Thread: I think I am starting a new business

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Since I really got into my prop building work this year for my haunt. I have decided to build and sell pneumatic prop mechanisms for coffin and barrel jumpers. All mechanisms will be made out of steel tubbing and opperated with a real pneumatic cylinder and prop controller. I am going to start my proto types after New Years. I can build them in my garage and have little overhead. I have all the tools and good fabrication skills.
Wish me luck.

Good luck! =D

good luck. give us some prices when you get it all figured out. And, of course, since I am a close personal friend, i expect a discount!!! j/k

Good luck!! Like Cathy said keep us in the loop, I would love to be a first customer!!

Sounds Great! Good Luck to ya!

To keep away from online competition with you guys, I'll be selling props locally. We have JACK around here and maaan since people have seen some of my props. I've got request after request and offer and offer!

Again, good luck to ya, and hollar at the forum when you get some available... I'm sure several folks on here (including myself) will be happy to pick some up.

~{Autopsy}~

Thanks everyone for the encouragement! I will keep everyone in the loop. I don't plan on competing with the big guys. This will be kind of a hobby that I will do in my garage and if I sell a few here or there I will be cool with that, but who knows how it will turn out.

I think keeping it as a hobby at first is a good idea to see if you actually want to continue doing this for others. When you get your first paying customer, there's suddenly a little more pressure. Maybe a corner cut here or there for your own prop is now something you can't do for the customer who's paying good money. And then you want to make sure this turns out right for them in the end.

I just had this happen to me. While setting up my yard display, a person stopped by, complimented my work, and then asked if I could build her something. Of course she said she'd pay me. She said she did a haunted attraction in a nearby town and usually drove around looking for ideas to steal. But she liked mine so much she wanted me to build something for her.

I said yes thinking it was just one prop, but then an hour or so later she came back with her partner and put an order in for 9 props! Mind you this was less than two weeks before Halloween. Of course I still said yes. When I later gave her the purchase order she decided maybe just a couple of props would be better. So I ended up building a Monster Mud reaper for her and two paper mache corpses that hang from posts.

As I said, shortcuts I might have taken with my own props went right out the window with these. While there was the added pressure of having to get them done before this coming Friday (I finished them all up today!) I had to make sure they were of such quality that they would last a good long time.

Since her entertainment company does many themed parties, she said she wants to me to work with her in the future. I said, No problem! Just make sure you give me more than a week's notice next time.

So even as a hobby there's going to be pressure on you, let alone if you decide to go into it whole hog. Regardless, good luck!

Rich