Bart and I have been in business for awhile now. Running it at times like a corporation and many people working for us. When in reality, it just him and I. Sure there is a occasional help whenever we have orders that we just can't get done in a timely manner. In all this, we still operate our business as if we just started it and have been pretty successful too!
So how did we do it? Pretty much organically. We decided to leverage Instagram and Facebook, building a network and a community outside our family and friends. Instagram has been our main source. We found a BBQ community that really accepted our cutting boards and our work. They started tagging us every time they used our board. Each time our BBQ community tags us, we get followers. How cool is that?
Here's some advice on how to build your target community audience in any social media platform you choose. Before you choose, we recommend just sticking with one until you find a rhythm. Super important that you just choose one.
Try it! Let us know how you did. Give it about 3-6 months to gain some momentum. You'll be seeing your return on investment sooner rather than later. Good luck all!
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If you’re at all serious about what you do and you truly feel a tremendous passion towards a skill or hobby, these are some of the serious questions that you need to ask yourself. Our staff here not only exceeds expectation for our customers and family but they do it so much so that going above and beyond is an expectation. There is no room for complaining and whining, in fact those words aren’t even in our vocabulary because we work hard not because we have to but because working hard is a style of life. Look at Rob Porcaro and his 30+ years of woodworking. How do you think someone like that can work hard at their passion for so long? We work hard not only for the people we care about and but we also do it for ourselves.
Let’s continue on the topic of hardwoods and softwoods. For starters, Mac Cutting boards will never use any type of softwoods in their products. This means that woods such as pine, cedar, fir, etc. will always be excluded in any cutting board. This is simply due to the fact that these types of wood are too frail to handle any knives or accidental damage which in turn will compromise the integrity of the board itself. Check out this article written by Diffen to further explore this topic of softwoods.
On the other hand, hardwoods such as maple, oak, walnut, cherry, douglas fir, etc. is what all Mac Cutting boards are made out of. Simply put, they are the sturdiest type of wood that will hold its structure. Check out the top 10 strongest wood in the world right here! Also some of the most colorful and beautiful designs come from hardwoods that softwoods just cannot offer. Check out this article by treehut on purple heart wood and be amazed that there is actually purple colored wood.
]]>It is without question that Here at Mac Cutting Boards we have many values that we share with other people and hold dear to our hearts. So much so that one of those convictions has now become our entire business model. What is it that we speak of? Why it is simply our policy of making sure every board is made out of reused and recycled woods in an effort to preserve our this valuable resources. It is without question that we as a society waste away millions of pounds of wood every year from products such as lumber, paper, cardboard, toilet paper, furniture, etc. In a recent statistic (Conducted by Waste Away) conducted by a group called waste away, it is estimated that Americans waste about 1 billion trees in the US every year. That’s approximately 85 million tons of paper each year which is basically the equivalent of 680 pounds of paper per person in the United States. Check out Vikaspedia and their blogs about how to conserve tree and the amount of wood humans use on a daily basis. Without a doubt these numbers are disturbing and as opposed to contributing to that statistic we chose to go the opposite direction. Every piece of wood that Mac Cutting boards obtains was previously about to be thrown away by the previous owner, and after checking the quality and going through our process of curing the woods to make it food friendly, we are ready to turn what was once trash into a beautiful piece of art in an effort to promote joy and conservation of the environment. For more woodworking tips check out Dan’s Shop an expert who’s blogs have been around since 2007!
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Not only that beeswax offers many more great benefits to our cutting boards. For starters beeswax is completely antibacterial in the most natural way possible. Beeswax is a raw material and has been untouched by man offering an edible food friendly ingredient. Beeswax is what gives color to the boards and the best part yet, much like honey beeswax will never spoil. If ever you notice your mac cutting board drying up or losing it’s bright vibrant colors try using a touch of beeswax to cure the wood and keep it hydrated. More alternative options for curing our products will be listed in this link right here! Check out the company that provides us with amazing beeswax! For more wood preservations tips and tricks check out this link right here.
]]>Ranging from oak, walnut, to an exotic piece called purple heart! (And yes it’s actually purple). These are some of the highest quality of wood that nature has to offer ensuring our products quality and longevity. See for yourself! Check out our American Flag Cutting Board's to give you an idea of our beautiful designs. Additionally after all preparations are complete our master craftsman is ready to start creating his beautiful masterpiece as he has done for many years. As you can see a lot of work is put into just the preparation. We haven’t even gotten to building the actual board yet. To find out more on how's it's made be on the lookout for part 2! For more information on wood working check out Jay's Custom Creations, they have great ideas and plenty of information to get you started on your next project.
]]>The Center Bottom piece. As the name is very self explanatory, the logo of your choice will be located on the bottom portion of the board and aligned perfectly in the center of your piece. This is a great way for using your cutting board as a way to serve food while at the same time showing off that amazing logo of yours. Since the engraving is located in the bottom portion
The Bottom Right Corner. A more subtle approach to the center bottom piece, this allows maximum space for food while still offering a personal twist with that awesome engraving that not too big not too small but just right.
Finally we have the centerpiece. Bigger and badder than ever the centerpiece located directly in the middle and will easily cover ⅓ of the board if not more! Recommended for those eccentric type of people who wants the whole world to see their custom engraved logo.
]]>Imagine you have multiple listings for houses and you’ve been working with your clients who are great hard working individuals such as yourself and like the great real estate agent you are, you managed to find a listing that your clients love, or better yet, you close their house higher than the initial asking price! You just finished signing off on the house that they purchased or sold and you find yourself in an elated mood and are generally thankful for the clients coming to you for your services. What better way to celebrate than to order a custom engraved cutting board with a personalized message congratulating your clients on their brand new home.
Besides the fact that our products are great closing gifts why not include them as a promotional item instead? Every year new realty companies give us huge orders of cutting boards so that they can mail it off to people looking to buy or sell their property. I mean what’s better than a nice handwritten letter? Obviously it’s getting a brand new mac cutting board in the mail. And imagine this; because of our custom engraving we can have your logo of your company attached to every cutting board so your potential benefactors can see your company logo for years to come!
]]>She’s a master chef in a very amateur kitchen. Why not spice up her lifestyle a little bit? It’s now your wife’s birthday and it’s time for you to step it up a notch. She’s been everything that you wanted and then some so now it’s time to go against the grain here. Pun intended. You need something different, that represents all the qualities that make her great while at the same time expressing the feeling that I’m lucky to have you. You start to panic cursing to yourself why don’t I listen more when she talks but then you feel a sense of relief because you remember Mac Cutting Board has your back! :) So to show your love for her and to appreciate all the things your S/O has done for you, you purchase a Mac Cutting Board with both your last names permanently engraved onto her board to not only highlight her awesome cooking abilities but to highlight the permanence of your relationship with the love of your life.
]]>It is without a doubt that Mac Cutting Boards is a very unique centerpiece to any kitchen. It’s sleek modern design with custom engraving will make any family gravitate towards their stove and start cooking! With that in mind I thought that it would be very helpful to highlight some of the unique decorative perspectives that a mac cutting board has to offer for any household.
Old is the new New! Yes you heard right, in today’s modern trends for interior design, the traditional or “rustic” look is not only a unique arrangement for your house but it also offers an eccentric look as well as emanating a warm and welcoming feeling to your environment. Essentially we are creating a very modern space with the same feel of “Grandma’s house” minus the tackiness. Mac cutting boards not only blends in with this new wave look, it in fact highlights these very features that everyone is trying to obtain.
If you’re in the process of remodeling your kitchen consider a modern space with a rustic appeal. It will most certainly catch people’s attention. With a custom engrave cutting with your family name on it as the centerpiece, you will definitely have a kitchen that stands out among the rest! For more Interior design options check out Cucina di Cannelora, they offer a great perspective on kitchen design.
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Grilling ribs can be a bit overwhelming, but in reality it is super simple. Ask my hubby ... he does all the BBQ-ing in our home! Here are 5 tips on what he does to make grilling ribs really easy.
You are done. Finish your ribs off with BBQ sauce. Again, homemade is GREAT, but if this is your first time trying it, BBQ from the store works. Serve over your cutting board you were using. Want more tips on grilling ribs, check out TODAY's blog on it. It's pretty spot on!
]]>Becoming a grill master takes time and a lot of love and patience. I found the best grill masters out there generally stick with two things, simple and abundance. Makes for a great foundation to all techniques, recipes and style. Once you've feel like you've "master" the craft, start trying different seasonings, styles and even the type of meats you want to BBQ. But in this blog, I'm just going to summarize the basics of keeping it simple and having a lot of it!
If this is your first time BBQ-ing, try doing that on own your own first before inviting people over. You are your worse critic so if you can please you, chances are you would blow people away with your cooking.
OK ... that's pretty much it! Happy BBQ-ing!
]]>I love a great BBQ platter! Filled with all different kinds of meats ... like tri-tip, rib eye, ribs, carne asada, chicken and veggies. Whoa! Is a cutting board also a BBQ platter? Oh HELL YES! I saw a cutting board is more than just a cutting board these days. Check out what you can serve on it. You got your meat (as mentioned above) and potatoes, your veggies, your toppings and sauces and maybe a little flare of decor like a parsley or something like that. Although, I don't think you should be worried about ambiance here.
After the main meal, wash out the board and start all over again with desserts. Fix it up with strawberries, chocolates, grapes, cheese, crackers ... well, you get the picture. Speaking of pic, check out the desserts platter from the Lambs Club. Let your imagination run wild! And if you are curious, that is our cutting board that we made from them. HA!
]]>Pricing still is the number one factor on deciding on who to hire for their corporate gifts, but if you can leverage that you are:
Find out some great tips and tricks from professional Grillmasters such as "Steelhouse BBQ" and "Saucy Beard". Follow them on Instagram and watch a few of their videos to get ideas on what goes on behind the scene of BBQ-ing. Amazing art I tell you!
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Yep ... summer time is always equal to BBQ time! This is the time of year where all shorts, tank tops, bikinis and dieting (for months) all comes together ... SUMMER! Getting ready for some great weather and awesome BBQ grub. Get your checklist out and check them off! You'll need to make sure you have the basics going before you can officially launch summer from your backyard.
That's it! BBQ 101 Basics. There are great BBQ recipes from amazing grill masters out there. Check out "This Jew Can Que". Lots of great techniques and flavors to consider when BBQ-ing.
Happy Summer everyone!
]]>So here's some advice we can give you based on experience. It may not work for you, but it is our business strategy that creates sales each day and now we have a rhythm. So here it is:
That's basically it as a foundation. There's more to our business but the majority of our marketing is what you just read. Our advice is be patient, be consistent and be resourceful. It will get you far.
]]>Our story as with any story, starts with a beginning. Our beginning was really simple. We wanted to make enough money to have a family vacation that year and maybe each year after that. We had a couple of orders, family and friends loved it and we were good. Never really understanding that we were creating something pretty special.
It got to the point that buying our materials from Home Depot wasn't going to cut it. After all, Home Depot was charging retail price which made our cutting board price pretty high. So, we thought what about collecting unused scrap hardwoods that wood workers just toss? People like hardwood flooring companies, molding and even lumber companies. Each organization that works with wood inevitably will create scraps and unused to boot. So we started searching for these pieces. Only to find that there are quite a bit of scrap woods to go after. So there is our start of repurposing.
We love what we do. We've evolved into personalizing the cutting boards with company logos, sayings and/or both. We have a wood shop in San Francisco and we do the engraving ourselves. Self contained. Been in business since 2009 but really started going after it for real since 2011. Thanks for reading our story!
]]>Honestly, that's it. Yes ... putting your cutting board in the dishwasher is way easier, but you'll wind up buying more cutting boards. We would love that! But you can easily care of it with just following these simple steps.
]]>Oh and did I mention that wood cutting boards are safe like really safe! There is a UC Davis study out there that wood is a natural fighter to any bacteria that is on it's surface. After awhile, the bacteria disappears. Basically dies off. Pretty interesting reading.
Check out a few of our fellow wood workers on some great looking cutting boards besides ours. We've don't reinvent the wheel when it comes to making cutting boards. We all have our unique way to making them. Enjoy!
]]>I believe there are essentials that you need to prepare for when it comes time for summer and BBQ-ing activities:
There's some great ideas on a backyard BBQ party on Etsy and Instagram. Happy BBQ season!
]]>1. You will need to try the ones you would like to be in. This is especially important if you don't know your targeted audience. You have a target market. You need to find it and find them.
2. Consider your following on social media. Your social media audience will be your most dedicated followers especially if they had been with you since the beginning.
3. Consider the cost of the show. You get back what you put into it. The more you put in, the more you get out of it. Start small and build up, but definitely build up.
OK, with this in mind, here are our recommendations based on our experiences. Again, keep in mind, our experiences will be different from yours so take it with a grain of salt and do your research and just go for it!
To your success!
]]>1. Access your talent. If you don't love what you are doing, you will not go very far in your business. Have a purpose and love it! Have a goal!
2. Decide the location of your business. Ask for help on the business end. There are plenty of resources out there, one being SBA (Small Business Association).
3. Start with your network - friends and family. Trust us, they are your worst critics. If you can overcome their criticism and challenges, you can accomplish anything! You are then ready to network with your community outside your comfort zone. Get uncomfortable and success will follow.
4. Have a website presence. Start with a free website. But we recommend owning your own website through wordpress.org. It's a bit challenging in navigating through wordpress.org but it will pay off in the end when your business starts growing. If you have an ecommerce business, we recommend shopify.com. Owning your website means you own your own content. Free websites are free, but the content doesn't belong to you. Which means the host can shut down your website at any given time with no given reason.
5. Have a social marketing presence. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest. Yes we know it's overwhelming, but just pick one. Be really good at it. Bring your confidence up about sharing. Share your business not your personal life.
5. Be organize. Keep a schedule. Be consistent. Be good to yourself.
People say that you "have to have money to make money". We say just START. Money will show up when you really need it when you really work your business. We say "balls to the wall" or "Sh*t or get off the pot" kinda thing. The universe will be there for you. It's karma. What you put out there will come back tenfold. Just don't give up no matter how challenging the circumstances are. Have a mantra to keep you going and above all, never loose site of the goal you had when you decided to start your business. To your success!
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