Johannes Sitsen at work. The self-employed metalworker manufactures metal furniture in his workshop. (Photo: © Wilfried Meyer)
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July 1, 2014
After passing their master craftsman's examinations, Meike van Elten and Johannes Sitsen have taken the step into self-employment. They want to take on responsibility and implement their own ideas.
Johannes Sitsen first encountered the craft at the age of twelve. He wanted to make a spearhead. And blacksmith Christoph Münks let him work at the anvil. But on one condition: He had to complete an internship at the forge first. No sooner said than done. From then on, Sitsen could be found there more and more often. "I preferred working here to doing homework," he admits.
He had always enjoyed tinkering in his parents' basement. "But standing by the fire and forging things appealed to me even more ." The fact that 15 years later the now 27-year-old from Meerbusch would be running his own metalworking business in his mentor's workshop hadn't even crossed his mind.
Initially, he moved to Düsseldorf, where he completed his apprenticeship at the Huiskens metalworking shop. Afterwards, he returned to Christoph Münks and worked for him as a journeyman for two years. Shortly thereafter, he began his master craftsman training, which he completed as the top master craftsman , and immediately afterwards founded his own company.
"I'd had self-employment as a goal in the back of my mind for a long time, but I actually wanted to wait," says Sitsen. But the opportunity presented itself: He was able to move into Münks's workshop as a subtenant. There, he is allowed to use the machines for a small fee. "This allowed me to start my business with little capital. We work in the same premises, but we both run our own businesses."
Operations management
Operations management
Operations management
While Münks focuses on stairs, gates, fences, and railings, Sitsen specializes in metal furniture . This is also one of his company's unique selling points: "There aren't many metalworkers who specialize in furniture making." However, you won't find mass-produced furniture here – every piece is unique.
His customers so far are mostly friends and acquaintances, but his clientele is steadily expanding through word of mouth. He's been self-employed for eight months now, and things are going quite well, according to the metalworker. Looking ahead, he doesn't yet have a concrete plan for how his business should develop (other than putting it on a solid footing). But one thing he knows for sure: even after passing his master craftsman's exam, he doesn't want to stop developing his skills and learning.
"This profession is also a passion. You have to be fully committed to it." This is also Meike van Elten's credo. "Stagnation is regression. Constantly gaining new experiences is crucial ." The master hairdresser from Dinslaken also recently started her own business. "I simply wanted the freedom to implement my own ideas and work independently."
Creativity was already her thing during school: "I enjoyed working artistically back then. I wanted to do that in my career as well." That's why, after graduating from high school, she began an apprenticeship as a hairdresser. Then she wanted to take it one step further and began studying biotechnology at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Her goal was to become a vocational school teacher. "But I quickly realized that was too theoretical for me, so I dropped out after two semesters."
Before returning to hairdressing as a journeyman, Meike van Elten completed training as a makeup artist. "Finally, I could work creatively and practically again." During this time, the idea of owning her own business began to take root. At first, it was only a vague notion, but from then on, it became an indispensable part of her life. During her time as a journeyman, she felt somewhat restricted – she wanted to make her own decisions and realize her own ideas. Now, with the firm intention of opening her own hair salon, she began her advanced training to become a master hairdresser.
To raise the capital to start her own business, she saved money for over five years. The actual planning for the salon began after she passed her master's exam . "Almost everything went smoothly. The only problems were with the business registration. Getting all the necessary documents required quite a few trips to the authorities. That could have been much simpler."
Nonetheless, the master hairdresser has been her own boss (and that of an employee) for about seven months now. Like Johannes Sitsen, she's trying to build her business on a solid foundation: "The start-up phase is, of course, very difficult. I'm currently building up a client base, and it's going very well." Her unique selling point is that she can also work as a makeup artist. This means she can also offer services related to cosmetics. And with that, her future prospects look very good.
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