Arrested Development - Ex-Pats Mexico

This would be a good idea for a creative Mexican to make extra cash or for those of us handy enough to make our own:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Persona ... ng-Stones/

I would like to teach a Mexican artisan how to do 'faux bois' in French, but is called by Mexicans in north, US. South "trabajo rustico" .
http://fauxboisinconcrete.blogspot.com/

These are deck/patio items made from hand applied concrete, over a welded steel frame. These items are of course very heavy - but they standup beautifully in the oceanside weather, just add some foam cushions. They never get stolen or broken, no matter how heavy someone is. They are usually in barked 'oak' type tree - but I have done arbutus (an endangered northwest species) and can also do 'strangler fig' - an endangered Mexican tree. I can do concrete palapa frames too. Concrete bamboo would be easy too.

Those are beautiful. I'd love to have theme. Here in San Cristobal on the South side a few years ago the residents almost all had dirt floors. A woman in Guadalajara taught the women how to make the flowers and the Flamenco dolls you see made from corn shucks. It helped them to improve their lifestyles and now all seem to have at least cement floors if not tiled.

Why not find some enterprising Mexicans who can learn to make the items like yours and they could make a nice living? I imagine if they had pictures to show there were be plenty of orders from ex-pats.

The problem with this type of work, and stonework too, is not getting the orders, or getting it made, it is generating the designs. It takes a lot of time to produce a working drawing that someone else can follow, then getting the customer to approve it, often when they often have no experience visualizing from drawings. Rather surprisingly, the customers usually have much higher expectations when they finally see the end result - the drawings looked 'better' than the end product. I don't know the word for it, but it is extremely common whether you are designing architecture, clothing or furniture.

The trick seems to be to standardize - like the bench shown in the link - get twenty identical frames welded up at the same time - each is going to be uniquely hand made with the cement. Sort of like 'limited edition' - this is harder to market than one of a kind work but I think people will accept compromise, ordering from a floor model rather than drawings.

I know enough about Mexico to know that teaching someone an ability is not enough, paying them a set price when they finish is not enough, what works is a tough ass jefe making sure every hour's work he paid for, is accounted for - or else.

Wouldn't the person you gave the idea to be the jeje? I think you are right about standardizing and I think if the right designs are selected a person could sell plenty of them here.