changing life's directions

As a few of the forum members who i exchange PM's and e-mails with will know I have been laid up for the last 8 days with a bad back. I've had back problems before but never anything i couldnt fix in a couple of days with the right stretching etc. This time its different, nothing I can do has made any impact on it at all so I went to a chiropractor this morning.

She says that I will recover full strength and movement and the pain will go away eventually, but she also said that if I keep doing the things I'm doing its just going to get worse over time. I guess that my spine has had a rough life, 20 years in the army followed by 8 years running my concrete garden edging business with all its heavy lifting and bending. I always said i didnt want to be still doing concrete edging when i was 50, but i'm only 46.

So it looks like i might have to start looking seriously at making a living out of my woodwork. I might have to look at making little things like boxes and kids furniture so that i can handle them without straining my back. fortunately ive got all the gear i need (note i didnt say "want") to get started commercially and ive even had people, including retailers, approach me for timber items.

Its funny how life happens, no sooner do i develop my hobby to the stage that i can go commercial when i want to, that it appears that i will need to.:)

Bad luck about the back, but I reckon that turning your hobby into a money spinner (especially as retailers are asking for your work) sounds like a lot of fun and also a better idea for your health. :D

Cam

Just hope that you don't lose interest in your hobby, I am a keen (alright, fanatical) fly fisher and I started my own importing business, it went well but I suddenly lost all interest in the sport.
I sold up a few years ago and now I am making some inroads to enjoying it again.
The main problem I found was the wanker element, I can cast 150 feet blah blah blah, and lose sight of what enjoying it is all about.
Could see the same thing happening with WW.
Is it possible to subcontract your concreting business, just do the marketing and get someone else to do the heavy work while you quality control and enjoy your hobby?

So how do you go about turning it into a fulltime job? (I was actually going to ask this very question on here today, as I am bloody sick of what I do). So instead, I'll tack on here and hope to find "a moment of clarity"

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Originally Posted by Iain

Is it possible to subcontract your concreting business, just do the marketing and get someone else to do the heavy work while you quality control and enjoy your hobby?

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been trying to achieve that for 8 years, you cant find people who will work as hard and pay as much attention to detail as you do yourself

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Originally Posted by stuart_lees

So how do you go about turning it into a fulltime job? (I was actually going to ask this very question on here today, as I am bloody sick of what I do). So instead, I'll tack on here and hope to find "a moment of clarity"

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Hopefully i can get away with doing it part-time as i have my army pension as well. either way the secret has to be in the marketing, not the construction. anyone can build 100 jewellry boxes but they arent worth anything till you sell them

How do you make something good enough not to be completely embarassing, yet fast enough to have a reasonable $ hourly rate? The amount of time I take on each job currently means I'd have to charge $100s for a $10 item, or have a rate of pay around 50c/hr! (Generalising here of course!). Is there that much of a market?

The people who seem to make real money, are not the dovetailed box makers, but the dovetail jig manufacturers (eg gifkins). Even so, finding / inventing a product with sufficient marketing appeal is pretty unlikely.

I do have 1 - won't disclose the process, but basically take a square log, and keep cutting off the corners. Think I'll call it a wheel........

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Originally Posted by stuart_lees

So how do you go about turning it into a fulltime job? (I was actually going to ask this very question on here today, as I am bloody sick of what I do). So instead, I'll tack on here and hope to find "a moment of clarity"

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I know of a shop that is for sale where you can make and sell stuff, really crap stuff too, the crapier the better.

Al :p :D

Is it a 'warehouse', or do you get a pricing gun which has all numbers removed except for the 2? :D

changing life's directions

Must be a mid life thing, wanting to try something different out.
Looks like youve hit it early Stu. :p

We went through this 2 years ago when we bought the shop, it didnt turn out as expected, we now realize that the grass ISNT greener on the other side.

I would imagine it would be very hard to sell enough WW to make a living out of it.

Doug do you got to any physio at all, Ostio, Chiro?

Many years ago I thought my brickie days were done for from the pain I was in, I then got help from a Chiro and now an Ostio

My back still hurts from time to time but not as bad as it used to.

Al :)

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Originally Posted by stuart_lees

How do you make something good enough not to be completely embarassing, yet fast enough to have a reasonable $ hourly rate?

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Well firstly you have to be born in (insert less priveleged country of your choice here), and be living in somewhat impoverished circumstance.

There's a bloke who flogs a router overhead thingy at the odd woodshow, who makes those WW1 wooden kangaroos that hop down slopes.

He told me at Maleny he has a standing monthly order for several thousand. I'm not knocking him, he has it right. Either you make zillions of things for a few cents, or you make fewer high quality items with a larger margin.

Either flog stuff cheap for a pittance at the markets, or develop a following at the high end.

Now what's happened to those scrap wood chairs that someone was going to make and sell for $1,600.00 recently????

(Sorry about the back Doug, get well soon!)

Cheers,

P

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Originally Posted by ozwinner

changing life's directions

Must be a mid life thing, wanting to try something different out.
Looks like youve hit it early Stu. :p

Al :)

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Hit it years ago, only now I'm getting to an age where at least I have something legitimate to call it :eek: ;)

Sorry to hear about the back but I am glad you are taking it seriously and doing something about the warning.

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Originally Posted by doug the slug

either way the secret has to be in the marketing, not the construction. anyone can build 100 jewellry boxes but they arent worth anything till you sell them

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And there lies the secret to success. Some things I thought would go like hot cakes I've brought home and other stuff that was just taken on the off chance were snapped up. The right outlet in the right spot and your made.

Have a mate in balina on a RAAF pension , his wife still works but he makes good dollars, has a couple of local antique , small furniture outlets that take most of his stuff on comission, but he's found you have to be strict with yourself , set an hourly rate and log every hour you spend on a project and charge accordingly then if it doesn't sell don't make any more of them but make something diffrent untill you find what gives you the best profit margin and sells.
He suppliments this with the odd market days with market type goods.
It can be done but you need good ideas and lots of hours. :cool:


Rgds

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Originally Posted by ozwinner

Doug do you got to any physio at all, Ostio, Chiro?

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I went to a chiropractor this morning for the first time in my life. I ambled in like i was Zed's brother and after a small amount of poking and prodding i walked out upright!! she was great, but a long way to go yet, 2 more appointments this week for starters.

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Originally Posted by doug the slug

I went to a chiropractor this morning for the first time in my life. I ambled in like i was Zed's brother and after a small amount of poking and prodding i walked out upright!! she was great, but a long way to go yet, 2 more appointments this week for starters.

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Good to hear Doug.

The thing is, you have to make yourself go, even when everything feels so good in the back.
That was the mistake I made last year, everything felt good so I didnt go, then one day Pop!!

It then starts all over again. Owww the pain, the pain...:eek:


PS
Owwh yes, sitting at the computer doesnt do it any good either.

Al :o