The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of making things
The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of Making Things" is where craftsmanship meets business strategy. Hosted by Paul, founder of Philadelphia Table Co. and The Handcrafted Network, this podcast dives into the mindset, pricing, marketing, and systems that help makers turn their craft into a thriving business. Whether you're a woodworker, artisan, or creative entrepreneur, you’ll learn the strategies to build a profitable, sustainable business—because great craftsmanship deserves great business strategy.
The Handcrafted Podcast: The Business of making things
Are You Solving the Right Problem?
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Summary
Business owners often jump straight into fixing whatever problem seems most obvious—but that may not be the problem actually holding the business back.
In this episode, Paul shares how he thought Philadelphia Table Company needed a salesperson, only to realize that sales weren’t the bottleneck at all. The real issue was production capacity and an increasingly long queue.
Before hiring, changing your product, chasing more leads, or making a major pivot, trace the problem back to its actual source. More leads won’t help if you can’t close them. Better products won’t fix bad customer service. New employees won’t solve a broken system.
Key takeaways:
- Don’t confuse the symptom with the actual problem.
- Identify where the bottleneck really exists: leads, sales, production, delivery, service, systems, etc.
- Don’t default to the easiest or most obvious solution.
- Give big decisions time—sleep on them and revisit them with a clear head.
- Business is a constant game of Whac-A-Mole. Solve the right problem, then move on to the next one.