# Turning Your Woodworking Hobby into a Side Business



## WoodworkingTalk (Dec 8, 2015)

> Woodworking can be a very fulfilling hobby. Not only are you creating something unique, but in many cases you’re also making something functional. Other people may start to notice your work and you might even get asked if you take commissions. While it’s easy to regard this question as a fluke the first time you hear it, don’t sell yourself – or your skills – short. After all, if one person is willing to pay for your work then it’s entirely possible that others might be interested, too. While you may have been considering woodworking as only a hobby, there’s definite the potential for extra income there. Before you rush into anything, though, take some time and figure out just how you want to approach this opportunity.


*Read More*:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/articles/turning-your-woodworking-hobby-into-a-side-business/


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Woodturning is how I got into the woodworking business. I took a woodworking class at an Art Center and theer was a lathe. So I got on it and the instructor showed me how to turn bowls. I was immediately addicted. I lived alone in a 4 bedroom house and so I took one of the bedrooms, cut out the carpeting and bought a new Delta Lathe. I think it was about $400 in 1980's prices. I turned all day long every day i was off. There was no internet so I had to buy books andmore books on woodturning. I lived out in the county on 60 acres so I had all the trees I needed. Within a month or so, I outgrew the lathe. So I bought another Delta lathe. This one had indexing pins to make things like fluted legs for tables and chairs, was very heavy and most importantly, had variable speed. I think it was about $1000, back then. Anyway, I started selling bowls at work and also through art galleries. I thought paying 40 to 50% commission was kind of high. So i did what any other Electronics Engineer would do - I quit my job. 
I rented a nice space in a shopping center and opened up a shop. Nice gallery in the front with a big window (4' X 6') right by the lathe. Obviously, I hadn't really thought this whole idea out. There was no way to make enough money for the rent, utilities, my mortgage and child support. What the **** was I thinking. Panic set in. So I expanded the gallery to take in any kind of art work and anyone elses turnings. The gallery like wildfire. Then with my 11th hour luck, people started come in to ask if i could fix something. Then could I build something. then giving damage claim estimates. Then doing damaged furniture repairs for 2 moving companies. The I needed even more space and so the woodworking business expanded and the gallery just faded away. 
Anyway, even when I had the woodworking business take up most of my time, every night before I left the shop, I would turn 1 bowl to relax. 
BTW, I expanded to giving woodturning classes. I had people flying in from all the country for my 3 day course. It took some expensive advertising in Fine Woodworking Magazine, but it paid off.
I still love turning.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I do some woodworking for hire. I really don't like to do it, but it pays pretty good and I'm broke. Whoever said "the fastest way to ruin a good hobby was to turn it into a job" was correct. I mostly do small custom work that most commercial shops wouldn't mess with.


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## Mort (Jan 4, 2014)

hwebb99 said:


> Whoever said "the fastest way to ruin a good hobby was to turn it into a job" was correct.


A genius and philosopher. 

I worked at a tire shop for a little over a year and now I don't like to work on cars anymore. I used to love it. 

I do a little commission work but, not to sound like I'm too big for my britches, I never give a timetable (unless it's for Christmas or something), and I don't do micromanaging. They give me a vague idea of what they want and I take it from there. My pieces are more artsy so I figure they're paying me for my creativity. A lot of this stuff they can buy at Hobby Lobby for a lot less. 

I just sell stuff to support my power tool habit. Champagne taste on a beer budget.


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## MatthewEOD (Dec 6, 2013)

Mort said:


> I just sell stuff to support my power tool habit. Champagne taste on a beer budget.


Ive considered selling some stuff just for this very reason. Just for more tools for my shop.


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## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

I do woodworking as a hobby in my spare time, and work mainly with hand tools. I make whatever I feel like making, and can spend months making them to my personal satisfaction, so the things I make are mostly custom pieces. I don't know if I could sell them, and even if I did the price would never be right for me.


I just can't make myself work to a customer's requirement. If I had to do so, it will take all the fun out of my woodworking. So I guess perhaps unless I am really broke or something, I won't get into business.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

In my previous posts I gave the short version of how I got into the business. I was totally unprepared for it. I had never owned a business nor was I ever closely aligned with anyone that owned a business. So, not only did I have no experience with a business, I had no experience with woodworking. This was a disasterous first year but I survived. The biggest hurdles I had to overcome were A). Not having the nerve to ask for high prices for my work and B). never knowing when to stop working on a piece. The second hurdle was the hardest to overcome. You are your own worst critic. There is always that "just one more thing". A piece is never done. I would spend countless hours trying to correct things that no one would ever see. It took over a year for me to get past this. 
Life changed when I hired Frank Ferraro, the best all around artists I have ever met. Including a BS artist. In addition to woodworking, Frank could oil paint, restore fine oil paintings, work in marble - not only sculpt but also repair plus many other skills. Frank had a Fine Arts degree from CCNY. The BS part was his best skill. When a potential customer would come in the door and ask if we could do ......... Frank would always say "of course we could, let me call you in a few days with a price". After they left, I would say, "I didn't know you could do that". Then he would say, I can't but we have a few days to find someone who can". That led to a montra, which is best left out of this post. LOL
Now my other secret montra is "Strive for excellence but settle for completion". This also led to "never hire a perfectionist - they never complete anything".
Furniture Restoration somehow got in there, also by accident.


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## nxtgeneration (Feb 22, 2016)

I'm just starting to sell some small things, mainly to support my tool addiction like Mort said. This is strictly a side job that I do nights and weekends. If things go well I may try and do a few flee markets this summer as well. I definitely struggle with a lot of things that Tony B has said. I am never completely happy with anything, so I waste a lot of time trying to perfect them and I'm afraid to charge more for my work. I'm slowly working on that though.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

nxtgeneration said:


> ........... I am never completely happy with anything, so I waste a lot of time trying to perfect them and I'm afraid to charge more for my work.....


We used to make joKes in the Gallery when we had a piece for a while "If it *wont *sell for $50, then maybe it *will* sell for $70. Often times it actually did.


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

I made friends with a fellow I met at the local hardwood supplier.

He loved the idea of woodworking but had no experience and lived in a small apartment. 
He was looking at the exotic woods in the store. I asked what he was going to make.
"I want to make a wooden marking gauge." he replied.

I happened to have an antique making gauge in my truck---
That led to an invitation to my house/shop --and a long friendship---

He was fascinated with my lathe--so I gave him an old mini lathe I hadn't used in years and a big box full of scraps to practice with--
For over 10 years he had free use of my shop--he wore out my lathe--and an old Delta he bought--and moved up to Jets biggest lathe.

That fellow was a natural---he made the usual candle sticks and bowls--but realized in short order that there was not a good market for selling those items.

We brainstormed and hit on a few items that sold well---tools---
He became renowned for his awls----I taught him the basics in metal work--shaping and hardening,tempering.

Some other products that sold well were coffee tampers with matching trays--and the biggest surprise--ball removers for black powder pistols.

It took him a while to figure out that the more he charged, the better the sales----let's be real, a person that buys a custom version of a $5.00 awl is looking for bragging rights---not a 'bargain'---his awls sold for $75.00 to $150.00 each--and some customers bought several---
He was a frequent guest at woodworking shows ,became friends with other well known woodworkers and was written up in magazines ---

Not bad for a music major---

He passed away about a year ago---a good friend and fellow wood worker---


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## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

I'm a really free woodworker
Free, as free can be
I don't work to please no customer
I'm only in it for me
I make things for no one, woman or man
I work for myself, and make what I can


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

^ That poem says it for me.

I have been in the construction trades for 38 years, as an architect/builder/building commish/r.e investor. None of which were hobbies.
When I take on a hobby, it must pay for itself plus some. I do professional nature photography and make live edged furniture and also am a car nut. My tools to those trades as well as those of my construction business were all covered by sales of items I produce. 
What I won't do on the hobby side is "commission" work. If you see something I've built or photographed, I'll likely sell it at top dollar, but don't ask me to make something you want. If you don't like what I have up for sale, move on.

Now I do have an upcoming "mini home" like business. It's in it's infancy. It is not a hobby so I go after that with customer options and the likes. It's not what I would prefer to do with my time, but the bills and life needs paid for, so we go about it.

If you turn a hobby into a business, be prepared to get overwhelmed and disgusted with it.
If you turn something you like to do into a business, it's a different thing all together.


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## Arcola60 (Sep 17, 2014)

I have a full time job, and I want to keep it that way. Woodworking is my hobby, and true passion. I want to keep it that way. I have had my fill of serving the public. It is much worse now, than when I started. I have been told many times that I could sell my woodworking. All of this from people who do not do woodworking. I know their intentions are sincere. But they are not there with me every step of the way while I am making my end grain cutting boards. I do it for peace of mind and relaxation. It would be like, if I played golf and was really good at it and someone would suggest that I go pro. You can make money at that. It sounds good from where they are standing.

I know eventually I will sell some of my boards. When I retire, in the next few years I want to be able to do woodworking when I want to and not just on my days off. I stay very busy, and do not want to be hounded by the public anymore at that time. In my current job I am not dealing directly with the public. I have served the public directly for 22 years, I'm done.

This is just my story. I admire all that take on challenges, and turn their passions into thriving businesses. I also love to hear about them. Thanks to everyone who has shared their stories. The best of luck, happiness,
and much success!

Ellery Becnel


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## UnisawGuy (Jul 20, 2014)

Woodworking was never a hobby for me. In 1988 I went bankrupt. So in 19989 I was taking any job I could get, mostly a laborer on construction jobs. The last job was for a retired union shop steward from up north. In his world if you clocked in by 8:00am: the pay started at 8:00am. Work did not start until he finished his coffee: But he might be drinking coffee until 9:30 or 10:00! 
He had some hobby level woodworking tools and equipment that I started playing with: A lady that lived nearby needed some ducks to tole paint. So my first "woodworking" project was for money. When the remodel job ended he let me continue to use his equipment in exchange for cutting/splitting/stacking firewood. In the summer of 1990 I was able to build my shop and by a Craftsman 12" bandsaw and 15" drill press paying cash.


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## Mort (Jan 4, 2014)

Tony B said:


> We used to make joKes in the Gallery when we had a piece for a while "If it wont sell for $50, then maybe it will sell for $70. Often times it actually did.


That's no joke. I had a piece for sale for $75, didn't sell. I added a minor embellishment and sold it for $125.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Mort said:


> That's no joke. I had a piece for sale for $75, didn't sell. I added a minor embellishment and sold it for $125.


I used to date a psychologist at the time, and no I was not her pet project. LOL
Anyway, we discussed this very thing. She explained it this way: There is always an eye and brain connection that has to be resolved. If our eye makes us see a $70 price and our brain sees a value of $120. This has to be resolved. The 2 choices would be for your brain to think "hmmm, what a bargain" or, and this is a big 'or', maybe something is wrong with it. I am looking for art at an art price, maybe this is more like craft work and I aint payin' $70 bucks for a craft item".


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I don't seem to have the mental discipline to stick with it.

I wanted to see if I could sell some sort of wood carvings. By sheer coincidence, I was able to buy some beautiful birch.
After a little market research, I began to carve kitchen prep spoons and forks. My goal was 100 spoons, to sell at $12 each,
they took approx 90 minutes to finish each one in batches of a dozen or so. A single $5 birch plank made 15 spoons.

I quit after 70 spoons and 30 forks, my heart just wasn't in it any more. Maybe half sold over several summers.
Every last family member got them as gifts. I still have a box of them.

I'll carve what I see in the wood. You like it? I'll measure it and give you the price. Seems $10/inch is about right.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Sever years back, Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast. Lots of trees down. I knew a guy from a local woodworking club that was making spoons from downed trees from that storm. He sold hundreds of them starting at $25 each and going up to$50. I don't know if the spoons were that good or just because it came from trees downed by the storm. I havent seen him in a long while so I dont know id he is still doing it. 
Anyway, maybe you are not charging enough to be taken seriously?


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Tony, I carved several differnet shapes/designs and handed them out to locals who cook for charity and in local eating places.
They all wanted a very heavy/thick handle for heavy dough (pie crust/pasts/pizza/bread dough. OK by me.
Then I asked about price. $12 - $15 what the collective opinion so I went with that, as well.

Man, I just got tired of doing it. Other carvings were calling me as well.


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## Marv (Nov 30, 2008)

I turned my woodworking hobby into a career early on when I found I had a knack for cabinetmaking. Many years ago I parlayed my love of music and the cabinetmaking into a "side" business of building home/auto speaker cabinets, equipment racks, speaker adapters etc to support my own audio habit. That (along with selling audio gear online) has now overtaken cabinetmaking however I still enjoy woodworking as a "hobby" (especially with my nephew) when I find time to do it.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Considering I have numerous hobbies, to turn one into a business isn't out of the question. The thing to realize is the discipline needed and to go solo, and most businesses fail. So it's your job to beat the odds and double down to get things right. Especially if your whole lifestyle depends on it.

I've been self employed since 1990. It's got it's advantages but when you got to crank down and get serious, you can count on long hard hours when it's called for. You also need to price yourself right. and do your due diligence and get customers. 
I have a rule that most will think is extreme. I don't work for less than $80.00 per hour. Considering the car mechanics and other specialized trades charge that, I don't see it as out of line. After all, there is overhead, and many times you just won't make that wage. Other times I've made upwards to $125 per hour.
If I couldn't make that, it's not worth the stress and headaches of business ownership. Let the next guy handle the late nights and the paperwork and lose sleep.

It take a certain personality to be sole proprietor .


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

Lots of good information here. Here's my take on what is involved.
Things to consider when doing woodworking as a business:
1. Income tax- state and federal
2. record keeping- profit/loss, tax deductions, equipment purchases, equipment depreciation ( I use a CPA for my taxes- I don't recommend the walk-in tax services.)
3. zoning laws
4. sales tax for local and state
5. OSHA- federal and state- this can be a real pain and expensive if they come in and gig you for safety and environmental violations.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Don't forget 
6) liability insurance. Workman comp if you have employees.
7) incorporation 
Both as a protection of your personal assets.


And we could go on.


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## Gaylordcat (Apr 27, 2013)

I was a teacher for 150 years, it seemed. Got up at five every morning. Got home at eight or nine every evening. (Was a theatre director!)

I've wood worked for 20 years. Hobby. Do not want to crawl outta bed at a set time every day and look forward to woodworking, which I love, in order to make a living. Eventually, I'll hate woodworking just as I got to hating teaching. Do not want that to happen.


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## Cowboy18 (Aug 21, 2017)

Like many here I build what I like, mostly Mantels, Coffee Tables, End Tables with lambs, Benches, Bars, Signs, Trailer Gates, And Crosses for Churches. Anything custom built is double the price of one I made on my own. You would think that would scare folks off, but it doesn't. Folks that can afford it love to say "I had it custom built". The more I don't want the job, the higher the price gets. This strategy cuts way back on custom build requests, but makes the ones you take very profitable. 


One of my favorite moves, for customers that I know can afford it. Is if they have me custom build a Mantel, I will cut a Coffee Table and two End Tables out of the same log if possible, or match it up when not. Anyway I make them all in the same style or color inlay as the Mantel. 8 out of 10 times the Customer buys it all. They gotta have it, it matches they're Mantel. And if they don't buy it, I got a matching Coffee Table and End Tables for sale. I have turned a $1,500 sale into a $3,500 sale many times that way.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

aardvark said:


> Don't forget
> 6) liability insurance. Workman comp if you have employees.
> 7) incorporation
> Both as a protection of your personal assets.
> ...


I would suggest that you consult with a lawyer for liability issues and a CPA for tax issues, both state and local. As for incorporation, my father and I looked into that when we had a sales rep business. Our CPA/attorney (two for the price of one) said we would have to pay taxes twice- corporate tax and personal income tax. We scratched that idea.
Lots of people will disagree with me, but I would only have one employee- me. After being around the business world since 1964, I have come to the conclusion that good employees are hard or impossible to find and harder to keep. Plus, there is all the record keeping for an employee. Therefore, I go with the one I know best- me.
Edit: I built custom fishing rods for eight years. Last year, I found a lucrative niche! But, after pondering it for a few days, I quit the business in December. I figured that it would turn into a full time job. I had those before and didn't retire to go into another full time job. My wife is also retired. Yesterday, we took off and went to a nearby small town, browsed through antique shops, and had lunch at a nice restaurant. As the late Jackie Gleason would say- How sweet it is!


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

Mort said:


> A genius and philosopher.
> 
> I worked at a tire shop for a little over a year and now I don't like to work on cars anymore. I used to love it.
> 
> ...


A tire shop? Well no wonder you didn't like it. Those places are slave factories. You should have gone into auto body work like me and spend every last cent you had on tools only to be paid in peanut shells.. lol
Yeah, I hate working on cars to now.. I have to admit though that peeling off the tape and paper after painting a car is kind of fun..not as fun as changing tires though..lol
Right now I'm just aiming to make a bit more income and if I can get beyond break even point I'll be happy. I'm going to try to keep things simple with one specialty item. I have very little interest in forcing myself to work 90 hours a week to pay the rent. I've been there before thinking everyone and their uncle would want their car painted by me. Hint: They didn't. There's a good reason Earl Schribes went out of business..
The most lucrative business I ever landed in for a while was selling used appliances. I was getting them all free. My only cost was pickup and delivery..and I charged for delivery..I kind of wish I hadn't killed that golden goose, but oh well..


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## bren_leaf (Nov 9, 2018)

I think everyone goes to that stage. Lucky that there are many available options and guides we can get online and it's just up to us to work our butts to where we want to be with our passion.


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## Freddie dudley (Dec 11, 2018)

I’ve work on aerial bucket trucks for 25 years. Had a shop full of mechanic stuff. Back last winter I started closing in the rest of my shop and converting to wood working. lol. Didn’t realize how much junk I had. Taking care of the mechanic stuff has been a large project in its own. Been doing some rustic garden projects. Been mostly using reclaimed lumber and pallet wood. The wife wanted me to outfit her laundry room for accessibility. She’s kinda tuff to work for lol. But I love it. She’s started helping and we’re doing some Christmas crafts. I built a chest of drawers out of juniper for my man cave. In the process of finishing up a farmhouse style dining table for my daughters Christmas. Found out fast that long lumber is tuff for new guy. Looking forward to a community that I can share with and learn from. Just turned 60. And they say you can’t teach a old dog new tricks. We’ll see. Happy crafting guys


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

60? I can't remember back that far. Good that you and the wife work together on crafty things. How about some photos of the table later one?

Others may disagree but I shun pallet wood on the basis of remarks by a retired truck driver- said you don't know what the wood has been exposed to in its life.


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## Brian T (Nov 3, 2018)

I live where pallets grow. Fresh spruce/pine/fir junk lumber. They have not been anywhere else.
I make all of my lawn and garden furniture = chairs and many work tables, from the fresh/clean pallets that I get.
Any further down the line and I'd be reluctant to use it, too.


There's no money in fine furniture woodworking. Even less in wood carving, big or little.
I have nothing but the greatest admiration for anyone brave enough to do it.


Somebody has to die to get young people to want a china cabinet built.
I'm convinced that they understand the true cost of such a project and just elect to live without.


I was expected to be an academic. So I did. Bunch of biology degrees. 

Really great steady job with no overtime pay. Just get it done. Pre-med students are as dumb as the rest.

After 30+ years, I decided that I was done. That I just did not want to do that any more. So I quit.


I grow and sell grapes, grape juice and new grape vines. I do wood carving in the winters.


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## Freddie dudley (Dec 11, 2018)

Thank you guys for the post. I’m kinda new at the forum thing also. Been cutting out some sets of little skinny Christmas trees and ornaments. Working on a nice little snowman family project with juniper lumber. Smells so good looks kinda quite also. And some juniper name plate signs. Maybe I’ll try to figure out how to post some pictures lol. Seeing how I’m so tech savvy and all


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## Hartlus (Dec 25, 2014)

Hmmm. Why are we talking about a "side" business? The title seems to suggest that you shouldn't try to be successful. Instead, you should have a hobby and maybe you could accidentally make a little money on the side. Not enough money, just a little. It's either a business or it isn't. And for any real business, you need a business plan. Or just a plan really. Having a plan is also the difference between doing what you love for a living versus destroying your hobby.

Are you going to be a production wood worker, a craftsman, or an artist? What are you going to make? Is there a market for it? How much can you charge for it? How much do you have to work to make the income you want? What's your overhead? How much of a cut does the middle man want? You need to answer these types of questions before you price and sell your work.

Going into production doesn't have to kill your soul. You just need to realize that the wooden object you are making is not the project that you are taking joy in. It's building your production line that gives you joy in this case. If that's not for you then you probably want to be a craftsman or an artist. A craftsman is an expert. They can turn out good work in a reasonable amount of time and are able to charge a premium for their aesthetic and expertise. An artist will need to delve into the art world. They will have to sell themselves, like it or not. They have to get to know other artists and dealers and work together to support the art community. In both cases, who you are becomes important. Teaching classes, making videos, and having a Patreon will make you famous and allow you to charge more for your work.

Anyone notice how fickle pricing can be? I wanted to make end grain cutting boards, but I'm not going to because I won't be able to sell them. Everyone expects to pay a high dollar for an end grain board and they simply don't want to spend that much on them. I could easily reduce the price, but then who wants a cheap end grain cutting board? (I do). Weird psychology. Let's compare pens and pepper grinders for a moment. The pepper grinder is considerably larger, takes more work, and has the potential to contain all kinds of detail and craftsmanship. Make the most beautiful pepper grinder in the world and you'll be lucky to get $80 for it. People just have an upper limit on how much they'll spend on a kitchen gadget. Make a pen out of the same but much smaller piece of wood without any special detail in a fraction of the time and you can easily charge twice as much. Why is that?

Brian, don't sell yourself short. You were charging Hobby Lobby prices and had to be a John Henry to try to compete. Most of us cannot compete with Hobby Lobby. You had the right product, but the wrong customer. The people you want to sell to wouldn't be caught dead with bourgeois Hobby Lobby stuff in their house. They go to Hobby Lobby to see what not to buy. They see something beautiful and then are instantly turned off by it because anyone can have one. They'll buy gifts there, but they won't put that stuff in their house. No, they need to spend five times as much for their spoons before they are emotionally satisfied. You and I only have to keep up with the Joneses, they have to keep up with the Kardashians. Also, the cost of the materials and time spent working on a spoon are almost insignificant when you consider your overhead and the retailer's cut (35-50%).

I'm developing product right now. I'm not even sure what I'm going to make yet. I only have clues. Like: How much will I charge for it? How much of that will be profit? Who's buying it? How much effort will it take? How fast will I have to work? What tools do I have available? Where am i selling it? How many do I want to make? I have a pocketful of ideas, but I have so much other work to do before I even make my first prototype.

Believe me. Unless you are both very talented and lucky, there is no business without planning.

The article was helpful, and it warns against jumping too quickly, but it doesn't tell you to plan. It encourages you to just move forward from where you are. That is a mistake in product development. In general, these are the steps to developing a product:

Come up with a bunch of product ideas to think about (The fun part. Just play around in your shop with what you have available until you get some cool ideas).
Get a general idea of what it is that people want to buy and that you might be able to make (The part where you deny yourself a little fun to make sure that you create something that the market wants).
Determine if the idea is feasible and how it will make money (The hard part. Do your homework. If you can predict what your books and shop floor are going to look like at the end of the year then you did it).
Start building something (Prototyping is fun. You'll discover mistakes. You'll also revisit the previous steps and do them all over again).
Test it (Did it come out alright? Does it still deliver what the market will buy?).
Sell it (You're in business. There's no stopping now. You already decided how you were going to do this in step 3).
Improve it (You now have market research, customer feedback, build experience. You'll be reviewing your whole process and making everything better. This is a never ending cycle).

This is all about planning. You do a lot of planning before you spend anything. It feels excruciatingly slow, but in the long run, it's cheaper and faster than making all your mistakes at the end of a race that you might not finish. Also, you decide how successful you are going to be ahead of time. You don't wait and find out at the end how things are going to turn out.


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## Onefreetexan (May 3, 2018)

Off topic, slightly,,,,A few years ago at a small one day art fair in a nearby resort town, met an old timer that was selling grandfather clocks he had made over the winter,,,Had eight of them and pretty decent prices, Not cheap,,,but about what they would cost at the actual clock factory showroom about 100 miles away,,, He sold everyone of them by 2 in the afternoon..

Never saw him again,,,,wonder if he did it again.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Unfortunately, if you start a business, you have to jump in with both feet in order to have people take you serious. I have run what I call full-time part-time woodworking businesses. That is, I work full time when around and part-time when not around. To explain it better, The last 25 years or so, I worked off-shore on the oil rigs in the Gulf Of Mexico. Most of my shifts were 2 weeks out and 2 weeks home. Two weeks home can get boring on the second week. I've explained the path earlier so I will skip that for now. Anyway, everything after my first business was what i called successful. 

So here is my experience and philosophy on must haves:

Build a decent looking website. Follow all of Googles rules and you will come up on first page of the search unless you are in a big 
city.

Buy a box truck at least with a 16' box. This is your billboard. Decorators want to see nice looking big trucks with your business 
name on the side and they want their clients to see nice looking trucks when you pick-up a room full of furniture to be 
refinished/repurposed and when you deliver a new room full of furniture you just built. Individuals feel the same way - trust me on 
that one. Your truck is not only your roving bill board, it also shows that you are here to stay.

Rent or buy a commercial building space in a commercial/industrial area. Keep the sign simple or in my case dont even put one up. 
Without a sign you keep fellow woodworkers from drifting in and wanting to hang out. You wont have time for that. 

Lots of other stuff I cant think of right now,but my point being, you have too look serious for people to take you serious. 

As for hiring help, that's a whole nother story.













Everyone's experiences are different so all I'm saying is this is what worked for me. 
























Have a separate phone just for the business. 
Start off by promoting your business as a woodworking business but put major emphasis as a refinishing business. If you refinish, 
they will come and they will come quickly.


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