By Jerry Mooney
Photo from: Wikimedia Commons
If you’re thinking of starting a business, furniture repair is an excellent choice. After all, furniture is everywhere. From personal homes to business buildings, everyone needs furniture fixing sometimes. Some people may even want their furniture to be cleaned or restored. Here are the steps to take if you’re considering starting a business in furniture repair and restoration.
Learn The Skills
If you want to work in repairing and restoring furniture, you’re going to need to learn a few skills first. Some tasks are relatively straightforward to handle. For instance, sometimes all you’ll need is to hammer a few nails in or give furniture some polish. In other cases, you might need some extra practice.
Things like woodworking and metalworking come in handy when repairing furniture. Some people take short classes for these. Starting out as an apprentice can also teach you many of these skills. You may even want to take to YouTube to check out some tutorials.
You also ought to learn how to refinish furniture. Many people who call furniture restoration services simply need an item to be retouched. Learning how to fix upholstery is also useful, as you can patch up sofas and chairs with cuts in the fabric.
Get The Equipment
As many people would say, a worker is only as good as their tools. Having the right equipment for the job is important when you’re going out to fix furniture. There are a lot of tools you’ll need for wooden furniture restoration. A sewing kit is also handy for upholstery repairs.
Sometimes customers will simply need hardware upgrades on furniture and doors. For instance, a homeowner might want you to fit new hinges on their doors. Some businesses might want you to fit their filing cabinets with heavy duty drawer slides. Stock up on these things, as well as the usual nuts and bolts.
For more complicated furniture repair work, you may even want wood and a workbench. You can craft whole pieces of furniture if you have the right materials, but you may just want to fix up tables and chairs.
Decide How To Work
There are many ways to start your furniture repair business. You may want to work out of a small store. This way, you can have a workbench on your premises and handle repairs on site. You might need a truck to take in pieces of furniture to fix.
Another option is to take calls and go out to homes or company buildings to do furniture repair jobs. This is more convenient for customers. It can also be better for you- all you need is a vehicle and your toolbox.
You don’t need to create a full-blown company. You could start out as a freelancer. One of the best things about furniture repair and restoration is it can be a one-person business.
Find The Customers
With everything set in place, it’s time to spread the word. You might want to appeal to homeowners, businesses or both. Even industrial buildings often need quick fixes for their furniture.
Make sure to advertise your services on directories, both physical and online. It’s also worth building a website and social media pages to get your name out there.
Jerry Mooney is co-founder and managing editor of Zenruption and the author of History Yoghurt and the Moon. He studied at the University of Munich and Lewis and Clark College where he received his BA in International Affairs and West European Studies. He has recently taught Language and Communications at a small, private college and owned various businesses, including an investment company. Jerry is committed to zenrupting the forces that block social, political and economic justice. He can also be found on Twitter @JerryMooney
