Professional woodworker Doug Turner of Turner Custom Furniture took some time out of his day to speak with CustomMade about how he got started in woodworking, what he’s learned along the way, and how he’s getting through this rough economy.
Tell me about where and when you learned how to work wood.
I began my woodworking career at the Atlanta College of Art. Students taking painting classes were given a very quick woodshop intro course with an emphasis on canvas stretcher fabrication. I soon had a tiny business up and running, building the frequently giant canvas stretchers the students needed. I branched out to basic easel and frame making, and upon graduating, decided I was talented enough to start a furniture business (never mind the fact that I’d never build a proper piece of furniture). About that time, I received some money from the sale of some property I’d inherited, and proceeded to spend it all on tiny woodworking machines, which I set up in my cousin’s basement. I built a few simple projects, which I vastly undercharged for (while simultaneously spending ages to build), with predictable financial results. A visit to my uncle (a full time furniture maker) in New Jersey affected a very positive change on my flawed business model. He encouraged me to learn my trade before hanging up my own shingle. I got a job with a talented furniture maker here in Atlanta, and learned more in the first week than I’d taught myself the previous year. SInce then, I’ve worked in several shops, and owned a few of my own.
You’re a full time woodworker – when and why did you decide on this career path?
I pursued a dual career as an artist and furniture maker after graduating from The Atlanta College of Art. After a while, the art went away, and returned a few years later as I learned enough to begin designing my own furniture.
Are there any cautionary tales from early on in your career that you could share with the up and comers?
I strongly suggest working for another furniture maker before opening your own shop. It’s a tough business, and there are a lot of easier ways to make money. Strongly consider making furniture something done for pleasure rather than income. In my area (high end furniture), everything I design and build is a luxury item. The fact is that a $20,000 Art Deco rosewood table doesn’t hold your plate 30″ off the floor any better than a $20 card table. Selling luxury items is never easy, and as the economy continues on its shaky path, will get even more difficult.
The economy is hurting everyone right now – how have you seen it affect your business?
My business has sustained a sound thrashing, not to put too fine a point on it. I am still selling furniture, but my conversion rate of prospect to customer has decreased dramatically. I am finding that it’s much more difficult to sell high quality furniture (with the accompanying high price) these days. Most of my calls end in “Oh! We were hoping to spend a lot less.”
What have you done to bounce back from it?
While I’ve certainly had to lower my prices, I still can’t compete with low priced furniture at a fair price. I’ve stepped up my small handyman/in-home furniture repair business, which has given me many opportunities to sell furniture.
You’ve been on CustomMade for a little less than a year. In an economy when every marketing dollar counts, what made you decide to give CustomMade a try?
I found CustomMade on the web a few years ago, and toyed with the idea of joining for a while. One day the phone rang and it was a salesperson from CM. I joined right there on the phone (and I never talk to phone salespeople). I guess the timing was just right. I had a few dollars to spend on advertising, and it seemed like a good fit.
Has it worked out for you since you’ve been a subscriber?
Definitely. Its been a really rotten year for the economy, so I need as many eyes on my work as I can get. I actively promote my business’ website, but my profile on CustomMade has dramatically increased my online presence. I believe in what they are trying to do, and it had been a good fit. I’ve been trying to take advantage of the new features, and have even begun writing some blog posts for CM. They offer a “holistic” approach to search engine optimization, offering subscribers many ways to stand out and get noticed.
Doug Turner lives in Atlanta, GA with his two cats, several hundred books, and a whole lot of woodworking tools. He earned a BFA from the Atlanta College of Art in 1996, and has been designing and building furniture ever since. His interest in marketing, website design, and search engine optimization grew from his lack of money to spend on advertising. His belief is that the internet is “the great marketing leveler” and has been the foundation of his guerrilla marketing efforts. He has worked with several small businesses developing website and identity designs, low cost marketing strategies, and social media marketing campaigns. You can see more work from Turner Custom Furniture on Doug’s website, and read more marketing advice from Doug on his new blog Handcrafted Marketing.
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