Jennifer got the idea to sell her Kentucky Cutting Boards from her and her husbands flooring company.
Tell me a little bit about how you got started?
The idea for our unique American Made products began in a casual discussion over a glass of wine in our backyard. My husband Bill and I own a flooring manufacturing company. In 2006 we had just purchased a powerful CNC router and we began discussing other products we could make using tools we already owned. I noticed that many customers complimented our flooring inlays and medallions created from beautiful hardwoods. We made a list of decorative yet functional products that could be enjoyed by a greater number of people – in that list Kentucky Cutting Boards was born! The product line has since grown to include bread and cheese boards as well as lazy susans.
Did have a specific reason for instance to pay off debt, take a vacation, etc?
How long have you been doing this?
Since 2006
How do you make money (Hourly, By Project, Retainer or One Time Fee)?
Kentucky Cutting Boards has an online store where I sell all of our products. I also sell on other sites like ETSY, Amazon, Houzz, OpenSky and others.
What Areas of Marketing have worked best for you, for instance Referrals, Social Media, etc?
The best marketing has been through referrals such as Americansworking.com, Martha Stewart Made in America and media stories, such as a surprise feature on Foxnews.com last August. Much of our press has been due to pitches to reporters via HARO.com.
When do you work on your side hustle?
Nights and weekends
Did you set any business Goals when you started?
No – it was just an after thought and I didn’t know if it would really become a business.
What has been the Best thing that has happened in your Side Business?
KCB has grown enormously in the last two years – watching something grow from a tiny seed of an idea has been very exciting and fulfilling.
What advice would you give someone just starting out?
Write a business plan! That will allow you to focus on your prime audience and not waste time chasing customers that are not your prime demographic. Pay attention to who buys your product and figure out where else they shop. Then seek out websites, stores, etc that cater to cater to that audience.
If you were starting all over again, what would you do differently?
I would have taken the business more seriously earlier. For years I let it stumble along and did not nurture my business. I let way too much time go by because I felt I was too busy to work on it.
When you started did you have a Business Plan or fly by the seat of your pants?
I did not write my business plan until 2011, which was when I decided I had to either go big or go home – I decided to give it my best shot – and I’m glad I did.
How can people find out more about your Business?
On my website, www.kentuckycuttingboards.com
Anything exciting coming up that you would like for us to know about?
The recent spotlight on America made products has given so many craftsmen an opportunity to be discovered. I would like to encourage readers to go out into their communities and shop local or go online and seek out products made in their own states. People often don’t realize how easy it is to give a special one-of-a-kind gift that will be passed down for generations. I predict this will be a terrific year for artisans making American made crafts.
Andrea is the Chief Chick of Smart Money Chicks. After filing BK twice (once because she panicked, second time because the pro messed the first time up), she realized that it all could have been avoided if she understood more about how her Finances worked and the options available. At that point, she wanted to help as many as she could never make the same mistakes again. Our Promise is that all the content you read on here is created or edited by Andrea