Rex Krueger

Doing the math on small jobs

Added 2018-02-06 11:35:28 +0000 UTC

I make things for a local kitchen shop. It’s a good deal for both of us since they mostly specialize in knives and they need other things to fill out their stock. So I turn bowls, rolling pins, and other round objects that look nice on the shelf. Their shop looks fuller. They give me most of the money when things sell. Everyone is happy.

The last time I was in, the owner asked me to make a small presentation box for a knife set he was making. He can make the boxes himself, but it takes time away from the entirely difficult process of making knives . I can bang out a box pretty quickly, so I was interested. The catch? He only wanted to pay $25.00.

Now, I don’t say no to work very often, but $25.00 is pretty thin for a hardwood box made from scratch. I almost said no. But then I tried to think about the bigger picture.

First, I’ve got a good relationship with this guy. He gives me to 80% of the take when I sell something. That’s kind of unheard of. Every other retailer I know wants to split things 50/50, which is a real shit deal when you’re a craftsman and it makes me avoid retail.

And there are other things to consider. Not only has this guy given me wood scraps for turning, he’s also got a very large, very professional laser engraver in the back room. The last time I needed a wooden sign etched, he just did it for free.

Clearly, this is a relationship I need to maintain.

Also, and this is a lesson it takes most people a long time to learn, big jobs often come from small jobs. Sometimes you’ll get a customer who just calls you out of the blue and drops something big in your lap, but more often people want to test you out with something small before they trust you with a valuable commission. That’s fair.

And here’s a good example: I delivered the box yesterday, and my buddy the knife-maker paid me on the spot, ordered a second one, and paid me for THAT one, too. And these boxes are easy. I can batch them out. I’ll make a jig. I’ll make some more boxes.

And who knows what I might get to do in the future.