Angel City Woodshop has grown to an average revenue of $60,000 a month making custom woodworking projects at their workshop in downtown Los Angeles. We’ll learn how founder Paul Moorhead built such a profitable woodworking business in this episode.
This video has been sponsored by Tailor Brands. Get your LLC with Tailor Brands: https://tailorbrands.go2cloud.org/SH8w
For a limited time, you can also get 20% off Tailor Brands plans using the code upflip20 https://tailorbrands.go2cloud.org/SH96
Paul didn’t set out to make furniture. Like many, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He’d always been drawn to working with his hands, and he soon found a new way to be creative: making furniture. After starting off with woodworking projects for friends and family, he established his shop and hasn’t looked back.
Of course, starting a business is never easy. Paul lived in his wood working studio for two years while he built his business, sometimes working all-nighters and 100-hour weeks to finish projects. We’ll find out how Paul kept himself going through those busy times and how that effort has paid off in the form of revenue growth and success.
Today, Paul has a team of craftsmen in his shop, and they take on projects that don’t just require artistic vision but also engineering, 3D modeling, and other advanced skills. We’ll find out how Paul built and trained his team to ensure consistent quality across his woodworking projects. He’ll also share the systems and tools they use to design and build the unique custom furniture their customers come to them for.
If you’re looking for more advice about how to start a woodworking shop, check out our past interviews:
How Blacktail Studio Rakes in $15K/Month Doing This! ►
How to Start a $30K/Month Woodworking Business ►
Resources
https://www.angelcitywoodshop.com/ – Learn more about Angel City Woodshop on their website
https://www.upflip.com/podcast – Hear more interviews with business owners on the UpFlip podcast
https://www.upflip.com/blog/how-to-start-a-woodworking-business – Step-by-step guide on starting a woodworking business
Timestamps:
00:00 – START
00:38 – Intro to Paul and Angel City Woodshop
01:13 – Story behind the shop
02:03 – Cost to start
04:02 – #1 factor in his success
05:22 – Skills you need to succeed
06:37 – Low points as a business owner
08:41 – How to attract customers with little marketing
09:56 – Hardest part of starting a woodshop
11:20 – Tailor Brands Sponsor
12:36 – Attracting early customers
13:54 – Profitability and consistency of revenue
14:51 – Online presence
15:56 – Tools and equipment
17:08 – Workflow management systems and tools
18:46 – Fan blitz
20:42 – Commercial vs. residential
22:14 – Walkthrough of key equipment
24:19 – Day-to-day as an owner
26:02 – Hiring and training team members
26:58 – Profit margins and costs per project
28:01 – Good month vs. bad month
28:52 – What to look for in employees
29:57 – Deciding what wood to use
31:21 – How to delegate tasks
32:19 – Why woodshops fail
#woodworking #woodworkingprojects #woodworkingbusiness
35 Comments
Get your LLC with Tailor Brands: https://tailorbrands.go2cloud.org/SH8w
For a limited time, you can also get 20% off Tailor Brands plans using the code upflip20 https://tailorbrands.go2cloud.org/SH96
*Discount not valid on LLC
Cool interview. I run a part-time wood working business building work benches during the spring summer season here in Canada. Not anywhere close to where this guy is, just a couple clients month making an extra 200-500$. But one day I'll get to where this guy is. One day 😊
Paul, thank you for the opportunity to meet with you and get to know you and your business. You did so well and I trust our viewers will be greatly blessed by what you had to share.
buddy you are too cheap for that quality beautiful work
Thank you both for this. I'm a woodworker that's been thinking of making a business out of it. The advice in this video is so much more practical and honest than I've found elsewhere.
15-20%? are you serious? hahahaha
Can we get a video on how to find an investor?
For those not in the know, google runs on algorithms. The trick to get to the top of the search is to use as many keywords as possible and add as many photos of your work or service as you can and you will become number one in the search really quickly or even immediately depending on your area
Telegram👆👆 merry Christmas gift congratulations 🎉🎉 you're on the shortlist winniners for this week,kindly contact us asap 🎁🎁….For more consultations message Via telegram now 👆👆
….👆👆…….👆👆
60k gross or net?
Thank you, woodworking is broad to satisfy with everything tool but basics can help you achieve, nice interview and class.
Really nicely run business. Enjoyable and informative video … and great looking (HUGE !! ) shop floor space. As someone who has already paid the price, can I please implore you and your staff to always always always wear safety glasses?
Paul is very humble, thanks for interviewing such an incredible person and creator! I'm hoping I can take steps like him in what I'm passionate at.
A business generating 720k a year is a small business. A bar serving food would take around 1,300k on average.
As a custom cabinet maker I feel like 60k a month isn’t great with 4 man shop and over 10k a month in rent. Me and my dad do half that in a 9,000 sf shop behind his house in Indiana where cost of living isn’t nearly as high.
This guy is awesome. I was looking at his Instagram and wow. Some of his work I can’t even figure out how he built it. He is extremely talented.
Why in the world would you want to take on an investor?????
“You can do it too!”
Has a multimillion cali investor lol
$60k a month…3 workers, $10k rent, that’s $600k annual minus workers salary at $100k each that’s only $400k that’s not that great.
Great video. I’m actually in the process of building a small 10x12x8’ shed so I can move my woodworking from outside on my porch when the weather is good to being able to create any time I want.
I have been able to make and sell a few cutting boards and small tables.
And I have been able to build numerous gifts for friends and family.
Making gifts to give to people has helped me grow in the skills needed to make the bigger projects.
Always enjoy these videos, especially the woodworking ones.
Good questions and good answers. Overall a really solid interview!
Very good & direct questions and very honest & helpful answers…well done!
Meeeh… wood is cheap- especially from India. Last year I bough 3 woodden houses for c.a. 8.000 USD. Transport is expensive- true, but 1.500 USD once is good price for 3 (naked- I know) houses !
Great interview… many good points about growth and job pricing. It’s a wonderfully fulfilling business to be in and can really serve you well creatively and financially… but it can suck the life and joy out of you if done wrong. This interview is a keeper for those considering transitioning from a hobbyist woodworker to doing it as a business.
Thanks Paul
Best
Greg
I'd love to know how he got the knowledge in wood working, and what helped him the most. Also, how much is his CNC part of his overall work %.
Why YouTube videos?
This story is only relevant to high population dense metros. No way in hell this flys out in the country
Great insight into running a woodworking business, but I was puzzled as to why there was no work-in-progress visible in the workshop, no projects being worked on, no busy workers in the background and the only activity shown involved the repeated planing and sanding of a plank of wood. Maybe the interview took place at the weekend – which would explain the machines being off and the absence of employees – but, given that he mentioned having an order book of 6-monthswork, I would still have expected to see work-in-progress on benches etc. But then, I'm no expert so I guess I missed something.
Great information. Inspiring.
It seems to me the unsaid success key here how appealing his furniture pieces are.
curious when you spend a lot of time prepping a 3D drawing for a job, and you don't get the job, do you charge for the drawings?
Interesting interview! Well done
You did asked all question just right .. all question were answered very well.. Thanks for this upload..
I’m a woodworker desperate to turn my hobby into a business. Got a decent sized shop (32 x 36sqft) and decent equipment. My biggest problem right now…shop keeps flooding in a heavy downpour! Only on one side and coming up from the edge where the wall meets the concrete floor. Hoping in Spring to dig and bury a French drain on that side of the shop but that’s about it for the extent of my ideas. Any advice from folks wiser than me greatly appreciated.
I love woodworking! This is one of the most informative videos of the realities and mechanics of woodworking as an income, thanks for putting this together! An often unspoken element of the craft and tradition is the integrity within it and how it permeates into the craftsperson over time and experience. This guy is super organized too. legends..!