Online Business Course For Furniture Makers
Business
We know that when a customer invests in a handmade piece of furniture they’re less likely to throw it away.
It’s our mission to see more custom furniture in people’s homes across the world and less crap in landfill. Rather than expanding and producing more furniture ourselves we know we can have more impact globally if we use our skills to help other makers successfully run their businesses
OUR MISSION
More Successful Makers
= Less Crap in Landfill.
Al and I have been working on a holistic course that dives deep into all aspects of running an online making business to ensure that independent makers have the absolute best chance to succeed and create something sustainable that they can truly be proud of.
The Successful Furniture Makers course by Al + Imo is the only implementation course of its kind that not only shows makers exactly how to set up procedures and processes in their businesses but also teaches digital marketing strategies to reach their dream customer at their dream price point.
Successful Furniture Makers module by module.
Module 1. Key Decisions to Set Yourself Up for Success.
This is where you’ll figure out your dream customer, your ideal price point and map out the plan for your furniture making business.
Module 2. Creating a Brand People Love & Trust.
By the end of this module you will have refined your branding to attract your ideal client at your ideal price point and you’ll have a clear idea of what language to use to educate your potential customers to invest in you.
Module 3. Processes & Productivity because Time = Money.
By the end of this module you will have implemented our blueprint business processes so you can spend more time refining your furniture making skills and avoid the admin overwhelm.
Module 4. Money In & Money Out, Confidently Knowing The Numbers In Your Business.
This is where you go from a hobby to a business. By the end of this module you will have the money side of your business set up and will feel confident quoting, taking payments and tracking expenses.
Module 5. Photography & Styling to Sell Your Products Online.
Learning how to shoot your own content confidently will save you thousands of dollars. In this module you will learn how to style & photograph your products to sell online. (And yes, you can even use your iPhone).
Module 6. Website & SEO to Turn Leads into Paying Customers.
In this module you will create / update your website. You will know exactly what to put on your website to attract your ideal customer and you will understand & implement organic SEO techniques so you can sell direct to customer.
Module 7. Customer Service That’ll Turn Your Clients into Your Biggest Fans.
In this module you will implement our seamless customer service strategy and email sequences from initial enquiry all the way through to post-delivery.
Module 8. Digital Marketing to Drive Traffic to Your Website.
We’ll be diving into email marketing, social media, PR and collaboration. By the end of this module you will have a content marketing strategy to drive traffic to your website that you replicate over and over again.
You’ll be given access to the modules one-by-one over the 12 weeks so that you have lots of time to dive into the lessons and execute that portion of the project plan BEFORE moving onto the next. Plus 12 weeks of live Q&A sessions with Al + Imo inside the private Successful Furniture Makers Facebook group for members only. This is where you'll get your burning questions answered so you can move forward with total clarity and confidence.
Starting our furniture making business changed our lives. We went from working jobs we didn’t love and living for the weekends to creating a profitable and successful business where we get to wake up every morning and make things that we love for amazing people.
More than anything else, we want to share that with you.
If you’re just starting out, need a helping hand or just searching for a motivated community of makers, you owe it to yourself to take a plunge to see what your life looks like as a successful & profitable furniture maker.
Should you choose to join us, we personally guarantee that these 12 weeks will be completely and utterly life changing for you and your family.
We look forward to meeting you personally inside Successful Furniture Makers.
Cheers,
IMO + AL
Lifestyle
A wall bed (also known as a Murphy bed) lets the room function as a studio most of the time, but quickly converts into a comfortable bedroom when guests arrive. Here’s exactly how we built ours.
How we built a handmade dollhouse using upcycled furniture, miniature furniture, and creative DIY details, inspired by family, play, and imagination.
We recently bought an artwork from Bluethumb and i’ve curated a collection of my favourite finds. Plus, get 5% off your purchase with code alimo5. Discover original art by Aussie artists online.
If you’re building your own little library or looking for the best books for babies and toddlers, we’ve pulled together a list of our all-time favourites. These are the ones we’ve read on repeat - the ones that always end up back in little hands.
We installed four VELUX FS Fixed Skylights (780 x 1180mm) into our pitched Colorbond roof to replace LED panels and bring in natural light. See how we did it using custom The Skylight Warehouse custom flashing kits.
After years of searching for the perfect doona, we finally found it—Bonny Doona. Soft, breathable, and made for all seasons, this is the ultimate bedding upgrade for a restful sleep.
Discover how to style your home with art and collected objects in a way that feels personal, curated, and cohesive. Follow these five simple tips to create a space that tells your unique story.
Check out how we turned an old cubbyhouse we found on Facebook Marketplace into a cafe to inspire imaginative play!
Hey! We’re Al + Imo
We’re a husband and wife duo, building our dream life one DIY project at a time. We are proudly self-taught, furniture-makers, business owners, designers and stylists.
DIY RUNS IN OUR DNA
We firmly believe what you learn should be shared which is why we created our Journal. A place where you can learn new skills and be inspired by other creatives.
Top Categories
This holiday season I’ve teamed up with Cricut to create DIY personalised Christmas gift sacks for Goldie and all of her little friends. This is a really fun project and I know the kids will enjoy them for many years to come. I hope this inspires you to get crafty this holiday season and from my family to yours Merry Christmas!
In Freshwater Creek, where we also live, we combined our own talents, along with our family and friends to create a day focused on love and fun and showcased our DIY skills in spectacular style.
We were stoked when iconic Australian brand, Blundstone contacted us to design and make plinths to display their boots in retails stores. It was a complete shift in the workshop from making beds but a really fun and creative project to get stuck into. We took the opportunity to use different materials, learn new skills and test new techniques.
Looking for last minute DIY wood projects that would be great woodworking gift ideas? Check out these easy woodworking projects and plans for beginner woodworkers to pro woodshop owners.
I’m so excited to share this project with you and hope it inspires you to re-love something of your own, click through to watch the full video.
This week it is Al's turn in the workshop and we thought we'd build something we've always wanted - a timber ladder for either blankets or towels.
We decided to build a chest of drawers that could sit a removable change table tray on top so that we can continue to use it forever. The beauty of this plan is once you learn how to build a set of drawers the possibilities are limitless!
This week we decided to create a simple timber floating shelf coat rack. This is a great woodworking project for an entranceway, kitchen, bathroom or kids room!
We have a sneaky suspicion that we’ll be spending a lot of time here so we wanted to create something beautiful that we’ll be able to hold onto for all of our babies. The tray is designed to sit on top of set of drawers - plans available for this project too!
This is a super simple DIY sewing project perfect for beginners which we love for any room in the house. We’ve created digital patterns that you can print off and step-by-step instructions for this project which can access here.
This is a super simple DIY project perfect for beginners. We love this for any room in the house and you can easily adjust the length measurement to suit any space.
This is a collection of our go-to meals of the year, recipes we've had passed on to us and some that over time we have tweaked from recipe books. I’m planning on gifting these as part of our Christmas presents and starting a tradition of adding new recipes each year. This is a really simple gift idea that is creative and from the heart.
This is a great project to make for yourself, or to make as a Christmas gift for someone that loves to cook.
I love this project as it’s affordable, quick to whip up and the finished product looks really beautiful. This is a great project to make for yourself, or turn your children’s flowers into art or give as a gift leading up to Christmas.
For this week's DIY Project as part of our Christmas Gift Guide Series we thought we'd make a nice BIG Grazing Board that is perfect for those who love to entertain (like us).
This is such a simple project and great gift idea that encourages outside play in both adults and children!
This was a DIY project requested by so many of you when we put the word out asking what you wanted to see us build! Simple timber picture frames that you can build yourself at home.
Custom joinery can be expensive particularly when the drawers you’re working with are not a standard size. These steps can be applied to any drawer throughout your house, I know we’ll be doing them in every room!
We are renting our house and storage in our kitchen is a struggle. For us we really wanted to build something that maximised our bench space while making sure we didn't need to add any permanent fixings.
We wanted to give our rental kitchen a mini makeover by replacing the metal door handles with beautiful timber ones. This is a super easy, quick and budget-friendly DIY home improvement project that you can whip up in an afternoon.
We’ve had this mirror ever since we inherited it from an old share-house. We’ve always said we’d make a new timber frame for it and we finally got around to doing it.
We picked these stools up a few years ago, although a quick, cheap and regretful purchase we couldn’t bring ourselves to just toss them out - so we thought let’s try replacing the tops with beautiful solid hardwood and see what we get.
It’s Winter here in Australia which means Al and I will be wearing our boots all day - everyday. This DIY project is a really practical item for our home here on the farm in Victoria as it gets quite wet here and we are constantly treading grass and sawdust from the workshop to our house.
Over the weekend we sanded back and re-sealed our dining room table. A couple of hours work and we now have a dining table that looks brand new again.
We asked you to request a DIY project for us to do and plant stand came in a bunch of time so we decided to get give it a crack. This is a great beginner project, you can use scrap timber you have laying around the house and it’s super easy to customise the design to fit your pots.
This surf board rack has been a long time in the making and we've finally ticked it off our list of things to do! We decided to round the edges which we've provided instructions for - it's a little tricker so definitely worth having a go if you want to challenge your woodworking skills. If you want the quick and easy, skip the routing and just go with the straight edges
This spice rack was a weekend project we did a while ago and anytime it appears in one of our photos or videos we get asked if we sell it. We are renting our house and storage in our kitchen is a problem. For us we really wanted to build something that maximised our bench space while making sure we didn't need to add any permanent fixings.
Staging a room for a photoshoot or just have guests coming over? Here are my tips on getting that magazine look in your bedroom. Severely impractical for real living but they sure do make a good first impression.
This is an all-time favourite recipe, it’s full of flavour and really doesn’t take that long! Just make sure to prep all of your ingredients first! You can also substitute the seafood for chicken thighs or puffed tofu.
This recipe came from a friend’s dad, we’ve been cooking it for years and it’s a staple in our kitchen throughout winter. I love cooking this whenever we’re sick or on a cold, rainy day. This was also a meal I prepped before Goldie’s birth and enjoyed postpartum.
We received this recipe a couple of years ago from our friend Jess, it's a meal that we love and have on heavy rotation. You can pack it out with seasonal vegetables and the leftovers can be eaten with eggs for breakfast!
Honey and Bacon… name a better duo… this breakfast is an absolute winner! Sweet, salty and perfect for when you want that cafe experience in your own home.
I remember going to the same cafe everyday and ordering a tandoori wrap in India. This is my interpretation and always a total crowd-pleaser.
There’s no denying that Al and I absolutely love eggs! We are very lucky to have access to farm-fresh golden eggs from our neighbouring farms! One of our go-to breakfasts is a delicious omelette packed full of flavour. The below recipe is what we had readily available in our fridge but you can definitely substitute any of the ingredients with your own.
The one thing that I found really helped during my first trimester was drinking a smoothie in the morning before getting out of bed which I continued to do into my second trimester. I highly recommend giving this recipe a go if you’re finding is hard to get out of bed.
After a quick morning coffee with our neighbour Marissa up at Freshwater Creek Cottages we were sent home with a tray of eggs from their chooks and a pile of beautiful herbs from their veggie garden. It only felt right to whip up some delicious fritters with a zesty yoghurt.
Inspired by a breakfast we ate two days in a row on a recent trip to Daylesford. Baked eggs with all of the good stuff - we’re pretty sure you could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We made one of our all-time favourite Ottolenghi recipes which is his Turkey and Sweetcorn Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Sauce, we had leftover sauce so we thought we’d create a delicious breakfast dish around it. I make these flatbreads all of the time, they are particularly great with Indian dinners!
Stacks on baby!! Basically a super simple oven-baked sweet potato rosti stacked with a pile of deliciousness. A really easy and tasty breakfast when you want that cafe experience in your own home.
This is a really super delicious, healthy and easy breakfast recipe that we whipped up with leftover vegetables that we had in the fridge - packed full of flavour and a great way to feed a large group (or one Al who eats enough for 3 people).
Ok - stay with me here. One of our absolute favourite side dishes is maple syrup roasted brussel sprouts - we eat them for dinner, lunch and now also for breakfast. Not surprisingly these translated beautifully to a morning treat!
These pancakes are on high rotation in our household - not only are they absolutely delicious but they are also healthy! The batter is made up of bananas, oats and eggs… so you can treat yourself without the guilt!
Sometimes there is nothing better than a big breakfast - the key to nailing the BB? Using really good produce! This is our take on the always-satisfying Big Brekky all made from locally-sourced produce!
Inspired by a Jamie Oliver carbonara recipe we thought some of the ingredients would translate well to a breakfast dish. This is really easy and so packed with flavour!
Al was in charge of making breakfast this morning so Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict was the pick! This is a great substitute for a cafe breakfast which I know we’re all craving at the moment (insolation coops are real).
An experiment that turned out pretty good! We were inspired by cans of beans and a pasta sauce we found in the pantry and used up all of our leftover vegetables. This would be great for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you could probably just use whatever you have laying around.
This recipe is inspired by one of my favourite breakfasts from a cafe called Caffiend in Cairns - every time I travel home I visit and order this breakfast. I’ve made it up from my memory and I think our rendition was pretty successful!
I was strolling through the supermarket and was stopped in my tracks by these beautiful looking tomatoes and thought why not whip up a simple breakfast bruschetta? This is a really quick, simple and satisfying meal.
We felt like treating ourselves… and what’s more indulgent than butter? A really simple but seriously delicious breakfast that will leave a yummy taste in your mouth all day long!
A bit of a crowd-pleaser…. the kind you feel good making and eating. This breakfast is a total winner - super easy, delicious and healthy as hell!
A great way to use up all of those leftover vegetables, a healthy and delicious meal for either breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The potato hash is absolutely delicious and we were surprised at how easy they were to make!
Nothing fills up our cup more as a family than heading out for a walk together. The track from Bells Southside to Bells Beach is one of our favourites. For anyone searching for a good dose of nature this is it, it’s usually pretty quiet - maybe because it’s not suitable for prams… so get your front packs on mummas and pappas and enjoy!
I spotted The Bootmakers Cottage in Birregurra on Instagram, only half an hour from our house it looked like the perfect place for our first family holiday! We spent our time rugged up by the fire, eating food and soaking in the tub - what a perfect location for my first bath with Goldie!
The Lon Retreat is a luxury hotel and spa located in Point Lonsdale on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria. What a perfect place to spend our ‘Babymoon’ AKA the last holiday just the two of us we’ll have in a while.
Imo grew up in Cairns and we’ve lost count the amount of times we’ve travelled back to visit friends and family. Far North Queensland is filled with beautiful places to explore and is a perfect holiday destination for nature lovers.
Daylesford is a favourite weekend holiday destination for those who love nature, design and food! We couldn’t help but share our stay at the beautifully considered Room and Board Airbnb which is perfect for couples wanting a quick getaway.
Before we moved to the Surf Coast we used to spend every weekend driving down here to surf. We would wake up early Saturday morning and hit the road - stay as long as we could and drive back to Melbourne. And if the surf was really good we’d wake up on Sunday and do it all over again. We moved in September 2016 and haven’t looked back.
What a hidden gem… only an hour from Melbourne’s Westgate Bridge, close to the epic Surf Coast beaches and on the way to the Great Ocean Road.
If you haven’t heard of this place before, than this is our gift to you - do yourself a favour and get Unyoked.
We chose Sri Lanka for our honeymoon, here’s our guide on eating, surfing, adventuring and relaxing.
On The Journal
Building a backyard pizza oven from scratch using fire bricks, a simple dome mould, and refractory cement. Follow our step-by-step process and get inspired for outdoor entertaining, wood-fired cooking, and DIY projects at home.
A wall bed (also known as a Murphy bed) lets the room function as a studio most of the time, but quickly converts into a comfortable bedroom when guests arrive. Here’s exactly how we built ours.
How we built a handmade dollhouse using upcycled furniture, miniature furniture, and creative DIY details, inspired by family, play, and imagination.
We recently bought an artwork from Bluethumb and i’ve curated a collection of my favourite finds. Plus, get 5% off your purchase with code alimo5. Discover original art by Aussie artists online.
If you’re building your own little library or looking for the best books for babies and toddlers, we’ve pulled together a list of our all-time favourites. These are the ones we’ve read on repeat - the ones that always end up back in little hands.
We installed four VELUX FS Fixed Skylights (780 x 1180mm) into our pitched Colorbond roof to replace LED panels and bring in natural light. See how we did it using custom The Skylight Warehouse custom flashing kits.
After years of searching for the perfect doona, we finally found it—Bonny Doona. Soft, breathable, and made for all seasons, this is the ultimate bedding upgrade for a restful sleep.
Discover how to style your home with art and collected objects in a way that feels personal, curated, and cohesive. Follow these five simple tips to create a space that tells your unique story.
Check out how we turned an old cubbyhouse we found on Facebook Marketplace into a cafe to inspire imaginative play!
See how we transformed $100 Facebook Marketplace dining chairs into timeless hardwood beauties. A sustainable upcycling project that saves furniture from landfill while creating unique, durable pieces.
Imogen Gilchrist
Imogen Gilchrist is a creative director, Squarespace website designer and social media strategist who loves good design & good people.
Building a backyard pizza oven from scratch using fire bricks, a simple dome mould, and refractory cement. Follow our step-by-step process and get inspired for outdoor entertaining, wood-fired cooking, and DIY projects at home.