Fulltime Makers: Fears and Satisfaction

Max, Ed, J & Tess, thank you for your words of wisdom and truth. I have been thinking about making knives for a while now. No where near full time(some day) and this post brought a lot of stuff to my attention. I was in a car accident and have been thinking a lot about what makes my happy and knives is a biggy, my wife/family also. I am about to set up shop in the next few months. This has been a very inspiring post for me. I realize I need my day job for all the benefits and $$$ that it provides. I just want to thank everyone that has posted, it opened my eyes. I have been off work for almost three weeks just sitting and thinking. This thread put a lot into perspective for me. Thank you and Take Care!!!
 
Hey guys,

I have been playing with the idea of turning my hobby into a business and can only offer this advice, from experience. I used to work as a manufacturer rep for a major (the bıggest) vending machine company. In vending, the guy starts out with a pen and a napkin and does some math and Bingo! he jumps into bankruptcy.

From my business experience, if you want to go full-time doing anything, you must have these things fıgured out first:

1. How much do I want to make?

2. Who is my customer?

3. How will I market to him/her?

4. How will I get the second sale from them?

5. What is my marketing plan?

6. What is my product?

7. What is my CGS (Cost of Goods Sold)?

8. What is my break-even point?

Blah blah blah blah blah. If you start making knives without this stuff written into a real business plan, you will be very lucky to be in business for very long. But, if you approach what you love (knifemaking) as a business, you will be way ahead of the pack. The US is full of great knifemakers, but I think we could all benefit from some good marketing help.

Anyway, that't my story and I'm stıck'in to it.

Hang in there.

tomk
 
Read this thread several times and a pattern emerges. There are business men and there are artists.

The business man makes what sells or what he hopes will sell, econimics are a significant motivator for him.

The artist follows a dream, he shares his dream with pen, brush, clay, hammer, marble and time. His art may be only for himself, or another he cherishes. He dreams free from fear of criticism or desire for praise. His art is for himself and the medium of expression he choses to honor. If others can appreciate it they will experience some of his joy, none will ever see all his dream. Many supreme art experiences are devoid of signature, the dream of the artist can be seen, felt and known by his work, his name forgotten, but his spirit lives in his art and that spirit when shared by another, altho seperated in time and space by seconds or many thousands of miles or years, brings true free dreamers together. Thus is the rule, not the exception, the essence of art.
 
Well said, Ed. Starving artists or sucessful businessmen, my slant, unless you are doing it part time. Then, you can starve while buying more equipment, in many cases. Lots of makers make the mistake of jumping to full time before they can afford it, and some of us are forced into full time because of forces beyond our control, such as laid off, health, or an injury. When time concludes my day job, I will be ready for full time because I already am pretty well equiped for the shop, and the buildings are new. One of the really big factors that helps a fellow wanting to go on his own is the forum family here, and you folks are the best of the best, both as real brothers and also the best of makers. I know, I'm gettin' all mushy, but you folks have always been here for each other.
 
As of today, Sept. 1, I am going full time. Thank God I bought my equipment when I could because I would be lost now if I hadn't. I hope I can learn how to make knives fast enough without comprimise to pay the modest monthly bills. I'll see.

Well, I guess it's time I started reading this long thread :eek: .

RL
 
Very kind of both you. I will remember what you said.

EDIT: Well now, I supprised myself this evening. After spending the afternoon taking care of emails and phone calls and such I started profiling. I began at a little after six and by midnight had three full tang blades bandsawed and finish profiled, ready for drilling and tang tapering. How about that. Never tried to make more than one at a time before. --- I also learned another new thing. In the past I have made templates by tracing the blank onto a piece of cardboard. It all works fine except that the trace is larger than the blank you trace it from because of the width of the marking instrument (pen, marker, pencil, whatever). This evening, since all blanks are the same, I profiled the first and then used it as my template for the other two. Since I am then only making one trace instead of two the size is much closer and there is MUCH less to grind after band sawing. I was intriged by the vast difference between tracing a paper template and then transfering it to a bar compared to only tracing once from an actual size template. A simple leason to me but quite cost effective.

RL
 
Time for the big jump, huh? That's great to hear Roger. If Tess or I can help out with anything just give us a yell anytime...we're always here.
 
rlinger said:
Well thanks. Trust me this: it is out of necessity, not of bravery.

RL
Click to expand...

that was almost it for me Roger
I wanted to anyway
just short of a no clear cut vote here,the logging in this part of the woods went to mostly mechanical and put out most of the hand crews about 5-6 years ago.
I lost over 60% of my business that first year it's been going down hill ever since.. so here I am it's what I wanted
..I'm happy but some have to watch what they wish for it can be a hard road
..

I got the wife through Collage and she's teaching now and that lets
me play some when I want, the oldest will graduate collage
this school year :D yeaah,, and one to go
his 2nd year I think? :confused:
I had a few very bad years that broke me down pretty hard but it was worth it.. 3 out of 4 of us will have a collage education to back them up.. :)

I keep hinting I want a new HD but they'er not catching on :D
 
Roger, you certainly have the skill, and it's evident you are finding shortcuts on time. Best of luck, my friend. Anything I can do, just holler. You the best, Roger!
 
Thanks again fellows. Big John - you the best of the best.

I have a few orders and inquiries do come in every couple/three days. I just gotta get her done and not sacrifice quality in any amount. I have five bushcrafts to make and profiled and grinded four and need to order more steel tomorrow. Dang. The very fourth one screwed up on the Scandi grind. Had to pitch it. First time for me. Even though I was all by myself I was embarrassed but the thoughts of all that work is what hurt most. Oh well; if it was easy everyone would be doing it.

RL
 
Roger, that is great that you are going full time and the best of luck to you.
 
Jhiggins;

If you like what you do and it's a pleasure, it's because it's a diversion from the everyday; but if you have to do it every day, it becomes a chore. So, don't quit your day job.

OK, I have to admit I posted this before reading all the posts, but the above is still true.

As stated by others, once you go full time, and that's your only source of income, you might be looking at some very long hours and little or no benefits for your and your family and be miserable.
The hours can be long, you have to handle everything yourself.
I work for an architectural office, but I also have long hours and pay my own medical. The difference for me is that I don't have to worry about the day to day affairs of the business that the partners do, I don't have to go out looking for clients (that's a few years off), I can schedule a vacation, someone else might (rarely) covers my work if I'm out, I get overtime and a bonus at the end of the year.
I have known people that went freelance in Architecture and they hated it because they spent so much time with clients and dealing with expenses they had to work late into the night to do their real work and get little sleep. The insurance was the real killer, not medical, but insurance for every job they built.

I'm glad I have some diversions outside of work that lets me keep my sanity AT work.
 
I second what Larry said above, but I just wanted to chime in and say.........I worked very high paying jobs (IT) before moving to what I do now (and still not completly full time), but I hated getting up every morning, hated going to work and hated life. Now I am starting to feel a real sense of fulfillment in my life and my work. I hope to be full time in the next year or so and have made many more freinds than I ever did working with comps. The biggest issue for me has been putting money into tooling, my boss (work in a welding and machine shop) has been kind enough to help me out in that area though so I'm lucky(surface grinder, access to a machine shop to build tools etc.). At this point my knives pay my bills so I figure when they pay for my luxury too then I can quit my day job.

PS J.

Still planning on this next summer, will drop you a line when I get things situated. Let me know when you think is good for you and I will keep everyone posted. Still have plenty of propane and steel.

Josh
 
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