Getting Space for Expansion Ft. Atlantic Fine Woods

 

“We’re in a space of transition right now. Currently, we’re trying to open a new furniture store, which is separate but similar to our shop. But our shop is on the edge of the city, and we want the new store to be very much in the center of the city or Midtown. It will be a grab for a different clientele and a different price point. I’m super proud of the sawmill part of the business, but I am kind of flailing with how I’m going to market the furniture and the higher end.”

• Laura Sissoko

 

The challenge facing Atlantic Fine Woods is one that many developing businesses encounter. Growing a business requires expansion in one way or another, and the most vital thing is that the expansion is done correctly. Fortunately, Steve has a great deal of experience helping wood businesses overcome this particular hurdle, and his advice can benefit many others going through similar times.

 

 

 

 

You Don’t Need to do Everything

 

Right off the bat, the first task is finding the location for the business expansion and developing the retail clientele market. Laura has already identified a venue with awareness of the potential customers. 

 

However, due to health problems facing her brother, he has been unable to handle the sawmill side of the business. This change has meant that Laura is taking on even more of the business’s responsibilities. The first piece of advice that Steve offers to Laura is to delegate some of that responsibility.

 

“Here’s what I think. Find somebody that your brother can train and so that it’s not you, because you’re an important part of the business. You are the most important part of the business at the moment, and you should know how to do the milling, but somebody else should do it. Just because you can do it doesn’t mean that you should do it.”

 

• Steve Larosiliere

 

Steve suggests that Laura get an apprentice to do paid training at a fixed lower cost, and then upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, they will become the sawyer. Steve points out that it’s a different mindset when you’re milling, switching to customers, and then switching to marketing. 

 

You operate in a zone of creativity with specific tasks, whereas being a sawyer is a technical trade. Still, it uses a different part of your brain, so that context switching will be very hard, and it will be hard for you to continue growing the business. 

 

 

 

 

Diversification and Building

 

Secondly, as Atlantic Fine Woods has many slabs for sale, Steve suggests that they should really lean into those and focus on sales, marketing, and community building. 

 

“Get on Instagram stories and talk more to your community, build a Facebook group just for Atlanta woodworkers and make your company the center of it. Have a meetup, have a coffee on the first Friday of the month, come inside and have a beer while you talk and network.”

 

• Steve Larosiliere

 

Another vital piece of advice Steve offers would be to do a popup which could also double as an opportunity to scope out spaces for a retail location. This practice would allow Atlantic Fine Woods to test out all the aspects of their potential retail location.

 

For parting advice, Laura says that focus is key.

 

“When we had started out, I was trying to kind of scattershot my marketing nationwide. It wasn’t until I focused on local marketing when we started to see a turnaround in our business. That’s my first bit of advice for small businesses; focus on your local market. Get those people who are going to be loyal to you for decades to come.”

 

• Laura Sissoko