Catching Up - Happy New Year!
Custom arts and crafts inspired stair balustrade. December 2024
Hello Followers of Furniture and Such!
First I want to say thank you to everyone’s support over the past year. Together we were able to make pieces of all sorts for homes across the world. It is not lost on me that I would not be here without the support of my friends, family, customers, and suppliers. Your investment in my business has been instrumental and I truly could not be here without you. Again, thank you.
Last year was an incredible learning experience. From finishing school in Scotland, to moving back home and starting to make full-time, I had to approach everything as if I was a beginner - non-complacent and open to being educated. As I grow into this new role, I hope to never lose that side of me, especially as my experience and knowledge expands. With that in mind, let’s take a look back on some of the successes of 2024:
First year as a full-time business!
Graduating Chippendale International School of Furniture as Student of the Year
Featured in 3 print magazines, 3 online publications, and 1 podcast
Shortlisted for 2 national awards and 2 international awards (see last blog post)
Projects finished include the Arts and Crafts Settle, Little Cabinet with a View, a dining table, a conference table, a coffee table, and biggest of them all - a complete staircase balustrade
Shop move to a still temporary, but larger and more productive space
With taking on more work, learning more about running a business, and finding creative ways to solve the day to day problems, I recognize that priorities shift. I am adapting and reacting in a way that so far feels sustainable, but there is so much more that I aim to do. Keeping up with the successes from above, let’s celebrate some of the challenges from 2024:
Still perseverating on how much to charge for my time and experience
How to operate a business in the black or green within the first three years of work
Making this blog a more regular article, with email updates and thanks givings
Making speculative pieces for show spaces
Making small objects to sell on the website
Merchandise?
How to market to the audience I want and establishing the customers that are looking for me
Paying my bills
I do believe that in celebrating everything that I’ve listed, I’ll be able to set myself up for more success in the coming weeks, months, and years. Already this year is shaping up beyond what I could have imagined with custom pieces of furniture, restorations, and some rad fitted pieces.
Please keep in touch and follow along. I am committed to you and to writing more often. Thank you for joining me on this learning process. Thank you for supporting my work. And thank you for investing in YOUR space. You are always worth it.
Happy New Year and more soon,
Jean-Philippe Clark
