In a reply to my last post, it was suggested there are no building inspectors in the furniture business. Well I have to disagree.

There may be no inspectors designated as "furniture inspectors" but we get inspected all the time. OSHA has nothing better to do than send inspectors around to look into every nook and cranny. And we are constantly visited by the fire department and the county people who are given the responsibility of collecting property taxes, a form of extortion that requires us to pay the government every year for the privilege of owning the tools of our trade.

Oh, and then there is the state sales tax collector. These guys expect us to collect the taxes for any retail sales and keep the dough to pay to them every quarter. Of course we get no compensation for providing this service. It's just part of the cost of doing business.

But perhaps the most dangerous thing is the potential for liability should someone manage to get injured in any manner that involves one of your products. Then, you might not see inspectors but you will see an army of lawyers and representatives from various government agencies descending on you like Sherman! Of course, any sane shop owner carries liability insurance to cover events like that but insurance companies are not famous for willingly paying claims!

D.D.