Upholstery shop for homes and businesses

Homeowners, restaurants, bars, hotels, offices, designers and property managers.

Quoted prices per job covering labor and materials, plus repeat contracts with businesses. Commercial work can mean larger, scheduled jobs.

• Upholstery and sewing experience
• Quoting and job planning
• Dealing with business clients and deadlines

• Check city or county business license, zoning for workshop use and any fire code rules for storing foam and fabric
• General liability insurance, property cover for customers' items and workers' compensation once you hire
• Commercial jobs often need fire-retardant fabrics or foam, so check the standards that apply to the client and your state
• Rent and slow-paying business clients can strain cash flow, so ask for deposits
• Register with your state for sales tax on materials where required

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $10,000 to $40,000, depending on the unit you rent, the equipment you need and the fabric and materials you stock. Your own figure will vary with the size of the space and what tools you already have.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $4,000 to $18,000, depending on your mix of household and commercial jobs and how full your schedule is. This is revenue before rent and costs. The estimate assumes around 35 hours a week at minimum.

Check your city or county business license, zoning for workshop use and any fire code rules for storing foam and fabric. Also look at insurance, fire-retardant standards for commercial jobs, workers' compensation once you hire, and state sales tax registration on materials.