Start up advice

[adam rbd]

Hello every one. this is my first visit to FF though it has a great reputation and was highly recommend.
My name is Adam Arbeid. I have been working as a full time artist for quiet a few years though now
I am interested in becoming a professional framer. I have been making my own simple floater frames
for a few years and have built some furniture but have not worked as a professional framer.
I'm hoping some of you out there might be prepared to help me with some advice.
I have some questions that seem sensible to ask (but I'm not sure these are even the right questions so please advice)
If these are to many questions but you are prepared to help just choose the ones that you feel you can help with.
Here goes

How did you, or how would you suggest I get started ?

Where would you recommend to get some training or work experience ?

As my circumstances have changed I need to be able to cover my home mortgage etc and home-workshop expenses on my own now so
I have to ask what a sole trader working from a home studio anticipate earning, I realise this is how long is a piece of string but i need to ask
this question of someone to try and understand the logistics ? I am based in north Brighton.

Again string but what would a suggested hourly rate be, initially and then with more experience ? and what would a proffesional sole trader expect ?

What is a general material to labour cost ratio in pricing framing ?

There are many artists in Brighton who in time I am thinking of contacting once Im ready to offer my services but understand they
can be reluctant to spend money on "good quality framing" what type of people do you find are good clients ?

How would you recommend finding, getting clients in my position ?

when ready how would you recommend I go about promoting myself ?

As a ball park, on average how many frames would you/I be looking to create a day or week?

As you can probably tell I am trying to understand the business of framing so is there a good resource for this you would recommend ?

Now the Fun question? (I believe that as a professionals framers need to be thourough but fast to be successful)
What equiptment would you recomend in the way of guillotines, underpiners, mount,glass and board cutters, etc,etc, etc.
And what feelings are there about second hand tools.

I hope the bluntness of some of my questions hasn't offended anyone I purely what to understand what might be involved.

Thank you for thanking the time to read all this.

Best wishes Adam
adamarbeid@ntlworld.com

[John]

Hi Adam, welcome aboard.

If you have topics that you want to raise, please feel free to post them in the appropriate sub-forum, however you are not reaching a different audience when you repeat the same message in several locations - our members have full access to all areas.

[Steve N]

Hi Adam, and welcome,

Wow what a lot of questions, and the answers will be as different as the number of framers that answer, I would suggest trying to find employment with a framer in Brighton, that way you will get a feel for the business and what the job is really like, also what machines, tools and materials you would need to start up yourself, you will end up with a god feel for this trade.

[simoonez]

Hi Adam and welcome to the forum.

That is a lot of questions.

My first instinct is to echo Steve and say get some experience with an existing framer. You'll get experience, knowledge of practices, equipment and dealing with customers. And be paid for it.

I'll try and answer your questions directly though.
I started by buying equipment from a retired framer with money loaned from a family member. Essentially I muddled through from there set up in the garden shed.
You're earnings will be dependent on how much you charge and how much work you get on..
As to an hourly rate, I started with £20 per hour (plus materials and markup), and increased to £30. There's a lot of posts on pricing in the forum, I suggest searching for them.
I find no link between customers and what they're willing to pay, I find just being honest and keeping a high standard to my work works best, people will pay for quality in my limited experience. My best clients are artists though.
To promote yourself, get a website, talk to artist groups, tell everyone what you're doing. Always sell yourself as a framer.
Make as many frames that you can. Then you get more money.
You have, of course, already found the best resource for framing.

When you start your business, make sure you have a USP, something that framers around you aren't doing. And I don't recommend just being cheaper, you might not last long.

[Roboframer]

My first instinct is to echo Steve and say get some experience with an existing framer. You'll get experience, knowledge of practices, equipment and dealing with customers. And be paid for it

I don't think you'd find many willing to train their competition AND pay them for the privilege - be paid for it would be more likely.

I'm under 20 miles away and run a one-to-one course if you're interested https://scenes.biz/framersdirectory/index.php?m ... mfromid=19

[simoonez]

I don't think you'd find many willing to train their competition AND pay them for the privilege - be paid for it would be more likely.

I'm under 20 miles away and run a one-to-one course if you're interested https://scenes.biz/framersdirectory/index.php?m ... mfromid=19

I realise my mistake there.. Not sure what happened though, I must have merged my sentences
I meant to say EITHER do some training (which will cost money) or actually get employment with another framer instead of starting up a new business. I'm pretty sure there's no-one out there who pays to train people..

[prospero]

As for training..... Good idea. But good courses are not cheap. What sort of framing are you going to undertake. I only ask as the subject covers a wide area. No point in paying to learn the ins and outs of framing needlework or 3D objects and stuff if you never intend to do any.

One piece of advice I would hand out is not to jump in with both feet. You need the basic kit to make good frames, but there is lot of stuff which is very handy but not essential. You can accumulate all that when you have dipped your toes in a bit. Same with materials. You can look in a rep's sample case as if it were a box of choccies, but exercise some restraint. Don't buy moulding in quantity until you have tested it out on a small amount. Most suppliers will happily sell a stick or two of a pattern for a new account to check out. There are certain 'magic' mouldings that are versatile, cut and join well, and look good. And the right price. Finding then does take a little time though.

Good Luck with everything and Welcome to the FF.