Going Pro (the information most dismiss)

Great information. Thanks.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Thanks for the info Todd.

-- Maplewood, MN

More homework! Thanks Todd!

-- What exactly is "The Move" and who are you calling a "Quirky Jerk"? -- http://www.north40custom.com

Thanks, Todd. I’m reading Good to Great right now as part of a company push; now I need to go to Amazon and get the others.

-- Furniture Medic- the prescription for damaged furniture

MyronW – You will have to let us know what you think of Good to Great. I loved everyone of these books. By the title most do not seem to have anything to do with the others. “Blink” sounds like some hokey mind control book that comes with x-ray mind control glasses. Actually all of the books are related.

I kind of boiled it down to this: all business is about marketing. No matter what you are selling or how good or bad it is, it is really all about marketing. Marketing is your real business.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

ah so woodworking is the hobby and if you go into business you are going into the business of “marketing” :)

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Debbie, that is the perfect summation of all said.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

You might find some of my brothers musings interesting Todd. Most of his clients are big high tech firms but many of the principles and ideas translate to any business.

http://bnj.com/category/bill/

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

It’s good that these topics come up every now and then. As the numbers here grow many will see the information they need and some us who tend to forget will be reminded of what we need to remember. So now not only is my project list growing, but my skills development and my reading list.

Does it ever end? ;-)

Thanks for adding to what Odie is writing. The more information, the better.

-- If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a darn fool about it.

Todd
Its so hard to see guys who can do wondefull things with a piece of wood, fall flat on their face wen they try to turn pro. Their is so much to learn about about what happens in the front office of their shop.
I decided this year that I am finally going to take the leap and go Pro. The path I choose was to go back to school first. I am currently attending Seattle Central Comunity Colleges, Cabinetmaking and Fine Woodworking program. I know that I have the skills to design make nearly anything I want out of wood & metal but the wood part was all self taught, through trial and error. In order to give myself the best chance I could I wanted to learn more about how to do things in way that has been proven to work.
Being self taught is sort of like reinventing the wheel, your not totally sure how to do something, so you see if this way works or that way works better. Marc from the Wood Whisperer was speaking with David Marks and David was talking about his younger days just starting out. I think he was making a table with a slab and a peice of driftwood for a pedestle and as trying to figure out the best way to join them. So he came up with this idea of cutting a hole in the underside of the slab to recieve the pedastel, and vola it worked a nice solid joint. He felt proud of himself coming up with this new idea, only later to find he had just reinvented the Mortise and Tenon joint.
Besides learning the woodworking there is so much I am learning about the business side of going Pro. There is the accounting, database management, conflict resolution, and so on,the things you don’t want to learn by trial and error. I feel that it is a good investment to learn as much as you can, prior to hanging that shingle.
Your list of books should be a must read for anyone thinking about going Pro.
Thanks for the list, as well as your other posts, a great contibution to the trade.

-- Ed Collinge- Edmonds, WA.

The interesting thing about the books is the common denominator, which really is the social psychology of the consumer. That determines if the public loves or despises you, craves your product or shuns it, if they accept you as a benefactor to the community, etc.

There is much that can be said about the content of the books. But it boils down to manipulating the consumer to desire your product. That is marketing.

Keep in mind advertising is a part of marketing, not the only component.

There are plenty of stories to tell of good ideas and products that fail, what they lacked was marketing or marketing appropriately.

The small business administration can help in this.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Bob Babcock – I just jumped over to your brother’s site and I can’t wait to read through it now! Thanks for the link, it’s all gold!

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Thanks Todd. It only goes to prove that quality comes at a price. I am glad I do it for fun.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Todd-

Great stuff, to many of us that want to go pro, are artist first. But we really need to be businessmen and know what it takes to make money and then let our creativity do the rest of the work.

-- Kaleo , http://www.kaleosworkshop.com

Kaleo – Nothing wrong with being an artist. Learn to apply business savvy to market the artist.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

I’m thinking I should write a book called ” OH God! What have I gotten myself into this time?” Just so you know if your in over your head you are not alone. I spent all morning filling out forms for the Government and I’ve not even scratched the surface of the bookkeeping I’m behind on.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

DOH’!

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Probably a worthwhile book Dennis. As an independent computer consultant my billing rate was double what I needed per hour because half of my time was unbillable due to paperwork, accounting, taxes and marketing. Too many don’t account for time “running” a business when they consider setting an hourly rate.

-- If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a darn fool about it.

Russel is absolutely right. I do figure in “administrative” time and it raises my prices. I come to realize that I was not charging for cleanup time, materials pickup, administrative, or job recovery time (pulling out all the crap off of a job).

Any task that is related to a job is billable time or you are shorting yourself.

Here is another conclusion that I came to; You either make money on a job or you do not. There really is no such thing as “breaking even”. If you think you did break even, you are kidding yourself.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Good info, Todd. I’m too tired from QuickBooks to add much to it. Oh, how I love to work for me!!!!!!

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Good stuff Todd! Thanks for sharing this!

-- "Give me your poor tools, your tired steel, your huddled masses of rust." Yep, I ripped off the Statue of Liberty. That's how I roll!

Great stuff Todd. Just a follow up to your book list. I was fortunate enought to hear the “Freakonomics” authors speak at a conference last year and it was truly inspiring. A lot of great information for anyone starting out in business.

-- Check out my new blog at www.rogersfinewoodworking.com/blog

You might think me crazy, but I would be as excited to see the authors of “Freakonomics” speak as Sam Maloof. I loved that book!

That was actually the first book I read followed by “Blink” and “The Tipping Point.” All of a sudden I don’t even recognize myself because I have this interest in books about business.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Absolutely brilliant Todd, as ever. But this time not only your post but all the comments related to. And yes, Freakonomics IS a great book.

-- Jojo · shopless in Kyoto

Thanks Todd, It is very good of you to take the time to do this. You have provided a good insight. I’ll be interested to start reading your recommendations.

-- Terry Roswell, L.A. (Lower Alabama) "Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans."

Todd—

Have you read “Guerilla Marketing” or one of it’s derivatives, by Jay Levinson?
Another one I’m part of the way through that’s stretching my mindset in big ways is “Thou Shall Prosper,” by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. Thesis of the last one—so many of us are indoctrinated (brainwashed) into thinking that’s it’s wrong to make money. Witness: how do we react when the phrase “Big Oil” or “Big Tobacco” is used? How to we react internally when the bad guy on Walker Texas Ranger turns out to be some heartless suit only concerned with the bottom line? How about watching “Erin Brockovich” or “You’ve Got Mail?” And yet, ask any of us if we could get behind America becoming communist or socialist, and I doubt you’d get too warm a reception.
“No More Mondays” is a good one for those of us thinking about what it would be like to be professionals.

We should start a required reading list forum, or something.

-- There's no tool like an old tool...

I almost picked up “Guerilla Marketing” but I have not heard of the others.
I will have to check them out.
Thanks!

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com