Helpful Tips
- Choose something that you are confident you can complete
- Do the math: choose something that you can profit from
- Recognize your limits and avoid taking on tasks that fall outside of your abilities
- Start by creating something for your own home
- Promote yourself to those around you, such as family and friends
- Promote yourself to local businesses
- Don’t create too many products without knowing that you’ll sell them
Are you interested in starting a business in the woodworking industry but facing constraints such as limited funds and time? If yes, then you might be wondering how to select a product to create and whether you should invest in creating products for your own home first. Moreover, you need a prototype to showcase your skills to potential customers, but where should you begin?
Choose something that you are confident you can complete
When starting a new venture, choosing something you are confident you can complete successfully is important. Additionally, it’s essential to choose something that can actually generate profit for you. It’s important to not step outside your abilities and to promote yourself to those around you such as family and friends. You can also promote yourself to local small businesses. It’s advisable not to create too many products without knowing if you will be able to sell them. Perhaps starting by creating something for your own home can be a good way to test the waters and gain some experience before expanding further.
Promote yourself to those around you, such as family and friends
Family and friends can often be the biggest supporters. I’ve always had a ‘I think I can do that’ kind of mentality when it came to certain decor items. The truth is, you don’t need fancy tools to create something like this, and my first few sales came from those closest to me.
Start by creating something for your own home or a family members
It all began with a simple idea – to create a Welcome Porch Leaner. My mom decided she wanted to add some decor to the exterior of her home. She was looking for a porch leaner that had a weathered look as it matched her preferred style. However, she also wanted it to be durable and long-lasting. While there are some cheap options available that won’t hold up against harsh weather conditions, and some expensive options that will last, she decided to take a chance on me instead. By this point I hadn’t even started refinishing furniture so I was started from ground zero.
I decided to purchase a rough, knotty pine – brown pre-stained board in the necessary dimensions despite the higher cost, from my local hardware store. As we know, being able to cut something down to size will often lead you to having more leftover materials to repurpose for another project!
I needed a weathered piece of wood in a specific size, but I didn’t know how to use stain or own any cutting tools to cut it to size.
This rough board was ROUGH. Luckily, I had already purchased a Milkwaukee Orbital Sander for a previous project in my own home. So, fortunately I had the know-how and could sand the wooden board myself.
To create the design, I searched for a font on my computer, enlarged them to specific dimensions and traced the letters onto pieces of 8.5″ x 11″ paper.
Imagine this – I’m sitting there, completely focused, with the paper held up to the screen. I’ve turned up the brightness to the max, and I’m carefully tracing each line with my trusty pencil. It’s almost like I’m creating a work of art, but in reality, I’m just trying to execute straight as-can-be lines.
I used and exacto knife to cut the insides of each letter, thus creating my own stencils.
I meticulously measured each stencil against the board to ensure the spacing was perfect. Then, I taped the stencils onto the board and began painting.
To ensure the final product turned out clean, I invested in Stencil Brushes, which made a significant difference in the crispness of the lines. After three coats of Fusion Picket Fence and allowing each coat to dry completely, the board looked amazing. The paint lines were crisp, and there was no bleeding under my homemade stencils.
To seal the board, I researched different products and finally decided on Exterior Varathane Polyurethane. This product was perfect for outdoor use, and after four years, the board still looks the same as the day I completed it.
My mom displayed her Welcome Leaner at her front door, proud as can be. A few days later she called me stating that she’s had at least 5 people ask her where she purchased it and whether or not they can purchase one too.
I had an idea that this could be the beginning of something great. But then I realized that using stencils to trace letters on paper takes a lot of time and can result in errors. So, instead of going for stencils and limiting people’s options, I decided to purchase a Cricut Machine.
Don’t create too many products without knowing that you’ll sell them
I started receiving requests for more boards with different stain and paint colours, unique fonts, and personalized touches. As orders started pouring in, I soon realized that my woodworking hobby had the potential to become a profitable business. What initially started as an ‘I can do that’ moment, turned into a sustainable source of income, enabling me to transform my passion into a lucrative venture.
Success doesn’t come easy, but it’s within reach. You don’t need the latest tools or a million products and ideas to get started. Start with something small, something you’re passionate about. Do your research, learn to use your abilities safely and cost-effectively, and bit by bit, you’ll build something you can be proud of. Remember, every little step counts toward achieving your goals.