ATV Florida Forum

My 2 friends and I are looking to start a cabinet and wood working business. We only use real wood!  No partickle board here! We also plan on building outdoor furniture too. You can contact me here on the ATV forum with any questions.

Thanks,
Rob

Good luck Let me know if you got my p.m. to you,
                                                                    CEC

Thanks alot CEC for the info. If I need your services I will call you. Thanks again.

So what are you going to do different than the other guyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz out there doing the same thing?  I'm in Ft Myers and cabinet co.'s like what your talking about are on every corner in the industrial/commercial parks down here. With the housing crisis being what it is, this will be a tough time to start in the construction bussiness.  I was in it for 18 years up north before moving to Florida. Times were good up there. I'm not doubting you can't make it, you just better be prepared to compete and have an edge of some sort. I did remoeling and specialized cabinet and furniture work. Good luck, and be prepared to work long and hard to make it worth your wild..

No cabinets are created equal. My friends and I want to provide a quality built piece for your home or office free from all of the defects that are known to man. I also have been lucky enough to work along side of my dad who is a superintendent of million dollar homes and high rises. He has taught me what quality and a great relationship with your customer is all about.  I will stand behind my product 120% to ensure that it is free of defects in material and workmanship. As you'll know things are really slowing down now in the housing market, but commercial construction and remodeling is some what going. We are prepared to work hard and long hours to get going.

Thanks,
Rob

ROB,   Do you have a marketing plan?  How are you getting your name out there? What do your trucks look like? Using a nice trailer to haul your equipment and supplies? Professionally lettered? Are you clean cut, nicely dressed and fit and a great people person? Not a bull$hitter. You can make great money in this field if you can get your foot in the door. It's a task though, hopefully your dad can help out here. Or be prepared to spend lots of dollars to advertise. Once you get  your foot in to a neighborhood of homes that probably worth over $350,000 and you do exceptional work, your name will spread like wildfire. But be prepared to deal with homeowners who are getting low ball bids from the fly by nighters who do crap work, unlicensed and won't deliver what they promise. You will have to educate your perspective clients to people like that. Make sure you have all of the local licensing and insurance that is required in the area's that you will be working. 
   The biggest problem that you will have is when it's time to hire some helpers. We all get to that point when we have to put down the toolbelt and become the business man in the company.  Everyone who you will interview will promise you the world and produce 1/3 of that. I had my remodeling co. for 18 years and went through all of the pitfalls and learned from them. 
   My main source of advertising, besides word of mouth-which is the best, was my 7' x 14' wells cargo enclosed trailer and my club cab truck with side toolboxes, both painted alike. I had them professionally lettered and drove them everywhere. If I can find a pic I'll post it here.
    Subscribe to trade publications and a great magazine for me was "REMODELING" excellent business advise and it was free.  Here's a few great info sites......

http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlconline.storefront

http://freeconstructionmagazines.com/15-2048825263/description.aspx?AffiliateID=84797980&gclid=CPyo0ba-vYsCFREfgQodDzzsRg
 

http://www.builderonline.com/

We only use real wood!  No partickle board here!   According to some manufacturers, chip or particle board is real wood, just a little glue is used also.  Educate your cliens to this. Take samples of your cabinets, and have a pro picture book along to show. Take pictures of everthing that you build. Make sure you ask  your clients as your working and finished if their 100% happy and if not, what can you do to achieve this.  While your in their homes look for little things that you could fix or adjust for free, that will throw them over the edge in complete satisfaction. Stop back every few months to see how happy they still are and adjust anything that might need it. This really shows that you care, and they will probably call all of their friends and tell them that you stopped in. Instant new clients.  Remember, WORD OF MOUTH is your best advertising. Most word of mouth clients don't get second bids. As long as your not killing them in price. Remember also, new clients will ask old clients what they paid for their project. So be ready with price increase reasons if it come into play.
  Also, you  will get a lot of "SHOPPERS" initally so be ready with a bank of questions to ask them on the phone to rid out those who are only shopping. Your time is worth money so be selective on those cold calls. The sites above have a list of phone ?'s to ask to weed out the least productive estimates.
  Get a pro web site with your info and pic.  Most importantly, ask you completed clients for letters stating how happy they are with you and your product. Ask if you can add them to your reference list for perspective clients to call and check on you and your work.

We also plan on building outdoor furniture too.   use vinyl lumber or it won't last. I recently replaced an outdoor cabinet with one that I built out of the vinal/plastic lumber that my local yard sells. Materials cost me about $500 for a custom cab. 14" deep x 58" wide x  42"tall. All vinyl, no exterior nail or screw holes. Every piece was attached with SS screws from the inside. We placed a granite top on it to match the kitchen tops.  In Florida, no matter what wood or finish you use, it's gonna eventually start to develop mold and begin to rot. IMO and experience.

Thanks alot for the advice DirtyCruiser. For now, my friends and I are doing this on the side. We do good work and since I work for picky and choosey owners I feel that we have great knowlege in our field to deliver a quality product to our consumers. I will post pictures soon.

Thanks again,
Rob

ROB, , being in St. Petersburg you should not have any problem aquiring clients that want quality and are willing to pay good money for it. Again, don't let them talk you down in price, sell your quality and depenability. Mention that you will stand behind your cabinets for at least a couple of years. Unlike most who only give a year, if that. Sell yourself and your product to them. Don't be afraid to say no to lowering your cost. A good line I used many times when asked to lower my price was" I can do that but I will have to lower the quality also to compensate for the drop in price. Is that what you want?"

DirtyCruiser,

Thanks again for the advice. You and I really do think alike. I plan to stand behind my product by offering exceptional customer service with any purchase of our products. I have to take some pictures of a custom built in book shelf that my friends built. I will let everyone know when I post the pictures.