DavidL Report post Posted July 13, 2014 What type of goods would you sell? How much are they priced? How many people would work for you? Where would your goods be made? What company would it be similar too? Would you own a store? where? all over the world? Also could be leather related like a knife maker, tool maker or leather retailer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoubleC Report post Posted July 13, 2014 My dream company would be where I could make what I wanted and sell it. I do a lot of custom work and they are usually one offs so I don't get to really settle into a comfort zone. I would price them fairly. For example I made some cross-body purses for the Farmer's market. I have them prices at 25.00 but they are easy to make. I make a lot of 10.00 bracelets for there. And have some priced at 18.00 that use more leather and time. I think I'd like to make more guitar straps, inlaid and overlay and sell them. They don't sell easy here at 75.00 although I'm not ashamed of the price. They are very good straps I think. I'd like to be local and make money at it, don't want to be global although I have an Etsy store. And FB page. But sell very little from there. I'm not sure I'd want anyone to work for me although there are some things I'd like to turn over to someone else. But I think I'd make a terrible boss because I would want people to care as much as I do. I'd like to be the 'Coach' of less expensive items. Where people would recognize my stuff when they saw it locally and make unique and beautiful items. If I had enough customers which I could in this dream shop I would like a storefront Cheryl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barehandcustoms Report post Posted November 14, 2014 (edited) What type of goods would you sell? very durable outdoor leather products...sheaths, backpacks and various pouches How much are they priced? Reasonable but above average How many people would work for you? Just me doing the leather and maybe someone handling the back end. Packaging, Shipping, Billing etc etc Like DoubleC said......"I think I'd make a terrible boss because I would want people to care as much as I do." Where would your goods be made? Wherever I can setup a leather shop. What company would it be similar too? Hopefully like no other company... Would you own a store? where? all over the world? No store, just me and my shop selling online from where ever I am currently at in the world. Edited November 14, 2014 by barehandcustoms Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ntipp1 Report post Posted June 17, 2020 What type of goods would you sell? I would create a leather belt shop. I think there is a huge market for homemade belts! How much are they priced? They would be a high priced item at around £40-£50 How many people would work for you? My dream would be to have stores around the world with thousands of people working for me. Where would your goods be made? I want it to be primarily UK based production. What company would it be similar too? I want the belts to be the same quality as Gucci who make unreal belts! Would you own a store? where? all over the world? As I touched on above I would want stores across the world. Also could be leather related like a knife maker, tool maker or leather retailer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lobo Report post Posted September 25, 2020 My all time favorite is the leather business I started in 1972, worked it part-time for 32 years, then went full-time with a website for another 11 years. After 43 years I retired and sold the company to a good family that continues to make an excellent living with my original designs and product line. Sale of the business paid for my retirement home and funded several years of retirement before I finally started using my savings and investments. Retail? No way! Customers walking in any time of the day, hours of questions and BS. No, I did everything by website and email, never published my phone number. Products? I'm a retired cop so I stuck with what I knew; holsters, belts and accessories for professionals who need to carry a defensive firearm comfortably and discreetly. 13 basic designs, with or without 4 common options, left-hand and right-hand, in 4 finish colors, for 162 different handgun models (about 80,000 possible variations depending on customer preferences), plus belts, ammunition pouches. Custom work? Never again! Endless chit-chat over trivia. A never ending line of people who think they each have an idea in mind for the "perfect holster" and looking for someone to make their dream a reality, but when their little half-baked idea is all done and doesn't work as they dreamed it would none of them ever remember it was their idea to begin with, but they always curse the name of the craftsman who just couldn't get it just right. Everything I made was done to fill an order and paid for prior to delivery. I provided a one-year warranty covering any defects in materials or workmanship. Any order placed that wasn't paid for never got made. There are many, many people in the world who want a "try it before you buy it" deal, so I let them order from others. Employees? Never again! Being an employer makes you a professional baby-sitter. Grown up humans show up claiming to want a job, but showing up every day, on time, finishing what they start, cleaning up after themselves, or showing any basic responsibility just doesn't happen anymore. Their little soap opera lives always make it impossible to make it to work when necessary, some show up 2 hours late then make up for it by leaving a couple of hours early. Some think it's OK to spend half their working hours on side projects for friends, using my materials and supplies while I pay them to be there. Down side? I worked 7 days per week, usually 10 to 14 hours per day for 11 years. No weekends off, no vacations, no hunting or fishing trips. Two days off for an old friend's funeral 300 miles away, two hospital stays for cancer treatment, other than that it was every day and all day. Up side? I served customers in all 50 US states and 33 other countries, and made a number of good friends along the way. I also retired debt-free in a new home with over a million in retirement and investment accounts. Be careful what you hope for because you might just get it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrisash Report post Posted September 25, 2020 Having the skills to be able to make beautiful items and designs, whilst doing his own thing, using both modern and traditional skills like *RockyAussie" I could be content running a place like his, just need the skills which I doubt i could never achieve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Danne Report post Posted September 25, 2020 What type of goods would you sell? Small leather goods, mainly custom wallets, card holders and watch straps with focus on exotic leathers. I would also focus a lot of watch straps with special attachments to the watch lugs. Of course I would not only focus on exotics, I would give the customer a wide range of leathers to choose from. How much are they priced? One part I like about this craft is to spend time on details, like I have no problem spending 8-10 hours on a wallet. So I would like to be able to reach a level of details and a reputation that allows me to sell my products for a a higher price, which of course is hard because the group of people who are willing to pay for those extra hours spent on the smallest details like making the edges close 100% perfect instead of 80% isn't that large, but they are out there. When I feel it's time to start selling I will of course also sell cheaper products, but I never want to be forced to produce leather goods eight hours a day, but to take custom orders and also have time for learning new techniques and working on new product designs and such. How many people would work for you? No employees. Where would your goods be made? Hopefully in a nice apartment in Spain with my craft atelier with ocean view. Would you own a store? where? all over the world? I would probably have an online store with a couple of products, but I would mainly focus on custom orders. No physical store. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
