056: How To Become A Handmade Furniture Manufacturer (Aric Schauer)

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Have you ever wondered if the “old way” of doing business was still around? The type of business where you actually know the owner and receive personal attention? Our guest for today’s show has successfully built a business like that and he’s here to share his story.

Aric Schauer is the CEO and Founder of The Plaid Mill, a company that makes hand-crafted furniture and wooden accessories including tables and chairs, and the use of a linen tablecloth for sale online is great to add decoration to your home.  Aric tells us about his personal journey with us and how he transitioned from working for his family business to becoming an entrepreneur. Join us as we talk about all of this and more on the 56th edition of How’d You Get Into That?.

MORE ABOUT THIS SHOW

Aric grew up watching his dad run the family manufacturing business. When Aric and his brothers were old enough, they joined their dad working in the business. This is where Aric learned how to use tools, as well as the ins and outs of entrepreneurship. He says the idea of getting a job has never been part of his make up.

During his time in the family business, Aric found that he really enjoyed building, creating and working with his hands. When he and his new wife Alex went out shopping for furniture, what they found completely underwhelmed them both in terms of quality and price. He decided he could make furniture himself that was better in quality and lower in cost as well. Aric started building a few simple pieces to meet their needs.

Soon after he started making furniture for their home, he realized there was a greater need for what he was producing. People wanted good, quality furniture at a reasonable price. Back then, business owners really connected with their customers, and Aric wanted to bring a bit of that way of doing business back to life.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

• How they shaved years off their start up time
• Scaling up from a local business to a national business: Aric explains.
• How to market products online successfully.
• The best approach to pricing strategy.
• Why over-delivering for customers is the best marketing strategy.
• And so much more!

Aric was heavily involved in his family’s business as a sales manager, and his wife was also employed there. But he really wanted to make his furniture his full-time gig. So he talked to his brothers about leaving the family business. They were a little surprised he wanted to leave, but were definitely supportive. It was a leap of faith and he took it!

Aric began to sell a few pieces online but really wasn’t building out the online part of his business as much as he wanted to. That’s when they took another step of faith and brought Alex on to manage their online presence. They really felt the pressure soon after when Alex became pregnant. They went full speed ahead with Alex doing some really creative marketing to push their brand online.

It worked because soon people from all over the country were contacting them! Today, they design, build and ship pieces all over the country, and are having a blast doing it. Aric says it’s only because of the knowledge he gained from working in his dad’s business that he was able to be successful today.

Looking back he also admits he was a little naïve about whether or not it could actually work. But his hustle, determination and positive belief brought him this far, and it’ll be the same for you too. He says hard work, hustle and belief in yourself will carry you through.

Please join me in thanking Aric for sharing his hustle, his insights and his awesome attitude on today’s show. Thank you for the knowledge biscuits Aric and thanks to all of you for being here too. We’ll see you next time!

Tweetable: “Your hustle will carry you a long way.” Aric Schauer

EPISODE RESOURCES

• The Plaid Mill’s web site
• The Plaid Mill on Twitter
• The Plaid Mill on Facebook
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes
• Subscribe to the show on Stitcher
• Email me with any questions, comments or guest suggestions at Grant@GrantBaldwin.com