Reflections and Resolutions

I just finished updating my bookkeeping for 2011 which is a task that makes my head hurt.   My books are ugly in every sense of the word.  My categories for receipts make no sense.  It looks like I made a small fortune in December but had no income at all for August or September.  The numbers just don’t make sense and to think math always came easy to me.  They all add up, they are just messy and scattered.  How did that 7 get all the way over there?   Honestly, I don’t know how I got through the year, but somehow I did.

My goals when I started were to expect nothing more than the unexpected and to make beautiful things happen with very little to start with.  Barely dragging through the slow months, I am gearing up for another year, hopefully cleaner, more organized and with a bit more vision of how I would like to grow. 

The accomplishments are as follows (high five):

Outlined a business plan
Purchased and repaired some quality used machinery
Found friends neighbors and family that might need projects completed
Advertised through small inexpensive avenues
Maintained a strong working relationship with another craftsman who helps feed my pipeline 
Developed a new relationship with a fellow contractor who teaches me a bit about estimating and contracting
Built a website (I had the assistance of a wonderful and patient friend)
Completed a half a dozen painting projects
Completed a half a dozen woodworking projects
Completed many small side projects
Produced a handful of original designs and colorizations

The failures were minimal but interesting:

I listened to the helpful associate at a big box paint store who recommended a specific primer for a project that required some special care.  I believe his advice was sound and he went through the process step by step with me before I got started.  The only thing he failed to mention was that the product was oil based and until then we had been looking at only water based paints.  The project was an early start so the little details I needed to be paying attention to like brush selection went right out the door.  I had the procedure exactly memorized in my head so I ran with it.  It wasn’t until trying to wash out my brush in my clients sink and smearing the discolored oily water all over everything that I realized that my brush was ruined and that I had one terrible mess to clean up in her bathroom.  I also suffered the embarrassment of having to say, “Whoops, I am good painter, I swear!  …and don’t worry, I’ll have all this cleaned up, I promise.”  Meanwhile, just under the surface of her patient face, the horror was brewing into a secret fury.  Everything turned out fine just fine in the end with no mess or damage, but I learned that I have to double check all my materials and know what the heck I am getting into without any doubts or questions, preferably before destroying the appearance of anyone’s bathroom.

My first client, I wanted the project so badly that I cheapened my bid in hopes that she wouldn’t keep looking for someone else.  This is a tendency that I continue to have even though I learned my lesson the first time.  I figured my labor earnings of about two dollars and fifty cents per hour after that project was done, but it sure was pretty.  It doesn’t work to be so emotionally attached that the intake won’t pay enough.  I have since walked away from some projects for this reason, although it remains difficult.

I also tried to go national with color, and did get one small project in California, but mostly it was a waste of effort trying to mobilize my idea.  I am letting this rest until color technology catches up with the rest of the digital age.  It just isn't there yet.

Mostly my documentation and office work is awful.  I am a craftsman, not a bookkeeper or a business man.  My overhead is low but incredibly inefficient and time consuming.  I would show you a photo of my office but frankly it is just too embarrassing and I even clean it and reorganize on a regular basis.  So that concludes the notable fail list.   

I heard somewhere that 75 percent of businesses don’t survive their first year.  I certainly didn’t strike it rich, as a matter of fact, I know that I need to earn more in the years to follow than I did this year or I won’t be able to keep this up.  The five year anniversary is the next business marker to overtake.  I believe it was 90 percent don’t make it past 5 years.  After one year, and looking over the failures and accomplishments, I believe that Against the Grain Woodwork will be a name that you can count on in the years to come for quality craftsmanship, pleasing designs and excellent service. 

In 2012 Look for:

Rescued furniture with neo-rustic finishes

More options in specialty paints

Kitchen makeovers without remodeling

...and of course more of the unexpected.