This will be my last column in FDMC. (With a nod to Frederick Exley in the title.)
I’ve seen many shops and have interviewed hundreds of woodworkers. I’m often asked what makes companies successful.
Here are some of my own observations from visiting many successful companies. I have written about this in the past and have modified and changed a few things here.
How can you be successful? One of the biggest things is simple…connect with others in your industry. There are many trade groups and associations that are well worth your time. Members of the Cabinet Makers Association and Architectural Woodwork Institute, for example, are two groups that shops tell me are particularly helpful. Imagine if you had a challenge you were grappling with, and a friend had been through the same issue. Wouldn’t you want to know how they handled it?