August 24, 2014

Nick Pancheau Interview: The Business of Woodworking

August 24, 2014/ Todd Clippinger

In this video, Nick Pancheau from Billings, MT shares his thoughts on marketing and branding for your business. He has worked hard, not only to design his furniture product line, but also to develop a strong marketing plan and brand image.

Nick's site is a great example of what a good website should be. It is clean, functions smoothly, and represents the style of his work very well. You can see it at PareFurniture.com

When you visit Nick's site, be sure to drop him a line of thanks. Nick is a great guy and he has really shared some solid information with us.

Nick has a great promo video created by Brian Murnion of Chute Media in Billings, MT. It is very professionally done and is a great another great example of marketing and ways to promote your brand. Brian also did the photography for Nick's site. Hiring a professional like Brian definitely makes a difference in product presentation.

Since the interview with Nick, he has started selling his work at Sonder Mill. Sonder Mill is the perfect outlet for the style of Nick's product. I think this is a good example of how Nick knows his market and where to reach it. Check out Nick's page at Sonder Mill.

Be sure to check out more at the Sonder Mill website. A lot of people try selling at Etsy, Custom Made, and a few other sites, but Sonder Mill really stands out above the rest. Keep in mind you need to have the right product to meet the potential customers that shop there.

Nick has a second woodworking business going with another creative friend, Sean Thomas. They are making pipes and selling them. This business venture is called the Montana Pipe Collective and you can check out them out on the Montana Pipe Collective FaceBook Page.

I am fortunate to know a lot of creative people. Sean Thomas is definitely among them and you can check out his work at MyAngryPanda.com

The Montana Pipe Collective target demographic: elderly women:)

I know a lot of people that make their living from the shop. It can be done but not without risk and hard work, so it has to be done with a good amount of business acumen. There is a large amount of investment in time and money on the front end in hopes that you will get a return, so proceed with a good plan and follow through with strong action.

I hope that you have found this series to be helpful with the various perspectives on the business of woodworking.

Your friend in the shop-

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love - Share the Knowledge

August 15, 2014

Scott Enloe Interview: The Business of Woodworking

August 15, 2014/ Todd Clippinger

In this video, Scott Enloe, a woodwright from Great Falls, Montana, gives some insight into his business and shares with us some good advice on the business of woodworking.

You can see Scott's gallery of work at www.ScottsBoatWorks.com. He does some pretty nice work building everything from fine furniture to strip canoes that have been featured in Playboy Magazine. Bet I got your attention now, don't I?

Strip Canoe...Playboy...it's just too funny but true:)

OK, let's stay focused here.

Scott has achieved a high level of craftsmanship in his work and is recognized by the Montana Circle of American Masters.

When you check out Scott's site be sure to drop him a line and say "Thanks" for taking the time to share with us about his woodworking business and giving insightful advice. I had never met Scott until I introduced myself at SummerFair and asked for an interview. He is a really great guy, and shared freely simply because I asked.

So let's get on with it! I hope you enjoy the video and find it helpful.

Your friend in the shop-

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love - Share the Knowledge

May 11, 2010

The Dog That Almost Wasn't

May 11, 2010/ Todd Clippinger

Gettin' My Butt Whupped!

I apologize for the inconsistent posts, I have not had time to keep up with them lately. My schedule has hit crunch time and my days on the job and in the shop are looong. That leaves me with no time to sit down at the computer.

This isn't the good kind of "I can't keep up" because my business is growing and it is time to hire help, this is the bad kind of "I can't keep up" because I have simply fallen behind.

Schedules started colliding a few weeks ago when I got sick and couldn't keep up production. Now I am just working my butt off to catch up and I am determined to do that. I am working both on the jobsite and in the shop. I leave the client's home by dinner time, but I am working in the shop, doing bids, and design until 10pm - 1 am. That makes for a long day.

Some projects can be moved back, some are driven by a deadline, and for some other contractors are waiting on things to get done so they can do their part. This is the reality of business sometimes and it is something to keep in mind if you are thinking of "going pro" with your woodshop.

A Near Tragedy...

One of the projects that I am working on is Lucy's bench. To maintain privacy of the client, I named the project after one of their dogs - Lucy. This is in part for privacy, instead of using their family name, and also because I love Lucy.

Lucy and the old bench.Lucy is a toy poodle and, if I remember correctly, is 14 years old. She is half blind, deaf, and weighs about as much as a piece of notebook paper.

If you take a look at Lucy standing on the old bench, take note of the vents below her on the face of the bench. These are important, because the one she is standing over is a return air shaft that goes all the way to the basement.

I have the old bench torn out now and normally have simple frames with screen covering the gaping HVAC duct work holes. This keeps Lucy from falling in and keeps the curious cats out as well. But as I work on the flooring and ductwork I remove the safety screens.

While I was down on the floor, working on the floor patch, Lucy came up on my right. She was trying to squeeze between me and the gaping holes. Well, you know where this is going, just as I shifted my body and happened to notice her at the same time, she got bumped into the gaping duct opening.

In my youth I may have been able to claim cat-like reflexes, but not so much now that I am older. But those reflexes returned just when I needed them and I snatched the end of her hind leg as she tumbled head-first into the opening. Yep, it was that close - tragedy averted.

Gotta Get Back To The Job

The moral of the story is to always take extra steps to insure the safety of the client's animals. If you ever get with a group of contractors, ask about animals getting trapped in the jobs, there will be plenty of stories.

Well, I have to check on some custom fabricated HVAC fittings and continue finishing the metal screen inserts for the bench. I will leave you with a few production photos.