Will Sampson talks about the role trends play in our daily lives and if trends even matter. His guests are Michaelle Bradford, editor of Closets and Organized Storage magazine, and Larry Adams, Online Editor for Woodworking Network, talking about the recent Neocon show and what’s new in contract furniture and organized storage.
This episode of the Woodworking Network podcast was sponsored by FDMC magazine. FDMC magazine is your vital source of information to improve your woodworking business. Whether it is keeping you apprised of the latest advances in manufacturing, helping you solve your wood technology problems with Gene Wengert, or inspiring you with case histories about successful businesses and best practices, FDMC magazine is there to be the sharpest business tool in your shop. Learn more and subscribe for free at woodworkingnetwork.com/fdmc.
Woodworking Network is a home for professional woodworkers, presenting technology, supplies, education, inspiration, and community, from small business entrepreneurs to corporate managers at large automated plants.
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Intro music courtesy of Anthony Monson.
Intro:
Welcome to this episode of the Woodworking Network Podcast. Join us as we explore the business of woodworking big and small and what it takes to succeed. I’m Will Sampson.
Today’s episode is sponsored by FDMC magazine. My guests are Michaelle Bradford, editor of Closets and Organized Storage magazine, and Larry Adams, Online Editor for Woodworking Network. We will be talking about the recent Neocon show and what’s new in contract furniture. But first I want to talk about:
Do trends matter?
Fashion is something to which I’ve never paid much attention. If we’re talking about clothing, many of the same styles I wore decades ago — mostly jeans and flannel plaids — make up my casual wear today. It’s not that I don’t care what I wear — I can be quite particular — it’s more that I don’t much care what somebody else wears or what some trendsetter says I should wear.
I prefer to wear what’s comfortable for me and what works for what I am doing. If I’m in the workshop, you’ll likely see me in jeans or European-style work pants with lots of pockets including built-in knee pad pockets, likely some suspenders to hold up the load and a flannel plaid or T-shirt depending on the time of year. At work events such as conferences and trade shows, you’ll see some Woodworking Network logo wear over khakis or black slacks.
In my email inbox recently was a story about socks. Apparently, the latest trend is to have ankle socks or higher, and really low socks signal that you are a fuddy dud from a past, less stylish era. I laughed because it was another case of trends circling back to catch up with me. For decades, I’ve been on the hunt for higher socks that don’t fall down, especially for wearing with boots.
So, I’m not exactly a follower of runway fashion trends. But sometimes trends do matter. Especially when it’s your business to make sales in a market that is to some extent driven by trends. Woodworking is not like clothing, but it does have trends. Some are long-running — think white Shaker kitchens — but others change more rapidly. In the last few years there was a move away from natural wood looks to paint and gloss finishes. Now, that pendulum has swung back to wood looks, although, the materials might be synthetic.
If you want to survive as a viable business in woodworking, and especially if you want to grow your business, you can’t ignore what your customers want. You can’t keep selling the same finishes, styles, and hardware that filled homes a generation or two ago. And internet influencers have accelerated the pressure to change with the times. A Tik Tok trend can rise and fall faster than it takes to build two kitchens.
So, how do you find out about the trends and decide which ones are worth following? Your customers and designers will largely tell you what trends are in the kinds of things they ask for. But paying attention to some key influences can help you be ready for the inevitable request for something new. This takes a little effort, getting out of the shop or office, visiting influential trade shows, scouting trend surveys, and quizzing your suppliers about the “next big thing.”
But the best part of following trends for what you make and sell is that you can reap more rewards while still wearing those same old comfortable clothes you’ve been sporting for decades. Besides, don’t worry, they’ll be back in fashion soon anyway.
Before we get to our interview with Michaelle Bradford and Larry Adams, let’s pause for a word from our sponsor.
FDMC magazine is your vital source of information to improve your woodworking business. Whether it is keeping you apprised of the latest advances in manufacturing, helping you solve your wood technology problems with Gene Wengert, or inspiring you with case histories about successful businesses and best practices, FDMC magazine is there to be the sharpest business tool in your shop. Learn more and subscribe for free at woodworkingnetwork.com/fdmc.
Now, let’s talk with Michaelle and Larry.