Woodworking Business 101

This book, like all my previous books on woodworking, is based entirely on first-hand experience as a full-time, self-employed woodworker. While running your own woodworking business is a lot of work, it's also an adventure that I enjoyed for over twenty-five years. This book is another opportunity for me to share my experiences with you and others interested in operating their own woodworking business.

As indicated by the title, this is a basic business guide and is geared specifically for the one person woodworking business. In the one person operation, you are the cabinet-furniture maker, the designer, the sales person, the accountant, the helper, and the clean-up person, all in one. You have a unique opportunity to learn all aspects of the business and your level of financial success will depend on learning it all. This is no small feat and requires a dedicated person who is willing to learn every day.

Before coming to woodworking I worked in my father's construction business beginning as a cleanup person, progressing to helper then to carpenter and builder. Finally, I ran my own business. My experience with building cabinets and furniture was almost nonexistent because as builders we usually hired out the cabinet work.

I took a stab at being a general contractor and built several homes and did quite a few large remodeling jogs but I got tired of the entire process of coordinating the work of subcontractors. So many times homeowners were disappointed because subcontractors failed to deliver on their promises. While discussing this problem with a contractor friend he asked me, "Do you know how you can tell when a subcontractor is lying?" I couldn't answer that question so he answered it, "His lips are moving." That is certainly an exaggeration but at this that time I could relate to what he meant.

I developed my cabinet and furniture making skills by fine tuning my carpentry and building skills, reading everything I could find about woodworking, and practicing on projects for myself. I also learned that making the best possible use of your present skills is a great way to grow a woodworking business and it is one of the subjects in this book. Getting a successful start in the woodworking business requires taking full advantage of all your abilities, getting paid well for your work, and developing a long list of very satisfied customers to serve as good references for the future.

There are many levels of woodworking ranging from the extraordinarily well designed and constructed heirlooms to basic cabinets and furniture. Contrary to what some publications would have you believe, most people are not looking for nor willing to pay for heirlooms. Those who are willing to pay for heirloom quality are often looking for woodworkers with proven track records and a reputation. Even if you do get some of those jobs, unless your skills are up to the task it could be problematic and even if you can deliver an acceptable product, you could wind up making minimum wage or less because of the time involved. I'm definitely not trying to discourage you from building heirlooms for customers, just cautioning that an extraordinarily high level of skill is important for this kind of work. If you have those skills then there is no reason not to accept this kind of project.