Starting a start up

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TallDad71
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Starting a start up

Post by TallDad71 » Sat Sep 29, 2018 12:14 am

So I can build guitars and I want to start teaching guitar building locally. Ive done my research and I know there is nothing in a radius of 80 miles that runs courses. Thats 20,000 sq miles of potential customers. I have my website, my Twitter, my Youtube and Facebook all set up and ready.

My last business was school education. Finding my customers was easy as I knew where all 5,000 teachers worked and I could write to them. 20,000 sq miles is an expensive mail shot and could never pay for itself.

So the million dollar question, what is the most cost effective way members have found to start up in the making, selling and delivering of luthier courses.

One option, I guess, would be to start small in the repair business and branch out. Sadly thats just not my bag.

All advice gratefully received.
Alan
Peregrine Guitars

simso
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by simso » Sat Sep 29, 2018 12:46 pm

Without a reputation to start with you have to drive an interest.

My recommendation, on your next personal build take lots and lots of photos, if you have a family member you can use even better, then you take those photos and put them onto your facebook "business" page, not your personal page, do this for about 3-4 weeks so you have created a timeline with photos. If you have friends local, uise them in some of the photos, the goal is to create confidence in your viewing public.

Now pay facebook to run an advertising campaign in your area targetting musicians, with any luck people will start clicking which will take them to your page of exisiting photos and start creating a buzz, amongst this you can start listing your conditions and costs and so forth.

Its a start, and many people do well from it.

Steve
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Do your own repairs - http://www.mirwa.com.au/How_to_Series.html

Crafty Fox
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by Crafty Fox » Mon Oct 01, 2018 3:35 pm

What about any woodwork show wherever you are?
When I went to the recent(ish) Perth Woodworkers Show there was a guy who set up a stall promoting his guitar building courses and there were other student displays at another stand, Fine Woodwork Assoc. So maybe you could tag on with another display? I know the single/personal stand would be more expensive but if you hooked up with another mob it would cost less. In fact the FWS display was full of visitors........much more than the single display.
And how about adverts in any local music shops? + what Steve said.
Ken

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TallDad71
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by TallDad71 » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:04 pm

Steve, thanks very much for your good advice. I think you have probably hit the nail on the head.
The problem with most self employed is that they love the technical side of their business but not necessarily the 'business' side of their venture. By that I mean I love teaching and sticking bits of wood together, but marketing, accountancy, paperwork are all much less fun.

I will take a leaf out of your book and start posting regularly to social media in a bid to raise my profile. Then hit it hard with a little raw cash on Google AdWords.

Thanks for your time.
Alan
Peregrine Guitars

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kiwigeo
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by kiwigeo » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:07 pm

TallDad71 wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:04 pm

I will take a leaf out of your book and start posting regularly to social media in a bid to raise my profile. Then hit it hard with a little raw cash on Google AdWords.
You could also raise your profile in here by telling us your real name :mrgreen:
Martin

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TallDad71
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by TallDad71 » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:12 pm

kiwigeo wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:07 pm
TallDad71 wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:04 pm

I will take a leaf out of your book and start posting regularly to social media in a bid to raise my profile. Then hit it hard with a little raw cash on Google AdWords.
You could also raise your profile in here by telling us your real name :mrgreen:
Aha, signatures! Martin my name is ...........
Alan
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kiwigeo
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by kiwigeo » Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:23 pm

TallDad71 wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:12 pm
kiwigeo wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:07 pm
TallDad71 wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:04 pm

I will take a leaf out of your book and start posting regularly to social media in a bid to raise my profile. Then hit it hard with a little raw cash on Google AdWords.
You could also raise your profile in here by telling us your real name :mrgreen:
Aha, signatures! Martin my name is ...........
LOL..ya got me there. Missed it when it was staring right at me.
Martin

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TallDad71
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by TallDad71 » Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:38 pm

kiwigeo wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:23 pm
TallDad71 wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:12 pm
kiwigeo wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:07 pm


You could also raise your profile in here by telling us your real name :mrgreen:
Aha, signatures! Martin my name is ...........
LOL..ya got me there. Missed it when it was staring right at me.
No, you were right first time! The "Aha signatures!" was me discovering I could add a signature. I did and it updated every post I ever did make.
Alan
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kiwigeo
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by kiwigeo » Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:08 am

TallDad71 wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:38 pm
kiwigeo wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:23 pm
TallDad71 wrote:
Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:12 pm


Aha, signatures! Martin my name is ...........
LOL..ya got me there. Missed it when it was staring right at me.
No, you were right first time! The "Aha signatures!" was me discovering I could add a signature. I did and it updated every post I ever did make.
LOL....nice to meet you Alan
Martin

simso
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by simso » Thu Oct 04, 2018 7:31 pm

Link your Facebook page if it’s allowed, then you can get it started.

Steve
Steve
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Do your own repairs - http://www.mirwa.com.au/How_to_Series.html

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lamanoditrento
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by lamanoditrento » Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:01 am

I know Andrew's school which he started 4 years ago was really boosted by a television interest story and a radio story on local public radio http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-22/m ... ne/7771654 when he was starting out. If you can give a reporter an angle it could give you a bit of free advertising.

The school also displays at a local instrument builders show, a traditional trades fair, and timber & woodworking shows.

Otherwise, the advertising is restricted to boosted fb posts and paid fb ads. Oh and google adwords.
Trent

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Steve.Toscano
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by Steve.Toscano » Fri Oct 05, 2018 9:41 pm

Hi Alan,
I went full time into the guitar making and teaching realm 18months ago (from a 16yr corporate IT career).
I own the Sydney workshop of the Australian Guitar Making School, i find teaching to be fun, enjoyable, most rewarding, and certainly helps pay the bills and put food on the table.

The smiles on my students faces when they walk into my workshop says it all for me.

So far i've had no trouble getting students for my 4hour classes run in small groups which i run 5 classes every week. Infact all my classes now have waiting lists as my teaching books are pretty much full up for the next year or so.
Best forms of advertising are Social Media, Google, and most importantly - get out into the local guitarists and woodworking community. My best bang for buck advertising so far was the local Timber and Woodworking show.

The biggest thing about the business side of teaching guitar making is, oddly enough; for the student it's mostly not about the guitar (end product) but about the experience. Get the experience right and you should have no problems gaining and retaining students. Around 30% of my students can't strum a chord.

Another point with teaching is how much I learn: 1) from the things my students want to try/do with their builds, and 2) the mistakes students make - and having to then fix said mistakes.

My commission making books are also quickly filling up as I've recently had 2 well known players (a classical guitarist, and a flamenco guitarist) endorsing my guitars.

So it's all very doable to go full time into teaching and making....

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TallDad71
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by TallDad71 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:30 pm

lamanoditrento wrote:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:01 am
I know Andrew's school which he started 4 years ago was really boosted by a television interest story and a radio story on local public radio http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-22/m ... ne/7771654 when he was starting out. If you can give a reporter an angle it could give you a bit of free advertising.

The school also displays at a local instrument builders show, a traditional trades fair, and timber & woodworking shows.

Otherwise, the advertising is restricted to boosted fb posts and paid fb ads. Oh and google adwords.
Thats a great link Trent, thanks you. This is certainly something to bear in mind once I have a client or two in my workshop. I know some people with enough skills to create my own 'news piece' and post it off to the local media. Similarly a great thing to do with the local print media.

Thanks again.
Alan
Peregrine Guitars

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TallDad71
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by TallDad71 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:40 pm

Steve.Toscano wrote:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 9:41 pm
Hi Alan,
I went full time into the guitar making and teaching realm 18months ago (from a 16yr corporate IT career).
I own the Sydney workshop of the Australian Guitar Making School, i find teaching to be fun, enjoyable, most rewarding, and certainly helps pay the bills and put food on the table.

The smiles on my students faces when they walk into my workshop says it all for me.

So far i've had no trouble getting students for my 4hour classes run in small groups which i run 5 classes every week. Infact all my classes now have waiting lists as my teaching books are pretty much full up for the next year or so.
Best forms of advertising are Social Media, Google, and most importantly - get out into the local guitarists and woodworking community. My best bang for buck advertising so far was the local Timber and Woodworking show.

The biggest thing about the business side of teaching guitar making is, oddly enough; for the student it's mostly not about the guitar (end product) but about the experience. Get the experience right and you should have no problems gaining and retaining students. Around 30% of my students can't strum a chord.

Another point with teaching is how much I learn: 1) from the things my students want to try/do with their builds, and 2) the mistakes students make - and having to then fix said mistakes.

My commission making books are also quickly filling up as I've recently had 2 well known players (a classical guitarist, and a flamenco guitarist) endorsing my guitars.

So it's all very doable to go full time into teaching and making....
I found this very inspiring Steve. I want your life! :D I was articular struck by the statistic of 30% of people not being guitarists. I am also very pleased for you that it only took 18 months to get your order books full, that is amazingly good work.

As others have suggested I will spend some time today networking with the woodworking communities around here, maybe get a stand at the next show.

Thanks Steve.
Alan
Peregrine Guitars

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kiwigeo
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by kiwigeo » Wed Oct 10, 2018 2:08 pm

TallDad71 wrote:
Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:40 pm
I was articular struck by the statistic of 30% of people not being guitarists.
I think this is a statistic that you will find repeating itself throughout Australia and NZ. I did a 3 week intensive building course with Paddy Burgin and Dave Freeman in NZ back in circa 2005. Of the class of 12 people around half were players while the rest had never picked up a guitar. I was the only student to carry on building after the course.
Martin

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Steve.Toscano
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Re: Starting a start up

Post by Steve.Toscano » Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:35 am

TallDad71 wrote:
Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:40 pm
I found this very inspiring Steve. I want your life! :D I was articular struck by the statistic of 30% of people not being guitarists. I am also very pleased for you that it only took 18 months to get your order books full, that is amazingly good work.

As others have suggested I will spend some time today networking with the woodworking communities around here, maybe get a stand at the next show.

Thanks Steve.
Worthwhile mentioning that my teaching business is part of a franchise (Australian Guitar Making School). The franchise already had a known and reputable brand here in Australia which has helped greatly in attracting students.

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