Over the last year and a half we’ve covered a lot of ground on how to start a woodworking business or how to get one going. This month I thought we should keep it simple. How to get your first job is relevant because the best way to get started is to get your first job. 

You’re starting a business from scratch and for some this can be a challenging thing. Especially if no one even knows you exist or that you plan on existing. These methods are also useful for continuing to get in work and build up a portfolio of clients. We’re going to look at three different approaches that I suggest.
 

Who do you know?
The first approach is accessing the people you already know. This is how I got my first job. It was through a family friend who had a rental business for weddings and they needed a set of 20 chairs custom-made for a specific wedding. 

The upside to this method is that through friendships and relationships in your community, you already should have some established trust with people you know. Trust is a big deal when you’re asking people to give you their money for goods they can’t look at yet or have not seen. 

Typically, these people also want to support you because they know you and want you to do well. Assuming you are set up and ready to make good on what you sign up for, this is an already built-in audience to notify of your new business. 

You need to utilize your phone and your email to start letting people know you exist. Notifying connections you have who are business owners is also a great idea because commercial accounts can yield large jobs. Larger jobs can really help your start up cash flow. Commercial accounts can also help get your work in front of more people if these accounts have storefronts or existing businesses in the community.

Networking
A major part of owning a business is networking. As a business owner, networking is a required skillset for the majority of successful operations. If you find you don’t have a lot of people in your personal network who you can solicit for your new business, then I encourage you to get out and about amongst your community, meeting people and networking. 

It never hurts to make new friends anyway. Some of the best places to do this are business luncheons, large social gatherings, and charity auctions. I also suggest donating large work pieces to charity auctions to help your work get in front of people. 

Obviously, it depends on what you are making to define your target audience and where you will find them. Wherever that is, go socialize amongst them. Even nonprofessional-related groups and activities can be beneficial to business. Some of my extracurricular hobbies have even created business by just making friends and meeting new people. Getting out and about, meeting new people, and trying new things socially always helps business.

Social media
Another method that has become most people’s go to and more popular over the years is social media. It is the quickest way to alert people or get pictures of your work in front of thousands quickly. 

Be mindful though that this approach is much more impersonal and for every large amount of people who see your work on social media, only a few will funnel into being potential clients. I have had a media post get thousands of views and only yield one inquiry. 

You have to be patient and consistent in this approach. With that comes a good bit of legwork as well. You are going to have to set up a website. You’re going to have to set up several social media pages. You will need quality pictures of your work. You will need to be willing to post almost daily for the algorithms to put your post in the feed regularly. 

These days, most companies have a dedicated person handling this or an entire team. As a small company or solo operator, it is manageable with good time management. I did it this way for years and came up with a schedule that allowed me to set aside time to look at managing my social media on a daily basis. I also established a system of grabbing pictures and videos in the shop to use on a two- or three-day delay because it allowed me a little grace as I’m also the person doing the manual labor. 

Worth noting is you might consider purchasing ad space on social media to increase potential viewership. It is the modern equivalent to a billboard. The downside to this is that you are asking people to purchase goods without being able to put their hands or eyes on them. 

Since you are a new business, you will also not have trust built up with a clientele to showcase all the pieces you’ve made for people in your feed. This takes time, but depending on what you’re making, this is also a great way to start and get your first job.

Foot in the door
Using the foot in the door approach can be useful in getting your first job. You will have to be willing at times to be a little more competitive with your pricing to be able to get jobs over your competitors. This is not a long-term thing; it is only in the beginning to help you get your first job and build up a clientele.

After some time and you’ve established yourself better your pricing should be adjusted. Remember, too, that pricing is often used as a measure of quality. You don’t want to underprice your work and give potential customers the wrong impression.

Getting that first job is obviously important and I encourage you to be open to all of these tactical suggestions or even try them simultaneously. Even after your first job, these are still great methods to continue bringing new clients into the fold.

#YoungWoodPro is a contest and an educational program sponsored by Grizzly Industrial to help novice professionals improve their skills in business and woodworking. Entries are closed for the 2024 contest. Learn more about the winner and finalists.