Do you enjoy making things? If you do and you like the idea of using wood as your medium of choice, then you could make a lot of money by carving out a new career in woodworking.
You don’t need to be able to make detailed sculptures out of a lump of wood either. Practical items will always find an audience and even if the only things you can make with any real expertise are boxes, then you’ll still have a marketable skill to get to grips with.
The great thing is that there are also several ways you can sell your goods. Want to find out more?
Wood is a wonderful thing to work with, and if you can use it to create things that people want then you’ve got a great chance of building a good business. Craft fairs all over the country are often populated by people who put their woodworking skills to good use, making boxes, carving out ornaments, making door numbers and room plaques and much more besides.
The key to getting started is to find out what you are good at. You might already know the answer to this; in which case you need to see if there is a market for it. Failing that, you might be able to put a spin on the item in question to make it more saleable.
Pricing is a key factor with anything hand made, as you need to consider the amount of time it has taken you to make it. A delicately carved wooden ornament might sell very well priced at $20, but if it has taken you eight hours to make each one then you’re not going to make a realistic income out of it. You need to make sure that what you make will fetch a good enough price to make it worth your while.
Research the market thoroughly by going online to see what other people are selling and what they are charging for it. You can also go to local craft fairs (which you can get a stall at yourself once you are ready for it) to get an idea of how people run their businesses. Grab any leaflets, business cards or pamphlets that have been created by the woodworkers there and find out all you can about how they work.
The important thing is to find your own unique selling point to differentiate yourself from the competition. For example you might only want to use one specific type of wood. You might decide only to make items for a certain age group or for a certain use. The possibilities are endless.
One other point to bear in mind is to organize your garage workspace so it is as clean and tidy as possible. If you are going to start making money at this you will need to be professional in every way, so start as you mean to go on.
Do you have ideas for woodworking projects already? If you do, then start sketching out your ideas right now. Just remember to leave us a comment first!