Page 4 - CMA PROfiles Winter 2014

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
No Matter What, There’s Always More to Learn

by Tracy Yarborough, CMA president
here comes a time in all our businesses when we must ask ourselves one question:
Am I doing this for the artist within, or am I doing this for the money? A relatively
T simple question, but with a very complex answer.

Most of us have started our woodworking businesses out of an enjoyment that the craft
gives us. We love cutting parts from raw goods, assembling them together, finishing it,
getting a pat on the back from someone that appreciates it and then saying to ourselves,
“I built that.” As much as we enjoy the process and the accolades, we must, however, realize that this is a
business that pays our way through this world. We have to take care of ourselves and our families.
A member recently posted a question in the forum on how to figure his pricing. He made the comment with-
in one of his posts, that, he was about to hire his first employee and he needed to get some figures straight
before taking that step. He had finally realized that after being in business for some time as a self-employed,
one man operation, that now that he needed some help, he needs to wrangle all this “business stuff” and find
out his true cost of operations and thereby be able to set a selling price for his goods. Why now? Why didn’t
he do that at the beginning of his business?

I am not picking on this individual, as I went through the exact same thing. As long as I was working alone, I
could “readjust” the figures to suit my individual circumstances. I could charge less here and there to “get the
job” or to “help” a friend. I did not have to count the purchase of table saw against a job because I would use
that table saw for years, hopefully. I was my own man, doing my own thing, my own way. A proud southern
American. Maybe, too proud, to a certain degree.
Why do we put ourselves through this? Is this something that is exclusive within the wood products busi-
ness? Do others go through the same thing? I think a lot of small businesses, especially “kitchen table” busi-
nesses allow personal emotions to hinder their profit margins. After a couple of years of using the S.W.A.G
method of pricing and bookkeeping, and seeing that I was bringing home less bacon than I did when I
worked a “regular” job, I began to see that I needed to make some changes.
It was about this same time that I was introduced to the CMA at a regional TSI show. There, I was able to
interact with others that were paddling along the same river, in the same type of boat, with no motor and
no oars. I was introduced to some individuals that had gone through the same things and had found ways to
actually make money with their shop! Imagine that, making money out of making sawdust!
After becoming a member, I went to the forum and read what others were doing. I asked questions and got
serious answers from professionals that had worked through similar problems. This allowed me to apply some
of their practices into my business and I began to see results on the bottom line. The information I garnered
through the interaction with CMA members, actually helped me show a profit through several years of business.
Later, I found that the seminars that were being held at the trade shows really were useful in running a business.
I, being a rather cheap individual, was slow to pay for these seminars, but after attending a couple, realized that
the information contained within, more than paid for itself after implementing those ideas into my business.
Now 2013 has come and gone. I have been able to stay in business over 13 years. I owe a huge sense of
gratitude to the CMA membership in helping me stay there. But what’s next? I am still in business, have I
learned it all? Not yet, not by any means. There is always tweaking that has to be done. Markets change,
economies change, people change. I have three employees now. Two of them have been with me for over
nine years. As we all age together, we find we still have to learn new techniques and processes to keep up
with the demands that are placed on us by our customers. Where do I go to learn about all that?

Once again, the CMA has a plan of action. Recently, we launched the Certification Program for individu-
als to be certified as having the appropriate knowledge to operate a cabinetmaking/woodworking business.
This course covers a lot of things from basic wood knowledge to advanced methods of CNC operations.
It includes a world of information on marketing, advertising, pricing, costing, and business practices that
are taught at a real-world level, not some professor of theory at a university somewhere. We have taken the
school of hard knocks from our membership and wrapped it up into a program that you can access anytime
from anywhere.
continued on page 6

The Cabinet Makers Association is fortunate to have qualified leaders. Associations need excellent leadership in order to remain
healthy and grow. The Board of Directors has been established not only to direct the course of the Association, but also to meet
your needs, act as a point of contact and answer association related questions.

4 PROFILES • Volume 14 • Issue 1, 2014 • www.cabinetmakers.org