I Quit My Job and Started a Finish Carpentry Company!!!
Vložit
- čas přidán 8. 03. 2021
- This has been a bit of a crazy and exciting journey, but I quit my job of being a superintendent in residential construction and have started my own trim carpentry company! There's a lot of lessons to learn and things to do, but we're really excited about it and are having a lot of fun!
Since I was a little kid I've wanted to run my own business. What that business would be has changed several times (I once was convinced a car dealership was the way to go, at another time I wanted a tanning salon, and at another point I wanted to own storage units). If you want to live your dreams a lot of the time you have to take risks, and here we are!
If you have any tips for running your own business please leave them in the comments below!
Get some signs made, (like real estate/campaign signs) at the local printer. Put them out at each job you are doing and at friends' and relative's houses.
That’s a really good idea that I hadn’t thought of! Thank you for the suggestion!
@@berlinbuilds I know this was said a year ago but my friend done this and he got so much work in just one street because he had a little sign out the front of the first job. I’m about to start my carpentry business and this is something I’ll be doing.
Congratulations on your business. I hope you are still doing good. One thing I've learned about cancellations, get a deposit to secure a calendar spot and always, always overestimate your time! There are going to be things you either didn't account for or had no way of knowing that would arise on almost every project. And most every project is different. Mark up your material, this pays you to go pick up/out the material and compensates you for the site visit and estimate. Lastly, the going rate is the fastest way to lose money and sometimes come out of pocket to complete a project.
Thanks so much for your advice! Those are all good things to say. Things have been going really good with the business! I've been thinking of doing an update video sometime soon. I've been picking up more general contracting work along with the finish carpentry so it's been busy!
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. And as my boss use to yell "Read the tape."
I had a small stint of finish trim carpentry. Wow, did I learn a lot. From stock shelves in backrooms, FRP panels in bathrooms, to finish trim in the front of the store. We mainly did Justice Brothers remodels, Soma Initmates, and others. Mall rats we were ha ha.
Nice! Sounds like you had a fun time! Slow is smooth and smooth is fast is something they told us in the military all the time! Thanks for the reminder!
Awesome , good luck I’ve been in business. Little less than 20 years . Just be honest and I always try to do one job at time so I’m not lingering around the customers house longer than needed . If there eve is an issue with work fix it immediately to prevent hard feelings . Your satisfied customers are your best salespeople .
Thanks for the advice! I agree with everything you said. It's awesome to see how happy customers bring more customers!
I saw your channel on your car! It takes a lot of guts to quit your job. Good luck. I look forward to watching your journey. I recommend getting a lavalier mic for your videos it will help with the echo. Keep it up
Hey! I'm glad you saw my sticker! Thank you for subscribing and watching. I'll have to look into the mic! That's a good idea!
My friend u did the right thing. I work for Lowe's for 15 years as a flooring installer then I decide to have my own busines and I did now I'm doing 100% better . The key to do good and clean work after that u find ur schedule 📅 5 or 6 months full of jobs.
Good luck
Thank you! I'm glad to hear you're business is doing so well! Congratulations! That's some good advice about keeping things clean and doing good work.
Wow… a journeyman carpenter here with almost 20 years in the field. I’ve always been interested in starting my own company but never have.
I’m blown away that you learned how to cope with your new business that you just started (see what I did there eh).
That was an excellent joke there. I’d say it’s cutting edge 😎
Hey man! Really inspired by your video. I am 20 years old, an assistant superintendent for a custom home builder. I want to in my future create a trim carpentry business. Just like how you had this idea. Love the content and can relate to you a lot! Just discovered your channel, I’m gonna go through it and pick up as many tips and tricks from you as I can. Now, after a year later, have you figured out better ways to market your company?
Thanks Jacob! Sounds like you’re on a good path to learning a lot of good things for starting your own business. For marketing now I get a good mix of jobs from Facebook still as well as repeat clients or referrals now. My gut says the way to win and get more clients has to been focusing on taking care of the clients I have and making sure they are well taken care of.
Pipedrive for CRM, email retargeting, Kickserv for sending proposals/ estimates. Create a facebook page, with ad sets that lead customers to your website estimate funnel. Rank on Google with 20+ reviews. You can hire a web developer and agency on UPWORK, very good prices overseas. In laymans terms you want your customer funnel so easy to use that a child or senior can contact you, the customer journey needs to be STREAMLINED. Most contractors are atrocious at customer follow up so a ton of jobs come to a first come, first serve.
That's something I could definitely be better at. My marketing right now is mostly word of mouth and a few Facebook marketplace ads. Thanks for the advice!
Other carpenters freak out on me when I cope crown molding or base with ...wait for it...JIG SAW! LOL. Faster than the grinder for me. Rest jig saw bed on the miter. Follow the profile as normal. Takes me half the time to cope. Tool me 2 yrs to figure that out. I also never use a level or laser level for doors...with exception to exteriors. I go by the reveal of the slab to the jamb. Faster and ensures doors operate properly. No wall or floor is umbrella or level. I'm sure you know that by now.
Solid tips! Thanks! Nice on coping with the jigsaw! It's baffled me that there's a culture of "That's the way it's always been done so there can be nothing better." I wonder if people said that about hand saws when power miter saws were invented.
I learned to cope with a coping saw that thing with the angle grinder and disc looks a million times easier and faster
I really like doing it this way! It is super fast and easy. I’ve seen people pick it up this way really fast too. I’m probably at least 3x as fast doing it this way as compared to a coping saw 😆 Let me know if it works for you!
Multiple businesses = multiple income streams = more financial stability AND greater flexibility with your time.
I'm at 5 right now and it is awesome!
That sounds great!! What kind of businesses are you doing?
@@berlinbuilds IT Support, software development, rental property, Architectural engineer, and construction are the main revenue streams.
That's a good spread with things being in different industries. Smart! Eventually we're planning on doing something similar!
@@berlinbuilds Diversity will mean two things 1) better chance of overall success 2) you will always be busy
Trim guy here I put it back on the miter saw and cut the bottom half out. There fine tire the rest.
Nice! I've done it that way a few times now and it saves a good bit of time.
I'm 37. About to start my carpentry business. I'm crazy. I'm making six figures working from home right now. But I really want a more satisfying work experience....carpentry.
Awesome!! It’s not crazy to start doing something you are passionate about at any age. Best of luck to you!
Make sure you operate
With a contractors
License in most states..
Good advice. I’m licensed and insured! I think they say if you play stupid games you get stupid prizes. I definitely don’t want to deal with any stupid prizes!
I would say also get an Instagram account. A lot of people use that platform to advertise their business. I would say more so than Facebook.
Thanks Aubrey! That’s a good idea. I do have one, but I barely know how to use it 🤣
Right on. I'm a finish carpenter thinking of quitting my job to start my own business too. I had a few businesses last year but covid 19 kinda sunk them. I had a handyman business and a knife sharpening business and an ebay store. Now I'm overworked and underpaid. I gotta quit and start my own business
Thanks! I feel you man. Covid has thrown a wrench in a bunch of different plans. Sounds like you have the entrepreneurial spirit though, so I’m sure you’ll do well. Would you want to do finish carpentry for your business?
@@berlinbuilds yeah I'm thinking either finish carpentry or remodeling. Haven't decided yet
Both are good choices. I’m here in Utah and the demand for that kind of work is insane right now. What state are you in?
@@berlinbuilds I'm in idaho. Lots of demand for both businesses right now. I really just wanna do trim but my business partner wants to do remodeling. I'll probably just end up doing remodeling
I love Idaho! You could probably start with both and take on the smaller trim jobs that larger companies won't do to fill in time when the remodeling is a little slower or you're waiting for a job to start. I have lots of people that want accent walls that only take a half day to do and pay well.
Hey bro ive also wanted to own a business one day and I worked with my dad doing finish trim for years. Any advice on how to get started or maybe just a contact for when I get started would be awesome I subbed and liked!
Awesome man! Looks like you're on the precipice of doing something really cool. My best advice is to save your money and try and do as much stuff debt free as you can. If you are able to start doing some side work that would be good so you can start to get a better idea of how much money you can make and what to charge. Some good advice I received was to focus on success and not money. If you focus on the success the money will come, but if you focus on the money you're likely to miss success and taking care of clients.
Hi everyone I am 27 year old . I just opened my own business after work many years for my boss but I don’t know where to get clients or get job from home owner . I have came to the builder’s office to ask if they need trimmer but they all told me to look for contractors. How can I contact to them ?? Thanks
I’m about a year out from getting enough experience to apply for my carpentry license. I want to start a finish carpentry business with my brother. I like to prepare and plan early, and what I’m most worried about is how do I get my foot in the door with contractors. if you have any tips or advice I would really appreciate it.
Hey! Awesome to hear you're looking at going out on your own. Probably the best thing with contractors is just to start networking with them. Phone calls and texts are okay but not the best option. If you can find them on their jobs and have a quick conversation letting them know how you are and what you can do that is a great way to get your foot in the door.
I'm getting ready to start up my own carpentry business as well!
That’s awesome! Best of luck to you!
How is your business going now?
Bosch makes a left side blade circular saw
Nice! I've been using a DeWalt one that's been great.
Highlight your unique value proposition in your marketing to customers. Maybe partner with Homes for our troops and donate a % to charity, or highlight customer reviews, quality of craftsmanship etc.... Ask your self if I was in the customers shoes how would you feel looking at your business. Again first come first serve is just as important but highlighting your business value proposition can allow you to increase pricing.
Thank you for the insightful comment. I hadn't really thought of things from that perspective. I'll have to do some thinking on this. A couple of things I've been focusing on is having a clean site when we leave and having an upbeat attitude where people are comfortable around us (not swearing, appropriate music played, etc.). I'll have to think how I can highlight those things. Thank you again!
Idaho? I love here lol
Nope! Utah! I did live in Idaho for about 5 years though for school. I loved it there!
Subbed and liked! I want to do what you're doing, and I already have experience running a small business (photography) , but my biggest problem is that I have very little carpentry experience. What would you say is a good way of getting a foot in the door and learning some of the skills? Thank you brother!
That's awesome! It's always cool to see someone who wants to get into the carpentry trade. There's no one sure way to get into it, but here's an option:
If you own a home you can demo out the door casing and baseboards in a room and replace them with new, or if you're renting right now you might find a friend or family member who would be willing to let you do it for free if they paid for the materials. One of the best ways to learn this stuff is to get your feet wet and start making things. If you have access to a miter saw you can build some fun smaller projects that will get you used to the saw and cutting things to their proper length. You can pick up some inexpensive nails guns to use to fasten some of those projects and get used to how the guns shoot as well.
If you don't currently have tools you can start shopping around on Facebook Marketplace or a Craigslist kind of thing and start picking up some second hand ones. Most cuts I do in finish carpentry involve the miter saw, so if you set your sights on one of those and an air compressor and some nails guns (18 and 15 gauge) you'll be able to do a lot of different things (most base and casings). If you get a jigsaw too you'll be able to start doing some simpler wall treatments (jigsaws are handy for notching out areas for outlets).
By doing these things you'll start to build up your experience and confidence and make your dumb mistakes in a safe environment where it's okay to screw up a little bit. CZcams is an awesome thing to watch and there are some dang good carpenters on here. I really enjoy watching Finish Carpentry TV's channel here as well as Insider Carpentry. Both of those guys have tons of experience and teach things in a really easy way to understand.
Anyways, I hope that helps a little bit and I wish you the best of luck on your journey!
@@berlinbuilds Thank you so much the detailed and informative reply! Working on your own house or those of friends and family is a great idea! I have some basic tools, and an air compressor. I'll look into the miter saw, nail guns, and jigsaw, and I will check out both of those channels. Glad I found your channel and look forward to follow what you're doing with your new business. Keep it up! btw, don't know where you live in UT or went to school, but I'm a U of U alumnus. 2013.
Hey! Cool to run into someone else with some Utah roots. I had a lot of family who went to the U of U and loved it. I was a bit of a black sheep and went north to BYU-Idaho. Now me and my family hang out in Utah County. Glad to have you watching the channel!
Sounds like you've got a decent start on your tools. You can do some really cool stuff with some very basic tools, so don't ever feel like you have to be packing around a whole trailer before you can do something. Every finish carpentry project is made one piece at a time, so never let it get too intimidating for you!
@@berlinbuilds
I enjoyed my years in UT. Beautiful and fun place to be. I'm down in AZ now and loving it here too. Yes, I have some tools from doing light handyman stuff and little projects over the last few years. Found that I really enjoy fixing and building little things. My doctor actually recommended finish carpentry to me as something to pursue in light of that. Looked into it, liking what I'm seeing, and here I am haha. Furniture and cabinet making, and restoration also look great. A lot of variety in carpentry! It's always tempting to buy too many tools at once worrying you'll need everything. Was like that when I got started in photography too. Thank you very much for the tip!
I see someone recommended getting an IG account and I'd echo that, along with FB and other social media. You can also consider making your own website to showcase some of work and try to optimize SEO. It's good to be redundant with these to get more coverage even if one seems better than another. My wife has a degree in marketing and takes care of most of that stuff for me. ( Blessed :D )
Arizona is beautiful! There’s so many rabbit holes you can get into with carpentry 😂 Thank you for the marketing tips! I did end up starting and IG account but have not opened up a website yet. I’ve been hesitant to start that just because I don’t know much about it, but it’s looking more and more like I need to take that plunge! Thanks again!
Where in Utah are you? I'm fro. Cedar city. I live I. Tampa now .
Nice! Florida is an awesome state! I’m in Utah County 👍
Hi everyone. I’m trying to go Self-Employed as well. Pricing is killing me!!! Please help
Hey! Congratulations on taking this step. What about pricing is messing you up? How much to charge or material?
Good for you man, I'm 29 as well been in business for two years now and will never look back. Once you get on your feet business wise it's smooth sailing (for the most part).
My first year in business alot of my work came from Facebook, once I did a few jobs I posted them then people noticed and it snow balls from there.
Thanks man! It's good to hear you're liking it! I still feel like I'm learning through the whole running a business thing but it's been a lot of fun. Most of my work has come through Facebook as well but now I'm starting to get repeat customers and some more word of mouth work. Sounds like I'm starting to see the snowball you mentioned (mines a small snowball, but I'll take it for now).
Get a coping saw!
I have one but I’m a lot faster and more accurate with the angle grinder and some files 🤷♂️ Kind of similar to I could cut all of my 90 degree cuts with a miter box and hand saw but why not use the miter saw? Just my thoughts on it.
@@berlinbuilds that’s fair I’ve never tried with a grinder I learned the old school way with the old coping saw
Makes sense. Give it a go one of these times. I was surprised at how easy and fast it was.
🎼 take this f#*%n job and shove it
I ain't workn here no more....🎶🎶🎶🎸
👍
Hey man. I'm about to quit my own job and want to start a trim carpentry company. What and where did you get insurance?
Congrats man on starting your own thing! I went through Next Insurance for all of my stuff. I’m not sure if they are necessary the best but I wanted something fast and am planning on digging into some other options once things have settled down a bit. Best of luck with everything though! How soon until you pull the plug?
Right on. Probably going to give my notice next week.
Is there anywhere where we could chat back and forth about owning a business and trim carpentry other than YT comments?
You can email me at berlinbuilds@gmail.com if that works for you.
Get your contractors
License and insurance
I want to learn carpenter work where I can learn that
CZcams is a good place as well as local community colleges 👍
buy a coping saw dude.... rookies..
I have one. Thanks! I’m faster with the angle grinder and my files than I am with a coping saw, so I’ll keep doing it this way. My fit and finish is great, so with the end product being great I don’t think it matters if I do it the traditional way.
check out Karlton Dennis channel you'll be glad you did
Thanks for the tip!
Never coped base board…? How long you been in business shoot I need to start yesterday doing my own business
Haha, right? Where I'm located at almost everything is flat stock base. First time for everything I guess!