Do you love woodworking more than just about anything on the planet? If so, then why not start a woodworking business from your woodworking hobby? There are many ways that you can make money through woodworking. If you approach this type of business the right way, it can result in several income streams for you at the same time. Here are some tips and tools to make starting a full woodworking business easier and more likely to be successful.
Start with a Business Plan
There are many different online options when it comes to creating a business plan. By using an online option, you can update and change your business plan as often as you need to keep your goals in focus. Some of the online business plan tools you can use include LifePlan and Business Sorter. There are many on the market, but these often work for those just starting out. You can set up the direction you want to take, give yourself goals to reach, and even set up most of the reports your business will ever need.
Income is Important with a Woodworking Business
As we mentioned, one of the greatest aspects of creating a woodworking business from a hobby is that it can lead to many different revenue streams. First, you have the income from the items you create. Whether you do simple items like cutting boards, or elaborate pieces of furniture, you can make money from what you sell.
Second, you can take pictures and videos as you create new items and make money from those as well. Videos do especially well in this type of a setup. Take a video of different stages, talking to your audience. Share with them what you do and why you do it. Then, edit your video and put it up on YouTube for others to watch. The more viewers you get, the more money you can make. Pro tip for you – if you are going to do this, make sure you use a top-of-the-line video editing tool. Amateur videos are not as likely to get high numbers of views when compared to edited videos. You are starting a professional company, so look professional in the first impression people have of you.
If you take photos, then add them to a blog, which is a third way of making money. Blogging about what you make can show people how passionate you are about woodworking. Make something, write about it, and show the pictures of the process. If you monetize your website, it’s another way of bringing in income.
What’s Next?
Alright, so now you have a plan, and you have ideas on how to make money by delving into this business. So, what comes next? Getting the tools and materials you need will come next. What you will need depends on what type of woodworking you want to do. For the sake of time, we are going to cover some of the most important tools, but not going to breakdown each woodworking niche.
Materials You Are Likely to Need
No matter what type of woodworking you want to do, there are some materials you will need. First of all, you will need some wood. You need to get an idea of what you want to do before you go in search of wood. For example, if you plan on creating painted wooden furniture, you will need a totally different type of wood than if you want to do resin waterfall tables with a live edge. However, if you have no formal experience in woodworking, you will likely want to start out with novice-level goods.
Second, you are going to need some hand tools to start your professional projects. For example, plan on getting:
- Wood wax or poly to seal your projects
- Wood glue to hold everything together
- Saw guides
- Sanding tools to make sure edges are smooth and safe
- Squares
- And more
Finally, you need to decide what professional tools you want to invest in. There are so many that apply to woodworking that you need to figure out what your goals really are. For example, do you want to focus on cutting boards? It’s a great place to begin, and you can truly customize what you make as you gain confidence in your skills. If you do, then you will need additional tools, like a planer.
Want to take that cutting board up a notch and add in cut designs? Then you will need a CNC machine or a router to carve your designs into the board. Depending on how simple or complex you want to go will dictate which tools you get. Since you are just starting out, it makes sense to buy used machine tools. That way, you lower your upfront costs since many companies buy used machines in bulk as plants close down and pass that savings along to you. However, once you get off the ground, you can go with new or commercial tools to get the job done.
Get Seen
Now that you have your business plan written up, your income streams planned out, and your tools and materials situated, it is time to get started. The sooner you start, the sooner people can see you and start to buy your wares. You can post on social media to start, then once you have a stash of items to sell, you can scale up.
The next place to go is an eCommerce website where you can show pictures of what you are selling and sell your items to people around the country or even the world. You can also go to places like art fairs, craft shows, and even local resale shops. The more you get your name and items out there, the more people are going to start asking about how you can customize items for them.
Having a woodworking hobby is great when you need to relax. However, going from something you love to something you rely on to make ends meet means taking your love for the craft to a professional level. Invest in the right tools from the beginning so that you can ensure the greatest chances of success.
