Making Wood Work

Outsourcing door production is a no-brainer — except when it's not. This discussion looks at door production from both sides. July 5, 2011 Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Outsourcing_Pros_and_Cons.html

Thoughts on a shop setup that involves moving the workpiece from station to station, rather than moving pieces and tools onto and off of a single work bench. May 23, 2011 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/WorkStation_Shop_Organization_Systems.html

Cabinetmakers discuss ways to streamline the installation punch-out process. May 20, 2009 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/PunchList_Management_Strategies.html

Tactics for attracting finishers, perhaps the industry's most difficult "get." December 26, 2004 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Finding_Good_Finishing_Help.html

Cabinetmakers discuss their warranty policies. June 15, 2009 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Cabinetry_Warranties.html

What exactly does "value added" mean? Many definitions and interpretations are offered up. July 29, 2003 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Value_added_defined.html

If you don't have space for a cabinet showroom, try these techniques instead. May 6, 2007 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Instead_of_a_Showroom.html

Detailed advice on how to set up and operate your booth in a local home show in order to sell enough work to make the investment worth it (and then some). October 18, 2011 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/How_to_Work_a_Local_Home_Show.html

How can a 2-man operation stay profitable on cabinetry installations? A discussion of costs, pricing, planning, and time management for installing custom work. July 27, 2008 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Making_Money_on_Custom_Installs.html

A heartfelt and sometimes heated discussion about setting payment terms, including initial deposits, for a cabinet job. February 27, 2013 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Customer_Deposits_and_Payment_Schedules.html

Here's a long discussion about the purpose and timing of pay raises, and the associated communication issues. July 3, 2006 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/When_to_Raise_an_Employees_Pay.html

Can taking on small repair jobs or punch-list work help you get larger, more lucrative projects? September 15, 2011 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Taking_Small_Jobs_as_a_Marketing_Method.html

Here's a long thread about what terms an employer should set for allowing an employee to build a personal project in the shop. February 11, 2009 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Letting_Employees_Use_Your_Shop.html

A problem with an employee who doesn't use up scrap leads to a long discussion on hiring, training, and firing procedures. May 20, 2009 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Teaching_an_Employee_to_Optimize_Materials.html

Seasoned cabinetmakers give a newcomer some hard-nosed advice on how to price his work realistically. October 15, 2009 Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Charging_Enough_to_Stay_in_Business.html

Employers and workers discuss the pros and cons of linking employee compensation to company performance. November 4, 2007 Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/ProfitSharing_and_Incentive_Pay.html

A cautionary tale: an overtime miscalculation resulted in years of paycheck mistakes in the employees' favor, before the payroll manager figured it out. How should the boss respond? June 5, 2006 Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Employee_Overpayment_Snafu.html

This long saga of a woodworker's difficulty with a customer who is dissatisfied with the finish on a butcher block shipped cross-country offers lessons on communication, contracts, and credit card company dispute resolution processes. March 26, 2010 Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Butcher_Block_Finish_Dispute.html

A big customer can't pay because of big legal trouble — now the cabinetmaker has to struggle to stay afloat. This long discussion is loaded with sympathetic insights. November 26, 2007 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Managing_a_Business_Disaster.html

Ever punch a rooster? Business owners discuss the meaning and purpose of life — and how to enjoy it. January 22, 2006 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Looking_Back_at_Life.html

Adjusting your overhead when you add workers. September 24, 2002 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Overhead_per_employee.html

An extended discussion of how to handle a customer who repeatedly calls about minor drawer alignment issues on custom cabinetry. December 6, 2008 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Adjustment_Problems_and_Customer_Care.html

Scary stories about careless acts and bad consequences. June 28, 2005 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Eyewitness_Injury.html

Here's a list of responsibilities for the project manager at one commercial outfit. January 25, 2013 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/What_is_a_Project_Managers_Job.html

How should an employer respond when another shop is trying to tempt a top employee to jump ship? May 24, 2010 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/When_Someone_Recruits_Your_Top_Employee.html