re: Becoming a professional woodworking or not

Good points all around Jim. I’ve been involved in woodworking and all the related trades for a while now (since about 1975) and can say from experience making a successful business out of it can be challenging. But that’s not to say it can’t be done. We formed our current business 2 years ago and are already seeing a profit. For me, all aspects of the business are enjoyable even the office work. We are also very fortunate in that we are able to do a considerable amount of custom one-off projects in addition to the usual production cabinetry.

For me, it has been important to keep expectations realistic and expenses within a strict budget. Thanks to a skilled partner/wife, we remain debt free which is critical. Unsupported debt will drown a company. Supported debt, leases or purchases of specific income producing equipment such as CNC’s, must be approached with caution and a very critical analysis.

This can and will be a fun gig if you keep everything in perspective.