As a sparkie licenced since the 1950,s it seems like forever when I qualified I registered as a Contractor early days the rego was free the insurance cover compulsory was nominal.
In all these years I only worked full time a max total of twenty odd years as an electrician. The Electrical Contractors assn decided to protect themselves from part time blokes like me they submitted that public risk, huge insurance minimums be a requirement for everyone to qualify for the contractors Certificate convincing the Board to make this law a few years ago I opted out of the big one. Now the most recent Electricians license became 400 dollars per annum I will let that go as well.
I hasten to say for a long time now I have refused all requests to install lights, power points, switch boards etc due to the litigeous society we belong to even with best mates to cover my back.
Now fellow pen turners members of this forum I guarantee I could scare the socks of every one of you with Isolated instances of rubbish people who have successfully deprived us mere mortals of our houses and livelihoods by using some obscure law.
There are no such things as safe practices in making and selling pens or products either for the maker or the buyer as there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow as far as I know.
When you or I trade by selling we become subject to laws and conditions as direct manufacturers, when we buy our kits the same, timber purchases so inevitably when we sell make sure we have a selling plan that protects us at law for all eventualities and charge accordingly. Opportunism abounds among Pen makers gimme timber mates rates etc Let the SELLER beware by selling consistently at positive rates that cover the inevitable complications of trade.
I decided when I retired to make Penmaking a pleasure and a non profit venture nearly every day on this and other forums I gain the impression we look for those discounts other savings or ways to undercut pro sales on bowls, pens, grinders, tea lights, candleholders to make ourselves attractive enough to by pass bone fide dealewrs or manufacturers then expect or be offended when the inevitable bites us on the bum.
Go into business pay your way and prosper lift everything as above board as you should pay, taxes, car insurances, valuations on property and I trust have success, not every cloud has a silver lining.
In the meantime have success in your full time protected environment and protect yourself as best you can in your hobbies or other professions, bearing in mind this is after all an open ended discussion no one I ever met has the answers only guidelines thats why IMHO trade Unions etc have proved in my lifetime so far a lot of protection can save you from embitterment and becoming bankrupt. Words of caution placing pens in a situation where the point of display do not pay you outright rather demand commission on sales means all the risk is yours I can relate hundreds of horror stories where sellers use your products for their own purposes degrading the products without shame also requiring extensive paper work. A case in point was a rather famous location near Canberra sells up market woodwork etc on commission they have an unspoken method if you take in ten eg of anything to be sold they refuse to pay you until all ten are sold, well one top maker of dinner sets took in ten complete dinner sets nine were sold and the (corrupt?) owner withheld payment for a year finally the lady fronted the person who said our unwritten policy is to not pay anything until all sets are sold and we have orders now waiting until we feel it is time to reorder from you so without a word spoken the lady went to the place of business on a long weekend sold that set then refused to leave the premises until being paid in full for the ten sets, she then gave the opperaters chapter and verse how she felt even questioning their ancestry,never dealt with them again. Tough stuff I hear you say minor in my experiences with shady dealers.
Kind regards Peter.
