimate is at least about 10 hours a week.