It all starts with a neat set of screwdrivers you get from your grandpa when you turn 16. Grandpa thinks you are a man now and should have what every real man owns. He is, of course, right. As the time passes by, without you even noticing it, the amount of tools you acquire is increasing and, if you decide to take that direction in life, you will use those tools coupled with your talent to start your own business, fixing this or making that.
This is the right time to consider setting up your own workshop. Creating a space which you will be able to dedicate solely to your tools can be a fun and rewarding experience, but should also be taken seriously from the start. This is because the initial organizational efforts can prove to be crucial, since once you start piling up tools and other things, you will find it really hard to make a full reset and start all over again. With that in mind, here are a couple of tips to help you along the way:
Think About What You Will Mostly Do in the Workshop
The type of work you are planning to do in your workshop will mostly define what the space will (have to) look like. The workshop will not look the same if you are planning to make furniture or if your idea revolves around creating toys for kids.
Chose the Suitable Structure
If you have a backyard, a great idea is to separate the workshop from your house by purchasing a shipping container. Containers are a very practical solution – also, you can save money if you get them second hand and they are easy to transfer in case you want to move your business elsewhere later in life.
Ensure Ease of Access to Make Transporting Stuff Easier
Getting stuff into and out of the workshop can turn into a real nightmare if you don’t think about this when you establish it in your barely accessible basement.
Draw a Plan to Make Sure You Leave Enough Free Space for Maneuvering
If you are going to have some big wood or metal processing machines inside the workshop, you will need to measure them beforehand and then first try to fit them into the space on the paper. This way you will make sure you don’t find yourself stuck between the machines with barely enough space to breathe.
There Will Be a Lot of Dust, So Ventilation is Very Important
Plan enough windows and find suitable air conditioning. Once the real work starts you will find it impossible to relax in all that dust. It can be unhealthy, too, so there is no excuse to neglect this part (check this video for a bit of inspiration).
Plan Storage Space as a Separate, Protected Area
In order to avoid clutter as much as possible, dedicate some space to serve solely as storage. If you decided to establish the workshop in a shipping container as we suggested before, it will be as easy as adding another, possibly smaller container to serve that purpose. If you decided to base yourself in a garage, you’ll be forced to sacrifice some of the workshop space. Eventually, you do need to pay attention to when planning to base your business in an outdoor structure is to protect it from the elements. There are a number of ways to do that and you should decide on what suits you best.
