Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nolen McCafferty. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nolen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?
So the most obvious expenditures in the woodworking industry are tools. Tools and equipment can be purchased for pennies on the dollar by finding older, used items, or can cost into the tens of thousands of dollars by buying brand new name brand tools. As a fledgling company starting out, most of us have limited funds and are looking for those used deals on equipment, or those new tools sold at discount stores. Some of these tools might last several years, some might last a job or two and break. As your business and profits start to grow you are able to start purchasing newer or brand new tools. You’ll start learning what tools help to complete a task faster and better. You’ll purchase tools you think you need because the “popular social media” guys use them. Some of these tools you’ll discover you bought and never use! Over my years in the industry I have succumbed to the “it” tools on social media to find out that it wasn’t useful in my shop. I’ve discovered tools that made my work tremendously easier and better. It’s literally a matter of buying and selling and learning what works for you and what doesn’t. Had I had it all to do over again with my acquired knowledge, I could have saved thousands of dollars in purchases that went unused, used once, or ended up being an unreliable tool. I would know exactly what pieces of equipment I need, what tools I use daily, and how to utilize those items to their maximum proficiency.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have been in the woodworking industry for over 20 years. It began with my first home purchase and needing a dining table of a specific size and look. After unsuccessfully shopping for one I took to the internet for plans and came across many great websites for beginner woodworking. I soon had my table which I shared on social media. This created others asking if I could make them one. One by one orders were coming in, pictures being shared, new items being built, new methods being learned, new tools being purchased, and 20 years later I own a successful custom woodworking and cabinetry business that I operate full time. My reputation has spread across my state of residence and I receive many referrals and compliments across my social media for my furniture and cabinets I build for my clients. I pride myself in creating the absolute best possible pieces for my clients, and I will not settle for anything that’s subpar that I wouldn’t proudly display in my own home. My name and my company rests on the products I create, and I’m proud to say that when people ask “who can I call to make (furniture/cabinets)?” I have many people referring me. I am ever evolving and learning new methods of construction, learning about the newest tools to help with production and quality, learning and training with new types of finishes, and introducing new services to my clients. We have added a cO2 laser engraver to the shop this year and we’re super excited to start offering personalized options in both wood and branded merchandise like tumblers, mugs, hats, glassware, etc.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
On November 2, 2019 I locked my shop up around 9pm for the night. In central Ohio in November the nights are cold enough to start needing heat. At the time in my shop I had a woodburning furnace I used to heat while I worked. I packed the stove full of firewood in hopes that by morning it would still have some hot ashes left to restoke a fire. Approximately an hour later I heard a loud bang from the direction of my shop and I looked outside to see the wall the wood burner was on fully engulfed in flames! Fortunately for me I live a block from our local FD and within 4 minutes I had emergency fire crews in my driveway working to extinguish the fire. Unfortunately for me, between the extreme heat, fire, smoke, and water, everything in my shop was a complete loss. All my equipment, my tools, stored lumber, and half the building itself was completely destroyed. My insurance paid the claim and with that I was able to rebuild my shop, insulate, add electric, and purchase a pellet stove (much safer!) but it took all the money to do so. I was left with a brand new shop and not a dollar to buy any tools or machinery. I posted to my social media and the community that I love helped come to my aid. A GofundMe account helped raise some money and donations from other woodworkers who follow me helped to add some basic tools back to the shop. Over the course of the next 3 years I’ve rebuilt bigger and better than before!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Building my reputation within my market took time. And patience. Which thankfully I was able to do as I worked another full-time job while building my brand, so I wasn’t dependent on woodworking alone. Custom woodworking isn’t cheap. And in a world of cheap, mass produced wafer board furniture it’s hard to convince a client that my several thousand dollar quote is a better option than the one for a few hundred dollars at the big box store. Slowly I found a handful of those clients who understood the aspects of quality, solid wood craftsmanship and I put my heart and soul into these pieces to ensure that what I was handing to my clients was absolutely the best and nicest quality furnishing that money could buy. By doing this, word of my quality and craftsmanship started to spread via social media, word of mouth, etc and now my reputation is such that clients seek me out vs me having to seek out work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.woodwork740.com
- Instagram: @woodwork_740
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/woodwork740
- Youtube: @woodwork740