Need Research Help

Wiley's Woodworks

Wiley
Corporate Member
I am enrolled in Haywood Community College's Master Crafts-Wood degree program and will graduate in June. Currently in our business class we are putting together a comprehensive, thorough business plan, suitable for presenting to lenders. Part of the plan is in-depth analysis of woodworking economic statistics in the crafts industry. Our instructor told us up front this is difficult to find, and it may not even exist. If you know of any on-line sources for economic statistics, particularly in Western North Carolina, for woodworking businesses or crafts businesses, please reply. Thanks.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I think your best bet would be to talk to some people at John C. Campbell and Southern Highland Crafts Guild.
 

Dee2

Board of Directors, Vice President
Gene
Staff member
Corporate Member
Talk to your local SBTDC and see if they have some guidance.

Business plans are kind of going out of favor in some respects in lieu of what is called a business model. The model lacks the financial depth of the plan and is more marketing oriented. A combination of both should get you an A+ if your instructor is savvy.
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
I can help you with some outlines on how to do a presentable business plan that a lender would want to see.

In general you need your business product, why you think there there is a need , how you offer that need, show statistical relevant data showing total market by yearly gross, what percentage is your goal to target to capture. Show how you incrementally accomplish that, show regional competition. I'll stop there.

If you want to discuss, feel free to pm me and I'll give you my phone number. I have done about a dozen of these for various loan types.
 

Bill Clemmons

Bill
Corporate Member
Another source you might want to talk to is Brian Boggs. He runs a successful woodworking business in either Asheville or Waynesville. You can look him up on the internet. He may be willing to talk to you. There are two other professional woodworkers in western NC, Gregory Paolini and Andy Rae.
 

Steve_Honeycutt

Chat Administartor
Steve
Brian Boggs is located in Asheville. Gregory Paolini is located in Canton. I'm not sure where Andy is located.

Joe Ransmeiter appears to be in the River Arts District in Asheville.

J.S. Bogdanovich Guitars is located in Swannanoa.

Custom Wood Designs is located in Arden.

Durango Woodcrafters is located in Clyde.

I don't know any of these personally, but I have talked with Brian Boggs and Gregory Paolini.
 

McRabbet

Rob
Corporate Member
Wiley,

I agree with the last two colleagues that Gregory Paolini and Brian Boggs are excellent resources that you should contact and set up an appointment. Gregory is close to you in nearby Canton and has many years of solid experience running a successful woodworking business and I am sure he'd help. The next contact is not Brian himself, but his very knowledgeable business partner (and wife) Melanie Boggs. She is the "business brain" behind his success and I am sure she would be most helpful in your quest.

I've known both of these guys for more that 10 years -- as President of the Western NC Woodworkers Association, I have brought our members to their shops numerous times since their early years in western NC as they grew their businesses. WNCWA had some 30 members attend a session with Gregory last year (our 4th visit with him) and an equal number with Brian just 3-1/2 weeks ago. Get in touch with Gregory at Contact Us - GPD Woodshop and Brian Boggs at Contact Brian Boggs for custom handmade furniture.
 

Wiley's Woodworks

Wiley
Corporate Member
Wiley,

I agree with the last two colleagues that Gregory Paolini and Brian Boggs are excellent resources that you should contact and set up an appointment. Gregory is close to you in nearby Canton and has many years of solid experience running a successful woodworking business and I am sure he'd help. The next contact is not Brian himself, but his very knowledgeable business partner (and wife) Melanie Boggs. She is the "business brain" behind his success and I am sure she would be most helpful in your quest.

I've known both of these guys for more that 10 years -- as President of the Western NC Woodworkers Association, I have brought our members to their shops numerous times since their early years in western NC as they grew their businesses. WNCWA had some 30 members attend a session with Gregory last year (our 4th visit with him) and an equal number with Brian just 3-1/2 weeks ago. Get in touch with Gregory at Contact Us - GPD Woodshop and Brian Boggs at Contact Brian Boggs for custom handmade furniture.

Rob--Thanks for your reply. The course assignment is requiring statistics and numbers rather than interviews (or hunches or opinions or isolated examples). What I'm needing are economic statistics, most likely government generated, on size of market, number of businesses, survival rate, etc. We are also supposed to find current trends in the crafts industry. Trends in woodworking is proving more elusive than the other crafts, as most makers pretty much have found their combination of what they like plus what they can make profitably plus what is selling currently, and they stick with it.

A bonus from your reply--I was totally unaware of the WNCWA and am interested in joining and participating. Please let me know how. Thanks.
 

McRabbet

Rob
Corporate Member
Rob--Thanks for your reply. The course assignment is requiring statistics and numbers rather than interviews (or hunches or opinions or isolated examples). What I'm needing are economic statistics, most likely government generated, on size of market, number of businesses, survival rate, etc. We are also supposed to find current trends in the crafts industry. Trends in woodworking is proving more elusive than the other crafts, as most makers pretty much have found their combination of what they like plus what they can make profitably plus what is selling currently, and they stick with it.

A bonus from your reply--I was totally unaware of the WNCWA and am interested in joining and participating. Please let me know how. Thanks.

Wiley,

I still believe you can get much of the info you need -- or they can lead you in a positive direction -- from Gregory and Brian/Melanie. I think it would be worth your time.

Regarding the WNCWA, sadly we had our February meeting just this morning at Klingspor's Woodworking Shop in Fletcher where we usually meet every second Saturday of the month. We usually have a hands-on style of program given by one of our more learned members or by an outside speaker on a variety of woodworking topics. We've covered everything from hand planes to lathe demonstrations to joinery techniques to shop jigs to finishing to guitar making and more. In 2019, we had about 80 members ranging in skill level from beginners to period furniture craftsmen to full-time professionals. We have a large projection screen and a digital projector and video camera that allows us to record presentations and provide close-up views of presenter detail work for a better view for our audience. We also have a Show 'N Tell session at each meeting where members can bring a project to show off or bring digital pictures on a USB stick for a slide talk using the projector. Dues are $30 per year. We also have a website at www.wncwa.net. Members get 10% discounts at Klingspor's stores and several other sources, plus we maintain a lending library of books, magazines and videos for use by the membership. It is a fun group that has been successful since we started it back in 2006.
 
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