Necessity is the mother of invention, we’ve been told. But to create new sales opportunities, you want to turn the phrase around.

We’ve begun publishing a series of stories about woodworking businesses that are developing inventions that they hope will become necessities.

It’s easy to get in a rut, shying from innovation, because, “No one’s asking for it.” The great American trait is invention, innovation, and re-invention. By meeting an unmet and, often enough, an unspoken need for a new product or new approach, you seize an opportunity to be first to market.

For example, the creation by Patrick Buckley of iPad cases was not a response to customers seeking them. There were no iPads users when he came up with the idea in 2009. Now he and his partners are featured in our wood products inventors series.

WoodworkingNetwork/CWB
Likewise we’ve invented something new at Custom Woodworking Business: our website relaunched June 10, with a home page specifically targeting professional custom woodworking businesses like yours.

This eight-month project helps make the rich resources of WoodworkingNetwork.com/cwb more visible and accessible. You’ll find channels devoted to overall interests like business management, wood and veneer, how-to videos and new products.

You’ll also find your favorite bloggists, news and case studies about custom wood companies. Let me know what you think.