To think this business plan could work?

[Forentive]

Me and DH have been talking about this for a while, and are now looking into plans for it more seriously. DH is a qualified carpenter, and I am about to finish my certificate in Interior Design, I also have experience of painting homes. We would like to start a business by combining our skills, to be an all round package, so I would plan the design, DH would build it and I will paint and decorate it. Of course we wouldn’t be doing extensions or anything that falls into a builders remit, more designing media walls, renovating, bedrooms etc. AIBU to think this could work?

Dh has a solid customer base and well respected already? Is he already building and renovating?

How would this work if someone didn't want a package, but just wanted him to do some carpentry? Will you also work as a painter and decorator?

How will the timings work? For example, I imagine the design and even painting would be quicker than the carpentry. So, will you sell packages without carpentry or just accept downtime compared to dh?

It's great to have a dream, OP, but you really need to put some numbers behind it. What sort of carpenter is your DH? How good is he? How versatile is he? Does he have staff? If he's making one unit at a time, on his own, neither of you will make enough money to live on. Do either of you have connections to other trades (who could introduce you to customers) or wealthy potential customers? Who are your target audience and where are you based? The cost of materials has shot up over the last few years - how is he going to cover the cost? You can't get trade discounts on small jobs. Does he have all the tools he needs and a workshop? Have you factored in the annual cost of running a limited company? And insurance? And sorry, but interior designers are a dime a dozen in London. What are you going to do to stand out?

YABU if you think you're going to be an overnight success and both take home a salary of at least NMW in the first year. If you've both got existing jobs you're going to keep, or have worked out all the costs (and extras for the unknown) and have savings to keep you going until you start making money, and you have a detailed business plan, YANBU to give it a go.

What? 😂
So here she is doing some sort of interior design certificate but was planning to hop from that to a detective?? 😆

You’d be snowed under round here, fitted wardrobes, media walls, shelving and hanging doors.

I’m doing a degree in forensic psychology, and a certificate in interior design? I am still young and trying to figure out my trajectory in life tbh!

Would love to know what you said before it got deleted @Nicefortheday

What does your certificate gives you? I have a master in architectural interio design and 20yrs + experience. You think it s easy but it s not, it takes a lot of graft to be a good interior designer otherwise it is just too expensive to hire one.

you would be better off being a colour consultant with your certificate.

also, if your husband was a joiner i would be more confident but a carpenter is very limited in what they can do. There is a big difference between joinery and carpentry. Carpentry is very basic when it comes to media walls, etc.

and joiners can charge more as it s a lot more elaborate and it s a different kind of labour as more complex. I only work with joiners and reserve carpenters for roofs and so on for renovations and extensions.

also you MUST factor insurance in your costs

Right, so find a career related to your degree or any graduate scheme in a place you like the sound of.
But your specialty clearly isn’t design, as a certificate in that isn’t enough. If I’m paying for an interior designer then I’d want someone with more than an evening/online course certificate.

I studied biomedical science, I now work in the arts. But it was a slow transition while I became skilled. I didn’t just get a short course certificate and think “I am now an interior designer.”

Tbh I think that’s what most people would expect - either they know exactly what they want, or they employ a carpenter with a design service.
They are frequently advertised round here- they would be more expensive than a basic carpenter who works to the customers request, but it seems like that’s what you’re planning to offer?

If you’re talking storage and media walls it’s simple design so I wouldn’t anticipate it being complex or expensive

interior design can be obtained at many different budgets now, some are quite cheap and of course people can use AI, so not sure what you really be offering that would be different?

There are lot of couples around us who run similar businesses together and it works really well. Things like gardening and landscaping /paving, or interior design / painting, etc.

Carpentry and decorator is a good combo, at least in our area (SE). A lot of houses from the 30s are very sound but need some serious deco work after 20-30 years in the hands of the same family.

I don't understand the issue other have raised about timing issues and "packages". That's not the point in my opinion. Our house needs some shelvings, built-in wardrobes, and painting. Rather than getting quotes from 2 companies and spend ages looking for interior design when we are rubbish at it, I'd love to get 1 that can provide inspiration for decoration, do the painting/wallpapering work and built our shelvings.

The timing can be different for the decoration and carpentry work. It's more about getting a local supplier, with good reputation, and usually a bit cheaper and more flexible than bigger firms.

The only thing i can see that you are missing is proven experience in painting. I've painted my house too, that doesn't make me a professional. You would really need to up your game there as all the contractors we've employed where extremely knowledgeable and experienced.

Beware putting all the family income eggs in one basket. Having diverse income streams can help get past fallow periods.

As a customer, I just disagree with this. There is definitely a market for what OP and her husband are proposing, as long as they can build a portfolio, prove their worth and get local reviews and recommendations through word of mouth.

I'm not looking for super experienced interior designer or joiner that cost a fortune, i want simple colour matching, wallpaper and simple shelves/TV units. There are plenty of successful carpenters and self-made painters doing this.

If you husband is a decent chippy, there's good money in assembling and customising Ikea flatpacks so they look like made to order built in furniture. If he's a cabinet maker, custom made fitted kitchens could be the way to go, but he will need a portfolio of work already completed. Media walls and the like are this years Instagram fad so I wouldn't rely on them for a long term income.

I think as you both have neither experience in the trade you’re training in nor experience running a business, start first by working for someone else to understand how the industry works, how to cost jobs, how to manage customers, how to market yourselves. Then slowly start dipping your toe into self employment. Likely one of you needs to start first while the other does the admin in the evenings while keeping an employed role. Make the leap when you think you can replace both your incomes fairly imminently.

I don’t really understand on what you’re offering, you were clearer on what you’re not offering. What does renovating, bedrooms and media walls mean in reality. Renovating what? Doing what in bedroom?

There are a few mistakes on those previous posts.

yes interior design with the use of AI can become very cheap. But thats on the surface.
there is a lot in interior design that you learn not just in books but with experiences.
as someone said,

• learn to cost a job
• leqrn the sequence and project management
• learn client management

see painting walls and buying cushions and fitting cabinetry - by a joiner / caninet maker or by a carpenter - come at the end. So many things need to happen first so the job is there to last

i dont want my clients to have a re do a bathroom, ir repair a “media wall” because clients were advise on looks without taking in consideration materials, durability, climate, level of humidity etc.

a bad interior designer or an inexperienced one is as expensive as a bad private school as there is no value for money.

@Bearbookagainandagain
i agree with you but even that can cost you a lot of money if done by someone with as little experience as the OP.

best advice you ce been given so far @Forentive get a job and learn. The. Go on your own.

I'm struggling to see why this is a question. Painting, decorating, joinery. Bog standard stuff. There's loads of them but they're always busy so a few more is probably good.