Depending on how experienced you are, you will most likely need woodworking classes to become a furniture maker. Once you've perfected your furniture making skills, you could set up your own workshop and find customers. It's important to realize that you'll have to not only make furniture, but market your services constantly to stay in business. You'll also need materials, equipment and a large enough vehicle for delivering your products to buyers if you want to become a furniture maker.
Research your area to find out whether it will make sense for you profit-wise to sell to local stores and furniture showrooms. If you think it will, build a few sample furniture pieces and take some photographs of them. Place the photos in a simple, yet professional-looking protective plastic sleeve or report folder. You could add your business card and a price list to the photos; it's a good idea to make several of these.
Go to furniture stores and showrooms in your area to show the manager the pictures of your sample pieces. You should only speak with the manager since other staff members likely won't have the authority to allow you to become a furniture maker for the store. If the manager isn't there, find out his or her name, store phone number and the best time to call. You may want to give your sample photos and business card to the staff to leave on the manager's desk. If you don't hear back from the manager within several days, telephone him or her and try to arrange an appointment to discuss the store's furniture needs that you can meet.
Remember to slowly, yet steadily, grow your business through advertising and references as you continue to become a furniture maker with an increasing client base. Build a reputation for quality and professionalism. When you handcraft wood into furniture pieces, you're creating your brand of product. Your furniture should be something you're proud to make. Plan your needed tasks, such as getting woodworking supplies, ahead of time so you can stay organized and efficient.
Your time is valuable during your workday, as you'll only have a certain number of hours to build furniture for clients. You'll need to spend time marketing your services, making sales calls, purchasing lumber and bookkeeping. When you become a furniture maker selling your products to stores, you are a business owner responsible for keeping the required paperwork and tax information up to date.
