Built to order, in a workshop. Below is what it actually costs, how long before money arrives,
and the part most guides leave out.
Startup capital
€8,000–€40,000
Hours / week
30–55
First income
~12 wks
Net margin
45%
Saturation
medium
Realistic ceiling
€900–€4,000+
This ceiling is not a wall
The figure above is what this earns in the shape described — you, running it. Past that it keeps
going, but by hiring people or adding units, not by you working more hours. That is a different
job from the one you would be starting, and worth knowing before you start it.
What nobody usually tells you
Commissions are paid half up front, so the work is funded before you start. Skill takes years, machinery is expensive, and the makers who fail almost always fail by underpricing their own hours.
The route, in five steps
Take 50% deposit on every commission — it buys the timber
Build a repeatable range, not one-offs forever
Interior designers and architects are the repeat buyers
Price the hours honestly; makers undercharge by half
Photograph every piece properly: the portfolio is the shop
What you'll need to buy
These are the categories every furniture making pays for in the first month.
We break down what each one actually costs at this size on the
tools page.
These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on
your capital, your hours and how long you can wait — put them in and see.