Imagine the possibilities

Author:: David DeCristoforo
Publish date:: Mar 2, 2018

In the normal course of our day work, we often encounter what are known as design opportunities.

Those with a negative viewpoint will often refer to these as screw ups. But us optimists never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Some of my best ideas have come from needing a way to integrate a misstep into my design. It might come from a groove in the wrong place or a flaw in the material.

When these opportunities arise early in the project, we tend to simply start over. There is no big investment at that point and we are losing little beyond a bit of material that can probably be used later anyway.

But when they come up late in the game, it’s time to get the creative juices flowing.

This Business About Woodworking

In our business, we are often called upon to work outside of our comfort zone. Sometimes it’s in the form of needing to create a unique design that does not fit within the parameters of our typical production format. These projects may require us to master a new technique or a tool we have never used before.

This Business About Woodworking

We all have protocols. Whether it’s a construction method or payment schedule, for example, these protocols are communicated to our customers in the hope that we will have a smooth, trouble free relationship through the course of a project.

This Business About Woodworking

A good salesperson will go to great lengths to avoid giving a customer an opportunity to say no. But what about the times when we want to say no?

This Business About Woodworking

There is a lot of concern these days regarding the amount of waste we are producing.

This Business About Woodworking

It wasn’t too long ago when it seemed like someone was coming into the shop looking for work about every day. These days, it’s a rare occurrence.

This Business About Woodworking

There’s a saying that the customer is always right. We know this is not really the case. The customer is often wrong.

This Business About Woodworking

Regardless of what you think is the cause, there is some crazy weather these days.

This Business About Woodworking

How often have we been in the position of having to do something, knowing that there is a tool or a piece of equipment that could get it done easily, quickly and efficiently? Personally, I have been in this position many times.

This Business About Woodworking

We plan out our jobs, workflow, schedules … everything we can think of. And then we try to factor in the unexpected with contingency clauses and other exclusions.