Got swirl marks? Here's how to end them once and for all

Surface finishes have to be pristine to satisfy a variety of customers. Whether that customer is in your paint shop, the cabinet maker buying your product, or the final consumer, the eyes don’t lie. So how do you avoid creating those telltale swirl marks — “fish eyes” — when disc sanding with a pneumatic random orbital sander?

 

Swirl marks are usually a result of insufficient supply of air pressure into the sander causing the sander to slow down. The sporadic appearance of swirl marks is usually the result of having an under-powered compressor that can’t handle all shop equipment.

 

Compressor capacity

 

In other words, the compressor may produce enough of the recommended air pressure —90 PSI — when only the orbital sander is being used. However, when a second piece of equipment is turned on, that uses air and is running while the orbital is being used. So turning on the second machine may cause the air pressure to the sander to drop beyond this critical level, thus causing the swirl marks.

 

In this particular case, the compressor does not have the sufficient capacity to handle all the shop equipment.

 

Besides operating at no less than 90 PSI of air pressure, random orbital sanders should run with a minimum speed of 10,000 RPM. If you run the sander at a slower speed than this, swirl marks MAY also appear. But if you drop below 90 PSI at any time during your orbital sanding process, you WILL get swirl marks. Again, in many cases like the example above, when insufficient air supply occurs sporadically, the swirl marks can appear.

 

Although insufficient air supply is the number one cause of swirl marks, there are numerous other reasons that can contribute to swirl marks as well.

 

Sanding techniques

 

Certainly starting the sander before contacting the surface and/or stopping the orbital sander on the surface is a big one for avoiding swirl marks. Just remember this rule — START ON…. STOP OFF.

 

Dull grains can also cause swirl marks, resulting from using incorrect sanding abrasives, as well as improper sanding techniques, such as applying too much pressure or moving the sander too fast across the surface.

 

In addition, technical issues with the orbital sanding machine should be taken into account over time, such as worn bearings, lack of sander lubrication (2 drops of light machine oil for every 8 hours ran — no less), too much sander lubrication (2 drops of light machine oil for every 8 hours ran — no more), and if the sander is dropped or the pad gets bent.

 

Shop conditions

 

Shop conditions also play a part in contributing to potential swirl marks. Insufficient dust collection is one, since grinding the dust into the wood can leave swirl marks. If possible, see that all sanding takes place on a down draft table.

 

A related issue is water in the air supply, caused by a combination of faulty or loose seals in pipe and hose connections, along with shop humidity. Leaks both allow water in and allow air to escape — both bad outcomes.

 

Water in the system reduces the efficiency of the air supply to the sander, potentially lowering the pressure past the 90 PSI threshold.

 

Excessive moisture in the wood is another environmental concern that could be a supplier issue or shop storage related. Either way, if this problem is detected, further steps such as drying the wood should be taken.

 

Common sense prevails

 

Common sense plays a role in avoiding swirl marks, too. For example, using the wrong type of backing pad, dirty or damaged backing pads and employing wrinkled or torn paper, as well as having an incorrect sander orbit, need to be avoided at all costs.

 

If you make sure to follow all of these guidelines, and/or train your people to follow them, then “fish eyes” won’t come back to haunt you or your customers.

 

The author of this article, Uneeda, is a manufacturer of coated abrasives and sanding technology. Check them out here: https://www.sandpaper.com/ 

 

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/red-book/best-practices-guide/got-swirl-marks-heres-how-end-them-once-and-all

Got swirl marks? Here's how to end them once and for all

Surface finishes have to be pristine to satisfy a variety of customers. Whether that customer is in your paint shop, the cabinet maker buying your product, or the final consumer, the eyes don’t lie. So how do you avoid creating those telltale swirl marks — “fish eyes” — when disc sanding with a pneumatic random orbital sander?

 

Swirl marks are usually a result of insufficient supply of air pressure into the sander causing the sander to slow down. The sporadic appearance of swirl marks is usually the result of having an under-powered compressor that can’t handle all shop equipment.

 

Compressor capacity

 

In other words, the compressor may produce enough of the recommended air pressure —90 PSI — when only the orbital sander is being used. However, when a second piece of equipment is turned on, that uses air and is running while the orbital is being used. So turning on the second machine may cause the air pressure to the sander to drop beyond this critical level, thus causing the swirl marks.

 

In this particular case, the compressor does not have the sufficient capacity to handle all the shop equipment.

 

Besides operating at no less than 90 PSI of air pressure, random orbital sanders should run with a minimum speed of 10,000 RPM. If you run the sander at a slower speed than this, swirl marks MAY also appear. But if you drop below 90 PSI at any time during your orbital sanding process, you WILL get swirl marks. Again, in many cases like the example above, when insufficient air supply occurs sporadically, the swirl marks can appear.

 

Although insufficient air supply is the number one cause of swirl marks, there are numerous other reasons that can contribute to swirl marks as well.

 

Sanding techniques

 

Certainly starting the sander before contacting the surface and/or stopping the orbital sander on the surface is a big one for avoiding swirl marks. Just remember this rule — START ON…. STOP OFF.

 

Dull grains can also cause swirl marks, resulting from using incorrect sanding abrasives, as well as improper sanding techniques, such as applying too much pressure or moving the sander too fast across the surface.

 

In addition, technical issues with the orbital sanding machine should be taken into account over time, such as worn bearings, lack of sander lubrication (2 drops of light machine oil for every 8 hours ran — no less), too much sander lubrication (2 drops of light machine oil for every 8 hours ran — no more), and if the sander is dropped or the pad gets bent.

 

Shop conditions

 

Shop conditions also play a part in contributing to potential swirl marks. Insufficient dust collection is one, since grinding the dust into the wood can leave swirl marks. If possible, see that all sanding takes place on a down draft table.

 

A related issue is water in the air supply, caused by a combination of faulty or loose seals in pipe and hose connections, along with shop humidity. Leaks both allow water in and allow air to escape — both bad outcomes.

 

Water in the system reduces the efficiency of the air supply to the sander, potentially lowering the pressure past the 90 PSI threshold.

 

Excessive moisture in the wood is another environmental concern that could be a supplier issue or shop storage related. Either way, if this problem is detected, further steps such as drying the wood should be taken.

 

Common sense prevails

 

Common sense plays a role in avoiding swirl marks, too. For example, using the wrong type of backing pad, dirty or damaged backing pads and employing wrinkled or torn paper, as well as having an incorrect sander orbit, need to be avoided at all costs.

 

If you make sure to follow all of these guidelines, and/or train your people to follow them, then “fish eyes” won’t come back to haunt you or your customers.

 

The author of this article, Uneeda, is a manufacturer of coated abrasives and sanding technology. Check them out here: https://www.sandpaper.com/ 

 

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/red-book/best-practices-guide/got-swirl-marks-heres-how-end-them-once-and-all

Is there any money to be made in the cabinet industry?

When you first start out in the cabinet business, excitement and possibility fuel you, but soon a reality hits: It is actually really, really hard to make money. With that reality comes the question we all hate but can’t help but ask, “Is there any money in the cabinet business?”

 

This is a question that I have asked myself on more than one occasion and if you would have asked me in the first couple years of my business, then I would have answered with an emphatic, “No!”  

 

How could we ever make money in such a capital intensive business? It seemed that every time we made a few bucks we had to take the next step and invest in more equipment or space.  

 

If you have been in business for very long at all, you too have learned that everything costs a looooooooot of money. That new piece of equipment, a new motor on an old machine, new computers, insurance - we could go on and on! You too understand the feeling of never being able to get ahead, and if you can get ahead, you can’t seem to stay there for very long. We are all left wondering how we can actually make it in the cabinet industry. 

 

I am here to tell you that even though these are legitimate challenges for our industry, there is still a way to make money in the cabinet business, but it will require an open mind and some grit to get there.

 

In this article we will discuss a few of the things that I learned, the hard way, that may make your journey to consistent profitability in the cabinet business a little smoother.

 

FAILURE TURNED SUCCESS

 

Early in my business we landed a contract with our area’s largest builder. We did over 150 homes a year with this builder but never could seem to get ahead. Then, the recession hit. The builder approached us for a price reduction and we had no choice but to walk away.  

 

At the time it was a punch in the gut, but looking back it was the springboard to success. By losing that contract we effectively put our business in a position where we could go after the kinds of work that were truly profitable for us.     

 

"There is still a way to make money in the cabinet business, but it will require an open mind and some grit to get there."

 

SYSTEMIZE EARLY AND OFTEN

 

I did not learn the importance of standardizing until a couple of years ago. I have tried several different ways and finally settled on using Trello to make and update standards.  

 

Regardless of how you document them, the important thing is to get them written down ASAP. If you will do just one standard a day, then you will be amazed at how quick you will have them in good shape.  

 

Standards dictate what you as an owner expect in terms of quality, efficiency, and order from your employees. It also serves as the guide for employees to fall back on when you, the owner, are not available. Your business is better off if you are NOT available on the shop floor very often. 

 

Once you truly grasp the power and function of great standards you will jump into them with both feet.

 

Now, I just want to clarify that standards are not to turn employees into mindless robots. Standards should be fluid and changing. When employees are engaged in helping create and modify the standards they will be much more powerful for everyone. 

 

For an in depth look into how you can standardize your systems, check out this article. 

 

MAKE A KEY HIRE AS SOON AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN

 

When starting a company, it is very hard to spend the money on making a great hire. The natural tendency is to hire cheap in the early years. However, from experience, I will say that you get what you pay for.

 

You also get a not so great hire if you have a not so great great hiring process. We have improved our hiring process by moving to a set of working interviews. When we are trying to fill a position we will interview several potentials and then pick the top three.  

 

We will then setup a working interview for the prospects and narrow down to two and then do it again. When we get our final candidate, we do one last working interview.  

 

This does not always ensure you get the best employee every time, but I will say that the odds are more in your favor than just hiring on interview only.  

 

DO LESS TO DO MORE

 

In my business, I figured out that what we are good at is what we actually made money doing.  

 

Look at your shop and find the things you excel at and focus on those with laser intensity to hone your niche. Maybe you are great at assembling boxes and not the manufacturing. Maybe your strong point is commercial, not residential or vice-a-versa.  

 

What ever your strong point is, try to make it the majority of what you do or the only thing you do.  Once you know what you are good at, you can then craft a growth plan that focuses on those strengths. 

 

At one time we were a “Yes” company and did anything and everything under the sun. Don't make the same mistake we did. If you focus on nothing, then how do expect to excel and be the best at anything?

 

Chances are you already know what you are good at and what makes money in your company!

 

Our company’s strong suit is milling cabinet box components. That’s what we do well so that is where we have laser focus.

 

However, if your company is better suited for assembly, design, install and customer service, then you can stop spending time on your weak points and instead outsourcing your box components. This will free you up to focus on your assembly, design, install and customer service strengths.

 

PUSH THRU TO FINANCIAL STABILITY 

 

So by standardizing our business, making key hires, and doing less to do more you will put your company in the position to make money and reduce the fluctuations caused by the Vicious Sales Cycle. Push Thru the challenges in our industry and achieve the financial stability you desire for your company. 

 

What is your achilles heel? What is holding you back from making money in the cabinet business? Would not doing that activity anymore let you focus on what you are good at? Let us know how you've overcome the obstacles of our industry or if these tips have made a difference in your company.

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/management/there-any-money-be-made-cabinet-industry

The importance of standardizing cabinet dimensions

Have you ever looked around your business and asked the question, "Why do we do it that way?"

 

For example, several years ago I asked, “Why do we take our end panels all the way to the floor?” When we primarily did face frame cabinets we took the ends full to the floor. After talking with all the shop floor employees it was quickly to be determined that it was pure waste and an extra step that added nothing to the finished product.

 

So, we made an immediate change and never went back. How many customer complaints do you think we got from making that change?

 

Zero. Nada.  

 

So we kept going with that thought train and made several design changes that eliminated waste and did not negatively affect the value for the customer. 

 

STREAMLINE & REDUCE BURDEN

 

What standardizing cabinet dimensions does for your business is streamlines your building and makes it an easily teachable position. Standardizing cabinet dimensions also makes the design process more streamline.  

 

A great example is big box construction. Big box construction is basically building one box as long as you can to reduce the amount of butt joints in the run of cabinet boxes. Big box does not add value to the customer in most cases and it puts a huge burden on the entire system.

 

It is so difficult to build huge cabinets that way a ton to boot. You have to have several very skilled workers that know how to build this style of box. On the other hand, when you build to a standardized set of dimensions you can make standard processes around that design style.  

 

The burden on the system goes down dramatically because each area is handling manageable sized pieces instead of huge pieces of plywood.

 

FEARING STANDARD?

 

In our component cutting company we urge customers to consider making a tall cabinet in two pieces and possibly putting a full height applied end to cover the seam.  

 

Standard doesn’t have to mean boring. You can take a very simple catalog and make a huge variety of products. Just because it comes from a specific catalog does not mean that there is not flexibility. Our catalog has a variety of cabinets but you have the option of entering custom dimensions to size the unit to your needs.

 

Look here to get a peek at our general standards for cabinet box components.  

 

STANDARDS, STANDARDS, STANDARDS

 

Your cabinet dimensions and styles should not be exempt from standardizing.  

 

Take a deep dive into your cabinet design and see what things you do that maybe are not necessary or creating more value for the customer.

 

Are there things you do just because 'that’s the way we have always done it’?

 

Start with those items and see if you can standardize them to make them easier and better.

 

Maybe through the course of standardizing you find that you would be better suited to outsource your manufacturing to a component provider.

 

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/management/importance-standardizing-cabinet-dimensions

Does your CNC use rubber belts? Bad idea says CNC Factory

Rubber belts get loose over time and can cause backlash and inaccurate cutting, says CNC Factory Director of Operations Chris Corrales in the video above. Worse, they require periodic retensioning for maintenance. To avoid these, look for 5th Generation (5G) CNC machines that use rack and pinion motors for consistent and absolute positioning.

 

"In the mid 90s, CNC manufacturers started using rubber belts to increase the speed of CNC routers - making them fast enough to cut wood and plastic using ballscrew on all axes. The problem with rubber belts is that it slacks and all axes start running a little different as they stretch during use."

 

"Now with 5th generation CNC, the advanced servo drives simplify and remove so much old technology and mechanical parts and wiring out of the equation, allowing CNCs the most robust torque, speeds, zero backlash, constant monitoring and no homing - or performing of daily machine calibration."

 

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/video/does-your-cnc-use-rubber-belts-bad-idea-says-cnc-factory

Is your bucket ready for when it rains gold?

It’s not easy to be a “glass-half-full” type of person in the best of times, and it’s even more challenging when the economy and our businesses are suffering. A lot of us are trying to focus on the silver lining in this pandemic so that we don’t succumb to the mounting stress of it. Spending more time with your loved ones (whether that’s in-person or over the phone) is definitely a benefit of having to slow down and focus on life’s essentials, but is it possible to find a silver lining for your shop right now too?

 

My shop is trying to use our extra time to our advantage. We’re actively looking for ways to competitively position our shop to take advantage of the surge of work we’re expecting once the economy cranks back up. Warren Buffet says that when it’s raining gold, you should reach for a bucket, not a thimble. This week, I’m sharing the things my shop is doing to get our bucket ready. 

 

REDUCE WASTE

 

Your customer pays you for a finished product, not for the waste you create along the way. I’ve long been a proponent of Lean manufacturing, so we’ve actually decided to hire a new employee to go through our entire shop with a fine-toothed comb to root out wasted motion. We’re starting at the panel storage area and working through the entire shop one station at a time.

 

Sounds crazy to be hiring now, right? But here’s the thing: many people have lost their jobs recently, which means that there’s a pool of super talented people who are suddenly available. It’s easy to see all of the challenges and get wrapped up in the stress and anxiety of the uncertainty created by the pandemic. However, we’re really trying to look at this as an opportunity.  

 

It’s tough to make decisions like this coming into what has the potential to be a huge slowdown because of the pandemic, but we’re aiming to position ourselves ahead of our competitors once things go back to a relative state of normal. We’re taking the time now, while we have it, to define more processes and improve our efficiency. These things are essential to a strong business, but they often get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list when we have a full queue of projects to get out the door.

 

We intend to spend our extra time improving our business because we suspect that our competitors are not doing so right now. I’m predicting an incredibly busy season around the corner once all of the pent up demand is released. My team and I are building a bucket to capture all of the impending business, while our competitors will only be setting out a thimble.

 

HIRE GREAT PEOPLE

 

As I said, great people are sitting at home right now with no job, so the time is right to analyze your crew and “trim the weeds.” Our industry has complained for years about how difficult it is to find great talent. What better time than now to reassess your shop’s needs and define the candidate who would best fill those voids? If you start looking now, I’m sure you’ll be able to find great people.

 

You know that awesome new employee who’s helping with the Lean projects that I talked about earlier? That person wasn’t available before the pandemic.

 

Sean Glessing with Sean’s Cabinetry in Minnesota, said that this is the best hiring environment he’s ever witnessed, so they’re taking advantage. My shop is doing the same, and yours should be too.

 

ARE YOU CREATING A BUCKET, OR SETTLING FOR A THIMBLE?

 

What steps is your shop taking to get your bucket ready? Leave me a comment below.

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/management/your-bucket-ready-when-it-rains-gold

Making the most out of an employee argument

The last several months have been very challenging as we all deal with changes in our businesses because of the pandemic. When our stress levels are high, it’s harder to deal with problems in the same way that we would under “normal” circumstances. In this article, I’m sharing one change I made in my shop to turn a problem into an opportunity. 

 

Setting the stage: There was a conflict in the shop

 

Recently on our shop floor, a couple of employees got into a verbal argument over the quality of a couple of parts. The short version of the story is that instead of finding the root issue of what caused the problem, they just had their disagreement and walked away. 

 

One of the employees remade the part and went along with life until I heard about the disagreement a little while later. 

 

Turning a problem into an opportunity

 

I decided to stop the entire shop and gather the team to have a meeting right then and there. We talked about the issue that started the argument, and then we walked through the shop to investigate. We tracked the issue down to something simple that had gone awry with the part on a certain style of cabinet. 

 

It turned out to be a shop issue rather than an employee issue. The fix was simple, and because we drilled down to the root cause of it, it won’t happen again.

 

It was definitely satisfying to track down an issue in the shop and fix it. However, the more important thing that came out of the meeting was a team realization that problems are going to happen in any manufacturing environment, especially when you add a custom element to the work. It’s just going to be a part of the process. 

 

By acknowledging that, we also recognized that arguments are not the way to fix an issue. It doesn’t do anyone any good to fix the issue on just one cabinet when there’s a bigger underlying failure. We need to adjust the process that led to that error, or we’ll keep wasting time and causing unnecessary frustration among the team. 

 

Carrying the lesson forward

 

Every business is going to run into problems, but how you deal with them defines your company culture. Will you fall into the cycle of frustration, or will you view issues as opportunities to improve your shop’s processes and create new standards? Will you be proactive to ensure that the issues don’t keep cropping up, or will you waste your time playing whack-a-mole to temporarily take them off your plate? 

 

During our meeting, I gave each employee the opportunity to state one problem that they’ve had, no matter how minor it may be. We took the time to work through the issues as a team right then and there. Not every employee came up with a problem, but the majority of them did. In that one meeting, we took at least 10 problems or small issues and fixed them so that they don’t keep happening.

 

This process was so effective with my team that we’ve added it to our weekly meeting. I’ve carved out time to ask employees what issues they faced or fixed that week. We’re working to keep up with the process rather than getting frustrated and fixing an issue for just one piece. 

 

I’ll be honest, there’s a dollars and cents benefit to doing this. Less wasted time and materials mean more profit. But more importantly, my team is working together better and with less frustration. They’re empowered to make improvements in the shop and share their successes with others. In a phase of life that’s been very stressful and challenging, both personally and professionally for a lot of us, this camaraderie and peacefulness at work are essential. 

 

I’m curious to learn how others handle conflict in the shop and how you’ve turned problems into opportunities. If you have any strategies to share with other shops, please leave a comment below. 

 

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/management/making-most-out-employee-argument

Expert tips to maintain your deck year-round

Americans spend millions each year building, replacing and repairing decks. At an average cost of $16,000 per HomeAdvisor.com, a 16- by 20-foot wood deck if well maintained and properly built with high-quality materials should last up to 20 years according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

 

But then again there are numerous elements involved in this equation. They start with the selection of the deck boards themselves. For some, this means specifying the latest low-maintenance composite deck boards from the wide selection of colors and wood-grain patterns. In other instances, real hardwood decking is still the preference among homeowners who relish the natural beauty, durability and hardness of Ipe, Cumaru and Batu decking as well as the natural resistance to decay, rotting, termites and bugs. A durable hardwood deck should last upwards of 50 years.

 

But, no matter the material, builders should make customers aware that nearly every deck requires some form of maintenance beyond the occasional power wash or cleaning to prevent algae and fungus growth as well as the inevitable discoloring that accompanies age. This is especially true for contractors working within wet, humid conditions and hot, dry climates, where wood, siding, decking and fencing are especially susceptible to graying, water damage and harmful UV rays.

 

The deck maintenance process

 

The first step in the maintenance process begins with the careful inspection of the deck’s condition followed by a decision on the steps needed to refinish the deck, if necessary. If a high-end finish was used in the past, it may be possible to get away with finishing the deck every two years instead of annually. However, it can be extremely frustrating to put hours or even days into the deck only to have it look bad and need additional work within a few months. 

 

Decks updated with lower quality stain products commonly require pressure washing or sanding on an annual basis. And yes, this means removing the old finish all the way down to the bright fresh wood. There's just no point in coating over a grayed out or silvered-out deck. Plus, if the previously used coating didn’t contain a built-in fungicide then the beginnings of mold, algae and more have already likely started to grow within the wood itself. 

 

Again, the goal is a bright, fresh surface that locks in the wood’s natural beauty and color, withstands the elements and looks good month after month. One of the challenges is that water-based finishes are a bit of a mystery since they do little to protect the wood and often necessitate the subsequent application of an oil-based stain the following year. Others contain resins that actually do a pretty decent job holding the wood’s color over time. The problem is that once the resins are absorbed, they seldom allow higher-quality, oil-based finishes to penetrate deeply into the wood during the next application.

 

Additional considerations surround the numerous quality and performance differences that exist within even leading oil-based stain brands. In most cases, this starts with the very composition of the stain itself and then extends to the assortment of UV blockers, pigments, dyes, fungicide, oils included in today’s products. 

 

For example, many of the oils commonly used in wood stains tend to change color over time. Some even harbor mildew and mold, such as linseed oil, which can lead to the wood turning black or discolored. In fact, the only reason these oils are used by some companies is because they lower the product’s cost, no matter the inferior results. 

 

When it comes to the choice of oils, Polymerized Tung Oil has proven its ability to preserve wood and outperform other products although many users are turned off by the lengthy amount of time it takes to dry. However, some manufacturers have overcome this problem through the addition of high-quality drying and hardening agents that have drastically reduced the time to dry from weeks to days. Plus, another advantage that makes Polymerized Tung Oil worth the wait involves the long-lasting capacity to retain color over time, while naturally resisting mildew and mold. 

 

As for the dyes and pigments used in most stains, trans-oxide pigments are commonly viewed as the more color-stable of the two, which results in the stain maintaining its original color longer than those that contain dyes or solid pigments. But contractors should note that stains containing trans-oxide pigments are not cheap and often bear a higher price although the quality of the application makes them worth the cost in many instances. 

 

In addition, builders should never purchase a wood stain without considering the wide range of ingredients. American-made fungicides, UV blockers and trans-oxide pigments generally combine to better resist water, acid and fading, while also actively increasing the wood’s ability to resist cracking or warping, enhance stability and showcase the wood’s natural luster and beauty. It should also be noted that the highest quality stains use the same UV blockers found in automotive paints, which is another reason these higher-end products tend to cost more but produce higher-quality results.

 

Other advantages surround the enhanced preservation of the wood’s natural beauty, greater wear resistance in severe climates and safer, easier use. That’s because there’s no need to strip or sand the previous coat before their application and the best products produce lower amounts of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) to ensure user- and environmentally friendly results.  

 

Subsequently, builders should be aware that there’s far more to the selection of wood stain than price. In most cases, the components and ingredients vary significantly, while playing an integral role in the wood’s weathering and the customer’s long-term satisfaction – all extremely important considerations that should always be a preference throughout the buying process. 

---

Author Steve Getsiv is president and CEO of Nova USA Wood Products, an importer and distributor of premium hardwood products. Visit www.novausawood.com or call 503-419-6407 for more information.

 

 

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/red-book/best-practices-guide/expert-tips-maintain-your-deck-year-round

5 ways to a grow a business during tough times

Right now is undoubtedly a difficult time for most businesses. Some are completely shutting down, while others are operating in a limited capacity. It’s very easy to fold up during hard times and not work on your business out of the fear of the unknown.

 

But, if I learned anything from the last recession, it’s that mindset plays a huge role in your company’s future success.

 

During the previous recession, I chose to believe that there was no work available. I told myself that it would be impossible to get any more contracts because there were too many people vying for them. And, it turns out I was right, but only because that’s what I chose to believe. 

 

Of course there was no new work coming into my shop because I wasn’t out there looking for it! I wasn’t winning new contracts because I wasn’t making connections with prospects, not because they all overlooked me in favor of a competitor.

 

This time around, I’ve chosen to believe that if I invest in my company, my processes, my employees, and my systems that I’ll be in a better position than my competition when the work comes back. My actions now are setting me up to grow my market share. I’ve already taken several steps and made changes so that, once this storm clears, my business will grow substantially.

 

The top five ways I think businesses can grow in hard times are:

 

1. Sell when others are not

 

Put out some lines now, even though there aren’t as many buyers. Continue to sell and work your sales process rather than telling yourself that no one is buying. Many people are not, but some are. 

 

Connect with old leads or past customers, as well as current customers who may not be committed right now. Whatever you do, don’t give up on your continuous sales process.

 

Even if you aren’t getting a lot of bites right this second, you’re keeping yourself top of mind for your customers and leads. When they get to a point where they’re ready to buy, you’ll be the first one they think of. 

 

2. Tighten up your processes

 

In my shop, we’ve been devoting time to tightening up several of our processes. There are changes that we’ve wanted to make but have been putting off because we were too busy. Now, we finally have time to address all of those things. 

 

3. Streamline everything you can and get organized

 

For me personally, this means my office processes. There are things that I’ve wanted to improve but just haven’t done yet because I haven’t had the time or a pressing need. However, now has been the perfect time for me to work on getting organized in the office. 

 

Even though I’m the only one doing a lot of the work right now, I would eventually like to delegate some of it to my team. The only way to delegate something is to streamline and make processes for it, so this is one place I’ve been spending my extra time. 

 

4. Invest smart

 

Put your money where you’ll have the greatest return when the work comes back. 

 

Money is undoubtedly going to be tight during these times, so you have to invest wisely. “Investing” doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be a large purchase or something that uses a lot of cash. I’m talking about things that will incrementally increase your capacity when it does get busy again. 

 

One thing my shop is doing is adding and upgrading tooling and on all of our workbenches. Several of our stations needed small things like new hand tools, new air lines, or more drills. By purchasing more than one drill per station, for example, I’m saving motion and time because my team can just grab a drill that’s already got the right bit on it. When you consider how many times my team had to stop working to switch drill bits in a single shift, you can see how the impact of simply adding an extra drill to each station can really add up. This was a small purchase, but it was a big investment in efficiency.

 

Look for areas in your shop where small changes can add up over time to have a huge impact. 

 

5. Outsource to reduce your fixed cost

 

Anything that you can do to get your costs into the variable column and out of fixed will really help you keep more cash in the business and make a consistent profit. One of the greatest benefits of outsourcing is that it’s there when you need it, but it’s not a continuous cost when you aren’t using it. 

 

If you don’t have any jobs to assemble or build, then you’re not ordering parts for those jobs. When you can reduce your inventory, work in progress, and labor, it makes it much easier to weather economic slowdowns like this.

 

If you would like to learn more about our ready-to-assemble Lockdowel components, click the link below for a free sample kit. Get in touch if you have any questions about outsourcing with Ultimate Cabinet Components. 

 

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/management/5-ways-grow-business-during-tough-times

4 reasons you should find an outsourcing partner now

The economy isn’t in great shape, so it would be crazy to make investments to grow your business right now, right? Well, not really. 

 

Right now might actually be the best possible time to invest in your business by finding an outsourcing partner. Think about the places in your shop that become a bottleneck when you get busy. How would it transform your shop if you could eliminate those bottlenecks before they become an issue again?

 

There are four great reasons to invest in an outsourcing partner to increase your capacity right now. 

 

1. Find someone you can trust NOW so that you’re ready for increased demand

 

Your shop is likely slow right now, which means that you have extra time on your hands to vet an outsourcing partner carefully. When you get slammed because of the pent up demand that’s going to come later this year, you’ll want to have someone in your corner that you already know you can rely on.

 

Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you’re busy to begin looking for a partner, or you’ll be forced to turn down orders. Instead, get your outsourcing partner lined up now so that you’re ready to produce when the time comes. You may even be able to pick up work that competitors can’t fill because they didn’t seize opportunities during this slowdown.  

 

2. There’s going to be a labor shortage when everyone gets back to work

 

Right when you’re ready to start hiring new employees to meet your increasing demand, I’m predicting that there will be a labor shortage for two reasons:

 

• It’s really easy to get on unemployment right now, so it may be hard to find good labor later because some people may be hesitant to rejoin the workforce.
• When people go back to work, and it starts to get busy, every business is going to be looking for new employees. It’ll be hard to stand out from the crowd to find and attract the best workers.

One way to reduce some of your labor requirements is to find an outsourcing partner. You’ll still be able to produce more product, but you won’t have to rely quite as heavily on the number of people you can find to work your stations. 

 

However, I think that right now is actually a great time to strengthen your team because there’s a glut of incredible talent sitting at home without work. If you need new talent and are in a position to hire, I encourage you to do so while the best candidates are still available.

 

3. Increase your market share 

 

The natural response to a slowdown is to pull back on selling and marketing, so you can almost bet that most other businesses are not actively doing either right now. However, savvy shops are always looking for opportunities. 

 

When you have a reliable outsourcing partner to take some of your capacity, your fixed costs decrease, which means that you aren’t hemorrhaging money during economic downturns. Instead, you can spend time and money to market and grow while your competitors are pulling back. 

 

4. It will free up more time for you to sell 

 

If your headaches are no longer on the manufacturing side of your business, you suddenly have a bunch of time freed up to seek out and sell to new customers. More business means more growth, which is what most shops want.

 

Last week I talked about putting buckets out when it’s raining gold rather than setting out a thimble. Look at finding an outsourcing partner as preparing a bucket. When demand swings back, you’ll have, arguably, your biggest bucket set up to catch the business. 

 

How to find an outsourcing partner

 

The best way to pick an outsourcing partner is to start small. Give them a small order, say 10% of your business, and then make them earn the rest. If the test run doesn’t go well, find another outsourcing partner to try and keep looking until you find the one that matches your business.

 

 

from https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/management/4-reasons-you-should-find-outsourcing-partner-now