The same year, I also took on a part time role as the bookbinding technician at AUT University. The two roles were quite complimentary but by the end of 2012 the 60 hour-plus weeks were getting too physically intense and I made the decision to work full time at my studio.
Who are your clients and what do you sell?
My products are custom made to order; there are no off-the-shelf products. I work with a range of creative people like designers, photographers, artists, authors and architects as well as marketing, PR and fashion companies, and students from art and design schools. Essentially, I make products for other creative people's work to be presented in.
Some of the things I might do are take a photographer's prints and turn them into a portfolio, or make folders or boxes for companies with tenders to submit. Wedding photographers order print boxes, albums, and USB packaging as presentation methods for their images, or I'll work with artists to create books or exhibition pieces for their works.
I also custom make personal gifts, guest registers, travel books, albums and heirlooms for people.
What trends are you seeing in the market for handmade products?
As people get more involved with technology and the digital world, I've seen a resurgence of the love of handmade and a dissatisfaction of machine made which, more often than not, turns out to be badly made. Also, people are starting to realise that there's something about the relationship you can have with a print or a tangible object that a screen just can't imitate.
With that is the realisation that products made by hand, by an artisan, are things to be treasured. They aren't throwaway, they have a story and contain the passion and energy of someone you may have met. You may have also been to their workshop or studio and seen the tools and the signs of the hours that go into a piece.
What have been the biggest challenges in growing a business based on products you've made by hand?
My style of bookbinding is very physically demanding. In busy times it's about balancing making with non-physical work and trying hard not to overdo it to make sure my body is up to the workload. It's also about finding tools to help with some processes and knowing my limits. I have a manual guillotine from the 1860s, but last year succumbed to an electric one too. It's not quite as great to use, but when there's a lot of cutting to do it's better for my body.
It's also sometimes a challenge to justify a deadline, a price, or why an idea needs to be tweaked. Bookbinding isn't a well-known trade, and I try my best to educate clients through videos on my website and by posting process shots on social media when I can. That's great for those out of Auckland or who can't make it by the studio to get an understanding of what's involved.
At times I also reach my limit of orders I can take on. I generally have someone helping me out at least one day a week, but I haven't taken on anyone fulltime. When you're making by hand, it can be very time consuming to train someone to replicate exactly what you do, but at some point I will need to take on that challenge.
What advice would you have for other makers wanting to build a sustainable business around their creations?
- Stay passionate about your creations. If you aren't in love with them, you won't be making the best 'thing' you can and if it doesn't excite you, it won't be exciting your customers.
- Remember that your customers are buying your experience and your story, your hours of work and the skills you've accumulated. Share with them and let them into your workspace if you can.
- Find a network of other makers or business owners. They don't have to be in the same field but you will have the same challenges and issues, and it helps when you get those niggly self-doubts that most of us creators get.
