According to the British Woodworking Federation, everything you ever needed to know about running a joinery and woodworking business is now available in paperback – and at a special industry gathering on 14th May.

Key areas that drive business success have been condensed by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) into a step by step guide to keep joinery firms ahead of the game.

BWF’s ‘Guide to Running a Joinery Business’ offers advice on creating a business plan and how it can be a significant tool in securing funding, setting achievable goals, and looking at the past, present and future of the business. It also identifies the importance of knowing your industry and what you should be looking out for.

Joinery businesses have many strict regulations to adhere to in addition to their legal responsibilities as an employer. Therefore they need to be on top of all the latest news and regulations to know what affects their business and what potential changes may be needed.

Training is covered too. In the past year there have been many changes to building regulations and other legal requirements affecting the joinery industry, most recently the updates to Part L. It is the responsibility of an employer to ensure their staff are kept up to date on these changes and receive the relevant training.

The remainder of the guide looks at day to day responsibilities of running a joinery business including managing workload, managing cash flow, health and safety, wages, taxes, holidays, maternity or paternity leave, and sick leave.

Many of the issues covered in the guide will also be covered at this year’s BWF Members Day, taking place on 14th May.

A comprehensive programme has been put together to help develop and prepare joinery and woodworking companies on the big issues that are currently affecting the industry.

Booking is still open to all companies including non-members. Contact BWF membership director, Michael Lee, at michael.lee@bwf.org.uk

The ‘Guide to Running a Joinery Business’ is available as a free download for BWF members: http://www.bwf.org.uk/publications/general-business-support