# To specialize, or not specialize; THAT is the question!



## pashley (Mar 22, 2008)

It looks like circumstances (and desire) are driving me towards a career in woodworking, specifically, furniture and furnishings (clocks, mirrors, frames, etc).

The question now is, to specialize, or not? My thought at this point is to do work both locally (perhaps doing bigger pieces, like chairs, tables, etc.), and globally, via a website, to sell smaller things, such as clocks, frames…and so on.

I'm just wondering if by doing a lot of different things, I'm hurting myself? I guess my basis for this line of thought is referencing medical professionals; specialists make more than general practitioners - plus they do what they do better.

Anybody?


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## dennis (Aug 3, 2006)

For a guy who built a full scale Enterprise and a Scramjet I'd think clocks and frames might be a little too small of a scale.


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## PaulMCohen (Jan 22, 2008)

I believe there are two ways to make real money in woodwork, make limited quantity art pieces (turned vessels not bowls) or custom mill-work (custom front entries for examples, $40K+ for 3 weeks work). Production work has moved offshore unless there is some tourist value (Myrtlewood in Southern Oregon). You can help pay for your tool habit by selling clocks, pens and wine stoppers over the Internet but the cost of hosting, credit card processing, shipping and advertising make it a very difficult way to make a living. My wife has been doing this route for almost two years and has not come close to paying for her material assuming she pays herself 0. Recently she starting showing at an "Art Court" where the work is judged before they let you show and everything is made by the artist, in the first two weeks see made more than the previous 6 months and both weekends she made a profit after all expenses, a first. Plus she has gotten several requests for bids on custom work, if this keeps up she will have a real business. At first we were worried about the price points but at an "Art Court" people are expecting to pay more, some of the artists include information about every piece, history of the wood and about themselves and what you see is their pieces go for much more than people selling similar mass produced items elsewhere.


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## Catspaw (Dec 15, 2007)

jack of all trades, king of none. I'd rather be king.


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

Can't honestly advise you for a career path. 
You best know your skills and weaknesses.

*If it were my choice, I would most likely be a lap dance instructor!*

Back to what I'm good at-- advising others over the INTERNET.
Absolutely, follow your dream, knock yourself out, have a nice life.

I hate to be negative but this place was introduced to me as a forum to discuss wood and it's uses .
Now I seem to be responding to career changes and that is not my expertise.
I wish you well on your journey but, please try to bring some woodworking with you here.

Bob


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Specialize.

Marketing is the big challenge for specialists - and it's
an entirely different activity from making sawdust.

People will want to put you in a pigeon-hole in their
minds. That's why specialization is a good idea. You
want to be a "go to" guy for clocks or whatever.

Collectible clocks are big. There are guys that make
a few dozen clocks a year and sell to the same collectors
year-in-year-out.

With any kind of high-end art-woodwork… guitars, etc…
you'll be splitting your clientele between wealthy collectors
and people for whom your work is a major investment.

Find your market. That's real critical. How will you reach your
buyers? How will you be able to sell them more than
once? Chairmakers have that covered.

Are you going to do carpentry and cabinets to pay the bills or not? 
Cabinetwork can pay well but it takes floor space and some
equipment you could do without if you just want to do 
furniture.

I didn't specialize. That's a major reason I burned out on doing
custom woodworking… I was always having to reinvent what
I was doing.


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## pashley (Mar 22, 2008)

Thanks, guys….seems that specialize is the word. *Loren*, thanks so much for the added clock comments!


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## daveintexas (Oct 15, 2007)

As was said earlier, do what you do best. But dont be afraid to branch out to other areas. If you can get into an art showroom or know a interior designer it will help. 
Basically you can make smaller quanities of pieces that you can sell for high dollar, or you can take anything that walks in the door. You just have to search your area to see what works well.
As for the internet, I have not sold anything, but I keep the site so that prospective clients can see some of my work. 
And the most important part is to enjoy what you are doing. There are not a whole lot of people out there that can say they enjoy going to work, but I can.


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## NY_Rocking_Chairs (Jul 20, 2008)

I know people from both schools of thought. Both do fine with the business. The specialized ones sell fewer items but at higher prices and have found a niche in the market.

The general ones have more flexibility and are more likely to have customer loyalty. I work as a mix, I do the rocking chairs as my bread and butter but have also developed my customer base for custom projects. One customer has already commissioned 2 tables and we are working on designing her bedroom set now. This will be my second bedroom set and the tables were first timers so pricing these items is a learning curve and I had to ammend the price on the second table after doing the first one. Being more general usually requires more tools though and each piece might require a new router bit, power tool, etc. For example, the commissioned bedroom set made me want a drum sander, so I built that into the price, without that job I would not have even considered building a drum sander, which now takes up room in the shop, but gives me more flexibility in the jobs I can take on.

You will want to do what makes you happy. I love doing the chairs, but I also like to design items and push myself to learn new things, techniques, work with different woods, and what is the point in designing something you don't intend to build? So in the end that question is really something you will want to answer for yourself.


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## Rustic (Jul 21, 2008)

I would specialize and do general. The specialty would be your "trademark" but I would not limit myself.
That is my humble opinion


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## Woodn88s (Sep 14, 2008)

Speaking for myself, I moved my business (and my life)from Phila. to Ky. in yr. 2000.
I'm a 1 man shop with a part time helper.
My main product is custom cabinetry but I also took on refinishing and repair work to help me get started. I don't do a lot of that anymore but found that it was invaluable in keeping the bills paid as my reputaion spread.
I enjoy restoration work but it is time consuming and I find very little profit in it. 
My best advise (for what it's worth) Keep your focus on what you do best and what you love to do, but don't be afraid to take on jobs that may stray from that vision if it helps to keep the lights and heat on.
There's a great book out there (it's on amazon) called "Do what you love and the money will follow" 
best of luck to you


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## pashley (Mar 22, 2008)

Thanks!

There's also the saying, "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."

How true.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You need to ask yourself if you Love the toil of running a wood-working
business though. There is a lot to it.


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## CedarFreakCarl (Apr 21, 2007)

If I had to rely on woodworking for a living, I'd starve to death!


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