Woodworking is a growing trend across the country for people looking for a weekend hobby that will keep them occupied. It is fun, engaging, and requires patience and craftsmanship. All you need for it are some essential tools and a good place to work in. But what if you can turn all that into profit? In this article, you will learn how to make money by woodworking and find out what to do in order to get your business out there.
I am not going to go into the specific woodworking areas in which you can emphasize in order to earn profits. What I will do instead is show you the four simple steps to creating a well-earning side business that will have the potential to become your full-time job. Here they are:
- Choose your workspace
- Find your target audience
- Promote your craft
- Introduce yourself to the world
Now, let’s take a look at each of those aspects and see why it is important to your success…
Table of Contents
Choosing Your Workspace for Woodworking
Woodworkers across the country are often faced with the biggest question right from the get-go. That is whether they should set up a shop in their home or lease a space where they can work and maybe even open a storefront. There are a few things you need to keep in mind here…
First, you will have to evaluate the expenses your work will produce at first. This is all the tools, worktables, and other equipment you will need to do the basic woodworking jobs.
Secondly, you will have to check with your state’s laws and see what are the business license requirements, since many states require you to open a shop in order to obtain such a license. You will also have to read up on the sales taxes your products will require you to report. If you want to buy wood supplies at wholesale prices, you can get an EIN number (for free).
Home-based projects usually won’t require all the documentation, especially if you keep this at a hobby-level just for neighbours, close friends, or a few online sales here and there.
Your workshop won’t be complete without having the right tools for the job so feel free to check out my guide on some of the best hand planers if you haven’t gotten one already.
Finding Your Target Demographic
There are a lot of people in need of one type of woodworking service or another. Some people may need their kitchen done by a woodworker, while others might require a roofing job. One of the biggest markets currently is people in need of custom-built furnishings for their homes. Wooden accessories are also high on demand and are a relatively easy niche to pierce in if you’re creative.
The major point here is that you need to know what people are looking for. There are even people looking to learn how to work with wood and craft their own items, which is a niche of its own where you can make money teaching form home. Another thing that DIYers across the country are after is wooden design plans that you create and sell online. This doesn’t even require a workshop and can easily turn into profit. You can combine that with a blog that describes the process with pictures for added interaction with your audience.
Pro Tip: One easy way to find out what your region is mainly looking for is by googling different woodworking projects, ideas, and services and setting up your google-search geolocation. That will give you the most relevant results for your region and will give you an idea of what is trending around you. Another way is to check local eBay offers.
Promote Your Woodworking Business and Make Money from Home
The best way to attract more potential customers is to put your work out there. A basic WordPress blog can help you create a beautifully laid out site with pictures of your work and detailed information about the step-by-step process you went through to do it. Gathering a loyal audience will be a secure way of selling your items, especially if you don’t have a lot of production volume. Getting testimonials from your past customers and putting them on your site is also a great way to spread the word about your business.
Facebook ads or Google ads are a great way to reach a specific target audience. If you are making jewellery boxes, for instance, you can target women aged 30 to 60. If you are into making custom furniture for kitchens or living rooms, then you can target both male and female aged 30-50 when they’re most likely to have bought a new home.
Make sure you photograph your work and ongoing projects to create a portfolio that will inspire trust in your future clients. You can also have a gallery of all your finished projects. Renting tables at local farmers or flea markets is also a great way to enter the craft circles in your area. Don’t forget to bring your best work, some flyers, and business cards!
Introducing Yourself as a Woodworker and sell your products
Finally, this might be a bit controversial according to some woodworkers but it is best to let your friends and family know that you’re getting into this. If they trust you and want to help you out, they can use your services for all of their future projects, which is a great way to secure at least a minimum amount of extra work for yourself. Show them your website, ask them to share it with their friends, sit back, and enjoy the word about you getting spread. Ask your friends if anyone knows a realtor, painter, flooring company, or other types of worker/business that can get you inside the world of woodworking contracts.
Click here if you want to learn about the do’s and don’ts when it comes to using an electric hand planer!
Final Words on How To Make Money by Woodworking from Home
Learning how to make money by woodworking isn’t rocket science but is definitely a process that needs to be addressed in a step-by-step manner. Don’t rush things as good things need time to come to fruition. One of the more important aspects here is that you should work on your craft before getting it out there. One of the most common mistakes woodworkers do is get too confident too fast after they’ve had this as a hobby for a short period of time. Social media is a great tool to gauge your progress and understand whether your work is going to appeal to your future customers.