I do custom built-in cabinets, kitchens, railings, trim work, finish carpentry - basically any interior woodwork. Been in business by myself for about 8 years now and done zero marketing. I'd like to scale up my business about 25-30% - I know I can do this time-wise, just not sure how to "reach out" and attract potential clients. I AM NOT a guy who's good at marketing at all; however, I can usually close a deal in person for the most part. Anyone have thoughts on where to start? I'm currently making a website... Google ads, yellow pages, facebook ads? Any suggestions on how to get my name out there?

Hey Brent,

I am not a cabinet maker but someone who has been involved in the marketing side of the business for many years with Salice America. Your post interested me and so, I will chime in with a couple thoughts.

Network:

I would look into memberships in organizations like AIA and ASID. Both interior design organizations hold regular meetings across the country. All you need is a couple of interior designers who consider you their "go to guy"

The AWI is also an excellent means for networking as is CMA (Cabinet Makers Association).

Highlight yourself to the public:

Look into participating in local home improvement shows in your area. Every city has a spring home & Garden show. You wouldn't need a big elaborate booth. Something simple to highlight a few pieces of your work and to meet people.

Make a nice tri-fold flyer with photos of your work. Take these to all of the real-estate companies in your area. They can be a great source for leads.

These are just a couple of ideas off the cuff. Web advertising is good but not personal. Your very best marketing however is the last job you did.

Best of Luck
Dennis Bean

Social media is the way to go for the new generation. They pick up their phone for everything from ordering a hamburger to researching contractors. You can use different sites to drive the business to your website, but since you don't list a website here, that would be the place to start. Hiring a free lance digital designer will be money well spent. After you get all that going, 5 star reviews are the first thing looked at.

Join your local Chamber of commerce, face to face marketing is awesome, it will allow you to meet with other business owners in your area. Good luck.

Your best source of leads are past customers. They’re also the cheapest leads to convert (free). They’ve already paid you once; they’ll likely pay you again. Call and ask if they need any hinges adjusted or finish touch-ups. Ask for a review online or ask if they know anyone who could use your services. Circle back to bids that stalled or didn’t sell and see if the person they hired left any loose ends that need tidying up. There’s your 25-30%.

In addition to the good advise already given.

First you need great photos. Not cell phone photos. Find a photographer, spend the money.
A web site is a must. It is not expensive to create and cheap to maintain.
You need a presence on Pinterest, Houz and Facebook. Again cheap and not that hard to maintain.

I like the idea of reaching out to existing customers to get good reviews and likes/follow on Facebook. That opens up the local friends to your business.

It is a slow process but when it starts to happen you better be ready.

Good luck!
Bill

I have a customer in Ohio who does custom kitchens. If I were to guess, I would say he does about fifty kitchens per year. Every year, in early December, he has a customer appreciation day. For this, he invites all of the customers that he has done a kitchen for in the past year. He holds the event at his shop. He serves sandwiches and deserts and more. It's a really nice event and the customers appreciate it. After this, they all go home and spread the word about his shop. (t's a brilliant marketing plan.

Angie's List is also a good place to have a presence.

Dennis

Thanks everyone - great discussion. I operate in between three smaller cities in Canada - probably about 250k aggregate max. It's just me right now, I probably have about 12x decent clients a year. Yes, I'm developing a website asap (on it right this morning actually). All the suggestions are great. I especially like the soup/sandwich idea - but if anyone puts their drink on the cast iron....! haha

Keep the suggestions rolling if anyone else has ideas. I suppose deep down, I prided myself that I've been in business for almost a decade without advertising. But realistically, I'd like to be at a point when I am consistently turning down phone calls due to being to busy (and I'm not there right now). I'm loving this discussion guys and gals... thanks!

Mrs. Gary here....I would like to suggest setting up a Google My Business page. Complete EVERY section. Fill in your business description with words that will help clients searching for you. Identify your service area. Your location on the maps page helps clients find you. This is probably the most important section. When folks do a search you and your competition pop up, which also works in the reverse. They find you when you are for your competition.

Analytics arrive every month and you can see the area where ppl are calling from, visits to your website, direct or discovery searches. Post updates, which are deleted after 30 days. Upload photos. The number of views of photos is crazy, which is also part of their analytics.

I would rank GMB first and our website second. Google drives the client to your website.

Mrs. Gary good call. That is foundational.

You can be busy,
But when you get enough calls to turn down the less profitable ones and fill your schedule with higher margin work, that is where it pays off.

The tried and true is to stay in touch with former customers.

To accentuate this a postcard (not email) mailed every month to your former customers works like magic

In todays world you have to show up on google i.e. if you do a search on google, does you name show up on the 1st page if not you need to fix that

Keep in mind that people have an emotional reason for buying a product you have to find out what that reason is.

If it is a contractor the emotional reason is not just price, more often than not it is because they like you.

In another century I did corian countertops, brand new back then, so i surveyed the customers, the emotional reason was that the lady of the house was tired/hated their kitchen.

If it is a rich guy they want bragging rights, really just want to be acknowledged for their success.

Promote what you can scale, with the shortage of labor that is going to be difficult.

It is best to find a niche, all things to all people doesn't work

Hey Brent. I think you need to stop and ask yourself "Who is my target customer". That may be an income range, a neighborhood, a fan of a particular architectural style, etc. From there, think about how those people communicate. If you think your sweet spot is $1M homes on the water in Oakville, Ontario, they may read the "Oakville Beaver", but they might not reach for the latest free issue of the "Thrifty Loonie". What I'm saying is, establish an "Avatar" of your target customer and try to think like them. Where do they shop? Who is their designer? Who do they trust and consider an authority? Try to connect with those authorities and influencers.

The Yellow Pages are dead, and while it is true that for your $20-40K a year they'll make you your very own web page, you can make a web page in an hour for next to nothing.

Do you have a physical shop that you can meet potential clients? Make sure that your business address is claimed on Google and on Yelp. Again, these are free.

Consider starting a YouTube channel. Your cell phone has a more powerful video camera than a $10K commercial camera from 2012, and YouTube is a free platform. When people meet the guy in person that they've watched on YouTube, it's a thrill for them that you can't recreate with any other form of media that is so easily within your reach. And who knows, YouTube might even turn into a nice side hustle.

Good luck and above all else, do good work. That'll speak the loudest for you. Scott

Oh, and post your work in Instagram! Like and comment on others and if you use a manufacturer's product and you can spotlight it in a post, tag them. They are always looking for positive, organic content to share, and their audience is likely much larger than yours.

It is great to see so many practical ideas for building a cabinet business beyond just relying on a website or ads. I completely agree that leveraging personal connections, past customers, and face-to-face networking through local events or organizations can have a much deeper impact than web advertising alone. A strong online presence is important, but building trust through real relationships seems to be the real foundation for long-term growth in this industry.