Woodworking is really profitable if you are skilled, know your value and have an idea of where and to whom you can sell your creations. However, it is important to remember that it will take time to gain traction, even if you do it as a hobby. I strongly recommend being choosy with commissions. I turn down all repainting and restoration jobs, because I don’t like doing them.
Besides, it makes it easier to turn down jobs that won’t make you much money. Making beautiful, handcrafted wooden items to sell is a very creative and rewarding way to make money. Naturally, like any art or craft project, some wooden creations sell better than others. Money-making woodworking projects are an easy way to turn a hobby into a profitable business.
You can sell them at flea markets or take the e-commerce route: selling your own products on online marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon. Yes, being able to run and own your own business is a dream that so many people have out there. Now, if you’re lucky enough to have a talent for something like carpentry, if you do it right, you can make a ton of money. It may seem like a good idea to start your own woodworking business, but I think the hobby you love could turn into just plain drudgery.
Whether you decide to sell your pieces online or through local classified ads, the market for custom woodwork is booming. Take advantage of your artistic woodworking skills to create rustic, beautiful, handcrafted headboards from stunning wood. Finding the right products for your particular niche is the key to success for many woodworking businesses. But how many people will you find who are willing to pay triple the price for a cutting board because it’s handmade when they can get a nearly similar one, with arguably better finish and design, for much less? So yes, it is difficult for a woodworker to run a small woodworking business and earn a full-time income from it.
I would tell anyone who wants to start a new business, woodworking or otherwise, to
(i) think about your business as much as possible WITH NUMBERS to back up every aspect of your plan, and
(ii) determine how much time and money you are willing to devote to getting the business off the ground and be prepared to lose 100 e both. Finally, physical stamina and strength are two other useful skills for building a successful woodworking business. If you are a carpenter who likes to hide in your workshop, you need to get out and meet people to get business. This has been as successful as anything I could hope for and has allowed me to do professional woodwork on a regular basis for the last 30 years.
However, if you still intend to create a full-time income from your woodworking skills, the first thing to consider is branding. My advice to emerging woodworkers who want to have a successful business is to learn how to remodel and listen to your customers. However, you can also go the word of mouth route, just keep letting everyone around you know what you are doing, and hopefully, word spreads so you can have a more successful woodworking business. Doing woodworking for fun and pleasure is quite different to doing it for business as things will get hectic and stressful.
Creating a company website for your woodworking business can be an excellent way to promote your products. Secondly, carpenters are so skilled and do such a good job every time that they often deliver more than the customer paid for. The most successful carpenters seem to be the ones who are able to establish a very loyal and high-end clientele who want to be “part of the process of creating unique furniture for their homes”.