If you’re running a woodworking business or thinking about starting one, you’ve probably wondered what products are worth making. One item that’s simple yet surprisingly rewarding is the humble chopping board. Yep, that kitchen essential you use every day to chop veggies and bash your meat could actually be a great product to help your woodworking business thrive.
Everyone Uses Them
Chopping boards are a no-brainer. Almost every kitchen has one (or a few), and with the rise of home cooking and food prep videos all over social media, people are paying more attention to quality kitchen tools. A beautifully crafted wooden chopping board doesn’t just do the job—it adds a touch of style to someone’s kitchen. Whether it’s for everyday use or as a fancy serving board, the demand is always there.
Training staff
Chopping boards are also great for training new staff. It is a great way of getting a gauge on their skills without risking a mistake on a larger more expensive piece. Kind of like an omelette is the test of a chefs basic skills.. I nice chopping board is the test of some basic woodworking skills.
Low Cost - Money maker
I would guesstimate I have built well over a thousand chopping boards in my time. When starting out with Common Wood I needed a way to pay the bills. I had tried a few different things out that hadn’t worked too well at markets and online. Turns out not everyone wants a timber artwork or a serving tray… What everyone wants for Christmas/birthday presents is an individual hardwood chopping board.
I had a good source of recycled hardwood, I will delve into that in another episode, which meant I could pump out some cool chopping boards.
Gateway drug
A chopping board might be the first thing a customer buys from you, but it probably won’t be the last. If someone loves the quality of your work, they’ll be more likely to come back for other work like a custom piece of furniture. It’s a great way to start building trust and growing your business.
As I was not the only person on earth making chopping boards I felt I needed a different angle to stand out. Recycled skate decks. It took me a little while to find a decent supply of broken boards but I ended up sourcing loads from local skate shops. The legends and 335 Skate Supply in Petersham, UPS in Broadway and ABD on Oxford Street hooked me up with their broken boards for years. Once I had a solid stash I got started on what would be the main money maker for Common Wood for a good 18 months.
Making use of everything
To this day we still make chopping boards with offcuts for Christmas time. They’re are great way to make use of the masses of offcuts that I can’t bring myself to chop up for firewood throughout the year. Each year I think ‘Maybe we won’t sell any, surely everyone has one now’ but without fail we always sell plenty.
Chopping boards might seem simple, but they’re a fantastic product for any woodworking business. They’re practical and profitable.Whether you’re just starting out or looking for a product to boost sales, chopping boards are definitely worth considering. Who knew something so simple could be such a smart move?
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