Woodworking Business

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Business Mentor

1/27/16       
CharlieC Member

I would like to find a mentor.
My wish in life has been to try and build a business with my brother. For reasons we have been denied the opportunity for the last 20 years.
I was hoping to find advise and inspiration on how to proceed. Not sure this is something g anyone is interested in conversing on.

Thanks for your time.

1/28/16       #2: Business Mentor ...
james mcgrew Member

You found woodweb, tell us some more about what and why ?

1/28/16       #3: Business Mentor ...
Steve

Website: http://www.maxprod.com

Search for an organization called "The Alternative Board" and see if there is anyone in your area.

I've been a part of this for several years and it has been very helpful.

1/28/16       #4: Business Mentor ...
Nick Cook Member

Website: http://www.cedarrivercabinetry.com

A mentor would be great but consider the fact that you have 4000 years of written history to tap into. Even with a mentor you will be greatly encouraged by reading or now, these days, listening to audio books. You can listen to them while you drive and as you go to sleep at night. I think it's really great that you could be in business with your brother. I have a couple of friends who are in business as general contractors, they are brothers. It's funny to watch them finish each others sentences.
I applaud you for seeing the value in finding a mentor.

1/28/16       #5: Business Mentor ...
Gary B.

Steve,

Does the Alternative board physically meet? I just finished perusing their website and was suprised I couldn't find any section on local chapters, only webinars.

1/28/16       #6: Business Mentor ...
CharlieC Member

To be more specific.. my brother and I couldn't have been married to more different women. My relationship with my brother had always been important to me and my wife. When my wife and I met at 17 my brother was 12. She was highly competitive and controlling. She was the powerhouse bread winner and spender in their relationship. She was not fond of my accomplishments in life and my interest and talk of forming some form of business with my brother. In hindsight I am so grateful that we never did.
He's ben divorced for two years after a 5 year divorce case.
Long and short, he has had a home repair and remodeling business for 10 years. He has good happy customer base and a very good reputation. He wishes that I could become involved. I am still employed in my trade, non construction related, but have a natural talent as does my brother. Oh another thing I'm 54 and he's 50.

Well, I don't know what to specifically ask, though that conversing with you members would help me to formulate and verbalize.

Thanks again, sorry of this seems like a lot of babble, but I'm hoping it will evolve into more.

1/28/16       #7: Business Mentor ...
Steve

Gary, I'm in the Philly area and there are a few groups. We meet monthly (about 6-8 owners) and also have a monthly one-on-one with the organizer. In my area, the group leaders are highly qualified, experienced, and successful business people that find joy in helping others be successful. I was in another organization before this and it seemed that anyone who could pull a group together was allowed to start one up. That seemed more like the blind leading the blind. If you want to shoot me an email, I can put you in touch with the local guy. They do network together so he might have a referral to someone in your area.

1/28/16       #8: Business Mentor ...
CharlieC Member

Sorry if I missed some rules...
Is there a limit to how much to type in a thread?

1/28/16       #9: Business Mentor ...
Paul Downs

No limit on word count per post, no limit on the number of replies. Sometimes it gets out of hand.

It's easier for the group to chime in on specific questions. So if you can break the enormous task of company formation down to smaller tasks, you'll get better advice. You might also want to work on a rough draft of your question and read it to yourself before you post. I'm still not clear on whose wife was against starting the business, yours or your brother's.

And look back through the archives - there's an enormous amount of advice here. All for free!

1/28/16       #10: Business Mentor ...
CharlieC Member

Paul,

I see why your recommending the draft, I mixed things up a bit. It was my brothers wife that didn't want me involved in any way shape or form of my brother life.

I will look into the archives and see what is available.


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)