Making A Living - First, realize that what you will probably be doing, if things
work well, is making a living. If your taste run to living in luxury, it's unlikely
to happen with the output of one woodworker. There are very few woodworkers who are
getting wealthy from this work. These are the few who have become famous and make
much more from their books, magazine articles, product endorsements and TV appearances
than from woodworking. A few of these sell their woodwork projects for enormous sums
because of their fame. Unless you become famous, you will have to sell and produce
a lot of woodwork to make a good living.
Your Own Space - If you are fortunate enough to work from your garage or a shop space
that you own, your costs will be much lower. If you must rent a space, as I did,
then your monthly expenses will include additional rent, electricity, phone, garbage
pickup, security, etc. It all adds up and means that you must produce a minimum amount
of work each month just to pay those bills and of course, your personal bills.
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The Dream - Many woodworkers dream of making their living with their skills. From
the outside looking in, it seems an enjoyable livelihood and it certainly can be.
It's a worthwhile goal for anyone who really loves woodworking. After all, what could
be better than making your living doing something you really love.
THE ONE-PERSON WOODWORKING BUSINESS
After spending more than twenty years making my living with woodworking, I would
never discourage anyone from trying it. It is important though, to have a true picture
before jumping in. If you really know what is involved you will either change your
mind or be prepared for any difficulties.
Constant Marketing - The romance of woodworking must be balanced with the constant
marketing necessary to keep the work coming in. In time, word of mouth will bring
in lots of work if you develop a good reputation. Until then, you must get the word
out consistently. Once the work comes in you must have good production methods so
you can complete the projects promptly and keep the money flowing. If projects take
too long and the money flow stops, it can become difficult to pay the bills. Speaking
of money flow, you must develop and adhere to consistent collection methods. This
is one area where many woodworkers fail. The payment for the work must be as important
as the work itself. If you are lax in collecting, you will run into customers who
fail to pay you and this will cause serious cash flow problems.
The Business - Even though you love woodworking, you must do the business if you
are to make a living at it. Success requires an in depth knowledge of both woodworking
and business management. If you don't have both, I suggest you hesitate to jump in
until you have honed your business skills.
Looking back I realize that my lack of knowledge during my startup many years ago
could have been offset with some basic information and someone to advise me. I took
advantage of what I learned from many mistakes and years of experience and wrote
a book that covers it all. My book, Starting and Operating A Woodworking Business:
How To Make Money With Your Skills, is a detailed and comprehensive study of what
it takes to succeed in the woodworking business. I suggest that you check it out
by visiting the web site.
http://woodworking-business.com to get all the details. This book is a real bargain
and includes a full year of email consultation. With this book you will get the knowledge
you need and access to a mentor who wants you to succeed.
Copyright © 2009 Positive-Imaging, LLC
