Having It Nailed
A zest for woodworking helped this entrepreneur get out of a rut.
More than 20 years as an accountant and CFO left Jim Ford
feeling dissatisfied and at a crossroad in his life.
"[Accounting] was fun for a while; then it wasn't as much
fun, and then it wasn't fun at all," he says. "I was
looking for something else."
The answer arrived in the mail, printed on the back of a
postcard. Woodcraft Supply Corp., a Parkersburg, West Virginia,
company specializing in woodworking tools, supplies, books and
classes, was seeking franchisees. Ford was a longtime shopper at
Woodcraft and wasn't discouraged by the hefty price tag to
become a franchisee. Investing $500,000 to $600,000, he opened a
Woodcraft franchise in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in November
1998.
With this decision, Ford got out of a discouraging career and
surrounded himself with his favorite type of people: woodworkers.
Ford thrives on the enthusiasm his customers bring to the store.
"When people come to one of our stores, they're happy to
be here," he says. "They look forward to the trip.
It's a destination-type store."
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Ford, 53, didn't stop at one franchise. In 2001, he teamed
with former Woodcraft regional manager George Snyder, 37, to open a
store in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Since then, the two have
opened another branch in Jacksonville, Florida. Recently, even
Ford's wife, Julie, was encouraged to quit her job as a senior
programmer and jump on board. While more stores mean more
sales—2004 sales are projected to reach $5 million to $6
million—it also means more paperwork. "I have less time
on the floor selling and more time slipping into that accounting
role," Ford says.
Applying his accounting skills once more, Ford's life has
come full circle. But this time, he is much happier with the
direction it's going. "There's never a day when I
don't drive in and look forward to it," he says. "I
can't say that of my other jobs. That's the bottom line. I
enjoy it."