How many here do commission work?

[Willemjm]

Shoot, I work as a Professional Engineer for a large food company and thought perhaps one day, when I retire I would build for money, when I feel like it.

Then, wifey goes and posts my profile somewhere and a week later I have a customer coming to visit today. Not sure if I want to do this, but perhaps not a bad idea to stick my toe in the water.

She wants a close-up computer desk with filing drawers, knows nothing about furniture and the examples she sent is mostly casework in Ply. Gave her an entry level budget for $900 and she is coming over.

Don't want to let her down, but I may farm this out.

How many here build commission work?

 

[toolferone]

I do.

 

[Robb Parker]

Yes,I too also.

 

[ebarr]

Does...For the wifey count? :gar-Bi

 

[TBradley190]

That's how I support my habit/addiction!


Tim

 

[FredP]

I do too and at 900 IMO you are selling yourself short.:icon_scra The cheapest desk I have ever done was around 1200 and the customer supplied the wood.:wink_smil

 

[tmwassack]

Greetings from Asheboro!
I also do mostly commission work. I prefer furniture over cabinets - but I will not turn away a good paying built-in, though I don't really persue kitchen cabinet work.

Regards,
Tom Wassack

 

[golfdad]

same here...I do commision work but never seem to make enough to quit my real job.....it does pay for more tools though

 

[jlimey]

I don't, but I have been asked explicitly by my insurance agent if I sell my work when discussing coverage with her. I would be sure that selling anything won't affect your personal home owners insurance coverage.

 

[SubGuy]

I do commission work as well. I have 3 in waiting and one on the bench.

 

[cpowell]

I don't do commission work since most folks would make me pay them to take my furniture! :gar-La; :gar-La;

Your price sounds pretty low to me. (PEs in the industries I've worked within get $100/hr PLUS!) You need to think about the sort of stuff you would want to build if you take on this kinda work after quitting the day-to-day at the salt mine.

I think that if you and the customer can agree on a design that you should do the build. It will let you see what's involved in this gig while you are still in a good paying job. Low risk - only thing you give up is your time...well, your time off, that is.


Chuck

 

[Willemjm]

I don't do commission work since most folks would make me pay them to take my furniture! :gar-La; :gar-La;

Your price sounds pretty low to me. (PEs in the industries I've worked within get $100/hr PLUS!) You need to think about the sort of stuff you would want to build if you take on this kinda work after quitting the day-to-day at the salt mine.

I think that if you and the customer can agree on a design that you should do the build. It will let you see what's involved in this gig while you are still in a good paying job. Low risk - only thing you give up is your time...well, your time off, that is.


Chuck

I would probably be doing Engineering consulting work way past retirement, so the furniture is just having fun money is not that important. I helped set up a cabinet shop to do mass production case-work and doors with about 6 employees and they do about 4 houses a month, by undercutting prices generally at around 25%, no overheads, no sales costs, working directly with builders and clients. I got this one covered, the casework and the doors will probably be about 2 hours in their shop and then I will have to spend a day making a few small parts, feet and unconventional sized drawers. Material around $200.

 

[wolfden]

Ok, an add on question...I would like to do SOME commission work as I'm running out of family projects. How do you folks get your word, etc. out there?

 

[SubGuy]

I showed people my work. The work speaks for itself. But word to the wise, everyone who is your "friend" wants the "friend" price, well not everyone but alot. When they ask about getting it done that cheap (i.e. - cost of materials "plus a little for your time" or $100 on a big project) I simply tell them up front if they want it that cheap, I would help them do it in my shop, when there is room, with me assisting on the tools. I will not provide design input or corrections and if they break anything they buy a new one. That gets the not serious people out. So far no one has taken up that offer and they either pay what I ask or don't ask anymore. Having people see you work in person, especially in a house or something is invaluable. I would never advertise, tends to draw people who want everything at "ROCK BOTTOM PRICES!" (TV Announcer Voice). You nor I are in this business to make a living, so you don't have to concede to price haggling or bartering. My time is worth my time. I have very little of it as it is. Set your price and don't budge. One thing I did learn as good business practice from my dad, if cost goes over because of you, your fault, eat it. If it goes over because of the customer changes or such, their fault, they eat it.
My 2 Cents!

And P.S. - Go fund those new tools with some commission money!

 

[harvey314]

I showed people my work. The work speaks for itself. But word to the wise, everyone who is your "friend" wants the "friend" price, well not everyone but alot. When they ask about getting it done that cheap (i.e. - cost of materials "plus a little for your time" or $100 on a big project) I simply tell them up front if they want it that cheap, I would help them do it in my shop, when there is room, with me assisting on the tools. I will not provide design input or corrections and if they break anything they buy a new one. That gets the not serious people out. So far no one has taken up that offer and they either pay what I ask or don't ask anymore. Having people see you work in person, especially in a house or something is invaluable. I would never advertise, tends to draw people who want everything at "ROCK BOTTOM PRICES!" (TV Announcer Voice). You nor I are in this business to make a living, so you don't have to concede to price haggling or bartering. My time is worth my time. I have very little of it as it is. Set your price and don't budge. One thing I did learn as good business practice from my dad, if cost goes over because of you, your fault, eat it. If it goes over because of the customer changes or such, their fault, they eat it.
My 2 Cents!

And P.S. - Go fund those new tools with some commission money!

I stand with the gentleman from Georgia on this issue, and I believe his “two cents” worth is a well founded summation of what you can and probably will run into. I have always believed that the best way to RUIN a good hobby is to turn it into a business. Consequently, other than one end table I made for the cost of the lumber, I have never done any woodworking on a commission basis.

 

[tmwassack]

Ok, an add on question...I would like to do SOME commission work as I'm running out of family projects. How do you folks get your word, etc. out there?

One thing that has brought me commissions, is doing some relatively inexpensive donations for churches, etc. For example, I recently built a walnut candle table for a church fund raising auction and received orders for 2 additional tables - at my price. While the table required spinning work, flat work, and 4 jigs to accomplish the first build, the latter 2 were completed in half the time because of the effort on the first.

I have received other commissions because of donated work.

Regards,
Tom Wassack
Asheboro, NC

 

[Willemjm]

Ok, an add on question...I would like to do SOME commission work as I'm running out of family projects. How do you folks get your word, etc. out there?

Wifey posted my profile on CustomMade.com, http://www.custommade.com/by/wjmartins/

The client visited last night, young couple with a newborn (3months) starting to invest in properly furnishing their home. It was fun working with them and the project is in design, budget around $1,100. Most would be in Cherry and Maple Ply with a little hardwood trim, don't think I would want to pay more for that if I was buying. When it comes to what they want, we compete with mass production from Asia, so it is really not worthwhile taking this kind of work if income was the main factor.

 

[Mike Davis]

I have a full time job, a full time family and several other "hobbies" so I make what I want, when I want.

If someone asks me to make something I either price it so high that I'm happy to do it or they decline or for someone I care about I will do it as a gift...

I teach the same way. I either do it for free (nominally cover gas and disposables) or scare them off with a price.

I treat NCWW completely differently, pay it forward, help out when I can and give as much as possible. Kinda like family...

 

[Skymaster]

Wifey posted my profile on CustomMade.com, http://www.custommade.com/by/wjmartins/

The client visited last night, young couple with a newborn (3months) starting to invest in properly furnishing their home. It was fun working with them and the project is in design, budget around $1,100. Most would be in Cherry and Maple Ply with a little hardwood trim, don't think I would want to pay more for that if I was buying. When it comes to what they want, we compete with mass production from Asia, so it is really not worthwhile taking this kind of work if income was the main factor.

Willemjm; In general I agree with you however I would like to put in a comment; Yes we are competing against cheap foreign furniture but I think you missed a point; They,your customer or mine did NOT come to our shops to buy cheap knockoffs. They want custom made by a craftsman who who has the skills to do so. I spent the better part of the last 40 yrs learning what NOT to do at a sometimes very expensive price. Do NOT look at something as you stated ,"I dont want to pay more than that". YOU are not buying it, they are. If you already havent, get a nice legal pad, LARGE cup of coffee and list EVERYTHING you will have to do in order to make this pc,everything. phone calls, planning, etc etc. Now you cannot ever get fully compensated for what you really have to do BUT you are not going to make much money even if you charge 100 an hr shop rate, however, just cause da Gremlins are always there :}. Since I am retired and living on SS I have set a labor rate for my day and then figured what it takes to turn the lights on, that makes my shop rate . You can always lower the rate if u want to but can NEVER raise it.

 

[Bas]

They,your customer or mine did NOT come to our shops to buy cheap knockoffs. They want custom made by a craftsman who who has the skills to do so. I spent the better part of the last 40 yrs learning what NOT to do at a sometimes very expensive price. Do NOT look at something as you stated ,"I dont want to pay more than that". YOU are not buying it, they are.

^^^ This!

I made the mistake once of giving a friend a sweetheart deal on a piece. Next thing I know, another (not so close) friend wants it too, at the same price of course. Things can get awkward.
So now I just give things away, or charge them for the wood only. And I overtly state I won't be charging them for my time. That way I can refuse any project. Doing some commission work on the side would be a good way to raise some tool money, but it also has the chance to ruin a hobby.

So if you are going to charge for your work, charge a price that makes you happy. And still makes you happy when you build the same piece again (and again...) for a complete stranger.