Like a good little elf, you just built the gifts in your shop. Maybe a cutting board for Aunt Edna or a vase for Uncle Bill. The finish is dry and it’s ready to go, right?
Uh oh! We still have to get those gifts where they need to go! Some of us are lucky and can simply hand the gifts to our recipients on the holiday. For others, those gifts are going to have to travel a great distance. And with shipping come those pesky shipping deadlines – many of them arriving this week. Blech!
While your local post office and other carriers such as FedEx and UPS can get things where they need to go in a hurry, they haven’t yet created time travel – allowing you the flexibility to ship things to arrive in the past.
So this week, let us know if you are going to make those shipping deadlines or if you are going to be sending apologies for a late-arriving gift.
The holiday season reminds us to give back and help others in need, but Jeff and Linda Morton at Feisty Dog Woodcrafts have made it a point to give back all year round – to our furry friends. With an eye for detail and craftsmanship, they produce excellent work (my favorite is the Greene and Greene inspired pet feeder), and they also support animal rescue while doing it!
I was excited to be able to interview Jeff Morton to get the inside scoop on Feisty Dog Woodcrafts. In the interview, Jeff shared not only his background in woodworking and how Feisty Dog came to be, plus you’ll gain some really great insight into the business of woodworking. Enjoy!
How did you get started woodworking?
I’ve been around woodworking from a early age. My brother-in-law was a product design engineer at Black & Decker (was involved with the first VS drill). Both he and my dad were fairly active. BIL built furniture and cabinets and dad built more utilitarian things. I learned a lot about workshop safety, how to approach a project and how to enjoy the process. Woodworking is my “mental floss” to escape the work/life rat race. I enjoy the tactile nature of the craft and the personal satisfaction I receive when a design comes together and delights the customer.
How long have you been selling your woodcrafts?
We’re starting our second year of actively marketing our products. We did ad-hoc projects for friends/family before that, but didn’t actively peruse the venture until fall 2013.
How has selling products affected your woodworking? Sadly, quite a bit. The ability to wander into the shop and make something for fun isn’t in the plan. It’s now more on a production schedule: mill work -> assembly -> finishing. Off times, we’re working on promotion, answering communications, coming up with new ideas, etc or acquiring project materials. It’s a little easier to not have a “real job,” to work around, but then the need to produce and sell scratches off the luster pretty soon. a PT job brings some money in while allowing time for the business, but…
Needing to make things that sell impulsively eliminates the ability to make enjoyable things that aren’t as directly sell able. I want to build a Krenovian-inspired case as well as a “Greene & Greene light” project. Hopefully I will be able to do after the holiday rush. Health issues have suspended shows for the rest of 2014, but we plan to be on the show circuit in late Q1/15. I also have a commission project in Q1/15 for some built in Stickley-influenced bookcases in a newly-constructed home’s rec room, but those jobs are few and far between.
How did the concept of Feisty Dog Woodcraft come about?My wife Linda and I have been involved in animal rescues for awhile, We’ve adopted three amazing dogs, two of them, Hunter (who is a Mountain Feist dog, a combination of a rat terrier, greyhound and Labrador retriever that has been bred for hunting squirrels since Abe Lincoln’s time – and the basis of our business name) and Daphne (a dachshund/corgi mix), are our “Executive Staff.”
Unfortunately, Trixie,who survived a horrific fire at a dog pound in southern Illinois in 11/2007, had a terminal illness and left us in 2011. Her spirit remains with us. We have volunteered for Fur Keeps Animal Rescue in Barrington Hills, IL and perform pre-adoption site visits and whatever else they need to further their cause.
Woodcrafts by Feisty Dog was created initially as a way for me to avoid becoming a WalMart greeter in my “golden years.” Based on the marketplace, I knew we could create and market quality handcrafted products for two and four legged friends – with some percentage of earnings donated to animal rescues – another way for us to give back and help. It could develop and grow to the point when we wander off into retirement, we could take the business with us and keep going.
To increase awareness and contribution, we become affiliated with animal rescues, who encourages their staff, volunteers and clients purchase merchandise from us – with the net profits going directly to their rescue. We also provide them at least $150 of free merchandise annually for their fundraising activities. To date, we’ve donated nearly $1,500 in merchandise in 2014 to wonderful groups like PAWS Chicago, Save-A-Pet, etc. as well as our local Fire Department for their annual fundraiser. When someone purchases from us, we ask them if they have a favorite animal rescue. If they do, it is noted on the receipt as well as our books. We send check quarterly, and always round up to make it more beneficial. If the customer doesn’t have a specific rescue,we divide the funds among affiliated rescues.
Unfortunately, economic realities in 2014 “encouraged” us to ramp up the business. My wife’s job was eliminated in February. Fortunately she found a wonderful job with a great company in July – which she enjoys, and provided us needed healthcare benefits. My job was eliminated in March. However, I recently was offered a part time job and might possibly have other options in the near future. But the situation gave us an opportunity to really focus on the business, out of necessity.
What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out or thinking about starting a woodworking business/side business? First: STOP, take a breath and really think it through.Do your homework – visit local shows and do a little “intel work” – see what’s out there – primarily what’s missing and what’s selling. Check the internet sales sites and do the same “intel work.” This was easy for me, since I’ve spent the last 34 yrs in marketing research with direct involvement with successful products like Gerber Graduates, America’s Cut pork chops, etc. and revolutionizing the market information/segmentation/analysis process in the home building industry (I also predicted the housing bubble 14 mos in advance, but that’s another story).
Once you’ve done your market analysis, decide IF you have something that is viable, and make sure you can build it right ALL the time – potentially in mass quantities. To make money, you MUST streamline the process without cutting quality for time/cost savings – which pay you back. Go with your strengths – especially if they are unique/different to what’s offered. Don’t try to offer a bunch of things that you aren’t confident in the quality of design and build. This is definitely a time when less is more. Promoting your BEST efforts – even if it’s one product – is much better than having a bunch of so-so stuff on the table.
Establish a consistent BRAND identity and stick with it! all of our are promotional materials – including show banner, booth signage and embroidered polo shirts worn at shows are based, literally on our BRANDing iron logo. (photo attached) I believe that a consistent brand message sets you apart from other vendors – that you have it together and MEAN business. I also think that it might convey an “expensive business” image to those who are motivated by bargains/deals, but if they aren’t your targeted market segment or don’t even stop to see your offerings, who cares!
Start SMALL and grow s-l-o-w. Go with a basic website at first if you have to with a small, finite number of products you can promote. PayPal can be your friend, because you can take orders via emails and process payments through PP. E-commerce vendors can be a slippery slope to an eternal abyss. Let the business grow to the point where you NEED the larger, fancier site and third-party e-commerce processing.
Pick your shows carefully. If you have high volume/low price products, craft shows, flea markets, etc might work for you. Otherwise, target the juried art shows and up-scaled craft shows. They cost more to participate and require a higher-quality offering, but the ROI is worth the time/cost/trouble, because patrons are more likely to appreciate (read: BUY) your products!
I hope that everyone enjoyed learning about Feisty Dog Woodcrafts. You can see more of their work and find out more about the support they provide to animal shelter organizations. Big thank you to Jeff for taking the time to do this interview and share some great tips for anyone interested in selling their work.
The holiday season reminds us to give back and help others in need, but Jeff and Linda Morton at Feisty Dog Woodcrafts have made it a point to give back all year round – to our furry friends. With an eye for detail and craftsmanship, they produce excellent work (my favorite is the Greene and Greene inspired pet feeder), and they also support animal rescue while doing it!
I was excited to be able to interview Jeff Morton to get the inside scoop on Feisty Dog Woodcrafts. In the interview, Jeff shared not only his background in woodworking and how Feisty Dog came to be, plus you’ll gain some really great insight into the business of woodworking. Enjoy!
How did you get started woodworking?
I’ve been around woodworking from a early age. My brother-in-law was a product design engineer at Black & Decker (was involved with the first VS drill). Both he and my dad were fairly active. BIL built furniture and cabinets and dad built more utilitarian things. I learned a lot about workshop safety, how to approach a project and how to enjoy the process. Woodworking is my “mental floss” to escape the work/life rat race. I enjoy the tactile nature of the craft and the personal satisfaction I receive when a design comes together and delights the customer.
How long have you been selling your woodcrafts?
We’re starting our second year of actively marketing our products. We did ad-hoc projects for friends/family before that, but didn’t actively peruse the venture until fall 2013.
How has selling products affected your woodworking? Sadly, quite a bit. The ability to wander into the shop and make something for fun isn’t in the plan. It’s now more on a production schedule: mill work -> assembly -> finishing. Off times, we’re working on promotion, answering communications, coming up with new ideas, etc or acquiring project materials. It’s a little easier to not have a “real job,” to work around, but then the need to produce and sell scratches off the luster pretty soon. a PT job brings some money in while allowing time for the business, but…
Needing to make things that sell impulsively eliminates the ability to make enjoyable things that aren’t as directly sell able. I want to build a Krenovian-inspired case as well as a “Greene & Greene light” project. Hopefully I will be able to do after the holiday rush. Health issues have suspended shows for the rest of 2014, but we plan to be on the show circuit in late Q1/15. I also have a commission project in Q1/15 for some built in Stickley-influenced bookcases in a newly-constructed home’s rec room, but those jobs are few and far between.
How did the concept of Feisty Dog Woodcraft come about?My wife Linda and I have been involved in animal rescues for awhile, We’ve adopted three amazing dogs, two of them, Hunter (who is a Mountain Feist dog, a combination of a rat terrier, greyhound and Labrador retriever that has been bred for hunting squirrels since Abe Lincoln’s time – and the basis of our business name) and Daphne (a dachshund/corgi mix), are our “Executive Staff.”
Unfortunately, Trixie,who survived a horrific fire at a dog pound in southern Illinois in 11/2007, had a terminal illness and left us in 2011. Her spirit remains with us. We have volunteered for Fur Keeps Animal Rescue in Barrington Hills, IL and perform pre-adoption site visits and whatever else they need to further their cause.
Woodcrafts by Feisty Dog was created initially as a way for me to avoid becoming a WalMart greeter in my “golden years.” Based on the marketplace, I knew we could create and market quality handcrafted products for two and four legged friends – with some percentage of earnings donated to animal rescues – another way for us to give back and help. It could develop and grow to the point when we wander off into retirement, we could take the business with us and keep going.
To increase awareness and contribution, we become affiliated with animal rescues, who encourages their staff, volunteers and clients purchase merchandise from us – with the net profits going directly to their rescue. We also provide them at least $150 of free merchandise annually for their fundraising activities. To date, we’ve donated nearly $1,500 in merchandise in 2014 to wonderful groups like PAWS Chicago, Save-A-Pet, etc. as well as our local Fire Department for their annual fundraiser. When someone purchases from us, we ask them if they have a favorite animal rescue. If they do, it is noted on the receipt as well as our books. We send check quarterly, and always round up to make it more beneficial. If the customer doesn’t have a specific rescue,we divide the funds among affiliated rescues.
Unfortunately, economic realities in 2014 “encouraged” us to ramp up the business. My wife’s job was eliminated in February. Fortunately she found a wonderful job with a great company in July – which she enjoys, and provided us needed healthcare benefits. My job was eliminated in March. However, I recently was offered a part time job and might possibly have other options in the near future. But the situation gave us an opportunity to really focus on the business, out of necessity.
What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out or thinking about starting a woodworking business/side business? First: STOP, take a breath and really think it through.Do your homework – visit local shows and do a little “intel work” – see what’s out there – primarily what’s missing and what’s selling. Check the internet sales sites and do the same “intel work.” This was easy for me, since I’ve spent the last 34 yrs in marketing research with direct involvement with successful products like Gerber Graduates, America’s Cut pork chops, etc. and revolutionizing the market information/segmentation/analysis process in the home building industry (I also predicted the housing bubble 14 mos in advance, but that’s another story).
Once you’ve done your market analysis, decide IF you have something that is viable, and make sure you can build it right ALL the time – potentially in mass quantities. To make money, you MUST streamline the process without cutting quality for time/cost savings – which pay you back. Go with your strengths – especially if they are unique/different to what’s offered. Don’t try to offer a bunch of things that you aren’t confident in the quality of design and build. This is definitely a time when less is more. Promoting your BEST efforts – even if it’s one product – is much better than having a bunch of so-so stuff on the table.
Establish a consistent BRAND identity and stick with it! all of our are promotional materials – including show banner, booth signage and embroidered polo shirts worn at shows are based, literally on our BRANDing iron logo. (photo attached) I believe that a consistent brand message sets you apart from other vendors – that you have it together and MEAN business. I also think that it might convey an “expensive business” image to those who are motivated by bargains/deals, but if they aren’t your targeted market segment or don’t even stop to see your offerings, who cares!
Start SMALL and grow s-l-o-w. Go with a basic website at first if you have to with a small, finite number of products you can promote. PayPal can be your friend, because you can take orders via emails and process payments through PP. E-commerce vendors can be a slippery slope to an eternal abyss. Let the business grow to the point where you NEED the larger, fancier site and third-party e-commerce processing.
Pick your shows carefully. If you have high volume/low price products, craft shows, flea markets, etc might work for you. Otherwise, target the juried art shows and up-scaled craft shows. They cost more to participate and require a higher-quality offering, but the ROI is worth the time/cost/trouble, because patrons are more likely to appreciate (read: BUY) your products!
I hope that everyone enjoyed learning about Feisty Dog Woodcrafts. You can see more of their work and find out more about the support they provide to animal shelter organizations. Big thank you to Jeff for taking the time to do this interview and share some great tips for anyone interested in selling their work.
Image by Kreuzschnabel/Wikimedia Commons, License: artlibre
Every time I discuss electrical power as it relates to the shop someone will inevitably bring up the question of solar energy. After all, I’m in the “Valley of the Sun” and if anyone should be able to harness the awesome power of that big ball of fire in the sky it should be Phoenicians with our 296 days of sunshine per year! Well, you might be surprised to know that I actually do have solar panels and I thought it would be helpful to share my story and experience. This is not meant to be a guide to solar energy and I’m not really prepared (or qualified) to give much advice on the topic. When you dig into the world of alternative energy you’ll quickly find out that there’s a lot of ever-changing local laws, regulations, and red tape that will dictate what you can and can’t do so be sure to do your research. If anything, my hope is that this blog post encourages you to look into your options with realistic expectations.
Our Setup
When we decided to go solar, the company we hired did an audit of our electrical usage over the last few years. Their goal was to correctly match our power needs with our future power production. They also made sure our house could accommodate the number of panels we needed and of course the roof had to be able to support the additional weight. In addition to the panels, we had to select a location for the power converter dealie-wackers. In our case, these were three large wall-mounted devices that live in our garage. Some people put them outside but it’s quite an eyesore. Something to keep in mind is that these things make quite a bit of noise during the day. As they process the energy, they make a rhythmic clicking sound that can easily be heard in the guest bedroom on the other side of the garage wall.
To Buy or Lease?
While on the surface this might seem like a big part of the decision, but for us it was a no-brainer. We found the purchase price to be prohibitively expensive (approximately $35,000) so we went for the lease program. The lease locks us in at a monthly price of $220 for 20 years and ensures the system will continue to be operational for the duration of that period. If we sell the house, the new owner simply takes over the lease. And after about six years, we’ll have the option to purchase again at the appropriate reduced cost. I doubt we’ll take that option.
How Does it Work?
It’s not as simple as you might think. I was originally under the impression that solar panels would pull us “off the grid” and we would be self-sufficient but that’s not how it works. The solar panels produce energy and that energy is sent back to the electric company. They keep track of our production as it offsets our usage. So we still pull power from the electric company just like we always have, but the power we send to the electric company cancels out the power we draw. If we produce more than we consume, we will get paid for the unused energy. The value of that payment is something that seems to be in flux and it was recently lowered.
The Financials
Our electric bill used to average $350 and increased each year. We use dramatically more energy in the summer due to the constant running of air conditioners so we rely on a level-pay program to keep our bill predictable each month. So now that our solar panels are compensating for our energy use, our electric bill amounts to about $20/month. Just by virtue of being connected to the grid, there will always be small associated fees that need to be paid. Our total monthly payment is:
$20 (electric company) + $220 (lease fee) = $240 Total
Savings: At least $110/month
Because our panels were set up to handle our worst case usage scenario, we won’t likely see a change in our monthly bill for a very long time and we generally over-produce each month. Furthermore, this setup insulates us from energy price increases as the lionshare of our bill is going to our lease and not the electric company. Of course there may be unforeseen circumstances that cause us to regret our decision to go this route, but now that we are two years into this arrangement I have to say we are extremely happy with it. Below you can see a graphic showing our power production for the last 14 months with some cool statistics about what that amount of energy equates to.
Don’t Take My Word For It!
Do your research. As I mentioned before, the laws are ever-changing and the system (government and big utilities) seems to be set up to discourage folks from incorporating alternative energy sources into their homes. For example, I heard recently that they are considering a special surcharge for folks who have solar panels and efforts are already underway in Oklahoma. I’ll refrain from getting too political here but let’s just say it can be incredibly frustrating for people who are just trying to “do the right thing.”
If you already have solar, I’d love to hear about your experiences. And if the laws are different in your area, I’d love to hear about that too. Let’s compare notes!
Image by Kreuzschnabel/Wikimedia Commons, License: artlibre
Every time I discuss electrical power as it relates to the shop someone will inevitably bring up the question of solar energy. After all, I’m in the “Valley of the Sun” and if anyone should be able to harness the awesome power of that big ball of fire in the sky it should be Phoenicians with our 296 days of sunshine per year! Well, you might be surprised to know that I actually do have solar panels and I thought it would be helpful to share my story and experience. This is not meant to be a guide to solar energy and I’m not really prepared (or qualified) to give much advice on the topic. When you dig into the world of alternative energy you’ll quickly find out that there’s a lot of ever-changing local laws, regulations, and red tape that will dictate what you can and can’t do so be sure to do your research. If anything, my hope is that this blog post encourages you to look into your options with realistic expectations.
Our Setup
When we decided to go solar, the company we hired did an audit of our electrical usage over the last few years. Their goal was to correctly match our power needs with our future power production. They also made sure our house could accommodate the number of panels we needed and of course the roof had to be able to support the additional weight. In addition to the panels, we had to select a location for the power converter dealie-wackers. In our case, these were three large wall-mounted devices that live in our garage. Some people put them outside but it’s quite an eyesore. Something to keep in mind is that these things make quite a bit of noise during the day. As they process the energy, they make a rhythmic clicking sound that can easily be heard in the guest bedroom on the other side of the garage wall.
To Buy or Lease?
While on the surface this might seem like a big part of the decision, but for us it was a no-brainer. We found the purchase price to be prohibitively expensive (approximately $35,000) so we went for the lease program. The lease locks us in at a monthly price of $220 for 20 years and ensures the system will continue to be operational for the duration of that period. If we sell the house, the new owner simply takes over the lease. And after about six years, we’ll have the option to purchase again at the appropriate reduced cost. I doubt we’ll take that option.
How Does it Work?
It’s not as simple as you might think. I was originally under the impression that solar panels would pull us “off the grid” and we would be self-sufficient but that’s not how it works. The solar panels produce energy and that energy is sent back to the electric company. They keep track of our production as it offsets our usage. So we still pull power from the electric company just like we always have, but the power we send to the electric company cancels out the power we draw. If we produce more than we consume, we will get paid for the unused energy. The value of that payment is something that seems to be in flux and it was recently lowered.
The Financials
Our electric bill used to average $350 and increased each year. We use dramatically more energy in the summer due to the constant running of air conditioners so we rely on a level-pay program to keep our bill predictable each month. So now that our solar panels are compensating for our energy use, our electric bill amounts to about $20/month. Just by virtue of being connected to the grid, there will always be small associated fees that need to be paid. Our total monthly payment is:
$20 (electric company) + $220 (lease fee) = $240 Total
Savings: At least $110/month
Because our panels were set up to handle our worst case usage scenario, we won’t likely see a change in our monthly bill for a very long time and we generally over-produce each month. Furthermore, this setup insulates us from energy price increases as the lionshare of our bill is going to our lease and not the electric company. Of course there may be unforeseen circumstances that cause us to regret our decision to go this route, but now that we are two years into this arrangement I have to say we are extremely happy with it. Below you can see a graphic showing our power production for the last 14 months with some cool statistics about what that amount of energy equates to.
Don’t Take My Word For It!
Do your research. As I mentioned before, the laws are ever-changing and the system (government and big utilities) seems to be set up to discourage folks from incorporating alternative energy sources into their homes. For example, I heard recently that they are considering a special surcharge for folks who have solar panels and efforts are already underway in Oklahoma. I’ll refrain from getting too political here but let’s just say it can be incredibly frustrating for people who are just trying to “do the right thing.”
If you already have solar, I’d love to hear about your experiences. And if the laws are different in your area, I’d love to hear about that too. Let’s compare notes!
‘Tis the season… When we build projects for all of the relatives on our gift list.
Sure, there have been years when Aunt Mabel wants a cutting board, mom wants a picture frame, your cousin Vinny wants a cigar humidor, and you built individual projects for each.
But it’s so much more efficient to build one kind of project for everyone. This way, everyone on the list gets the same item built in steps. You can cut all the pieces with the table saw fence set to the right width, cut mortises with the router bits set to the right depth, etc. Essentially, it becomes production work.
So this week, tell us if you’ve built multiple copies of a particular project and how many you’ve batched out!
Like a good little elf, you just built the gifts in your shop. Maybe a cutting board for Aunt Edna or a vase for Uncle Bill. The finish is dry and it’s ready to go, right? 
