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The Business of Knife Making A forum dedicated to all aspects of running, managing and legal operational issues relating to the custom knife making and custom knife selling industry.

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  #1  
Old 03-28-2003, 08:52 AM
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Ed Caffrey Ed Caffrey is offline
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Work hours in your shop.......

Now I'd like to hear about your shop habits as it relates to the hours you keep. I've been trying to prime my wife to understand that once I retire from the Air Force and go full time, I intend to treat it like a job. Setting work hours and sticking to them! What I don't want to happen is for my family to think that since I'm at home, I can break away from the shop whenever something comes up. It happens now. On a day off (from the military) I wind up running errands, and before I realize it, the day is shot. I think back to when I lived in Arkansas and work mostly swing shift and midnight shift. I would come home from a swing shift, go to the shop and work until the wife and daughter got up the next morning for work and school. Looking back I accomplished more during those times than ever.........no phones ringing, no visitors "dropping by"..........it seemed I was just more able to concentrate on making knives. How do you handle the phone ringing, those folks who "drop by", and all the other distractions that take place every day? I have to admit, often times if I'm in the middle of a knife, I will let the phone ring, and I have been guilty of locking the shop door from the inside and ignoring any knocks.


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  #2  
Old 03-28-2003, 10:35 AM
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Bob Warner Bob Warner is offline
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Ed,

I am facing the same thing right now. I was informed that April 4th will be my last day at my job. I will be spending plenty of time in my shop. I recommend you get Jerry Fisk's book. It is full of good info and it is only $7.

I plan on setting an 8 hr day with a one hour lunch. I have already explained that anything needed would have to come "After work" and they are to pretend I am not even here. I will fix bikes and other things after closing time. I also plan to work some overtime if I need to, just like a real job.

I have a cell phone for my business. That way, even if I am at the store buying supplies, I can get the phone and it is not answered by one of the kids. I bought a vibrating battery and keep the phone in my pocket so I can tell it is ringing even when forging or grinding.

Like you, things are going to get serious around here and the family MUST let you do the job. Maybe a family meeting will do the trick. You could also just tell the kids they are no longer allowed in the shop. I had to do this because my son was lending tools to friends to fix their bikes. I had to take a trip around the neighborhood asking for my wrenches and channel locks back. Never did get them all.


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  #3  
Old 03-28-2003, 01:34 PM
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Tim Adlam Tim Adlam is offline
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Ed,

I try to be blunt and direct with interruptions from family and friends.
Just because you "work at home", doesn't mean you can come out and play anytime your buddy calls!
It takes a while for people to get the point.
Eventually they come around to your way of thinking, once they realize that you take what you do seriously.

Tim
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  #4  
Old 03-28-2003, 02:20 PM
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Chuck Burrows Chuck Burrows is offline
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After many years of working for myself I've found that I can have a schedule that is fairly loose. For instance some days I work 16 hours and others only 4. but I don't have kids at home and my wife is an integral part of the business, which is our SOLE source of income.

On our website and in our catalog I post that our business hours are 10:00AM - 6:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday. Depending on how busy I am and how I feel those hours/days are somewhat flexible.
One thing that helps is that we have an answering machine that I can screen my calls with. If it's important or it's a potential customer than I pick up or call back ASAP. I have found that customer service is extremely important and making contact/keeping in contact are the two things that are top priorities. I can't even count the sales I've made because of the fact that I contacted the person in a timely fashion and spent some time talking with them. Often these folks let me know just how many other makers they have contacted who never got back with them. That kind of "service" tics most folks off. Of course there are always a percentage of Yahoos that just want to BS, but you learn to recognize them pretty quick. But even with them I am never rude (unless forced to be - infrequent occurrence) and a perfect example is a sale I made just last week - guy called up two years after I had written him off and placed an order. Still like Ed there are times that I just turn off that part of the business and get down to producing product.

I try and spend no more than a couple of hours a day doing office work, such as placing materials orders and such, but some days it just takes longer. I don't have any set days for town/chore journeys (a 40 mile round trip), but I have learned to not fret and take it easy even though I have lots of orders to fill and would rather be in the shop.

So I suggest set a schedule that fits your needs, but also be flexible and adaptable at least up to a point. Also don't obsess and over stress yourself. Have some fun. If not you might as well go work for the man at a "regular" job and do your knifemaking on a hobby business basis. Bottom line is that I work far more hours per week than a regular job and for sure don't make the same income, but I love what I do and wouldn't have it any other way. It's just plain satisfying.

Tim illustrated a Time/Work Sheet on another post and I did the same when starting out and still do it mentally. If you don't keep a track of your time there is no real way to judge how your business is doing beyond the bottom line. I know there are those business people who may disagree but when the books tell you you are not making at least what should be a reasonable hourly than you need to reassess and hour usage is an integral part of that reassessment.

One last thing I've found - If you are not feeling well or even if your mind is just elsewhere STOP! You will 9 times out of 10 screw up big time and have to redo everything or you will get hurt and that really slows you down. (This is the voice of experience!) Ed I know you didn't necessarily have that luxury in the military, but you do now. I am not saying to stop work altogether, just to maybe do something else that is just as necessary. This is one reason I try and have at least 5 different orders going at once so I can move around and use various depending on my mental and physical states.

BTW Welcome home Ed and thanks!


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  #5  
Old 04-06-2003, 12:02 PM
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Only you know what hours you want to work.
You set them, you keep them.
The destractions are common. This is my suggestion.
Let the answering machine do it's job on the telephone,
Put a fence around your property and get large dogs that bark loud.No one will sneak up to your shop, and will set appointments before they drop by from now on.
Put up a sign on your door that reads'Artist at work,Do not desturb"

In short, Ed takes care of Ed when Ed sees fit, Ed takes care of the rest of the world when HE chooses, not when they choose.
It is your time- You control it.

There are times to be a nice guy and times to act like a hermit.

The favor guys will just find someone else.
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  #6  
Old 05-13-2003, 03:21 AM
yendor yendor is offline
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I work sunday thru thursday from about 8pm to 4am. Or maybe even more some weeks. I seldom leave the house knife making is great you order supplies on internet and sell them there. I used to be a computer programer and worked in electronics. But im a night person and dont like to leave the house. I am thinking about relocating some where realy remote. I think knife making is the perfect bussiness to get into you can work at night and you ont have to leave you house and you dont have to deal with computers well computer programing you spend your time with fire and metal

Last edited by yendor; 05-13-2003 at 03:28 AM.
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  #7  
Old 05-13-2003, 10:35 AM
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J.Arthur Loose J.Arthur Loose is offline
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Eight hours... you guys are SO optimistic.

I am not a morning man. I tend to rise at 9, do my financial / ordering / internet business ( like now ) over a pot of coffee and get into the studio around noon. I then work 'till around 9, so I tend to pull a 12 hour day with decent lunch & breaks thrown in.

Don't forget that studio time is going to be a mere 2/3 of what you're doing unless you are fortunate enough to have one of those excellent accountant-types for a mate.

I don't have to worry about distractions too much; that's why I moved to the middle of Vermont.

Pet peeve: Folks who don't leave messages. Forging, heat-treating, gluing, sanding, finishing... pretty much every step of the way I've got ear-plugs or a face mask or loud dust-collectors going and there's NO way I answer the phone while heat-treating.


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Old 05-13-2003, 01:29 PM
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jon, i figure that if it isn't important enough for a caller to leave a message, i probably didn't want to talk to them. 9 out of 10 are telemarket dialers anyway


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Old 05-15-2003, 08:30 AM
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When the grandkids are over, let them answer the phone, it's always for them anyway.


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  #10  
Old 05-15-2003, 08:50 AM
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There has got to be a better solution than having two generations of offspring...


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