Perform a market analysis to assess the demand for your furniture. Identify your target market and their distinguishing characteristics and needs. Also, look at your competitors to find out what they don’t offer. This will tell you if your product fills a gap in the market. Finally, a market analysis studies appropriate pricing for your product and your target market. [3] X Research source
Research zoning laws and regulations in your area to determine where you are permitted to run your business. [6] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Small Business Administration U. S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source If you are going to do all of your business online, then you still need to find a location for your workshop. Find a space that’s big enough to complete your work efficiently and that’s convenient for your suppliers. Depending on the type of materials you need to keep on hand, you may also need a warehouse space. Choose one that is large enough for suppliers to easily pick up and drop off materials. Don’t choose your location based on the most affordable rent. Rather, choose the best location you can afford that attractively displays your furniture and efficiently accommodates your customers.
Register your business with the Secretary of State in the state where you plan to do business. Obtain a federal tax identification number from the IRS, and check in with your state to determine if you need a state tax identification number.
Furniture manufacturers must comply with requirements regarding formaldehyde emissions from wood, greenhouse gas reporting, hazardous air pollutants from wood and metal coatings and hazardous waste disposal. [9] X Trustworthy Source United States Environmental Protection Agency Independent U. S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practices Go to source
Write a company description that explains the kind of furniture you make, how you make it, how you’re different from your competition and who you target customer is. Explain your market analysis. Describe how you have researched other furniture manufacturers and how your business fills a need in the market. Define your business structure, such as a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. This decision has important tax ramifications. Describe your product line, such as exactly what kinds of furniture you manufacture, what materials you use and how it benefits your customers. Explain how you plan to market your furniture business. This includes not only how you plan to advertise, but also how you plan to grow your business with new products or expansion into new markets. Supply financial projections for the next five years. This is especially important if you plan to finance some of your startup costs. Creditors will want to see your financial projections.
Expenses for structuring your business. If you have to consult a CPA or lawyer, include those expenses. Include fees for registering your business with your state and for obtaining your tax identification number with the IRS. Cost of obtaining licenses and permits and for complying with state and federal safety and environmental regulations. Purchase or lease of your business location. Purchase or lease of equipment. Purchase of start-up inventory. Before you ever make a sale, you will need to purchase materials such as wood, glass, metal and textiles to make your initial pieces of furniture. Advertising and marketing expenses. Wages and benefits for your employees.
For example, Tom Dolese of Terra Firma Design in Bellingham, WA states that his investment in a horizontal mortise allowed him to do complicated joinery precisely and efficiently.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) partners with banks and lending institutions to offer loans to help business owners. Other funding sources include a personal line of credit from your bank, peer-to-peer lending sites like Prosper, tapping into your retirement account, using credit cards, getting a home equity loan or using a crowdfunding site like Kickstarter or GoFundMe.
A bevel-up, low-angle jack plane is a versatile tool to smooth and shape wood. A block plan for planning across the end grain of wood. A small 7- or 8-ounce Japanese plane hammer for common finishing tasks like driving in finishing nails. Bevel-edge chisels for chopping mortises by hand. Water stones for sharpening tools. A 3-inch engineer’s square for laying out joinery. A pocket square for frequent measurements like checking thickness. A 12-inch combination square for a straight edge or for finding a 45-degree angle. A wheel marking gauge for making reference marks. A 6-inch sliding bevel gauge for doing work with angles. A card scraper for sanding tricky areas like curved parts. A mill-bastard file for shaping and sharpening.
A band saw for cutting angled or curved shapes. A disc sander for sanding the end grain of timber. A drop saw for cutting timber. A finisher for sanding the edges and faces of timber. A mortising machine for drilling out square mortise holes. A pedestal drill for accurate drilling on large materials. A scroll saw for cutting small, thin pieces of timber. A table saw for cutting large pieces of timber or manufactured boards. A thicknesser for smoothing rough timber and reducing its thickness.
A magnetic tack hammer for easily picking up tacks and attaching them to furniture. A webbing stretcher for pulling webbing close to the frame. A regulator for adjusting cushion filling through fabric. A rubber mallet for installing tack strips without marring the surface. Upholstery shears for cutting fabric. Assorted curved needles for hand sewing. A 10-inch button needle for installing buttons through pillows, cushions and furniture backs. Upholsterer and “T” pins for holding fabric during hand sewing. A hand-held staple gun or a pneumatic upholstery stapler. An upholstery button machine for making buttons. An upholstery foam cutter.
Tom Dolese of Terra Firma Design credits his relationship with the Northwest Woodworkers Gallery in Seattle for expanding his business from his small town in northern Washington to include many customers in Seattle.
The Golden Rectangle is a symmetrical relationship that has been used in design for thousands of years and by famous artists such as Salvador Dali, Leonardo da Vinci and the designers of the Parthenon. It is a mathematical concept that makes visual designs more appealing. It is derived from the Fibonacci sequence which is found everywhere in nature, from leaves, to seashells and even the human face. The proportion of the Golden Rectangle is 1:1. 618. [25] X Research source
Geometric shapes include circles, squares, rectangles and triangles. They are make from straight lines and curves and are often symmetrical. Organic shapes are often asymmetrical and mimic objects found nature, such as leaves or bodies of water. Abstract shapes are artistic representations of forms which may or may not be recognizable.
Horizontal lines add length and width to a piece. The combination of vertical and horizontal lines add symmetry and balance. Curved lines create movement and add whimsy.
Hue is the name of the color, such as red, yellow or blue. Value is how light or dark the color is. Light colors can sometimes make furniture appear unstable, whereas dark colors add visual weight. Intensity refers to how bright or dull the color is. In general, warm colors are red, yellow and orange, and cool colors are blue, green and violet. [30] X Research source
