# Business Owners



## mainewoodsman (Apr 7, 2013)

Hello, jsut wanted to hear from the business owners on here, how did you guys go about starting your business, did drop everything and do it? I am getting out of the military here soon and would like open a welding and fab shop. Anybody have ideas what would work best....I am verified in all types of welding and certified aluminum, titanium, cobalt, stainless steel. Just want to know how you business owners got on your feet.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

When I started, I was too young and too dumb to know anything different, so I jumped in with both feet. 

I was in the job market, and the only sales jobs that I could find were 100% commission, with no draw, no car, and no benefits...so I decided that if I was going to spend my time, gas, and car selling something, the profits might as well go into my own pocket.

So, with only $92 to my name (literally), I got up the next morning, and ordered a box of business cards and declared myself a business owner. I gave a card and talked to anyone and everyone that would listen. I wore out a pair of good quality shoes in a matter of months because I was knocking on every business door in town. When I got done knocking on all of those doors, I went back the following week and knocked on them again, and still talked to anyone that would listen to me.

Much of this question of opening a business really relies on you, and your own personal situation.

Some personal rhetorical questions:

Is there enough work in your area? 

Does it pay enough? Can you survive on that?

FWIW, I met a welder once that did all the farm and light industrial welding in the area, but then contracted with a factory to do some spot welding and grinding burs off of parts. He was only making like 60 cents per part, but the factory was bringing him 2,500 parts a week. He told me he had an employee helping him, and they set up a mini-assembly line and could get all that welding and grinding done in 2 days time. I thought it was pretty innovative.

Nonetheless, prepare yourself for some lean months until you get your business established.


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## FCLady (Jan 23, 2011)

We both worked full time when we started our home-based business. It was ours - we set our own hours after our 40 hour jobs. Then, since my job had the health insurance, my DH began cutting his work hours to run the business. He then quit his job and worked full time at our business. When we had enough income to cover our bills and health insurance I took a big leap of faith and quit my job. The first year that I did that (6 years after starting up) we doubled our income... Couple years after that the economy took a nose dive, but we still manage to stay self-employed. We do lots on the side now to keep our expenses down with a very large garden, meat animals etc.


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## unregistered358895 (Jul 15, 2013)

We also both worked full time initially. We started carrying a small inventory and went to a couple of big events a year with a booth to sell items and pass out business cards. Between vending gigs, we started a website and did our best to make ourselves look professional so that people wouldn't know we were working out of our house/back of our car.

We did that for about two years, meanwhile cutting down our living expenses so that we could survive on one income. Then, I quit my job and focused on growing our business and started up a second one (I do freelance writing & am an author when I'm not at the shop). 

We're now nearing 5 years into this thing and DH still works his full time job. We have been able to move the business out of the house, and have expanded immensely. We use his income to live on and suppliment the business in slow months, but we are nearing a point where I will be able to draw an income from the main business- which is VERY exciting.

Welding/Fab can be very lucrative once you get a customer base set up - but expect that it will take a while to get a steady stream of work. I would highly suggest finding a way to support yourself otherwise (either you working a full/part time job to suppliment income, or your spouse working, or both) until you get yourself set up. 

I know of several metalworkers in our area that work in established shops 9-5 and then do "freelance" work on the side. One guy I know does specialty machining in his off time, and another picks up jobs that are too small for his employer to take.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

At 21 I open a Reupholstery Shop(had worked with someone else for 3 years doing this but he had problems----the bottle--so I wanted my own place). I opened it part-time and worked with my Dad doing Carpenter work. I reupholstered after work hours and on the weekends, but my Dad would let me take off a day or two to catch up if needed. A short time after starting my Business a friemd that had a upholstery shop for over 30 years got sick and he came to me to see if I would Sub some of his work between my customers work. This put me into business FULL time and He had so much work that I actually worked All the hours I wanted(about 70 per week at that time). I built my business up over the next few years to where I was not able to do anything else for him. Around that time his son came out of the Military and took over his business. I started a second business(CB Sales and Repairs) about 15 years later part-time again and that led into me opening a Store full time and closing down the reupholstery business after 20 years. The store and Cb Bus. made me some money and I built a 3rd business(rental homes). I closed the Store down and I take care of the rentals and still do the 2nd business a few hours per week at a small shop next to my home.


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## Grumpy old man (Aug 6, 2013)

Mainewoodsman going by your name i would guess your not exactly in the general area of a larger city , The further you are away from town the locals will be taking care of their own welding being more self sufficient than city folks , Find your market and competition before you quit your day job ! Just hanging a sign on your garage will not pay your bills , Hit all the logging / construction and heavy equipment dealers and ask for their work .I'm pretty sure you may find a job but not high dollar repairs .


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

My husband was already retired when I began my home business. At first we (I) were making beautiful coat trees but that is hard on the body and they were not really shipable. Next I began making natural stone cabinet knobs and pulls which expanded into semi precious knobs as well. We expanded for awhile and then then ended up selling the stead and going our seperate ways. I moved to another state and continued making the stone knobs and though business is currently slow it is usually a good part time income.


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## gypsymama (Feb 22, 2006)

Research the area that you are going to live in. 
Are there other welding businesses?
What do they do?
How long have they been in business?
Who are their customers?
Can the market bear more welders or is it saturated?
Identify any niche markets
Network with other welders

Please get a business plan in writing! It's not something concrete that can't be changed, but it will be a good road map of who you are as a business, where you want the business to go and how you are going to get there.

Even if you don't have a website, you will need to put your name on a google listing (it's free). People use the internet to find things more than a phone book.

Cheap business cards can be had at Vistaprint online. Look for opportunities everywhere you go to network with people.

Get a job to pay bills, do the welding on the side until you get established


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## amandaleigh (Apr 10, 2013)

I have a full-time job that covers all of our basic living expenses and has great health insurance which is a necessity for our family (between my husband's medication for his lung damage and my arthritis we would be paying about 18-20k per year just for medication). My husband's wood crafting came about as an accident as he started it to keep himself occupied in the early days after his accident. It doesn't make much money, but all of that goes into savings so any bit is a plus. Our other two businesses are very part-time. We make a few hundred in cash, but they are more useful for the tax write-offs - part of our mortgage since we use a room as an office space, phone, internet, and fax, mileage when we meet anyone for a sales visit (we try to do other errands along the way to minimize our non-business use of DH's car), coffee or a meal out if we are making a sales presentation at a restaurant, ect.


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## joebill (Mar 2, 2013)

The best advice I can give you is to create a product or line of products for sale or wholesale. You can refine your work to the point where you are so fast at the repetitive stuff that nobody can touch your prices.

Repair and fabrication can be profitable, but chances are good that anybody else who is good at the same things can do it as cheap as you can, or maybe cheaper if they are hungry. 

Also, repair and fabrication for hire is almost always a local affair, while smaller products made by you can be shipped all over and marketed all over. In repair and fabrication, it's hard to secure an advantage, but making your own products and marketing them will give you an instant advantage that only gets stronger with time, because you work out the kinks, find the best and most reasonable material available, set up jigs and fixtures, refine your advertising, secure the best dealers, etc.

I spent years in repair shops, barely making it, before I started manufacturing products, and for me there is no comparison. Your mileage may vary, but that's how it was with us.

I thank you for your service, and if I can be of any help to you, feel free to PM me......Joe


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