The True Cost of Overtime When you back out overhead, time-and-a-half wages for overtime hours may work out to a wash. But not always ... October 2, 2007
Selling Used Woodworking Equipment A woodworker is closing down his shop and wants to sell off some older equipment. In this thread, he gets advice on how to go about it. December 14, 2005
The Cost of High Turnover Replacing a lost employee costs a business to a degree that isn't always appreciated. Here, cabinetmakers discuss the problem of selecting, training, and keeping valuable team members. September 8, 2007
Advice about Starting a Cabinet Business Cabinetmakers deliver several truckloads of advice to a young person with some start-up cash and a lot of enthusiasm. October 25, 2006
Secured Debt, Collections, and Legal Advice An out-of-business cabinetmaker is being pursued by a debt collector for money he owes on machinery. The case sparks a heated debate and reveals some hard-nosed business and legal truths. January 7, 2007
What to Do When a Job Goes Sour Here's a seminar on how to handle the situation when the homeowner-GC-cabinetmaker relationship heads south in the middle of a job. January 10, 2008
Economics of Sawmill Operations This thread takes a close look at some hard numbers for logs and various sawn lumber products, and teaches some valuable lessons about how sawmills can make money, or lose money. September 6, 2010
When to Raise an Employee's Pay Here's a long discussion about the purpose and timing of pay raises, and the associated communication issues. July 3, 2006
Charging Enough to Stay in Business Seasoned cabinetmakers give a newcomer some hard-nosed advice on how to price his work realistically. October 15, 2009
Marketing and Selling Outsourced Cabinets Here's an insightful discussion of the practical aspects of outsourcing cabinet parts for the small shop, in light of customer perceptions of the value of the end product. November 23, 2008
Incentive Pay for Workers This long, detailed thread takes a close look at the whole concept of bonus and incentive pay for employees. January 9, 2008
Time Clock Cheaters A question about how to deal with workers who are punching each others' time cards leads to a wide-ranging discussion of morality, motivation, and time-tracking technology. January 13, 2009
Coping With Business Failure A woodworker who's headed for a crash landing gets advice on how to make the best of a bad situation. March 12, 2009
Teaching an Employee to Optimize Materials A problem with an employee who doesn't use up scrap leads to a long discussion on hiring, training, and firing procedures. May 20, 2009
Employee Overpayment Snafu A cautionary tale: an overtime miscalculation resulted in years of paycheck mistakes in the employees' favor, before the payroll manager figured it out. How should the boss respond? June 5, 2006
Employer Vs Employee Must employees and business owners be pitted against one another? From WOODWEB's Business Forum. March 5, 2003
Employee Overtime There's an up side and a down side to working (and paying) employees overtime. Here, owners and workers discuss the management of labor hours. October 25, 2006
Establishing a Change-Order Policy An extended discussion of one of the peskiest issues in custom woodworking: managing customers who want to change their minds. February 6, 2007
Interior Designer Referral Fees Referral fees charged by "interior designers" are a frequent source of misunderstanding. April 20, 2007
Working Too Hard and Still Broke A cabinetmaker asks for advice on getting out of the hole he's in, and gets a ton of good feedback. January 9, 2008
Whether to Give Clients your Drawings Here's an extended discussion about appropriate policies for control of shop drawings and design layouts. May 26, 2010
"Joint Check" Payment Agreements in Commercial Work This long thread deals with a cabinetmaker's choices as he negotiates for a commercial job where the customer is proposing to pay the cabinetmaker and his materials suppliers with the same check. January 26, 2008
Generating Working Capital A long discussion is triggered when a cabinetmaker asks how he can free up cash for running his business. Should he seek greater production efficiency, apply for a line of credit, or try to interest an outside investor? September 5, 2006
Whether to Build a Big Order of Slab Doors A long and informative discussion of the risks inherent in constructing cabinet doors as glued slabs made up of solid wood boards. November 14, 2014
Setting Shop Temperature A long discussion about how warm (or cool) to keep a shop, whether to turn the heat down at night and over the weekend, and the effect on costs, productivity, and quality of different practices. December 24, 2012
Surviving Being Stiffed A cabinetmaker mulls over whether to throw in the towel, after two big clients fail to pay. July 5, 2011
Calculating a Shop Labor Rate What shop labor rate will enable this cabinet shop turn a profit? Here's an extensive and detailed discussion of setting a realistic value on labor time. March 4, 2006
Six Sigma Strikes Are the Six Sigma system requests that a customer makes appropriate? November 3, 2004
Managing a Business Disaster A big customer can't pay because of big legal trouble — now the cabinetmaker has to struggle to stay afloat. This long discussion is loaded with sympathetic insights. November 26, 2007
Wholesale, Commercial, and Retail Pricing Cabinetmakers discuss the idea of using a tiered pricing model to reflect volume, complexity, and customization of the job. July 12, 2012
Challenging Issues for Wood Shops This thread tackles two issues at one time (listing the top issues confronting wood shops, and managing multiple different kinds of work), and beats both into submission. July 30, 2009
Rates for custom milling An extremely detailed look at different systems of charging for custom milling. May 30, 2001
Sawdust as fuel Building a sawdust-fired boiler to heat kiln and shop. November 18, 2002
Cabinet Businesses Overseas Here's an in-depth discussion of what it's like to move your U.S. cabinet business to a developing country (where, yes, there are opportunities). August 29, 2011
Survival Strategy: Raise Your Prices! Believe it or not, some woodworkers are successfully adapting to the downturn by increasing their prices. June 22, 2010
Value added defined Many definitions and interpretations are offered up. July 29, 2003
Skilled Woodworker Employee Wages A highly qualified shop employee with broad responsibilities asks how to assess his own fair wage rate, and kicks off a spirited discussion among employers, employees, and self-employed craftsmen on the forum. February 10, 2009
Recovering from an Estimating Mistake If a rookie salesman accidentally sells a job way, way under cost, can the shop owner back out of the deal? There's more than one side to that question. October 25, 2006
Customer Deposits and Payment Schedules A heartfelt and sometimes heated discussion about setting payment terms, including initial deposits, for a cabinet job. February 27, 2013
Danger in the Woods Woodworkers should be aware of the reactions some people may have to certain species and take appropriate precautions. August 13, 2005
When Will I Be Rich? A young cabinetmaker wonders when (if ever) he will be "well off." Well, young feller ... April 29, 2012
Letting Employees Use Your Shop Here's a long thread about what terms an employer should set for allowing an employee to build a personal project in the shop. February 11, 2009
Sales and Marketing Advice Here's a long and thoughtful thread about how to create and implement an effective marketing and sales strategy — online and elsewhere. March 22, 2013
Kitchen Cabinet Pricing Comparison Cabinet shops compare price estimates on a basic kitchen job, and discuss the factors that influence their prices. June 5, 2006
Dealing with a Deadbeat Client A sad tale of a customer who won't pay evolves into a detailed discussion of contracts and legal alternatives. February 17, 2006
Shooting Digital Photos of your Work A long discussion of cameras, lighting, and photo techniques for taking the shots for your website and print portfolio. August 23, 2006
Defining "Custom Cabinets" What is a "custom" cabinet, and what do terms like "semi-custom" and "stock cabinet" mean? Pros discuss the dividing line between craftsmanship and mass production. December 28, 2005
Employee Bonus Incentives Most employers in this thread believe that bonuses for employees don't work. June 4, 2012
Calculating a Shop Rate An extended discussion on the math and reasoning behind setting a rate for shop work billed by the hour. July 30, 2009
Whether to Remove a Lein A cabinetmaker who has not been paid asks whether he should remove his lein against the house, as requested by the owner. Colleagues explain why he should not. February 6, 2010
Social Conversation and Shop Morale Can a business owner help maintain a friendly and sociable work environment? The question sets off a long and lively discussion on the Business Forum. July 24, 2005
Training Employees A rambling brainstorming thread about how to teach complex tasks to workers. December 2, 2006
Is a Woodworking Sub Responsible for ADA Compliance? If you catch potential Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violations in a set of plans, advise the architect, and help out with corrected working drawings, are you now on the hook for some kind of liability? Here's a long and thoughtful discussion. March 12, 2009
Is This Job Discrimination? An African-American's story of a frustrating job search leads to a frank discussion of race as a factor in employment, along with some solid advice on landing a job. January 10, 2008
Dealing with Equipment Distributors Here's a long, lively, and sometimes contentious thread about the middleman's role in the machinery market. April 29, 2012
Coping With Burnout Cabinetmakers discuss how to keep interest alive and productivity up while juggling multiple roles in a one-man cabinet business. March 12, 2009
Shop Drawing Time per Job How long does it take to prepare shop drawings for a cabinet job? Here's a thorough and detailed discussion of that question. November 15, 2011
Handling an Order Cancellation Early in the Contract Two lessons are learned from this case where a customer wants to cancel without explaining: One, contracts should spell out the exits for both parties; and two, some things in life are more important than business. January 31, 2012
Last-Ditch Business Survival Tactics When your back is to the wall, it's time to take radical measures. Here's some advice for a contractor who's up against it. October 13, 2008
Expanding a Part-Time Screen-Door Business Here are some detailed tips on finances, sales, equipment, and job management for a woodworker who's looking to expand a small side business making screen doors into a full-time operation. October 19, 2011
Who Are You? Thumbnail Biographies of Forum Members Ever wonder who you're interacting with on WOODWEB? In this thread, forum posters give a brief history of their lives in the woodworking trade. June 16, 2014
When a "Designer" Hands You Sketchy Drawings Advice on structuring the process when a "designer" supplies you with vague, half-baked sketches and asks you to take on the job. November 14, 2014
AWI Certification and Bidding Advice on how to get certified with the Architectural Woodworking Institute, and how to qualify as a bidder on projects when you're not certified. May 20, 2009
To Fire or Not to Fire? A new hire's performance is spotty and his pay is high. Should the boss let him go? In this thread, the question gets a thoughtful examination from all sides, including several different boss and worker perspectives. November 10, 2005
Door Pricing and Outsourcing Here is a long thread about door pricing, kicked off by a cabinetmaker who gets sticker shock from a door vendor's bid. July 25, 2010
Categorizing Expenses to Track Job Profit A cabinetmaker struggles with the problem of defining "cost of goods sold" and "expenses" — not for tax purposes, but to track the profitability of individual jobs. April 3, 2012
Starting Out in a Garage Business owners weigh in on the question, "Can I bootstrap a woodworking business out of my garage?" January 2, 2014
Stupid Woodworker Tricks With a nod toward David Letterman, pros discuss their least-best moments. January 24, 2005
Whether to Invest in a CNC Router Here's a long, thoughtful, and detailed thread comparing the advantages of a CNC router to other efficient setups, and considering whether buying a CNC is a good move for a small shop facing cut-rate competition. September 30, 2010
AWI certification Is membership or certfication with AWI worth your while?July 29, 2003
Market Research for a Business Plan Thoughts and advice on how to investigate the market for the products of a proposed new cabinet business. October 14, 2009
Accepting Less than the Agreed Price Learning from experience: a cabinetmaker gets paid less than he is owed because of supposed defects the customer perceives in the product as delivered. September 29, 2014
Six Sigma Observations Principles for developing efficiency in the workshop. November 3, 2004
Ethics of Working with Interior Designers Another long discussion about a perennial sore point for woodworking professionals: transparency and fair dealing in the relationship with designers. April 18, 2015
Gross Sales for a Small Shop Business owners discuss reasonable sales projections for a start-up cabinet shop. February 17, 2006
Employee Side Projects in Your Shop Thoughts on whether to allow employees to use shop equipment for occasional personal projects. November 13, 2009
Converting from Employee to Subcontractor Changing your status from an employee to a subcontractor for the same shop is a complicated and potentially risky move. October 13, 2008
Ending the Endless Punch List Good quality control is important, but contracts and business practices should keep punch lists within reasonable limits. October 26, 2012
Thoughts After a Severe Accident After a shop worker is very badly injured by a machine, the owner seeks feedback from colleagues. April 7, 2008
Downsize or Reorganize? A busy cabinetmaker is burning out on the fast lane. Should he lay everyone off and fly solo, or try to grow his employees into guys who can manage his company? January 7, 2007
Technology, Process Improvement , and Management in the Woodshop A long, rich discussion about generating and applying good ideas, motivating and organizing people, choosing and using the right equipment, and keeping things simple in cabinet and furniture production. December 14, 2005
Selling Factory-Made and Custom Cabinet Lines When you offer both your own custom-made cabinetry and a less expensive line of factory cabs, pricing and selling strategies become complicated. Here's a long and thoughtful discussion. January 19, 2011
Safety Glasses in the Shop The owner gets advice as a new eye protection rule creates a labor-management dynamic in a woodshop. August 27, 2009
Shop lighting Best bulbs for brightness and efficiency. February 12, 2003
Should I Specialize in Door Production? These days, the cabinet door industry is highly competitive and has low margins. Here's a discussion of the realities of starting a door-making business. March 25, 2007
Nested Base Versus Beam Saw and PTP A closet system fabricator and installer describes his journey through various shop equipment situations. May 26, 2014
Radios In The Shop A discussion with as many opinions as there are styles of music. February 25, 2005
Dispute Resolution: Paint Color Mismatch Handle this: the customer gave you the paint for the built-ins; it doesn't match the trim; now the customer wants you to fix it. (This time, the story has a happy ending.) February 10, 2009
Taking on an Apprentice It's good for society when young people gain skills. But the rules for apprentices are the same as for employees, and the management problem is not trivial. April 8, 2013
Solar Power for a Wood Shop? Solar panels or a windmill can supplement your shop's electric usage, but you're not going to run big iron on it without the grid doing most of the work.. June 4, 2012
Starting Out as a Furnituremaker Making custom furniture is a very tough business, and most craftsmen who try it fail. August 29, 2006
Motivating and Guiding a Commission Sales Rep This thread starts with a question about how to structure a contract with a commission salesperson, then expands into a broader discussion of effective sales and marketing strategies. February 6, 2010
Surviving Tough Times A Woodweb forum maker says he's ready to throw in the towel, and others describe why they're not — and explain the tactics they've used to hang tough.October 26, 2013
Toning a Table Top This finishing problem is really more of a customer relations issue. But it's worth reading just for a look at the table top (a lovely piece of work). August 22, 2013
Getting Started with Lean Manufacturing Getting the waste out of your workflow is best done in small steps with quick payoffs — especially in the early stages. February 16, 2012
Low-Bid Bottom-Feeder Blues but this discussion of commercial bidding, corner-cutting, and cut-throat competition is worth a look anyway. November 11, 2005
Speeding up the Work with a Value Stream Map Drawing a map to visualize the steps in the production process helps cabinet shops streamline their processes and focus on productive activities instead of on moving parts around. October 2, 2007
Log Scales, Log Size, Kerf Thickness, Lumber Yield, and Profit The estimated yield using one or another log scale may differ from the actual board footage of lumber sawn from a load of logs, for a variety of reasons. Here's a close look at how different scales, different logs, and different saws affect the yield, the price, and the profit. April 20, 2011
Choosing a Business Name Catchy? Unique? Descriptive? At the front of the alphabet? Company owners discuss the value of a good business monicker. February 17, 2006
Markup and Profit with Expensive Materials Should a cabinetmaker apply the same markup to very expensive lumber as he applies to his usual materials? The question kicks off a long and thoughtful discussion of markup, overhead, and profit. March 21, 2012
Kitchen Pricing for Newbies So this guy's trying to figure out how much to charge for building a kitchen for a relative. Naturally, it's all relative. But beginners could begin to grasp the basics of pricing from this discussion. June 8, 2008
Talking Dollars with Sales Prospects Finding out what a customer really wants, and what they really can afford, involves some psychology — but the effort can pay off. December 9, 2013
Furniture Manufacturer Direct Sales A furniture manufacturer gets some well-informed and thoughtful advice on how to structure a direct sales operation so as to survive tough market conditions that are destroying his multi-step dealer sales volume. December 27, 2008
Cost of Estimates Getting paid for time spent on a job before you know it's yours. April 18, 2004
Whether to Go Out of Business Facing slow times and scary financials, a cabinetmaker seeks advice on whether to call it quits — and if not, how to turn things around. July 27, 2008
Comparing Assembly Methods for Euro Cab Construction Starting with a question about entry-level cabinet assembly, and bypassing a digression about business qualifications, this thread digs deep into the relative advantages of different assembly methods and process systems for a production cabinet shop. April 27, 2011
Who cuts sink holes? Is this the responsibility of the cabinetmaker or installer? December 17, 2003
Getting Off the Treadmill Advice for a one-man shop about creating a little free time in your life. April 4, 2011
Seeking Success in the Cabinetmaking Business This question from a struggling cabinetmaker provides a good opportunity for some education in the basics of business success. September 7, 2013
Managing a Customer Cancellation When a customer wants to cancel after paying a 50% deposit, and after you've purchased materials, what's the fair and equitable solution? Do you give all the money back, part of it, none of it, or what? April 21, 2011
Gauging Customer Interest What makes cabinet customers get cold feet, or take forever to make up their mind? Cabinetmakers discuss sales methods and customer psychology. June 23, 2006
Figuring labor and overhead Factoring in all the variables, and ways to learn financial management. July 24, 2002
Switching to a Woodworking Career A professional pilot who loves woodworking is considering a career change. His story sets off a spirited discussion on the ups and downs of the self-employed craftsman's life. November 10, 2005
Responsibility for a Too-Dark Finish A cabinetmaker is being asked to hold the bag for the poor work done by a painter who the customer hired. In this thread, professionals suggest ways to handle the problem. November 11, 2005
Estimating Start-Up Costs A brand new business owner seeks input on projecting first-year expenses. January 6, 2005
Changing Careers -- to Woodworking Here's a half-dozen stories of people who've made the mid-life switch to a woodworking career. March 18, 2006
Recycled barn wood Processing and marketing reclaimed lumber. September 23, 2003
Chordal's Letters Considered by Today's Shop Men A discussion of a century-old book about shop craft, "Chordal's Letters" by James Waring See, available today as an on-line archive. February 6, 2010
Employee Issue: Train or Let Go? A shop owner is on the fence about a new hire: keep him on and hope for improvement, or fire him now? Experienced employers discuss philosophies and approaches. July 24, 2005
Credit Cards, Profit, and Sales Here's a spirited and detailed discussion about whether a cabinet shop should accept credit cards as payment. May 15, 2011
Metric Versus Imperial Point oh six of one, half a dozen percent of the other ... February 13, 2013
Another Cabinet Pricing Survey Cabinetmakers from around the U.S. quote ballpark prices for a generic cabinet project, and discuss costs and markets. April 9, 2008
Terminating a Job in Mid-Project This story of a job gone sour has a happy ending: The cabinetmaker gets out in good shape by having a good contract and standing his ground. January 13, 2009
The "Sustainable" Chain of Custody How can a small shop get certification that its wood is sustainably produced, all the way back to the source? June 30, 2009
Mistake-Proofing Cabinet Jobs Deep thoughts on office, shop, and job-site standard operating procedures that can reduce the human-error factor in cabinet production and installation. April 29, 2010
Too Old to Start Out in Woodworking? Is 39 too old for someone to take up the woodworking trade (or business)? The consensus here is, heck no. January 20, 2010
Sizing Up a Shop That is For Sale Another worker ponders whether to buy a shop that's up and running, or set up his own from scratch. Lots of good angles considered in this long thread. July 2, 2008
Lean Production of Raised Panel Doors A discussion of tricks for evening out workflow, such as: to speed up the whole job, move labor to the bottleneck from downstream activities. June 28, 2013
Managing a One-Man Shop for Income A solo operator's question about reasonable income expectations kicks off a long discussion of wise management practices. October 3, 2006
How to Be Ready for OSHA Either the safety agency itself, or a private consultant, can help you identify hazards and avoid possible penalties — before you're surprised by a "real" enforcement inspection. April 20, 2007
Etiquette for Dealing with Customers A discussion about how a hardworking cabinetmaker can learn the social skills for interacting with customers from other walks of life. July 12, 2012
Motivating Employees for Productivity Shop owners discuss management styles, regulating work hours, and ways to cultivate a good employee work ethic. June 23, 2006
Start-Up Advice for Businesses It's the same old story: A skilled craftsman (and new solo businessman) just figured out he's been making three dollars an hour. Guys who have been there and done that chime in with advice and encouragement. December 14, 2005
Learning from an Under-Pricing Mistake When inexperience leads a good cabinetmaker to under-price a nice kitchen, he tries to make up for it on a time-and-materials island — but the ensuing sticker shock strains his relationship with the customer. Older hands point out the lessons he should draw from his mishap. December 2, 2006
Making Money as a One-Man Outfit Experienced woodworkers and business owners share some excellent business advice with a solo operator who's struggling to get organized and make ends meet. May 26, 2011
Unstable Cabinet Geometry and Toppling Risk A furniture maker wrestles with the stability and safety issues of a tall, narrow freestanding cabinet with one heavy glass door. August 21, 2006
Economics of Sawing for the Tie and Pallet Market Ties and pallets typically get sawn as byproducts when producing higher-grade lumber. But in a down market, it's tough to sell any part of the log at a profit. September 6, 2010
Competitive pricing Establishing a pricing system that will bring you plenty of jobs and profit. November 22, 2001
The Last Word on Marketing Everyone's looking for that one book called "How to Effectively Market Cabinets for The Least Cost and Effort". Until it comes out, here's another Knowledge Base thread with some pretty good ideas. August 13, 2007
When the Customer "Cherry Picks" Your Bid A cabinetmaker bids on a whole house project, but only gets part of the job. What's going on, and how should he respond? February 6, 2010
Working Exclusively for One Client When a client suggests an exclusive arrangement, it's wise to think carefully about the potential downside. March 18, 2006
Iwf 2010 Reports from 2010 years IWF show in Atlanta prompt the question: are big woodworking machinery shows a thing of the past? April 4, 2011
New Shop Layout Efficient shop flow for increased profit. February 28, 2004
New Hires and Production Problems Adding new employees to speed up production can have exactly the opposite effect. Here's a case in point. July 20, 2011
Responding to Cold Sales Calls How should a busy shop owner relate to salespeople who drop in unannounced and uninvited? February 26, 2012
Coping with Customer Foot-Dragging Case example: dealing with contract and money issues on a custom job when a customer dawdles. December 2, 2006
Understanding "Demand" and "Energy" Charges on Commercial Electric Bills Electric utility companies charge shops a fee for the power you might use (or your peak power draw), as well as for the juice you actually consume. Here, shop owners describe what that arrangement can do to your utility bill's bottom line. February 18, 2007
Three-Way Communications Involving the Client A woodworker who subcontracts on custom job needs advice on meetings and decisions involving the client. What are the rules of the road on a three-way street? October 25, 2006
Setting Up a Tag-Team Sales Force A cabinetmaker considers whether to hire one salesman to generate leads, another to estimate, bid, and close. March 12, 2009
Financing Big Equipment Purchases Don't look for long-term loans — equipment should pay for itself inside of five years. January 22, 2006
Focusing on Profitable Work Shop owners brainstorm about keeping their companies targeted on the work they do best and make the most money on. November 5, 2007
Working for Friends Offering friends a special deal can blur the boundaries between what's personal and what's professional. Here, an example triggers a long and thoughtful discussion. August 23, 2006
Shop Maintenance and Cleaning How to get your crew behind the idea that "a clean shop is a safe and happy shop." May 6, 2006
Working with "Designers" In the cabinetmaking and furniture trades, some "designers" bring little to the table beyond a back-of-a-napkin concept sketch. What's good business when handling those jobs? October 17, 2012
Lean Manufacturing A discussion of how to eliminate wasted time and effort on the shop floor. October 19, 2006
When the Customer Wants to "Help" You Saw Long, spirited exchange on the tricky situations created when you let a sawmilling customer help with the work. December 12, 2008
Moving Beyond Drying A small drying operation wants to invest in planing, jointing, and ripping. March 18, 2005
Managing Multiple Projects Shop owners share methods for keeping multipe jobs on track while saving your own sanity. November 10, 2005
32mm manual vs NBM setups Will any efficiency be gained by adding high-tech equipment to a small shop? July 24, 2002
Outsourcing Drafting Work Contracting outside your company for CAD drawings creates a management challenge. Here's a discussion of how to handle the complications. December 14, 2009
Construction Factoring and Accounts Receivable Financing A growing cabinet business has run into cash flow problems, and is considering working with a "factoring" outfit. Fellow businessmen advise the owner to think twice. November 19, 2005
Handling a Dispute over a Glazed Cabinet The work's done, but the designer doesn't like the glaze job, and the customer wants a refund. What have we learned here? April 29, 2012
Keys to Profitability for a Small Shop A ton of advice from experienced business owners about marketing, money management, planning, and other business fundamentals. December 1, 2010
Whether to Hire Your Spouse Cabinetmakers take a serious look at the implications of involving the owner's spouse (in this case, the wife) in the business. April 29, 2012
Marketing Porch Furniture A woodworker has a large overstock of wooden porch swings left over when a big buyer backed out. Here, others critique his online marketing presentation as he tries to move the surplus. January 10, 2008
Overtime and Productivity Here's a valuable discussion of mandatory overtime, the four-day week with ten-hour days, and related labor-time organization and productivity issues. July 2, 2008
Wages and Expectations Here's an interesting article about the relationship between pay and performance, in the mind and motivations of an employee. July 23, 2014
The Most Important Skills to Learn An apprentice woodworker asks what he should concentrate on for a career in the trade, and gets a full helping of good advice. October 2, 2005
Naming the Business Should you put your personal name in your company name? February 17, 2011
Is There Any Future in Woodworking? A young shop owner starts an informal survey of whether it's a field that's worth spending your life in. October 13, 2010
Going Out on your Own in Cabinet Installation A skilled and responsible employeed for cabinet installation sub ponders the practicality and ethical issues involved in going solo and competing with his present employer. February 12, 2009
Managing Customer Complaints If it seems like a customer is just trying to make trouble for you, here's advice on how to keep your cool and respond appropriately. August 6, 2008
Correcting Employee Mistakes Too many mistakes cost a company time and money. Here's advice on managing an employee whose elementary goofs have become a problem. October 2, 2007
Moving Into Commercial Work Cabinetmakers discuss the ins and outs of pursuing, landing, and executing commercial work. November 4, 2007
Finding Good Employees Cabinetmakers lament the lack of qualified workers in the market, and share thoughts on how to find good help. April 19, 2015
Accounting for Wood Waste Woodworkers discuss how to estimate the waste of materials, and how it affects production and costs. April 7, 2008
Cabinet Refacing Can it work as a business? Pros share business and tech tips. June 17, 2005
Kitchen Advice for a Young Beginner A youngster gets some advice and encouragement about getting into the kitchen cabinet business. April 20, 2008
Employee Attention Problems Should an employer try to train a worker on attention, focus, and work discipline — and if so, how? August 15, 2011
Screw Through a Water Pipe: Whose Fault? It's a typical snafu: the cabinet installer hits a water pipe with a screw. This thread is a collection of examples, with descriptions of who covered the repair cost. August 16, 2012
What to Say When the Job's Too Small For a busy shop, "small" jobs can be an unprofitable, time-wasting distraction. But what's the best way to treat those potential customers? April 20, 2007
Cost of Shop Power Understanding (and minimizing) your shop's utility bill. July 5, 2006
Selling a Cabinet Shop as a Business Does a successful cabinetmaking business have a market value above and beyond the value of machinery in the used market? Only in special cases. October 18, 2011
Talking Budget with a Client Most clients won't come right out and tell you how much they have to spend. But there are ways to find out what ballpark they're in. February 16, 2012
When an Equipment Auction Transaction Goes Bad It's "buyer beware" at an online equipment auction — and it can also be "seller beware." Here are tales of some lessons learned. March 22, 2013
What is value added? Forum participants give technical and personal definitions. April 2, 2002
Closing Sales at a Home Show Home shows are a good place for generating leads. But how do you make the sale? February 13, 2013
Subcontractor Payment Terms in Commercial Work Getting paid when you're low down on the food change can be a frustrating hassle and a runaround. Here's some general advice and a few relevant anecdotes. July 12, 2012
The Business of Chair-Making A cold look at the hard numbers for furniture building. Between rock-bottom overseas competition at the low end, and popular established competitors at the high end, it's hard for a small shop to find a profitable niche. April 21, 2011
A Disappointing Auction Cautionary tales about equipment auction disappointments, from both the seller's and the buyer's sides. April 10, 2012
Radiant Floor Heating for a Small Shop Shop owners who have tried it recommend radiant floor heating, and offer tips for a good installation. April 24, 2006
Why Owning a Cabinet Shop is Tough Cabinet shop owners discuss why it's so hard to succeed in cabinetmaking, and discuss strategies for doing so. February 18, 2007
Defining "Quality" in Custom Cabinet Work Pleasing customers is about matching their expectations, not your own. Cabinet shop pros discuss how to succeed with custom work in a competitive market. August 29, 2005
Detailing Costs and Markup in Commercial Work Commercial contracts often require documentation and place a limit on overhead, profit, and markup. This means you have to learn to appropriately modify the way you present job costs and profit in your bids and invoices. November 23, 2012
What Scheduling Software Really Does Whether you're using pencil and paper, a simple spreadsheet, or an advanced piece of software, a schedule is like a weather forecast: it must be revised frequently to reflect reality in the shop. January 2, 2014
Running a Part-Time Cabinet Shop Many successful cabinetmakers got their start with a part-time operation. Here is some wise advice on how to make it work. June 23, 2006
Equipment Leasing Versus Purchasing Here's a look at the financial, tax, and business planning aspects of acquiring major machinery through a lease agreement, compared to purchasing outright. December 27, 2008
Starting a Cabinet Shop Good down-to-earth business advice for a well-qualified woodworker considering how to go into business for himself. June 22, 2010
Markups for Hardware Should you charge for knobs, pulls, et cetera based on a markup formula, based on a fixed price, based on labor factors, or what?September 3, 2011
Making Time in a Small Shop A 2-man shop needs to pick up speed. Should they buy tools or revamp their process? March 17, 2005
Structuring a Paid-Time-Off Policy Businesses describe their approaches to providing sick leave, personal days, vacation time, et cetera. June 8, 2008
Charging for Design Work A shop owner spends many hours designing a proposal, then loses the job. Now he asks: how can I make sure I get paid for my time, next time? September 27, 2012
Running a Second Shift Setting up a night shift at a busy shop can cause problems, and it can also supply solutions. A good supervisor is key to success. November 23, 2012
Sharing Photos of Completed Work Should a contractor share professional photography he has paid to have done with the owner of the project being photograped? And on what terms? The issues can be complicated. September 3, 2014
Struggling to Get Paid Cabinetmakers discuss payment problems in the industry, and compare contract and billing strategies. July 3, 2006
Managing Customer Indecision Here's a nice discussion of interpersonal techniques and contract language that keep a customer's inability to make a timely decision from damaging your bottom line. October 2, 2007
Cost of Carrying Employees Shop owners discuss the costs associated with employing help, the value of good employees, and the advantages of going through a temp agency. September 4, 2005
FOB defined Origins and meanings of the term "freight on board." (Sawing and Drying Forum) March 23, 2003
Looking Back at Life Ever punch a rooster? Business owners discuss the meaning and purpose of life — and how to enjoy it. January 22, 2006
Naming Cabinet Styles How do you describe the cabinet styles you offer to customers in simple, understandable, and attractive language? September 30, 2010
Owning Your Shop Building Pros supply strong arguments for the idea that buying (or building) is a better strategy than leasing. April 6, 2007
Outsourcing Design Work – Why or Why Not? A CAD artist who wants to draw for others on a contract basis gets feedback about the usefulness and value of that proposed service. February 8, 2008
Six Simple Marketing Steps Wood marketing tips from Forest Service expert Steve Bratkovich, with feedback from sawmill owners and lumber dealers. July 26, 2005
Resolving a Stain-Matching Dispute By its nature, matching stain is an imperfect process. Here, a finisher's story about a problem with a customer leads to a discussion of contract terms and policies for matching stain. June 23, 2006
Net present value Making the correct calculations when buying machinery. June 24, 2002
Estimating and Pricing Commercial Work Big, complicated jobs are an opportunity to make or lose money through the accuracy of your estimating. Here is some advice on coming to grips with the details that determine your costs. October 23, 2007
Appropriate job deposits What percentage of the price on a job is it okay to ask for up front? September 2, 2002
Who Owns the Hand Tools? Shop owners discuss whether to ask employees to bring their own hand tools. September 8, 2008
What to Do When a Customer Bid-Shops You Pros give advice on handling the situation where a customer asks a cabinetmaker to price-compete with a low-ball bidder. (Note: The good guys won this one.) February 17, 2006
What to Do when a Customer Won't Follow Through and what can you do then? Here, cabinetmakers consider the case of a builder customer who won't take delivery on cabs for his own house. September 8, 2007
Informal Bids and Business Ethics When the bidding process is a little loosey-goosey, confusion about the relationships can trigger conflicts. Here's a case example. August 7, 2006
Time Clock Problems Advice and discussion about how to make sure employees punch in and out reliably. March 18, 2006
Making Money with a Sawmill Business Plan with a focus on high-margin production, and you might make money — not just wear out a saw. January 14, 2008
"Green" Cabinetry Environmentally-friendly or non-toxic cabinet work has become an important market niche. In this thread, cabinetmakers discuss the ins and outs of meeting customer expectations for "green" cabinets. September 4, 2005
Naming a Business More brainstorming about how to come up with a suitable, memorable, and unique company name. November 19, 2006
Container Material for Solvents What kind of plastic or metal containers are okay to use for storing and transporting olvents? April 4, 2011
Setting up a milling business How much land, what equipment is needed, and in what order, for a startup sawmill. April 24, 2002
Outsourcing drawings Positive and negative experiences from those who have hired the job out. October 30, 2002
Managers Versus Woodworkers Can a person with little woodworking experience manage a woodworking company? In some situations, maybe so. January 18, 2007
Attracting Qualified Woodworking Employees Employers and workers discuss how to advertise effectively for good help, and how to separate the wheat from the chaff in the responses. February 27, 2013
Referral Etiquette When you refer a client to another specialty contractor to handle part of a project, whose job is it? November 30, 2009
Keeping Tabs on Job Progress as a Sub The cabinet contractor on a ten-unit project worries that the GC is not keeping him informed about the schedule. August 31, 2009
Dealing with Non-Payment on a Commercial Job A shop owner is stiffed by another contractor who he helped out on a commercial contract. Colleagues discuss the available strategies for securing payment. April 24, 2006
Qualifying Husband-and-Wife Customers Intuition, psychology, and interpersonal techniques can help you sort out the worthwhile leads from the dead ends. July 20, 2011
TOC and Complexity Is the "Theory of Constraints" of limited practicality because it focuses on simple, linear event chains with the assumption that there is only one limiting constraint? Woodweb goes fractal on the shop floor. November 15, 2010
Whether to Work for the Competition Does it make sense for a large, capable shop to run some complex parts for smaller shops that lack those technical skills? February 6, 2010
Fire Code Hassles in Shop Remodel Here's a cautionary tale: connecting two shop buildings trips the square-footage trigger for fire sprinkler requirements, and it's the surprised owner who gets burned. February 19, 2008
Metering Shared Electrical Service A woodworker who rents space and shares electrical service tries to learn how to separately keep track of his shop's power consumption. July 29, 2012
Selling Furniture Through A Retail Store Woodworkers discuss reasonable terms of the deal when showing furniture at a retailer's showroom. Markups on already made pieces, prices for custom orders, and simple referrals each involve their own reasonable market value. June 23, 2006
Design fee and competing Should you charge for designs and estimates? It depends on your business focus and your competitive environment. June 12, 2005
Marking Up Materials Woodworkers discuss how and why they mark up materials costs in their estimating and billing. May 6, 2009
Was a Teenage Woodworker Pros encourage a 14-year-old who wants to be in business to go for it. October 3, 2006
Fair Pay for a Sales Rep This thread on sales force compensation has some ballpark numbers attached. August 13, 2007
Are Home Shows Worth It? Cabinetmakers discuss whether a presence at local home shows is a worthwhile part of a marketing program. August 7, 2008
Deposits and Design Fees Cabinetmakers describe how (and how much) they bill for design work. June 23, 2006
Systematic Takeoffs for Commercial Cabinet Jobs Here's some detailed advice on conducting a businesslike takeoff for creating a cabinet bid, with some useful, comprehensive lists. July 13, 2010
Cash on the Nail Cabinetmakers offer strong arguments for getting paid before delivery — and detailed advice on communicating that policy. November 10, 2006
Indoor Photography Skills If you want to get good at taking pro-quality photos of your cabinetry in place, here's a quick rundown of what you might need to learn. March 3, 2009
AWI CAD Standard? If there isn't one already, why not? December 26, 2004
Getting Ballpark Budget Info from Clients Prospective customers are reluctant to tell you how much money they are willing to spend, even though that affects what quality of goods you can offer them. Here are ideas for working around their reticence. March 12, 2009
Time Tracking for Individual Tasks Various time tracking methods - from time clocks and paper forms to electronic devices which input to a computer. May 10, 2005
Taking on Help A furnituremaker with a growing workload gets advice on how to hire his first employee. January 2, 2012
Husband and Wife Businesses Husband-and-wife business teams discuss how they choose a business structure, share and divide responsibilities, and stay organized. April 6, 2007
Jointing Door Stock Twice Is a shop worker being too careful and creating double work? How much trouble is it worth to be extra sure that door parts are precisely milled? January 19, 2012
Ramping Up When You Need Workers When the work starts to roll in, you need help — but employees are expensive. Here's advice on optimizing the cost of help as you increase production. September 3, 2014
Employees Versus 1099 Workers A discussion around the rules governing when a worker is considered an employee for tax, insurance, and legal purposes. June 15, 2009
Do Phone-Book Ads Work? Forum-goers say networking and an Internet presence pull in far more leads than their Yellow Pages ads, these days. October 3, 2006
Shop Cost, Distributor Markup, Retailer Markup, and List Price A door manufacturer looking to work with distributors and retailers wants help figuring out how his production cost tracks through multiple markups to a realistic retail list price. April 21, 2011
"Finder's Fee" for Designers Yet another discussion of the ethical and practical business issues involved when a designer is in the middle of your relationship to a customer. April 19, 2015
Making decent money Advice on making a living in the business of contemporary craft woodwork. June 6, 2001
Managing a Slow Worker Cabinetmakers discuss the problem of whether, and how, to terminate an employee who is slowing the shop down by being too darn meticulous. October 2, 2007
Why Finishers Use Samples with Customers Customers don't have the vocabulary to describe finishes, or to understand how you describe them. That's why a signed sample is your best assurance of a clear agreement. August 29, 2011
Fraud by a Project Manager A responsible employee talked a client into writing him a check, then skipped out with the money. Who's in trouble now? April 24, 2006
Compensating Salespeople Beyond the "salary versus commission" debate: thoughts on how to align your sales force's success with yours. December 2, 2006
Volume Pricing for Store Fixtures How can a woodworking shop bid low enough to get high-volume orders and still make money on the work? March 12, 2009
Making Wooden Toys Safety regulations discourage small shops from making wooden toys for sale. September 29, 2010
Liability for Breakage Broken stuff happens. Who should hold the bag? Business owners look at a case of broken glassware and discuss the ins and outs of taking responsibility. July 24, 2005
Marketing in the Store Fixture Market Advice on how to get the attention of buyers in the retail store industry — and on how to satisfy the customer once you make a sale. October 19, 2014
Marketing and Sales for Commercial Millwork Commercial work can bring headaches and heartburn. But if you're willing to risk that, how do you position yourself for that market? February 17, 2011
Shared Shop Space A craftsman considers a shop-sharing arrangement, and colleagues offer tips and cautions. July 19, 2006
Teaching Woodworking in a Real Shop A woodworker is considering teaching shop class in his own shop, but the insurance and legal risks are discouraging. October 3, 2011
Titleblock in CAD How-to instructions for setting up a titleblock for your template. July 24, 2002
Linear Foot Pricing for Beaded Inset Face Frame Cabinetry Pricing by the foot isn't a way to do business, but it's interesting to check out the different numbers tossed around in this thread — and the photos of the kitchen in question. October 11, 2012
Understanding Lien Waivers A customer who's a stickler for legalistic paperwork could be trouble. But lien waivers are routine and trivial in many situations. April 4, 2011
Drafting and Project Management Are drafting and project management separate responsibilities, or is it more efficient to have one skilled person do both? June 8, 2008
Marketing for Furniture Makers For furniture makers, word of mouth and cultivation of personal relationships are the best way to build an exclusive high-end clientele. But advertising and web marketing can also attract custom furniture buyers. October 19, 2014
Good Size for a Start-Up Shop Shop owners tell how much space they have — and whether it's enough or not. January 10, 2008
Showroom Location Cabinet and furniture makers discuss the value of a good showroom location, and the role of a showroom in the overall marketing strategy. December 20, 2005
License Board Troubles When a dissatisfied customer sics the state License Board on a cabinetmaker, what sort of position is he in? May 5, 2007
Fine Points of Sales Tax Do you need to charge sales tax when you sell something to a business that they use in producing their goods? The answer varies from state to state. January 13, 2009
Commercial Work, Payment Terms, and Cash Flow A commercial millwork shop owner who usually bills weekly considers whether to take on work with monthly billing and possible payment delays. Here's a good discussion about the risks you take when you change the way you do business. November 23, 2012
Google AdWords and Sales Cabinetmakers report on their results from using Google ads to attract serious customers. March 26, 2009
Describing Loose Tenon Joinery to Customers Domino joints have two mortises and a single floating tenon to connect them. But if you call that it a "loose" tenon, will customers misunderstand and think it's not strong? June 4, 2012
Tracking labor time Keeping a record of labor time per operation in your shop. October 24, 2001
Tenants, Landlords, and Owning Your Own Shop When the landlord puts a "for sale" sign on a cabinetmaker's rented shop building, the tenant starts to consider his choices. Here, shop owners explain why they think buying out your landlord can be a wise investment. May 22, 2007
Union or Non-Union Apprenticeship? A woodworker starting out asks about the choice between union and non-union training employment. Lots of information and some opinions are supplied in the discussion that follows. November 11, 2005
Shop Floor Management Systems Woodshop owners discuss ways to improve the techniques they use to organize and run their operations. July 3, 2006
Are Yellow Pages Ads Worthwhile? Woodworking business owners share stories about results (or lack thereof) from Yellow Pages listings. May 20, 2009
A Salesperson's Role Shop owners discuss what a salesperson brings to a company, and whether the owner of a small company should just perform that work himself. October 11, 2007
Computers on the Shop Floor Does a computer belong in the shop? Here's a debate about efficiency, workflow, dust control, and other aspects of shop computerization. April 24, 2006
Moving to Metric Tips on making the transition as smooth as possible. September 9, 2004
Work diversity -- Good or bad? Should a new business take on everything from cabinetmaking to house construction? June 6, 2001
AWI Certification After landing a commercial job, a woodworking shop finds out the job requires Architectural Woodworking Institute cerification. Now what? June 23, 2006
Structuring and Documenting the Sales Process With some customers, selling the job is a long, drawn-out process involving many detours and a lot of back-tracking. How do you keep that process organized, and remember what has been said and promised? It starts with a spiral notebook. February 16, 2012
Charging Sales Tax for Cabinetry Sales tax laws vary from state to state and situation to situation. Here's a closer look. June 2, 2009
Charging for Edgebanding A cabinetmaker ponders whether and how to modify his piece rates after acquiring a more productive, but costly, piece of edgebanding equipment. July 12, 2012
Who Buys the Hand Tools? There are reasons to supply hand tools for your workers, and reasons to have them supply their own. October 3, 2006
Shop arrangement and setup Shop owners describe the best and worst aspects of their workspaces. March 21, 2002
What's a "Green" Cabinet? Cabinetmakers discuss what makes kitchen cabinets environmentally friendly, and whether customers will pay for that. September 8, 2008
Value Added of a CAD Artist Cabinetmakers and draftsmen consider: is it worth the time and effort to make careful, detailed shop drawings? January 3, 2014
Moving A Shop Plan ahead to manage the costs and hassles. April 10, 2005
Markups on Building Materials Lumberyards charge low markups on basics like wood and drywall, but high markups on accessories, tools, paint, et cetera. June 11, 2012
Output Volume Per Employee A rough rule of thumb holds that cabinet shops should put out $100,000 per worker per year. In this thread, owners consider the fine points and exceptions. September 4, 2005
Consulting Fee for a Retired Cabinetmaker Coming back to the game to help another cabinetmaker match your work in an existing kitchen ... how should you arrange your compensation? October 25, 2012
Setting Limits for Punch-List Work Cabinetmakers discuss how to avoid being punch-listed to death, and where to draw the line. April 22, 2014
Selling a CNC Shop Does a one-man woodworking business have any sale value besides its physical assets (the used tools)? November 26, 2007
Value Engineering in Custom Cabinets? Cabinetmakers discuss ways to shave costs to make and install custom cabinets in a competitive economy. December 24, 2012
Cabinet Assembler Productivity How many cabs should an assembler put together daily, assuming all the pieces are cut and ready? In this thread, bosses and workers offer their perspectives. November 12, 2005
Sharing a Shop Space Pros discuss the potential pitfalls of non-standard shop-sharing arrangements. July 3, 2006
Keeping Up with the CNC A cabinetmaker's new CNC will speed up only one part of his operation. Here, he gets advice on how to streamline the rest of the tasks in his process. May 6, 2007
Tallying Moldings Suppliers round off piece lengths in different ways. Are you getting the quantities you ordered? May 29, 2005
Giving "Ballpark" Estimates Most cabinetmakers agree: They'll buy you some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, but they won't give you a ballpark estimate. August 7, 2006
What Makes a Contract a Contract? A cabinet-maker's builder customer has bailed out on a design-build job after paying a deposit and okaying plans. Now who owes what to who? This thread from Woodweb's Business forum provides a good clarification of just what kind of statements and actions add up to a legal contract. November 11, 200 ......
Spreadsheets for Cabinet Estimating The time you spend working up a detailed spreadsheet for cabinet cost estimating will quickly repay itself with efficient pricing. April 9, 2008
Spelling Out the Payment Schedule A good contract should spell out deposit and payment terms in correct legal language — and the amounts should provide for adequate cash flow. August 22, 2007
Installing cabinets over tile Tying kicks to a tile floor, and the complications presented by floor-integrated radiant heating. February 19, 2002
Website Critique A cabinetmaker gets a bushel of helpful suggestions to make his new website more effective as a marketing presentation. March 21, 2012
Internet Click-Ad Tips Advice on getting referrals to your website using click-through advertising, and on what kind of results you can expect. August 13, 2007
Upgrading Fluorescent Shop Lighting Shop owners discuss the pros, cons, and practicalities of swapping out T12 fluorescent light units for T8 fixtures and lamps. October 26, 2013
"Temporary Worker" Loopholes? Looking for a way to limit your unemployment insurance rates or your payroll taxes? Hiring workers as "temps" won't help you any. August 13, 2007
Whether to Leave Equipment Running Here's a discussion of the cost, efficiency, and safety aspects of leaving equipment running for periods of time, versus shutting machinery down the moment it's not being actively used. September 15, 2011
The Food Chain Do cabinetmakers have trouble staying profitable because they get paid late in the project? Maybe — but smarter pricing can still help you make money. September 15, 2011
Shop Productivity With a New CNC It seems more efficient to go on cutting parts manually than to program the CNC... what's missing? October 5, 2004
"Co-Insurance" — the Fine Points of Partial Insurance If you insure your assets for less than their full value, you won't get fully compensated for a partial loss, even if it's less than your insured value. This thread explains the thinking. May 12, 2008
Competition for Installation Contracts A cabinetmaker complains that his installation sub started working directly for the builder. The story sets off a discussion on fair competition in the new-construction market. November 11, 2005
Just Trying to Get Paid Here's a long story with color commentary about getting stiffed on a job, filing a lien, contacting the owner, and finally picking up a check. September 27, 2008
Waste wood into profit Sawyers turn wood otherwise destined for the landfill into a business. June 5, 2002
Accounting for Down Payment Deposits Cabinetmakers discuss the bookkeeping and timely tax reporting issues around up-front partial payments for work to be done. March 11, 2009
Starting a Wood Shop Help with visualizing the shape of a startup woodworking business. August 19, 2013
Upgrading Office Computers Business owners suggest ways to improve the speed and power of your office computers, without switching platforms. April 19, 2015
Time Needed to Produce Cabinets with a CNC Router Cabinetmakers compare notes on the machine time and assembly time to make cabinets with a CNC, as opposed to working with a beam saw and line boring machine.May 27, 2014
Life as a Cabinetmaker "Would you do it all over again?" asks a cabinet shop owner after five years of struggling with business realities. Heartfelt responses prove that building cabinets is no easy way to make a buck. February 21, 2006
Cost for Staining Custom Moulding A small shop does some basic cost figuring for unfamiliar work: an incidental stain job. October 19, 2013
Laptops for Sales Presentations Some cabinetmakers get good results by bringing a laptop computer with them to client meetings. April 20, 2007
When a Customer Calls Too Often Advice on managing clients who like to check up frequently on their job's progress. November 26, 2007
Wife's Role in Husband's Cabinet Business Advice on how a wife can make a solid contribution to a woodworking business, while also handling child-care responsibilities. October 13, 2008
Subcontracting for Other Cabinet Shops A woodworker considering a new business making specialty items for other shops gets positive feedback on the idea. August 5, 2006
Haggling Over Prices How to respond when a high-end custom client wants to beat down your price for custom work. October 25, 2006
Sub or Employee? The Legal Puzzle A discussion of when you legally pay someone as a subcontractor rather than an employee. February 17, 2006
Marketing to Professional Designers Can a furnituremaker succeed by selling primarily (or even only) through professional designers and architects? The question sparks a thoughtful discussion in Woodweb's Business Forum. July 2, 2005
Widebelt Sanding Price Quote about a buck a minute, then work out the Karma face to face, is the consensus. August 28, 2010
Sales Negotiations and Customer Reputations Thoughts on how to handle negotiating before the sale when a customer has a reputation for late payment or non-payment.December 24, 2012
Yellow Pages Advertising Is a Yellow Pages ad worth running? Business owners share experiences and anecdotes. July 24, 2005
Instead of a Showroom If you don't have space for a cabinet showroom, try these techniques instead. May 6, 2007
Investing in Fixer-Uppers Can you make money buying, updating, and selling fixer-upper properties? Yes, but. Here, some who have tried it share what they've learned. February 17, 2006
Shop Layout Advice Here are some useful tips on making scale mockups of a shop floor plan, along with advice about how to best use the available space.July 8, 2014
Necessary Equipment for a Start-Up Cabinet Shop Most respondents did not take the original poster seriously in this thread. But a few cabinetmakers did provide a list of basic equipment for a start-up shop.June 16, 2014
Sharing Shop Space Business owners caution against splitting shop occupancy between two separate businesses. March 4, 2006
Acquiring a Business A remodeler's considering buying out a one-man cabinet shop. Is it worth it? Owners consider the pros and cons, and offer advice. August 2, 2005
Can a Cabinetmaker Repossess Work If Not Paid? In most states you can't remove work that is installed into a home, even if you aren't paid. But there are other legal alternatives. June 3, 2007
Collecting from a Bank-Financed Builder A cabinetmaker who's being stiffed on a job gets advice about liens, bankruptcy, and persuading a bank to pay up. July 12, 2012
LEED Specs Referenced in a Contract A cabinetmaker puzzles over the implications of a contract clause requiring him to "comply with LEED requirements." October 27, 2009
Moving Up to Management Here's an interesting discussion about what it takes to step up to a more senior management role in a large woodworking company. September 7, 2013
Getting the Final Payment A business owner gets advice about applying pressure when payment is slow in coming and you're not getting any answers. September 17, 2014
LEED Chain of Custody Confusion A cabinetmaker gets into trouble because of mis-communication over LEED standards on a job. May 20, 2009
Cash Flow Troubles Non-timely payment by his main client (a builder) is fouling up a cabinet-maker's cash flow. But otherwise, the relationship's a good one — so what's he to do? Suggestions roll in. November 11, 2005
"Loss Leaders" Should you take jobs you don't want in hopes of landing future work with the same customer? December 28, 2005
Optimizing Factory Layout A scale drawing and a pencil will help you understand and organize the workflow in your plant. November 10, 2005
Millwork Touch-up and Repair A visitor seeks advice on how to get training in the fine art of fixing faults. February 26, 2005
Converting a Trailer to a Spray Booth Finishers warn of the code and safety issues involved in providing lighting, egress, and other necessities to make a spray booth out of a metal trailer. February 15, 2009
Does a Tow-Behind Sawmill Need Vehicle Tags? Just because you can tow it behind a truck, doesn't mean it's officially a "trailer." In some states at least, sawmill equipment on wheels is not a vehicle and it doesn't need a license plate. December 30, 2007
Direct Mail Marketing Pros consider the costs and benefits of mass mailings to attract business. December 20, 2005
Guarding Against Embezzlement All humor aside, here are some practical tips for maintaining security in the financial operation of a business. September 24, 2009
websites Should your business have its own website? Pros share experiences and discuss the worth of a web presence. June 12, 2005
Laying Out a New Shop So brilliant, it's simple: Use full-size cardboard cutouts to mock up your layout on the shop floor before you decide. February 1, 2011
Whether to Share Your Knowledge Locally Woodworkers discuss whether the type of knowledge they willingly exchange on a forum should be shared with local acquaintances. September 27, 2012
Documenting Work Taking photos of your cabinet installs could help you out some time, in case someone else comes along and disturbs or damages things. May 11, 2011
Transition from Free Estimate to Paid Design A conversation about communication: how do you let a client know that it's now time in the sales process to start paying for any further design work? February 16, 2012
Training a New Salesman A cabinetmaker who has just hired his first salesman gets advice on how to orient and train the new hire. August 13, 2007
Shavings for Sale The always resourceful sawyer crowd discusses the packaging and marketing of wood chips. February 9, 2005
Job-Costing in a Busy Shop How do you keep track of labor hours per job, when workers are always jumping around from project to project? October 25, 2006
Drilling Into Radiant Floor Heating Tubes Oops! A woodworker installing a door learns his lesson when he drills into a hydronic heating tube in the concrete slab floor. May 15, 2014
Email Check Scams Targeting Woodworkers Fishy-sounding email requests for quotes are sometimes the opening step in an "overpayment" phony-check scam. July 13, 2010
Tracking Materials Inventory Cabinetmakers discuss how to count it coming in, count it going out, and count it sitting there. June 23, 2006
How to Turn Away Work How to tactfully decline a job that you think may involve trouble or unpleasantness. February 16, 2012
Cautionary Tale: Backups and Computer Malware A shop owner describes how his data survived a virus attack that wiped out two computer hard drives and erased a backup disk (one backup version miraculously survived). April 21, 2011
Should I Change the Company Name? What's in a name? A woodworker ponders whether naming the company after himself was a wise choice — and ends up sticking with it. October 11, 2012
Living Quarters in the Shop Plenty of people have a shop in their home, but a home in their shop? Believe it or not, people do it — and some of them like it. April 24, 2006
CNC Sign Making as a Side Business For a well-equipped CNC shop, routing wood signs for signmakers who mostly do other types of sign is a viable business niche. March 11, 2009
Teamwork Versus Solo Work on the Shop Floor Cabinetmakers discuss efficiency on the shop floor. When should people work in pairs, and when should handle tasks alone? June 23, 2014
Who Supplies the Tools? Practices vary, but in most shops the employer supplies all power tools — and often, small incidentals as well. March 22, 2013
Considering Forming a Partnership Is a partnership between a cabinetmaker and an installer a good idea? Maybe, and maybe not. December 28, 2014
Equipment Auction Bidding Strategy A look at how online auctions work, and some discussion on wise bidding and buying strategies. December 24, 2012
LLC vs. S-corp The pros and cons of these two business classifications. June 6, 2001
Shopping Around for Comp Coverage By shopping for competing quotes, a business owner got his workers compensation premium lowered. January 20, 2011
Closing a Sale How do you move a customer toward signing a contract and making a deposit? December 28, 2014
Marketing Historic Preservation Work Architectural woodwork pros discuss how a specialist in historic preservation and restoration can find and develop good job leads. September 8, 2007
Vacation policies for employees Setting standards for how much vacation time employees earn, based on their tenure and value. April 24, 2002
Income Goals for a Furniture Maker How to approach the calculations involving cost, overhead, and labor time for a one-man craftsman business. November 16, 2011
Moulder Operator Skills and Pay Feedback on the going rate for moulder operators in different parts of the country, and thoughts on how to earn at the top of the scale. December 30, 2007
Responding to Competing Employment Offers A skilled woodworker accepts a new job, then gets a better offer from another employer. How should he communicate with both prospective employers? January 7, 2007
Job Descriptions A shop owner with 20 employees gets advice on creating employee job descriptions. November 10, 2005
Managing Pesky Clients When clients are living in the home while cabinets are installed, sometimes they take a little too much interest in the work. In this thread, installers suggest tactful ways to deflect their attention eslewhere. October 22, 2005
Marketing to Outlying Rural Customers Suggestions for a local lumberyard on website improvements and personal contact efforts to boost awareness of products and services. September 3, 2014
Cabinet Pricing Versus Built-In Pricing A cabinetmaker who does mostly kitchens gets advice on pricing for a basic built-in entertainment center. February 12, 2009
Responsibility for Tools Shop owners describe how they keep track of tools — and try to keep workers from abusing them. January 26, 2008
Marketing with Social Media Thoughts about how your Facebook and Twitter presence can elevate your business profile. February 27, 2013
Setting up a Chart of Accounts Thoughts on how much detail to capture in your record-keeping about job costs and business expenses. November 23, 2012
Accepting Credit Cards Business owners discuss whether to take payment by credit card. September 4, 2005
Veneered Panels: Buy Or Make? If you're a cabinetmaker, veneering your own panels is a last resort, not a way to save money or simplify your life. June 11, 2014
Design Fee for a Kitchen Job Cabinetmakers discuss how to charge for design work on a new custom kitchen. November 19, 2005
Idle-Time Transformer Power Consumption A shop owner tries to decide whether there are significant power savings to be achieved by turning a transformer off at night and on weekends. December 29, 2008
Itemizing Bids Pros discuss how much detail to provide in a bid breakdown. March 14, 2005
The Power of Discount Pricing Here's an interesting conversation about what sort of discount offer will actually motivated an impulse purchase. September 27, 2012
Employee Bonus Strategy Shop owners discuss whether, when and how to award employees a bonus after an outstanding month for the company. September 4, 2005
New Equipment: Lease or Purchase? A shop owner is looking at a major investment in machinery. Should he consider leasing? Experienced business owners weigh in. July 24, 2005
Materials Cost as a Proportion of Cabinet Costs There's no standard ratio of materials cost to other costs in cabinetmaking — it depends on many factors, and varies widely from job to job. April 10, 2008
A Finisher's Pay Scale More thoughts and information on what a skilled, experienced finishing craftsman is worth in the marketplace. November 11, 2005
Rebuilding a Burnt-Down Shop A shop owner is making a fresh start after a fire, and he has questions about layout, ceiling height, square footage, et cetera. November 23, 2012
Selling small quantity custom profiles Dealing with customers who don't comprehend the work and cost involved in the manufacture of custom knives. June 6, 2001
Working for a Home Theater Company A cabinetmaker got an offer to build all the cabinets for a home theater company. Here are the tips he received on how to size up the opportunity — and make the most of it. October 18, 2005
Showroom Samples and Contract Terms Woodworkers debate whether showing a customer your showroom samples is enough to make clear what exactly you have promised to provide as your installed product. November 15, 2010
Managing Layout for Mechanicals Who's responsible for marking the locations of pipes, wires, et cetera during a kitchen remodel? Cabinetmakers discuss the reasons that some will take on managing this problem, and others won't.February 27, 2013
Whether to Take a "Hot Job" Shop owners discuss the temptations — and risks — inherent in that one big-money, high-profile job that could put some fat loot in your pocket (but could also disrupt your whole business). April 21, 2011
Cold Calls One cabinetmaker describes how he succeeded with a determined program of cold sales calling. June 4, 2012
Time Management After Downsizing When you lay off your office people, how do you stay on top of all the stuff they used to do? April 13, 2010
Quantifying the Waste Factor How much of the lumber you buy becomes scrap instead of cabinets? Shop owners report their observations. December 27, 2007
Shop Security Advice on locks, cameras, watchdogs, security procedures, and staying within the law in protecting your shop and tools after closing. February 6, 2010
Cabinet warranty period What is a reasonable warranty period for a custom cabinet installation? July 24, 2001
Installing Cabinets When Carpet Has Been Laid Thoughts on how to handle the business and technical problems raised when a GC asks the cabinet installer to follow the carpet installer in the job sequence. August 31, 2009
Steel Truss Roofs for Shop Buildings Business owners advise on choices involved in building a large clear-span steel truss-roofed shop. November 8, 2008
Doing Your Own Bookkeeping and Taxes Accounting's not for everyone. Here, owners discuss the pros and cons of managing your own books. February 17, 2006
Reversing the Bid Process In certain unusual circumstances, it's the general contractor who suggests a price and the sub who gets to okay the deal, or not. August 13, 2007
Change-Order Fun and Games It's important to keep the understandings clear: the original signer of a contract (not a relative) needs to sign off on change orders. June 23, 2006
Sliding Cabinets Around in the Shop From glides to dollies to conveyor belts, cabinetmakers describe how they move cabinets around the shop during fabrication and finishing. July 18, 2013
Managing Battery Drills Useful thoughts on labeling and organizing multiple drill/drivers in the shop, plus an epiphany about turgid nomenclature. September 26, 2009
Laying out a new shop Advice on dust collection, electric, and general layout from those who have built their own shops. March 16, 2001
What to Say When You're Running Late If your schedule slips, how do you break the news to your customer? Here are some thoughts from people who've been there. October 18, 2005
Looking for Work in Cabinetmaking A couple of useful tips for woodworkers on how to present yourself to prospective employers in a tough market. May 11, 2011
When to hire help? Considering all the financial aspects and adding up the figures--is it worth it to hire? February 7, 2001
Contracting for the Government There's money in government jobs — along with bureaucratic hassles and headaches. January 10, 2008
Cabinet Shop Lighting Pros share advice on bulbs and fixtures for bright, even light. May 10, 2005
How Not to Over-Think a Project A question about filling nail holes for a pre-built fireplace surround prompts some wise thoughts about the effective use of time and brainpower. March 4, 2007
Shop flow Enhancing efficiency in the workplace by carefully planning shop layout. January 16, 2002
Creating a partnership Is a successful partnership possible in the woodworking industry? May 9, 2001
Troubleshooting a Web Hosting Snafu Advice on how to insulate your website hosting and domain name registration from problems with your hosting service provider. March 28, 2015
Red Flags There are many ways to qualify customers. In this thread, shop owners discuss the tell-tale signs of a job you'd be wiser not to take. June 12, 2005
Chasing Bad Debt How much effort is justified in pursuing the unpaid obligations of a customer who has gone out of business? October 3, 2011
Saving and Tracking Receipts Paper receipts for expenses are a pesky detail that requires attention. September 30, 2010
Selling Used CAD or CNC Software You can transfer a software license to another buyer, but there are formalities involved. November 23, 2008
Sample Subcontractor Agreement Spelling out the parameters of the work and relationship to avoid legal problems. April 4, 2004
Mixing Solid Surface Brands If you combine sinks and countertops from different makers, will warranties (and adhesives) hold? April 14, 2005
Is "Green" Certification Worth It? Cabinetmakers mull over the process and price tag involved in getting formal recognition as a "green" woodshop. January 13, 2009
Shipping to Canada Shipping freight from the U.S. to Canada involves brokerage fees. Here's advice on how to minimize them.March 26, 2012
Raising Prices During Busy Times Shop owners discuss the strategy of using calibrated price increases to improve profits and cut their work backlog. August 12, 2014
Getting Government Contracts Advice on putting your company in a position to do work for the Federal government. March 12, 2009
Commercial Lease Terms Woodworkers discuss lease provisions that make a difference to someone renting shop space. October 13, 2008
Understanding Costs and Profit Is "the money I have left over" the same as "my profit"? Cabinetmakers analyze and discuss the figures from an example job. July 29, 2012
Accounting for Referral Fees Advice on how to figure "thank you" payments for referrals, and how to enter them into your bookkeeping system. March 25, 2008
Solving "slow-pays" How to charge a customer who is not prompt with their payments. May 9, 2001
Quality Standards in Contracts Referencing published industry specs is one simple solution. Here, pros chime in with additional short and sweet disclaimers. November 12, 2005
Networking and Lead Generation Woodworkers describe how they cultivate the relationships that bring them work. October 11, 2012
Moving Out? Take Your Stuff. A landlord tries to stretch a lease provision about elements connected to the building into a claim on a tenant's dust collection system. Fat chance. January 2, 2012
Countertop Materials: What Does the Market Want? Countertop and cabinet contractors discuss the current popularity of stone, solid surfacing, laminate, concrete, and green recycled composites as of mid-2009. February 14, 2010
Cash Flow Ratio A brief explanation of the cash flow numbers banks like to see when financing a business or a capital investment. September 27, 2008
Selling Hardwood on the Side A furniture and cabinet maker is considering a small-scale side business selling lumber, and gets advice on where the market is. November 10, 2005
Listing Prices on Your Website Should you display price information for pieces you display on your website? Business owners discuss the pros and cons. July 2, 2005
Using Up Scrap Wood Woodworkers and cabinetmakers share stories about turning their "drops" into extra cash. December 20, 2005
Lighting your sawmill Providing good light for your work on dark days and late nights. February 19, 2002
Fire Sprinkler Damage to Machinery Thoughts about the insurance claim issues and the practicality of repair or restoration of equipment after a small fire sets off the fire sprinklers in a shop. February 26, 2012
Employee Upward Mobility Hired as a CAD draftsman, a worker finds himself handling much more, and more varied, responsibilities. Now he's wondering how he can upgrade his job title and pay accordingly. November 10, 2005
The Purpose of Shop Drawings Builders often ask for shop drawings when offering a cabinet job in a custom home project. "Paper is still cheaper than wood," notes one pro: Here's an explanation of how the drawings serve the needs of everyone involved. November 11, 2005
Work Van Carrying Capacity A woodworker who's considering a van purchase wonders how to manage 16-foot lengths of finished moulding. April 20, 2008
Dealing with Fire Code Issues in a Spray Booth Advice on communicating with a building department about the fine points of the fire code as it relates to spray finishing booths. May 27, 2014
Equipment as Collateral for Credit There are some fine points to valuing your equipment as security for a bank loan. But in any case, banks are more interested in your cash flow, your profitability, and your personal creditworthiness. November 11, 2005
Replacing Electronics for Big Iron Here's a tip: shop around for parts or components before you buy a whole new touch screen, display, controller, or similar electronic element for shop machinery. You could save a bundle. January 2, 2012
Insuring a Business on your Residential Property Homeowner's insurance may not cover you if you build a shop on your property, or even work out of your garage. In this thread, business owners consider insurance strategies. November 11, 2005
Cost of Grid Power Versus Running a Generator Generators are a poor deal when fuel prices rise, but commercial power bills can get complicated. Here's a look at how the numbers crunch. March 3, 2006
Do ANSI B11 Standards Apply to Woodworking Equipment? ANSI Standard B11 was created to apply to machine tools, not woodworking machinery. But an argument could be made for a broader application of the rules. October 26, 2011
Waste Allowance for Running Trim Suggestions for how to handle the "fudge factor" involved in estimating trim material quantities. August 13, 2007
Efficiency Tips for a Too-Small Shop When you have plenty of work but not enough space to work in, how can you adapt until you're ready to move into a larger shop? May 15, 2014
Finding a Use for Low-Grade Poplar A sawmiller has buyers for his clear poplar, but needs an outlet for the knotty material that's left over. April 24, 2014
Getting Rid of Scrap Laminate Suggestions for putting excess laminate into the hands of someone who might need it. September 17, 2014
Closing Shop for a Vacation Week Key people need a break. But how will clients feel when you shut down the whole operation for a week? February 27, 2013
Folding Blueprint Table Cabinetmakers discuss folding table options for the stuff they bring along when they measure a job. December 31, 2012
Getting Appliances for a Kitchen Showroom If you're creating a classy showroom, appliance makers and other vendors may be happy to provide you with products to include. June 5, 2006
Employee ownership Ideas for keeping employees, who expect more than standard benefits, happy. June 6, 2001
When Another Company Steals Your Website Content Occasionally a company uses material published on another company's website as part of their own web presence. Here's a discussion about how to respond. July 11, 2013
Outsourcing Accounting How does it work to have an outside company manage your payroll? And is it worth the cost? April 13, 2010
What is the AWI Estimating Seminar About? An Architectural Woodworking Institute educational presenter provides a thumbnail description of AWI's two-day estimating seminar. November 11, 2005
Estimating Labor when Wages Vary Do you consider which workers will be doing what parts of the work when projecting the labor costs for a job? April 22, 2014
Five value-added approaches Professor Gene Wengert presents ideas on adding value to your wood products. April 2, 2002
Showcasing Furniture Furniture shows are a mixed bag — and the Internet offers other venues for showing off your work. March 16, 2015
Cabinet Installation Prices A reasonable per-box rate for cabinet installation can really vary, depending on the complexity of the job. September 27, 2008
What to Include on a Resume Put everything down — experience that seems irrelevant to an advertised job may qualify you for something better at the same company. October 2, 2007
Cabinet Cost Versus House Cost What percentage of a house's price might the cabinets cost? Feedback from various locations. August 29, 2005
Understanding AWI's "Premium Grade" Watch out — if you really have to build to an Architectural Woodwork Institute specification, you really have to know your stuff. January 10, 2008
Estimating Long-Schedule Jobs Tips on projecting costs and covering yourself for changing conditions when getting involved in multi-year projects. November 4, 2007
Used CNC buying advice What to look for when buying a used point-to-point CNC. April 20, 2001
Figuring finish prices Methods for determining how much to charge for finishing work. March 28, 2001
Marketing with a Project Blog A cabinetmaker describes how he creates and updates a blog for each client's project to help garner referrals and publicity. April 22, 2014
Fork Lift Trucks Basic description of fork-lift equipment. November 11, 2008
Free Forestry Sciences Laboratory Software Here's a collection of free computer software designed to help with starting and running a wood products business. December 22, 2006
Truck Driver's Log Book Big work trucks may get snagged by regulatory paperwork requirements, such as driver time log books. May 20, 2009
Website Domain-Name Ownership A shop owner's website designer went out of business, and now it seems that he doesn't own his site's domain name. What does he do now?November 11, 2005
Thoughtful Gifts for Clients Cutting boards or butcher blocks made from shop scraps make a nice gift for a valued customer. March 28, 2010
International Machinery Sales Machinery transactions overseas call for an experienced broker to play trusted middleman, but that costs money. November 23, 2012
Millwork set-up fees What do small millwork shops charge for set-up on custom runs? March 20, 2001
A Planning Guide for Small and Medium Size Wood Products Companies Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Here's a detailed, but easy-to-read 75-page handbook on business planning for wood products companies, contributed by Jeff Howe and Steve Bratkovich of the United States Forest Service. December 9, 2005
Profit Percentages Here's a long and thoughtful discussion about profit — how much is typical in cabinetmaking, and how to go about increasing it. November 23, 2012
Profit-Sharing and Incentive Pay Employers and workers discuss the pros and cons of linking employee compensation to company performance. November 4, 2007
Backyard Shop Ideas Here's lots of advice for a first-time shop builder from cabinetmakers who have been there and done that (with a side discussion about relating to the neighbors). January 28, 2009
Business Startup Advice Here's a rough-and-tumble thread providing advice and cautions for a would-be cabinetmaker. October 2, 2007
Paying Designers Cabinetmakers discuss their relationships with designers. April 4, 2011
Payment Problems in Commercial Work Slow payment, and even non-payment, is very common in the world of commercial contracting. Here's advice on how to protect yourself. March 12, 2009
Photography Fees Need professional photography done? Want to reproduce an already-published photo? Bottom line: good photography is expensive. June 3, 2007
Pricing Example: Bath Vanity An emotional, but informative, discussion of cabinet pricing based on one bath vanity example. September 23, 2006
Playing Hardball over Unpaid Invoices An installer decides not to show up for a job as promised because the contractor hasn't paid for the last two jobs. Is he being too radical? February 16, 2012
Bail or Stick? A few communication lapses in the 3-way among a cabinetmaker, a designer, and the customer have given the cab guy itchy feet. This discussion delves deep into how and why jobs go wrong, how to handle communication, and when it's wisest to walk away. February 19, 2008
Hard Layoff Choices A long discussion about a difficult choice: whether to lay off a valued employee when sales fall off during a downturn. June 15, 2009
Portable sawing rates Methods for charging, plus more on the business of sawmilling. January 21, 2002
Price sawmilling by the cut? Pricing by the hour, the board foot and the cut. (From WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum) February 12, 2003
Pricing a Custom Piece of Furniture A custom cabinet-maker asks for input on pricing a specially-ordered free-standing chest of drawers. The discussion covers a lot of ground on estimating, pricing, and the difference between cabinets and furniture. October 19, 2005
Pricing Custom Cabinets and Trim Even within one local market, prices can be all over the map. Balancing careful itemized estimating against local market conditions can help you turn a decent profit. August 23, 2006
Payment Terms in Commercial Work A discussion of the contract technicalities a woodworker has to navigate when making the switch from residential to commercial work. April 6, 2007
Health Benefit Solutions Woodworking shop owners discuss their experiences trying to provide employee health insurance benefits. March 5, 2008
Pricing a Nice Built-In Cabinet In this detailed thread, a cabinetmaker learns that he is way, way under-pricing his work — and picks up some good business tips. August 22, 2007
Profit Margins Defining profit and determining how much you should expect. November 22, 2004
Payment Schedules and Stategies Another discussion on the topic of down payments, progress payments, and final payments. November 30, 2009
Productivity-Based Incentive Pay One woodshop owner's take on how to calculate and pay bonuses so they will effectively motivate the workforce. November 19, 2008
Business, Craftsmanship, and Satisfaction How do you keep love of woodworking alive and also run a successful woodworking business? No one said it would be easy... February 17, 2006
Payment Schedules and Client-Caused Delays When a client's not ready for delivery on time, it's hard for the cabinetmaker. Contracts should allow for that eventuality. March 26, 2008
Pay Scales for Cabinet Shop Workers Pay rates vary by skill level, and also by region. Here, cabinetmakers dig into what makes a worker worth his wage. October 18, 2005
Buying a Woodworking Business Here's a long thread full of thoughtful advice on how to assessn the value and prospects of a cabinet business that is for sale. June 8, 2008
Pricing and "Profit" A question about how to price several small jobs leads to a discussion about the difference between the wages you pay yourself and the profit your company earns. August 28, 2010
Payroll as a Proportion of Costs Cabinetmakers help a colleague analyze his labor costs and compare the office, shop floor, and installation shares of it. May 12, 2008
Breaking Out a Bid If you break a bid down into different pieces of the job for a client, shouldn't each piece cost more? April 4, 2011
How to Work a Local Home Show Detailed advice on how to set up and operate your booth in a local home show in order to sell enough work to make the investment worth it (and then some). October 18, 2011
Potential of a One-Man Shop Is it realistic to think a small shop owner can make a decent living? December 9, 2004
Production Management Software for a Woodshop Once you have your paper systems straight, what can a computer software package do for your materials and time tracking, labor productivity evaluations, et cetera? April 20, 2008
Bidding Wars in Perspective Seeing another company's low-ball bid starts a cabinetmaker thinking. December 26, 2006
Paying for Woodworking Training Is it worth it to go to a "school of woodworking" (or send your employees) to learn skills such as veneering? October 18, 2011
Pricing, Productivity, and Profit An inexperienced cabinetmaker asks for help ball-parking a project, and kicks off an interesting discussion about how long it should take to do stuff. February 27, 2015
Buying Equipment Versus Leasing Comparing the advantages and disadvantages of leasing or purchasing shop equipment. February 6, 2010
Professional Dress for Woodworkers What's the right dress and grooming strategy for a woodworker who wants to make a good impression on customers? October 13, 2010
Headphones in the Shop Here's a lively discussion about concentration, hearing loss, and whether it's okay for employees to listen to personal music on headphones in a cabinet shop. September 15, 2011
Building a Shop Cabinet shop owners converse about what they would do differently if they were to build their shop all over again, again. August 14, 2007
Price Negotiations Ways to handle a client who asks for a line-item breakdown of your estimate. June 29, 2005
Pricing a Built-In Bookshelf Another tour through familiar territory: How much is this bookcase worth? And should neighbors catch a break? November 26, 2007
Hiring, Training, and Firing Employees Based on a Paul Downs column in the New York Times, here's a thoughtful thread about how to optimize your workforce for skill, teamwork, efficiency, and morale. July 18, 2013
Project and Product Photography for Cabinetmakers A good professional photographer will give you the best results. But if you want to do it yourself, there are ways to improve your technique. January 26, 2008
Hold Harmless Clause Complications A cautionary tale: When a customer's dog bites a subcontractor, the contractor finds his government contract may leave him holding the bag for a homeowner's insurance payout. June 2, 2009
Print Advertising Versus Direct Mail Believers in direct mail say it hits the target harder and more accurately than general advertising. March 21, 2012
Payment Schedules in Commercial Cabinetry Work When it comes to deposits, progress payments, and final payment, commercial work is a whole nother world. Here's the voice of experience on bidding and contracting those jobs. August 7, 2006
Bidding on Big Commercial Jobs Advice about organization, level of detail, and covering yourself in working up and submitting a bid for a large commercial project.September 17, 2014
How Long to Build Cabinets? Cabinetmakers share views on how long a typical cabinet job should take a small shop, and help a colleague figure out why his progress has been slow. April 20, 2008
Producing Sketches for Sales Meetings Woodworkers discuss hand and computer techniques for creating quick visualizations of proposals for clients. April 20, 2007
Pricing a Small Kitchen A question about how to price an example of kitchen cabinetry leads to thoughts about pricing methods and design rendering. February 26, 2007
How Long Does a Kitchen Renovation Take? A wide-open question sparks an interesting discussion of the factors that can affect scheduling of a kitchen remodel. July 12, 2008
Budget Alternatives to Teak A search for "poor man's Teak" evolves into a discussion of customers, their tastes and motivations. December 30, 2005
Boosting Website Traffic To get a high search engine rank, you need to cultivate good links on your pages, and weed out all the bad ones.April 29, 2012
Patenting a New Jig or Tool A woodworker has thought up a modification that improves on someone else's design, and wonders whether he should seek a patent. Responses supply a rundown on the patent process and its pitfalls. February 17, 2006
Pricing Furniture Cost is a hard fact, but the market value of a unique furniture piece can be very subjective. October 28, 2008
Breaking Into a New Area A woodworker who has just moved to a new town gets advice on marketing his business. June 29, 2008
Price and Quality — Sawing Oak Boards for Dump Truck Beds Sawing for a utility market like truck bed liners carries its own set of economic calculations. Here's a practical business discussion that delves into the pennies and the board feet. May 23, 2007
Profits, Bonuses, and Debt This interesting discussion considers the significance of a Christmas bonus in the context of company financials and taxes. February 27, 2015
How much land for a living How many forested acres are needed to supply enough timber to support you? June 3, 2003
Buying a One-Man Shop A young woodworker starting out asks for advice on purchasing an existing business. December 7, 2008
Printing and Viewing Blueprints for Bidding Cabinetmakers discuss the nuts and bolts of working with digital blueprints, including a look at software that helps with takeoffs and estimating. April 19, 2015
Planning for Workflow Improvements A manager of a large shop who's working on streamlining the machine layout and work process gets advice on how to look before he leaps. October 2, 2007
Pricing and Marketing It's been said before: don't set your prices too low. November 26, 2007
Pricing a Furniture Prototype How do you decide what to charge for designing and building a piece of furniture that will then be mass-produced by others? June 22, 2010
Pricing and Closing During a First Sales Call This thread presents good arguments for being prepared to present a firm quote and close the deal during your first meeting with a customer. August 28, 2010
Health Insurance for Employees Shop owners discuss the ins and outs of employer-sponsored health insurance plans. November 10, 2005
Pricing Solid-Surface Countertops To make money fabricating and installing solid-surface counters, be sure to charge for all the incidental costs. September 23, 2006
Pricing For Small Orders When you make your living with volume production, how do you cope with occasional one-off requests? January 26, 2008
Potential Pitfalls of Commercial Trim Jobs If you're new to commercial work, be careful. Payment schedules can slip, and you can get roped into extra work you hadn't counted on. July 27, 2008
Pricing for Kiln Drying Lumber Here are pictures of a drying kiln building under construction, with commentary on how to charge for drying wood with a dehumidifier kiln. December 8, 2012
Big Monitors for On-Screen Estimating A discussion of the hardware and software upgrades involved in switching to all-digital (paperless) estimating and takeoffs. April 27, 2011
Hanging Laminate Chair Rail Advice on ways to efficiently install chair rail in volume on commercial jobs, plus a side discussion about contracts and quality specifications. October 20, 2013
Processing Credit Card Sales Here's a detailed thread about various ways to manage the process if you choose to accept payment by credit card. January 2, 2012
Bidding Cabinet Work for School Jobs Supplying cabinets for school construction or renovation projects is a rough business where it's easy for the small competitor to get beat. October 27, 2011
Price comparisons and why not A magazine article shows the great variances in pricing work across the country, and illustrates the necessity of pricing each job based on local markets and shop expenses. March 23, 2002
Pricing to Create a Prototype You're being promised (maybe) a large order of an unusual product. But what do you charge for developing and producing the first prototype?December 24, 2012
Pricing Out a Bookcase Design A customer's design based on an existing manufactured product probably can't be made for a cost that's competitive with the original. June 4, 2012
Prices for Finishing a Kitchen A craftsman who usually finishes only his own cabinetry gets feedback on setting a price to finish someone else's work. March 4, 2009
Plywood and Lumber Rack Ideas Thoughts, suggestions, and examples of shop-built material storage racks. September 26, 2009
BNI for Woodworkers Shop owners share impressions about Business Networks International. November 10, 2006
Possible yearly earnings What kind of sales volume does it take to support a six-figure salary in a two-man shop? May 9, 2001
Business Transitions and Divorce Selling a business or otherwise disposing of assets can get very messy in the midst of a divorce. December 6, 2008
Pricing Cabinets Basic ideas on estimating cabinet construction costs. January 9, 2006
Hardwood Lumber Tallies Are you being shorted on a lumber delivery? The answer could depend on the fine points of board-foot calculations. April 19, 2015
Bonding for Small Jobs Even if you're a relatively small subcontractor, you may occasionally be asked to post a bond. It's not so complicated. July 20, 2011
Power Cost for CNC Machining Juice to run the machinery is a small percentage of CNC operating cost, but it's not zero. October 14, 2010
Pricing Edgebanding Work There are several factors to consider if you want to know the full cost of applying edgebanding. July 28, 2012
Pessimistic Thoughts about Partnership Deals When a cabinetmaker asks for advice on formalizing a partnership arrangement, he receives a lot of warnings about the potential risks and pitfalls. May 22, 2007
Profit sharing plans Developing a plan where employee compensation is linked to productivity. June 24, 2001
Photo Advertising on a Trailer Legal and practical discussion: Should you use stock photos of cabinetry (that you did not make) as advertising on your company trailer? June 17, 2012
By-the-Foot Price Guesstimates as a Sales Technique Nobody can really price by the foot without more information. But suggesting a range of by-the-foot prices, depending on the details, can be a way to help start a sales conversation. September 6, 2012
Hustling for Work Tips on scouting for jobs to make ends meet during slow times. April 24, 2009
Heavy-duty CNC router recommendations Suggestions choosing for a good-quality CNC router, offering adequate tech support and training. February 28, 2001
Hours Worked Versus Hours on the Clock Thoughts on measuring how much of an employee's workday consists of actual work in the real world of the shop floor. November 5, 2013
Building with Urban Trees Harvesting and utilizing wood which would otherwise end up in the landfill. February 28, 2004
Pricing Lineal Moulding Tips and advice on setting a per-foot price for custom moulding runs. July 23, 2007
Billing Schedules A cabinetmaker considers whether to adjust his usual "50% down, 50% on completion" by breaking out installation as a separate charge. February 8, 2008
How to Say No You know those private eye stories that start, "I knew she was trouble the minute she walked in my door..."? Beware, brother, beware! August 29, 2005
Pricing a Stump Woodworkers get a good laugh out of chunks of hardwood log, sold in catalogs as two-hundred-dollar furniture. February 11, 2009
Packaging Equipment Basic info on shrink-wrapping machinery and related packaging equipment. November 12, 2008
Building a Home Show Display Pros share design and construction tips for a trade-show booth presentation. July 2, 2005
Blue Book Advertising Some woodworking shops get good results from advertising in their local Blue Book. March 12, 2009
Handling and Installing High-End Appliances What's the best way to get a heavy, expensive Sub-Zero or Wolf fridge or range off the truck and into the house? Short answer: pay somebody else to do it. January 23, 2014
Business Insurance Business owners share tips on getting good coverage, and warn about the risks of "going bare." June 12, 2005
"Work in Progress," Efficiency, and Profit Here's a long and somewhat abstract and meandering discussion that still makes some interesting points about how reducing the number of overlapping tasks happening at once can eliminate management headaches and improve productivity. April 20, 2008
Charging for Design Drawings Here's a long thread presenting some strongly held and well-articulated views on design drafting, bidding, sales, costs, and how to charge for design work. October 13, 2010
Story of a Landlord-Tenant Dispute Confusion over three-phase power throughs a shop leasing agreement into chaos. Here are insights into the legal and practical issues involved. October 27, 2008
Fine Points of Linear-Foot Pricing Linear-foot estimating can play a role in sales and bidding, but it's only a starting point. Here's an extended discussion. August 31, 2010
Pricing Cabinet Installation Work Pros discuss their differing approaches to charging for kitchen and bath cabinet installation work. January 24, 2005
Can a Beginner Make a Living with a Portable Sawmill? Experienced sawmill operators counsel a newcomer on his odds of success with buying and operating a sawmill in a tough market — and describe what his life will be like if he tries it. November 16, 2010
Age Discrimination? A 60-year-old draftsman kicks off a long exchange about age, employability, and fairness. April 13, 2010
Future of Sawmilling Here's a long, conversational thread on the economics of sawmill operations and the big picture of the general economy. August 31, 2009
Words to Live By This long thread about quotable sayings generated a long list of pithy quotes you could post up on the wood shop wall. March 21, 2012
Sustainable forestry How sustainable forestry relates to the woodworker and consumer demands. June 3, 2003
Team Player When you advertise for a "team player," what are you asking for? Seriously — this job seeker wants to know. January 2, 2012
Work-Station Shop Organization Systems Thoughts on a shop setup that involves moving the workpiece from station to station, rather than moving pieces and tools onto and off of a single work bench.May 23, 2011
Outsourcing Pros and Cons Outsourcing door production is a no-brainer — except when it's not. This discussion looks at door production from both sides. July 5, 2011
Bidding Wars Heat Up In a tough economy, price undercutting can get extreme. Here, a cabinetmaker's anecdote sets off a long discussion of price competition and reality. August 11, 2009
Pricing Example: a Simple Cabinet A simple pair of free-standing cabinets, with a long discussion on pricing, bidding, and relating to a competitive market. July 5, 2006
Cultivating Initiative and Creativity on the Shop Floor Here's a thoughtful discussion about how a shop foreman can train his employees how to think for themselves, rather than simply solving problems for them. Also mentioned: how to craft shop SOP's. February 11, 2010
Whether to Charge a Design Fee Charging for design work makes sense from the cabinetmaker's point of view, but it can be a deal-breaker for clients. August 7, 2008
Making Money on Custom Installs How can a 2-man operation stay profitable on cabinetry installations? A discussion of costs, pricing, planning, and time management for installing custom work. July 27, 2008
Marketing 101 for a Small Cabinet Shop A two-man cabinet business builds a good product, but needs more customers. Here's a raft of advice on how to build name recognition and make personal contacts. November 29, 2014
Lumber Tally: Rough Versus Milled When you buy dressed lumber, the quantity is tallied based on the rough board footage, before milling. The "rip-off" percentage can sometimes confuse the buyer. September 27, 2012
Importing Machinery A woodshop owner takes a chance on importing his own machinery straight from Asia, takes a chance, and reports back on the results. August 19, 2008
Gray Areas in Drug Testing Policy Employers and employees alike express mixed feelings about drug testing in this thread. April 29, 2012
Managing a Late-Paying Customer Advice on handling a good customer who has slipped disturbingly far behind on payments on his account. December 1, 2010
Home-built moulder Advice on the construction of a moulder, and encouragement to follow an easier path. November 18, 2002
Handling a Problem Employee Shop owners discuss how to deal with an employee whose attitude is going down the tubes. January 26, 2008
Whether to Release Drawings Before Having a Contract A contractor and a customer are in a Mexican standoff over the drawings for a kitchen contract. The discussion digs deep into the balance of power in sales and marketing. July 13, 2011
Eyewitness: Injury Scary stories about careless acts and bad consequences. June 28, 2005
Best Ways to Advertise How to get the word out that you're in business and available for work. November 22, 2004
Business Start-Up Advice Woodworker asks about a business start-up kit, and gets an earful of wise advice.
Increasing production flow Presenting to a boss the numbers that prove production flow could be improved. (Business Forum) May 17, 2003
Can Shop Workers Legally be Subcontractors? An extended discussion of IRS rules defining employees and independent contractors, and how those rules relate to workers in a cabinet shop. February 23, 2010
Cabinet Shop Growing Pains A cabinet shop owner gets advice on expanding his production volume while integrating some complex new software into his workflow. July 12, 2008
Methods for Pricing Cabinet Work After years of estimating cabinet costs box by box in detail, you may have enough data to start taking short-cuts. October 2, 2007
How Strict Should Work Hours Be? Woodworking employers and employees discuss working hours, flex time, performance, and shop morale. March 4, 2006
Subcontractor or Employee? Learning the rules about worker classification and managing the details correctly is a hassle, but the risks of doing it wrong are major. September 24, 2009
Smoking Policies for Wood Shops How should wood-shop employers deal with the issues raised by employees who smoke? The question leads to a lively debate. December 2, 2006
Attention, Safety Practices, and Loose Nuts A woodworker describes how a moment's inattention damaged his machine — but luckily, not him. The tale sets off a long thread of similar stories (including one fatality) and lessons learned. November 16, 2011
From Installer to Cabinet Shop Can a successful installer start a successful cabinet shop, by focusing on sales? This question starts a wide-ranging discussion of how cabinet shops succeed. November 28, 2011
Business Worries and Sleep Running your own business can make it hard to get a good night's sleep. Here's some advice on healthy habits that may help (personal and business both). April 9, 2008
Hiring a Manager A long discussion of how to find a manager for a busy shop, and how to define that person's role. October 14, 2009
Out-of-Level Brouhaha Sparks fly when a cabinet installer goes with the out-of-level house for the sake of appearance. His story sets off a lively exchange of views. October 22, 2005
Labor Rates and Profit A lively discussion about how to value various skill levels of labor in pricing woodworking installations. December 2, 2006
Managing Growth as a Start-Up Cabinet Shop In its second year, this small shop owner's cabinet business is starting to take off. Here, he gets advice on his next steps.October 19, 2011
Classifying Workers An accountant's suggestion to turn a few employees into "subcontractors" comes in for criticism — along with some information about the rules for that sort of thing. September 30, 2010
Smart Leasing Tactics When you need to rent space for your woodworking shop, favorable lease terms can be a real plus for your business. December 7, 2007
Presenting A Quote There are reasons to sell the job face to face, in person. April 10, 2005
Recovering from a Shop Fire Woodweb forum steps up with well-informed advice about how to cope with a catastrophic fire in the wood shop. April 16, 2009
Switching to Factory-Built Cabinets A Gulf Coast cabinetmaker has had good luck with a line of factory cabinets. His story triggers a discussion of today's market realities and the pros and cons of adding factory-made cabs to your business model. November 10, 2006
Patenting a Woodworking Invention The deck is stacked against the small inventor, but teaming up with a large manufacturer could repay your creativity. February 6, 2010
Should I Cut Prices to Boost Sales? Another take on the age-old question of whether a cabinet business should cut prices when sales are slow. August 12, 2007
Installation scheduling When he can't keep up with the jobs the sales staff hands him, what's an installer to do? June 24, 2001
Home Shop Pros and Cons Cabinetmakers describe what it's like to have your shop next to (or underneath) your house. April 13, 2012
Lumber Insurance Can a sawyer be held liable for the structural integrity of his wood? February 28, 2004
Offering Long Warranties Should cabinetmakers back their product with a "lifetime" warranty? June 4, 2012
AdWords Campaigns: Do They Work? Woodworking business owners discuss the results they've seen from Google AdWords campaigns. April 29, 2010
What Does It Take to Start a Business? Besides woodworking skill, what characteristics does a person need to start up a wood shop business? The question sets off a long and thoughtful discussion on the Woodweb Business forum. September 4, 2005
Delivery Vehicle Choices A furnituremaker who plans on offering delivery services gets advice from all size about suitable trucks and trailer rigs. September 6, 2007
Pre-Qualifying Homeowners Thoughts on how to weed out the tire-kickers. (Remember, talk is only cheap if you call a buck a minute "cheap.") December 26, 2006
Delivery Truck Choices How best to move cabinets: Truck or trailer? Purchase or lease? Or just hire a moving company? Shop owners kick the topic around. September 4, 2005
Training a Cabinet Installation Crew Advice based on experience about how to teach a pair of promising shop employees how to install cabinets in the field. November 26, 2007
Learning to Price Kitchen Cabinets Customers are asking a furnituremaker to build custom kitchen cabinets. Now, he needs advice on learning how to charge for the new type of product. February 18, 2007
Cargo Trailer or Box Truck? Cabinetmakers discuss the cost, benefits, and practicality of buying a trailer or box truck for hauling cabinets, materials, and equipment. November 20, 2005
Staying Motivated "We get ourselves into most every situation that we end up hating, so start looking at your choices." September 30, 2010
Should You Pay Workers for Travel Time? Business owners discuss whether workers should get paid for driving from the shop to the job site in a company truck. April 4, 2011
Choosing New Shop Space Deciding about shop size, distance from home, and the pros and cons of "condo" arrangements when searching for a roomier workspace. February 6, 2010
Screening Job Applicants Woodshop owners discuss the methods they use to assess prospective employees. April 19, 2015
Whether to Move the Shop Relocating to a different shop space can involve complicated pros and cons, including commute times, neighbor relations, marketing implications, and more. November 29, 2014
Price and Quality for Interior Doors Custom woodworkers have to charge for quality that typical mass-market interior doors can't match. October 17, 2011
Make Your Time Count in Sales A seasoned pro remodeler and business adviser offers nine tips for getting the sale without wasting time. September 22, 2007
Adding value to old pallets Examples of how woodworkers have recycled pallets and other old wood into new products. June 5, 2002
Partnership Concepts Pros and cons of taking on a partner, and some thoughts about the corporate form of organization. March 12, 2009
Working Four Ten-Hour Days a Week Employers discuss the pros and cons of unconventional work hours, including the costs and benefits of overtime. December 24, 2012
Insurance Work Estimating You can make a decent buck on insurance work if you estimate in exacting detail. February 11, 2009
Figuring Sawing Prices Sawmill operators share views on how to charge for their product or service. December 12, 2008
Marketing a Machinery Modification A woodworker has perfected a great idea for improving an existing piece of equipment. How does he bring his idea to the market? October 3, 2011
Moving On - Time To Work At Another Shop? After eight years at the same shop, a woodworker's ready for a new situation with more potential for growth. But he has a strong personal relation with his employer. Here, he gets advice from seasoned pros on how to make the transition to owning his own shop. November 10, 2005
Shipping Woodshop Products Woodshop business owners discuss the ins and outs of packing, shipping, and damage claims. October 13, 2005
Considering Forklift Choices Shop owners discuss forklift capacity, tire type, propane versus electric, and related considerations. August 31, 2010
Refunding Customer Deposits Cabinetmakers discuss the ethics and business sense of refunding all or part of a deposit when the customer backs out of the deal.December 28, 2005
Marketing to Builders A local cabinetmaker gets advice on getting the attention of production builders. June 16, 2005
CNC Routers Versus Jobs for People Despite employees' fears, a new CNC will not replace people — it will make their lives better. June 11, 2010
Paying Workers for Travel Time Is a boss required to pay workers for travel time to and from a jobsite (such as a cabinet install)? That depends on the circumstances. June 15, 2009
Valuing Unusual Boards Arriving at a price for a one-of-a-kind large piece of wood is a very subjective process. December 6, 2009
Enforcing Cancellation Policies When a customer cancels a service call on short or no notice, how do you effectively charge a cancellation fee? April 21, 2011
Owner's Compensation Shop owner describes his business and gets feedback on his numbers.
Buying at Online Auctions Tips on loading and delivery and on checking equipment value when you purchase used woodshop equipment from an online auctioneer. May 4, 2011
Structural Testing for Chairs There's the Fat Man test, the Little Boy test, the Throw it Off the Roof test, and the "Entire state is sliding into the ocean" test ... you get the idea. January 3, 2012
Sales Staff Expense Allowances Business owners discuss whether and how to reimburse salespeople for vehicle use, cell phones, laptops, et cetera. December 14, 2005
Estimating formula Methods of estimating how much to charge for your work. March 20, 2001
Keeping Track of Tools Tips and strategies for reducing the common tendency of shop tools to disappear throughout the year. July 12, 2008
Making Money with LEAN Systems A thread that starts out with a question about stock versus custom cabinetry turns into a lesson in LEAN systems. October 13, 2010
Taking a Business to the Next Level A question about equipment investment turns into a thoughtful seminar on marketing, pricing, and finding your niche. November 10, 2005
Machines and Tools: Cost Versus Value Are expensive tools worth the money? Are cheap tools worth the hassle? Pros on the Woodweb Business Forum talk about how much to pay for quality equipment, and why. September 4, 2005
Cabinet Door Shop Set-Up Necessities Specializing in cabinet doors isn't a business you can easily jump into. Here's a lively discussion about "barriers to entry" — the minimum scale required for success, and the equipment you'll need to compete. December 14, 2009
Pricing Kitchen Cabinets Price by the foot, or by the box? Cabinetmakers discuss the pros and cons of different estimating and pricing methods. May 20, 2006
Finger Versus Tablesaw A cautionary tale of a seven-stitches encounter with a tablesaw blade sets off a discussion of accidents had and lessons learned. April 25, 2006
Estimating Sheet Quantities for Cabinets Advice on "guesstimates" and more precise calculation of the number of sheets needed to build a set of cabinet boxes. September 7, 2006
New shop specs and layout Electric power and other considerations for a new cabinet shop. April 24, 2002
Pricing Trim Work Stay away from square foot pricing for finish carpentry. Here are details on how to price by the piece and the joint (and factor in aggravation). June 23, 2006
Deposits and Payment Schedules for Cabinet Jobs Here's an extensive debate on the reasons for requiring payment from customers in advance of starting work or delivering a product. December 7, 2008
Yellowing Paint on New Poplar Doors This long discussion deals partly with the performance of paint on poplar, and partly with the division of responsibility between the cabinetmaker and the finisher. January 24, 2014
Marketing with a Customer Survey If it's presented in a thoughtful, personal way, a "How are we doing?" survey can be a very effective marketing device. February 1, 2011
Square-Foot Pricing for Volume Work When a potential customer suggests a low-ball price for a volume job, finishers chime in with information about the realistic costs of such a project. May 27, 2014
Compensating Employees Who Opt Out of Health Insurance Should employees who opt out of your company's insurance plan get a little something extra in their check? Maybe not — the practice could create complicated tax issues for you. April 24, 2006
Adjustment Problems and Customer Care An extended discussion of how to handle a customer who repeatedly calls about minor drawer alignment issues on custom cabinetry. December 6, 2008
Small Shop Struggles A one-employee cabinet shop owner gets wide-ranging practical advice on managing his fledgling business. The voice of experience, from pros who have been there. August 29, 2005
Overcatalyzation Callback Confusion Here's a cautionary tale: A cabinetmaker dismisses a customer's legitimate complaint about finish discoloration because he think the customer is hiding something. Turns out, overcatalyzing the finish did cause it to turn orange after many months. Now the cabinetmaker has to apologize and make the jo ......
Should I charge more? Cabinetmakers share their systems for determining pricing. August 29, 2001
Recognizing Income in QuickBooks Advice on how to apply accounting methods that keep your profit and loss statements in step with your cash flow and the value added to your materials inventory. August 28, 2010
Cost, Overhead, and Profit: A Pricing Example A conversation about how to price a small cabinet job sheds light on different philosophies regarding costs, markups, and the path to a life of contentment. November 15, 2010
Sourcing Cabinet Hardware Pros discuss one-stop shopping for cabinet hardware from various manufacturers. August 29, 2005
Keeping Hinges Organized Advice on organizing hinge inventory, and making sure the correct hinges get installed. August 15, 2011
Pricing for Cabinet Finishing A furniture finisher who would like to branch out into cabinet finishing gets feedback on how to charge for the service. February 18, 2007
Working with Independent Sales Reps A discussion of the pros and cons of working with independent sales reps, including thoughts on the compensation schedule. September 29, 2010
How to Charge for Custom Sawing A discussion of realistic fees for sawing a customer's logs at their location with a portable mill. January 14, 2008
Selling Accessory Items Add-ons and doo-dads can make you a little money. Here are tips on presenting a smart selection. February 11, 2009
Butcher Block Finish Dispute This long saga of a woodworker's difficulty with a customer who is dissatisfied with the finish on a butcher block shipped cross-country offers lessons on communication, contracts, and credit card company dispute resolution processes. March 26, 2010
Bidding Wars on a Nice Built-In Another lost-bid case study: Custom cabinetmakers discuss pricing and negotiating strategies for a custom Cherry entertainment center job. August 11, 2009
Ins and Outs of Commercial Bidding Commercial contracting is its own business world. Here, a cabinetmaker gets advice on how to approach his first formal commercial bid. November 26, 2007
Wearing Shorts on the Jobsite OSHA cares how you dress on construction sites. Here's some info and some discussion. April 8, 2008
Communication Between Cabinet Shops About Outsourced Work A busy cabinetmaker who needs to send work to another shop for cutting on CNC equipment wishes the other shop would meet him halfway on the transfer of information. A debate ensues. January 31, 2012
Moulding prices Pricing product in a small, start-up moulding manufacturing operation. October 9, 2002
Table Leg Attachment and Veneer Details This thread offers good analysis of table structure, veneering techniques for complex shapes, and the business problem of trying to compete with cheap manufactured goods as a custom furnituremaker. October 1, 2010
Charging for Finish Samples and Color-Matching Matching a customer's finish sample introduces complications. Here's how some cabinetmakers manage the process and the costs. August 19, 2008
Itemized Estimates Should you show item-by-item cost breakdowns to a client? April 10, 2005
Fortune Teller: Making More Money in the Wood Industry Wood Doctor Gene Wengert makes some educated guesses about the near future in the wood products industry, and offers some advice about how wood-based businesses can profit from change. April 15, 2013
Panel Processing Time with and without CNC A CNC shop and a cabinetmaker using conventional equipment compare the labor time used to cut up and bore an entire kitchen. January 1, 2012
Finishing Cost (In-House Versus Contracted Out) A cabinetmaker wonders why bids he gets to finish cabinets don't match his own cost to do the work himself. The question sets off a long discussion of cost, value, markets, and business strategies. May 17, 2010
Cabinet doors: to build or to buy? A roundtable on making raised-panel doors for cabinets, versus "buying them out," opening onto a discussion of the larger issues of tooling and automation. July 18, 2000
Outdoor wood furnaces Experiences with outdoor "water stove" heating systems. March 20, 2001
Wood, the environment, and Man A wide-ranging overview of the state of the primary processing industry, and where it may be going from here. August 10, 2000
Kitchen Remodel Rendering Advice on software to create images showing how a new kitchen will look. April 14, 2005
Training Workers The interviewing, hiring, and training process lays crucial groundwork that sets the tone for sound employee management. 1998.
Interviewing Potential Employees The interviewing, hiring, and training process lays crucial groundwork that sets the tone for sound employee management. 1998.
The Web as a customer interface Shop owners share their ideas on the Internet's usefulness from a marketing and customer service standpoint. September 6, 2000
Contracts and Collections Owning a woodworking business is great, provided you remember it is a business. How to contract carefully, and get paid. 1998.
A Selling System, part two Part two of five, from Custom Woodworking Business magazine, on developing a customer base through a carefully planned and executed sales approach. 1998.
Advertising alternatives What are the best-bang-for-buck advertising venues for woodworkers? November 7, 2000
Marketing Your Business Assessing the value of various types of advertising and marketing tools. 1998.
A Selling System, part four Part four of five, from Custom Woodworking Business magazine, on developing a customer base through a carefully planned and executed sales approach. 1998.
Turning to the 'Pros' One in a series, looking at the relationships between woodworking companies and the businesses they deal with. 1998.
Applied wainscot Creating fake raised panels for the lower portion of walls. April 3, 2002
A Selling System, part five Part five of five, from Custom Woodworking Business magazine, on developing a customer base through a carefully planned and executed sales approach. 1998.
Cost of Door Samples A discussion about whether to give potential customers a sample of your cabinet doors — or how to charge for that. November 3, 2011
Should I Advertise? The whys and wherefores of marketing for owners of woodworking businesses. 1998
A Selling System, part one Part one of five, from Custom Woodworking Business magazine, on developing a customer base through a carefully planned and executed sales approach. 1998.
A Selling System, part three Part three of five, from Custom Woodworking Business magazine, on developing a customer base through a carefully planned and executed sales approach. 1998.
Think before you take the CNC plunge WOODWEB technical advisor Brian Personett offers some food for thought to those thinking about purchasing CNC equipment. November 15, 2000
Three phase generator Running machinery off of a three-phase generator. September 2, 2002
Applying UV-Cured Coatings to Flooring Commercial pre-finished flooring comes with a UV-cured urethane finish, but that's an advanced process best left to the specialists. June 17, 2010
Onsite sawing prices Further discussion of how people charge for onsite, rough sawmilling services. January 24, 2001
Establishing a formal absenteeism policy Shop owners discuss policies they've adopted to ensure consistent employee attendance, and how those policies are administered. September 26, 2000
Soundproof Shop Considering noise reduction when building a shop. February 10, 2004
Aromatic cedar for closet lining A discussion of drying and machining, aromatic red cedar for closet lining. Includes ideas on marketing the finished product. March 4, 2000
3-phase to single phase Is it possible to convert 3-phase equipment to single-phase power? March 20, 2001
ITEMIZER - From R & R Drummond, Inc. Use your computer to generate efficient layouts for cutting sheet material into desired sizes (a link to a demo download is provided)1998
Production Tips, part three Part three of three from Woodworking International Magazine, offering proven ideas for increasing efficiency in production shops. 1998.
Production Tips, part two Part two of three from Woodworking International Magazine, offering proven ideas for increasing efficiency in production shops. 1998.
Bid Pricing For Cabinet Jobs How to figure costs and prices? A start-up cabinetmaker gets an earful of good advice. April 14, 2005
Production Tips, part one Part one of three from Woodworking International Magazine, offering proven ideas for increasing efficiency in production shops. 1998.
Company sponsored, on-site drinking Legal implications of the Friday afternoon beer-drinking session, and off-site alternatives to it. November 7, 2000
Finding Software for Design and Visualization It's hard to find one application that will quickly create design visualizations for a customer during a sales meeting, but also generate good designs suitable for construction in the shop. This thread offers some insight into software capabilities and some nice example drawings. December 28, 2010 ......
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