We've seen it again and again, there are some excellent craftsmen out there, who are lousy businessmen.
They really need a partner. A business manager. A decent clerk, for crying out loud, to keep track of what to make next for whom. Can't keep up with deposits, with orders, with communications? Get help.
Absolutely. It is one thing to be a craftsman that makes money with a hobby. If you want to build a business, an "ongoing concern" one that pays all of your bills, you need training and help.
Speaking from my own personal arrogance and stupidity, when I started my first company 30 years ago I thought that being a good, honest craftsman that was dedicated to my craft (fine woodworking) that those ingredients would be enough. Then my real education started.
Being self employed and running your own business means you have a concern that pays your mortgage, your auto payment, your utilities, puts the food on your table, provides for your family, etc. Anything else is just a hobby, and sadly, many treat their fledgling concerns that way. It's their hobby, something they do when they are not at work.
They start with no plan other than to do good work for an honest dollar, and to do the best they can. Their friends tell them they do good work, they get compliments on their work, and everyone thinks they should start their own company. So they do. They don't know that the business of being in business actually entails only about 20% of the reason you started your company, probably to make a decent wage from a craft you love. Being in business means quarterly deposits, customer relations, continuing education, basic understanding of accounting principles, cash management, business promotion, scheduling time/labor/materials/delivery dates, and on an on.
The craft or service part of any business is actually a small part of the company after a while. Staying in business after you declare you have one is no easy trick; it takes complete attention to detail and 110% dedication.
I don't have any sympathy for someone that can't control the manufacture and delivery of something as small as a $200 item. And the folks on this forum are certainly the most patient, forgiving and fair people I have ever seen when it comes to their contractual agreements being met. I can't imagine any of my clients clucking their lips together and giving a knowing nod and saying "well, that's the way custom cabinets are.... I understand that." In any successful business, your word must count, and customer satisfaction is the only road to long term success. Because you are a craft person, that doesn't mean you are an incompetent idiot. If someone gives you their word, strikes a bargain, or enters into a contract, "that" as they say, should be "that".
I think of the risk I had when I was selling loan packages (well into the 7 figure area) to banks from my own company.... drank a lot of Pepto Bismol, lost a lot of sleep, and worked until 3 - 4 am many a morning for about 10 years but never missed a deadline. It is the same now with my construction company. Each client has my undivided attention, and not for $200 bits of business, either.
As any other successful businessman, I do what it takes to make my word good.
Nope. No sympathy at all for lack of contractual performance. If someone wants to swim in the deep water, let them give it a shot. If they drown, they drown. If they make it, they deserve a hearty, sincere pat on the back for a job well done. But well under 10% of all businesses make their third year simply because they didn't know what they were doing. But if they aren't prepared for business, and/or they continue to take money and don't deliver product or service, I wish them the worst. And their lack of experience and knowledge doesn't excuse taking someone's money
even if they had good intentions when they did it.
Robert
