The title of this post seems to be the attitude of most people when it comes to anything involving the spending of money. There is an uncertain quality to how people feel about buying anything, especially if it involves a substantial investment.
It’s amazing how, after considering a woodshop problem for a long time, you find the solution was right in front of you all along.
In business, it is imperative that we maintain a positive energy. This is essential for good customer relations as well as a strong, positive work environment.
I’ve stated categorically before that there’s no such thing as scrap. Here’s proof.
I love talking to kids about what I do, and even more so when some of them turn out to already be working with wood.
With all of the concern about our changing climate, we are finding ourselves needing to consider our own impact on our environment. Let’s forget, for the moment, the argument about the cause of climate change. The fact is that the climate is changing and it’s doing so at a much greater rate than was previously believed.
I’m technically capable of doing a lot of things, but sometimes I just don’t want to.
There have been numerous times throughout my woodworking career when people have asked me how I do this or that. Sometimes it’s just curiosity. Sometimes it’s some who wants to do it themselves and is in need of guidance. And, sometimes it’s a competitor who has underbid a job he doesn’t really know how to do.
Taking care of pest infestations threatening forests is a state job, right? Yeah, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things the little guy can do.
I don’t always like it when tool companies “improve” their offerings, but I find a recent trend to be both welcome and useful.
Cordless tools? I absolutely love them! Batteries and chargers? Not so much.
We are always on the lookout for talented, experienced employees. Yes, they are getting harder to find. And if we are looking for a strong work ethic, it gets even more difficult.
Woodworkers know only too well how addictive it is to lust after new tools. I think my wife is finally beginning to understand.
I don’t often ask for a favor – in fact, I don’t think I ever have – but I have a favor to ask.
In our business we are often asked to do things a bit differently than we’re used to. People want to individualize their projects. They don’t want to pay premium prices for something that looks just like what they could have bought at the local furniture store.
I talked last year about how little attention the checkouts at Big Box stores pay to what they’re actually ringing up. In the earlier case, the guy paid no attention to the fact that I had two cabinets on a dolly, not one long one, and only charged me for one. I noted at the time that even though this was a small thing, it’s still indicative of issues affecting the economy. How can you possibly succeed when you’re letting free stuff go out the door?
I have always maintained that exceptions are a myth, much like scrap inventory. We all have policies regarding how we deal with things like customers wanting changes made or employees wanting some form of special consideration.
In spite of the fact that I think I know everything, clearly, there’s a lot out there I’m clueless about.
