There's a saying that is often heard whenever business is discussed: "It's all in the details."

This is a tough one for me because I am simply not a detail oriented person. More often than not, by the time we reach the end of a project, I'm burned out on it, were are out of money and the customer is calling every hour on the hour wanting to know when their job will be delivered. All I want to do is get the thing out of the shop so I can get started on the next job, one that is fresh and for which most of the challenging aspects that make a project interesting still lay ahead. But that is exactly the wrong point to stop paying attention.

It really is true that details can make or break a project. And the details that need to be addressed at the end of the job are usually the most important because they are, more often than not, the ones that are the most visible. You can have a perfectly fitted hand dovetailed drawer to be proud of. But if the drawer front is not attached square or doesn't fit the opening just right, it's unlikely that your unseen, perfect handiwork will have much impact.

The finish is one of the most important things to get detailed correctly. Whatever finish you use, it's a good idea to take the time to apply that one more coat or "wool out" the last coat before delivering the work for inspection. Often this means one more day before the job can be delivered and there you are, needing that check to cover your payroll and that one extra day can seem like a huge obstacle. But if you deliver a job that has obvious issues and the customer sees them (trust me on this one… the customer always sees them!), you might well see your check suddenly sprouting wings.

D.D.