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Please post here if you own a welding business. Please just lurk if you do not make your living or part of it welding.I would like the business owners to give a short introduction of them selves.David Hi, I own a welding and fleet truck repair business. I took welding as part of my AAS auto tech degree along with machine shop and body shop in 1978-9. I have been on my own this time for 5 years. I spent most of my working life being self employed and always was at least a part time welder. I work mostly alone. I have all the insurances and licenses. I also have a 3g unlimited thickness using bare .045 wire with C02.I previously owned a forklift repair business, a fleet maintenance public garage with 4 employees and a part time welding business. All were successful and profitable. My dad is a weldor/mechanic so I got an early start.Last edited by David R; 04-26-2009 at 09:44 PM.Real world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Does intent count? Although I have a web design and hosting business, I have begun planning for a possible future welding business. In the beginning I will just create "useful stuff" and sell them online, http://kcwelder.com and eventually will take jobs for small welding projects and repairs using my Miller XL ac-dc machine. If I make any money then I will invest the money in new tools and welders such as a MIG or TIG machine. I will not borrow the money for a "prospective" business, meaning that if my skills are not in demand or good enough then why hang yourself with debt? So far, that little paragraph is my entire Business Plan. he-heMaybe I should be lurking instead of posting in this thread, but my intent is there. Later,Steve JunkYard Tools .com
Reply:Hi,I run a part - time welding business doing structural welding and on-site equipment repair. I'm recently passed my '1 year in business' anniversary. Worked as an engineer for many years before leaving that career behind; or so I thought. Went to welding school for 10 months; back in 2007-08. Worked a couple construction jobs out of welding school. Now working as a engineer during the day, and welding for my own business on nights and weekends.I hold an AWS cert for TIG/stick on steel pipe and plate, all positions. Like David, I also maintain full insurance coverage for my business.I run a flatbed truck with a Lincoln diesel engine-driven welder in the field, and just purchased a Miller Dynasty 200 for work in my shop. I use stick and TIG welding for my own work, and do mostly MIG and FCAW during my day job...Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Rookie Steve. I like your business plan. Its simple and I agree with it. I have borrowed NO money for my business. The closest I have come is I took on one job that needed a positioner. I charged the tool on my account at the Local Welding supply place and paid for it when the job was done (and I got paid).I stated my shop with one unemployment check. This paid one months rent for the shop. I already had a Lincoln G7, an LN-25 and a set of torches. I already had a few customers.I still follow that plan, when I do a big job, I buy a nice piece of equipment with some of the money from the job. It works for me. I now have 7 welders and 2 plasma cutters ( I still work alone). Its been nothing but good for me. A Dab will do, Its going to be nice to finally have a shop welder. I went more than 15 years with out one. I just always used the G7 and LN-25. All the tig was done with no foot pedal. DavidReal world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I am a fan of dirt track racing and have been going to the local tracks for years. Last year I asked a racer what they did about a welder. He said they all put $5.00 in for one guy that shows up every week. If you break, he welds it for you. If you don't get the $5.00 "insurance" the guy charges full rate.One of the local tracks had test and tune last week and the regular guy didn't show up, so this Friday night I am driving my truck up there to see what is going on. Could be good, could be a pain in the a**. Could be just a night watching dirt track oval.DavidReal world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I started fabricating metal as a 21 year old...with an interest in Stock car racing...local asphalt tracks in NH, Vt, NY....and occasionally further. I also worked at Hypertherm starting at about the same time.....yet Hypertherm at that time only made large (un affordable) plasma systems only for mechanized cutting. Anyway, I built a large shop garage for my racing habit.....lift, welding equipment........and over the years have managed to add more pieces of equipment including a cnc cutting machine with plasma as well as hand plasma (I'm still at Hypertherm, and fortunately they make some nice affordable plasma's today!).I stopped racing (two track championships, many feature wins in super stock, late model and prostock cars) after having kids and realizing that they needed more time than racing allowed...but I still have the shop. I have done some metal art, general fabricating....and the work I do has all been used to keep my shop running and buy an occasional new piece of equipment.....some day I may "retire" from Hypertherm and make a few bucks out of my shop.Jim Colt
Reply:I have started a small welding company called TDS Welding. I started welding in high school and worked as a welder for a wile when I was younger. Then I went on to other things. Now I want to do it full time. I have had businesses in the past that went well at first and have grown very rapidly. The problem was I owned nothing. I barrowed money here and there and if I had a slow month or two I got myself in trouble. Finally I’m putting my company together without barrowing anything. I work full time for a trucking co. and “part time” for myself. When we need something for the trucks or warehouse I build it on my off time and I have been putting the money toward my company and equipment and my bills are paid with my full time check. I also have a few other customers. Over the last year and a half I have been working my tail off. Most of the time I wake up at 05:30 get to work at 07:30 get off at 17:00 and start working on my projects and I go to bed around midnight. On weekends more of the same. I have more work than I can handle right now and I’m thinking about hiring a friend of mine to work during the day just to get caught up. I have listened to people complain about how much the boss makes. I just shake my head thinking how hard it is to be a small business owner and how long it takes to get to were you are making good money. We all know that when the employees go home and gets to relax the work doesn’t stop for us. Like I said before most of the time I don’t get to bed until midnight. David Ramsey says it best “Work like no one else so later you can work like no one else.” Within the next few years I will work for my self full time with a business that has paid for itself. I still have a long way to go but I’m determined to make it work. I try to surround my self with people that are successful. I watch and listen to what they do and say. Because if you can keep from making mistakes someone else has made you will be better off. Lord knows I have made plenty of mistakes on my own.I carry guns because cops are too heavy. .. ..-. -.-- --- ..- - .... .. -. -.- .... .- .-. -.. . -. --- ..- --. .... -.-- --- ..- -.-. .- -. ..-. .. --. ..- .-. . .- -. -.-- - .... .. -. --. --- ..- -
Reply:Doesn't sound like a real money maker in and of itself; unless there's 50 or 100 racers buying the insurance. But, I suppose it might generate some non-race day business that would be priced at the normal rates...hmmm Originally Posted by David RI am a fan of dirt track racing and have been going to the local tracks for years. Last year I asked a racer what they did about a welder. He said they all put $5.00 in for one guy that shows up every week. If you break, he welds it for you. If you don't get the $5.00 "insurance" the guy charges full rate.One of the local tracks had test and tune last week and the regular guy didn't show up, so this Friday night I am driving my truck up there to see what is going on. Could be good, could be a pain in the a**. Could be just a night watching dirt track oval.David
Reply:I started out with a little Maxstar 150. I bought it to do small projects and keep my skills sharp. Lost some business for lack of capability (power and AC for aluminum) so I've stepped up.I'm striking a balance between paying cash for tools, and financing them. The lincoln I paid cash for out of my retirement savings; which also funded my schooling. The truck I financed at 4% for 2 years; not a bad deal...The Dynasty I bought on credit, but am repaying it within the first 6 months using money from selling the Maxstar, my Lincoln welder's trailer, and profits from the jobs I've done this year.All my consumables, insurance, and raw materials are paid for with cash. Repair work is good in one aspect because the raw material costs aren't usually too great. New fabrication work can involve a large outlay for materials. I haven't hadd too much business in this area, and what I've had the customer supplied the material or I negotiated materials costs up front.Speaking of which; I don't think I'll agree to let customer's supply materials any longer i the future. What a nuisance when they buy the cheapest cuts, and you have to stitch them together to get the job done... Originally Posted by David RA Dab will do, Its going to be nice to finally have a shop welder. I went more than 15 years with out one. I just always used the G7 and LN-25. All the tig was done with no foot pedal.David
Reply:took a metals class back in high school(new mexico) where i learned to weld an run mills, lathes, and do foundryreally loved the welding. rented a welder to build first go-kart. so the game was onbuilt 3 dirt track cars, last one was an open wheeler (32 essex body on scout frame, chevy power train)became a diesel mechanic( 2 yrs for cummins, then 3 yrs for heavy construction equipment) moved to 0klahoma in 83 started working for myself turning wrenches. in 91 answered an add for prop repair man (did that in NM in between jobs) work there 1 1/2 yrs it was sold .to a guy who didn t know nutting about welding or props , ( 6 months) he walk out left bank high an dry an me with out work.. i talked to bank and bought the buisnessso here i am today 18 yrs later owner. welding any thing i can and having a blast love welding aluminum and stainless props so for the new guys NEVER give up on your dreams
Reply:This stuff is all good thank you to all that have contributed so far.A few more notes:I went with out health insurance for the first year and a half because I couldn't afford it. Now i have it. It was a long sweat knowing if I just cut my hand and needed stitches it could put me under. I'm past that now.I figure if I can't afford health insurance and a week or two vacation every year, I am not making it. Bottom line is there are no benefits being self employed, so I have to be able to buy them. Once I could do that, I figured I was profitable.A couple of years ago, I had more mechanic work than I could do. I was working too many hours and had no social life, so I raised my rate from $56 to $60 an hour to get rid of some of the cheapies. it didn't work like I thought, but I did make more money. In the last year I have been ditching the customers that aggravate the he11 out of me or were too cheap to do the job right. Its working because the books look better and better each quarter.I enjoy welding far more than mechanic work. It seems to pay better although its more of an up and down business. My money seems to come in in lumps instead of a steady flow. For the race track thing, I am sure there are more than 50 racers. My son is interested so that is the biggest reason I am doing it. He is taking welding at vocational school.Keep it coming!Real world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Hi guys, My name is Aaron Beckman. I own Ag Specialties, which is a shop that i started from money right out of my pocket. I am going to be 30 in Aug and i have ran my business for around 5 years. I run four portable trucks and have a shop full of equipment from everything you can think of. I have 5 full time welders working for me and a couple of part time guys. We fully insured and cert to tackle about anything you can think of. We also have a full machine shop that we can pretty much rebuild anything that comes in. I went to school for machinist and graduated top of the class. Worked at a Job shop for 5 years and decided that i wanted to get into the portable stuff since there wasn't anyone around to do that. Well that was worth a ****!!!!!! So i decided that i was young enough to take the leap and never looked back. Below is a post that i posted a couple of months ago."I have been running my business for years. I started out with a 280nt TB with a spool gun and a 20 gallon air compressor and a small torch set up. I took everything that came my way. I would travel long distances and tackle any job with a smile from ear to ear. Even if it kicked my ***.Now....... I have 5 full time welders with 4 full equipted trucks. Each truck has a TB with 100 foot of leads. A Torch set up with 150 of hose. A cutmaster 52 and a 12rc suitcase. Every guy has his own set of tools that i purchase for them. Tools from grinders to dewalt 18 volt kit to every measuring tool you can think of.I have 200 by 100 shop with mills and lathes. A brake and a press and a shear. I have about 30000.00 in steel on hand.To many tools to even list. It scares the **** out of me and my wife, how much money we have invested.Now the Important thing, and i have been asked many times to speak about this!!!!I did this all with no loans!!!!! What i made, i put right back into my business.I can close doors tomorrow and don't have to pay for anything. I pay everything up front. From steel to gas for my rigs to even my payroll. My thinking is, if i have to go barrow money to make my business run, then i must be doing something wrong"ThanksAaron
Reply:Well I guess I will throw in my .01 because I have not been at this long enough for a whole .02 worth.I am one of those guys that have had bad luck my entire life. Many, many bodily injuries of severe nature and kinda screwed up my body. Have a hard time physically and mostly (not all) due to my doing whatever it takes to get the job done for others.Anyway, I am currently not working again and decided to start a demolition company ( www.selective-demolition.com) and have done so but the jobs are not coming at this time. Therefore, I decided to push the Demo but also get in my bag of tricks and draw upon my past abilities.I am not one of those guys that got along with my dad and he never taught me anything but I knew that the old men in town knew how to do "Stuff." So I hung out with the old guys. I have been "welding" since I was about 10 or 11. I worked at a gas station and sold gas at 19.9 cents/gallon. I was also the one in town to go to if you wanted the forks on your stingray bike extended to make your bike into a CHOPPER. I think I did them all in my home town for many years.So, here I am trying to use welding as another income and have done some repairs for local farmers. I have started advertising on Craigslist for artsy stuff and yard art and also to the knifemaking community for making hydraulic presses, treadle hammers and such. I need to find where to advertise so I can actually get some money coming in. I know of several welding shops that have closed their doors in my area so that is a bad sign. I even talked to a couple of the owners to see if I could buy a TIG, no luck there.ALL of the replies I get from Craigslist is either aluminum welding (no tig) or can you fix this $19 lamp that broke off the base and do it at my house? I will pay you $10.I can't afford the gas for jobs like that. I explain it to the people that I will do it if they bring it to me but so far all have refused.I can run welding and demo both as demo will be managing and scheduling then delegating, I can't do that physical work anyway. The welding I can do while the demo's are in progress so I won't be spread too thin.I have been quoting $50/hr shop rate and people go nuts. $50/hr who do you think you are? I expected to pay $10 or $15 for this job. I let them walk because I feel if I lower to $10 I will be a $10 welder and never support myself. Even the farmers are getting tight and they know they need good work but they are complaining about the $50/hr.As for welding experience I have been truly welding for about 15 years making all types of stuff. Never have had problems with bad welds or poor quality. I have not been trained by anyone and have no certifications of any kind. I have applied for jobs before and passed the weld test to get hired but later found out they thought I wanted too much per hour.I REALLY wish I could get to the level David or Aaron is at. I am proud for you guys that you have done as well as you have. As for David's vacation and insurance, good for you. I have not had vacation, insurance, sick days or a day off in the last nine years (except for a year in a wheel chair which was no vacation let me tell you). I have honestly switched my dreams from doing what I love and making a living at it to doing ANYTHING that will get my wife the medications she needs to deal with her Lupus and I would really only hope for enough above to buy life insurance on myself so that if something happened to me, she would be OK.I sure hope the rest of you have better luck. I will not stop trying to make things happen, been at it for 52 years so far, someday I will get there.
Reply:Hi I'm BrianI opened Appalachian Ironworks L.L.C. in Marshall NC this Feb. I learned to weld when I was 14.I've worked in sheet metal shops,body shops,fab shops for the better part of 25 years. I specialize in ornamental steel,stainless, and aluminum too, i.e. stairs, spiral stairs, handrails, gates, balconies, light structural erection. I do in shop and on site.I've been collecting equipment for the better part of 10 years and have started with a pretty well equipped shop and welding truck.No certs yet, my last ones were "owned" by the shop not me but I'll have D.1.1. within a couple months, unless a job comes in that requires it before then, I'll add more a little at a time. I found a pretty decent building near home to rent for dirt cheap. My landlord is great, too. He's got me 2 jobs by pimping my shop while he runs the country store next door, he's good, too.He's one of those who could sell ice makers to Eskimos. He sidelines selling building materials and donated almost all the supplies to build an office, tool room and bathroom. (I know its for his building but if you saw it you'd see it's not going to be around long) I will take almost any type of job for now, but eventually I'll try to stay towards the shop more. I'd really like to focus on spirals, but I'm not sure how busy that would keep me.Time will tell if I did the right thing, leaving a pretty good job to go out on my own, in the worst economy in 20 years. So far things are looking good. In 1-1/2 months I've bid around 16 jobs, sold 6 and have around 4 or 5 bids out as of today, and I don't even have a sign on the building yet. I need to get it done, and quickly, but every time I think I have a minute to get to it I end up having a job come in or I'm busy trying to sell one. I think that's a good problem to have, though.Brian LeonardAppalachian Ironworks L.L.C.4920 Hwy 213 Marshall, NC 29753828 680 9838828 702 0697http://appalachianironworksllc.web.o...m/default.aspx
Reply:Business has been growing slowly but steadily for me over the last 6 months. Getting more exposure on the internet has been a real boost; as most of the older hands in the area have no advertising on the internet at all. If you're here and running a business it seems obvious that you have a website. If you don't you're missing out. You also need to insure that you're getting visibility in the major search engines. It's not too hard to do, once you start reading about google's/yahoo's/msn services.David R, I agree with your notions about being more selective about your customers. I'm taking all the work that comes my way in order to spread the word around and get some more word-of-mouth advertising. I've failed to make money on a couple jobs, but I'm gambling that the free advertising will have some long term value.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Im not really what you would call a buisness owner but every cent ive made in the last 6 months has been made by me for me out of my own shop(rented). Im a college student taking welding and got laid off from my regular job when my boss ran out of work. But ive been buying equitment the wole time i worked regularly and its payed off i hoped to one day run a fully equiped shop so i guess my buisness is in it infancy haha.
Reply:Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_doYou also need to insure that you're getting visibility in the major search engines. It's not too hard to do, once you start reading about google's/yahoo's/msn services.
Reply:The race track thing is out the window. The owner of the track bought a welder and has his shirt tail relative doing the work. I'm out, but that is OK, I would have to dedicate every friday night all summer. Not exactly my thing, I'm more of an 8 to 5 type. Work is coming in every day. Not all jobs are big $, but keep the money flowing. I can see the economy causing some small problems. Some of my customers have cut back or had their work cut back and it effects me. I am working every day all day, so things are fine. I have taken some time to work on my shop and truck which was needed. I put up the rest of the lights I started doing last july, and now I am making more room for the weldor guy (me) and less room for the mechanic guy (still me). I would like another welding bench. I am looking for one that goes up and down so I can work on different size stuff without tying my self into a pretzel. One of my positioners is on a stand that needs to be made so it can be moved up and down too to accommodate different jobs. Last week I got quite a bit of aluminum and some stainless jobs. I also bought a used V160-S so I made some money with it on the stainless work on the road. This is one rare saturday off which I can appreciate.Real world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Just so you folks know, I am trying to make this a full fledged forum like MIG TIG and STICK so we can have threads for insurance, bidding jobs, employees, screw ups, pain in the azz customers and the like. Please keep things going here so I can show admin there is a place for us.DavidReal world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:How do you guys find these large or ongoing projects?Since I have not been selling myself as a welder I have no clientele built up. Also since everything else I know how to do seems to be at a dead stop I need to push the welding. I need to get some cash flowing in.I am getting small (very small) and sporadic jobs from craigslist. Stuff like welding a lamp or fixing outdoor furniture and other small stuff like that. Obviously that is not going to go to far towards the bills.If there is a method to the madness that will get me talking to the correct people, I sure would appreciate you guys pointing me in the right direction.I have no certifications of any kind.
Reply:Just so you folks know, I am trying to make this a full fledged forum like MIG TIG and STICK so we can have threads for insurance, bidding jobs, employees, screw ups, pain in the azz customers and the like. Please keep things going here so I can show admin there is a place for us.
Reply:My name is Jeff and I'm the owner of Iron Mower Works. This is my second year on my own and things are going fine. Its a pay-its-way business. I do all sorts of things to make my business happen like; weldin' on a greasy catipillar too re-sizin' gold rings, build one-off custom black powder cannons too fixin' your lawn mowers ect... Point beiing that just doin' weldin' and steel fabrication here where I'm at YOU WILL STARVE!!!!! I love doin' my steel work, and hopefully one day thats ALL I'll be doin', but till then I'll keep it simple..............Don't let that iron in your lungs, turn to lead in your @$$!!!!
Reply:OK, here is what I need help with. Over the years I have been collecting " toys". But now that I want to open my own shop, I have no where to open it. I have been storing my toys almost any place I could find. Now everybody wants them out. Where I live trying to find a place large enough to rent that I can afford is like hitting lotto.How do I try to gets jobs when I have no place to work. I do not have a mobile welder, and feel I would look like an idiot pulling up with a generator on my truck and then plugging in my welder to it to do the work. So how do I go about this???????Any help would be great.
Reply:Hi all, My name Daye. I not a full time business owner yet but, I may have to be soon. As of now I work construction as a sprinkler fitter for 13 years and love my job! hours are getting cut back and no new work on the books. I started working at 10 years old and have had a fulltime job since i was 14 years old, at 16 I started working at a service station. towing and wrenching on cars and then doing side work at home mostly lawn mower repair and light auto repair. Made a little coin to buy wire feed Mac 250 or miller 250 with red paint. I still use this welder everyday... almost 20 years old ( I love good tools) In high school I took all the metals classes i could, They made a class just for me advance metals they called it 2 hours a day ,for my full senior year. I was the only kid in the class. I fix every teacher lawn mower , lawn chairs, trailers boats,props you name it. What a great class, I learn alot. After high school I went to votech for auto mech. That was kinda a joke I was 19 and more ase cert then my teachers, so I drop out. I was working on cars at home (my parents place) at the station and going the school I got burnt out on cars. I went to work for a small weld shop in a farmers barn, just me and the boss. this was a fun job but the pay sucked and he only 40 hours week . Did bridge work for the railroad (Ironworker) Did aton of welding and cutting , this was a cool job ,but not for me! Everthing to do with the railroad is f=ing heavy!!!!!! being 5'-6" and 145lbs I am not builded for it. Got into sprinkler trade and took a couple more welding classes for fun they were free and only a hand full of guys showed up. I don't understand that. Out of 400 and some guys maybe 10 can weld and sodler. We don't weld that much in the field but when it does come up I get to do it. I'am still doing work from home ( my house) mostly welding /fab and machineing trying to stay away from the auto repair , still like to do the gravy work lol. The idea of haveing my own business scares the $#!^ out of me, not that I can;t make a go of it,but not haveing time to live life. I love to work. I hate going to sleep . I can't say no and I work way to cheap and I give everyone the buddy discount. If I get laid off. I may have to go full time at home. all my tools are paid for. The only thing I would need would be a hoist . The shop is hoist ready but I never bought one because I didn't want to work on cars that much. Daye
Reply:I do mobile and in-shop general repair and fabrication in aluminum and steel. Much of my work is repair to or building new gates, fence, railings, decortive items, repairs or projects relating to cars, trucks, rv's, trailers and general repair and fabrication of whatever the customer wants. Pop started teaching me welding and mechanics at a young age and I always had projects and repairs for myself and freinds from then on. I had the usual jr high metal shop and high school auto shop classes. I also took general welding classes in college several years ago. In college I studied engineering and business and did welding on the side for extra money.I have taken more formal, specific welding classes more recently for stick, mig, fluxcore and tig and I have an AWS D1.3 FCAW-S structural steel sheetmetal cert, 3g and 4g positions. I have performed and passed the D1.1 SMAW unlimited visual and bend tests in 3g and 4g in the classes but didnt need the actual certs for my business so didn't spend the money on the x-ray and papers. If I need them, I can always go back and take the tests again as the instructors and resident CWI at our local college offer testing any time there is a need for it for ex students working in the industry. The work I do in my business is not structural code work, so I haven't had a need for the D1.1 in stick or wire so far.In college after high school, I studied engineering and business and did welding on the side for extra money. I started working in shops ranging from sheetmetal to fencing & gates, to racing buggy building, to various manufacturing, not always doing the welding but doing alot of other tasks too. Later I worked as a production aluminum mig welder and was with that company for about 10 years when they shut down due to the economy and mis management. I was doing side jobs welding in the garage shop during that time and when we all saw the writing on the wall with our jobs, I started setting up the truck to go mobile. I already had everything needed in the shop, so I just duplicated it on the truck. I already owned the 1-ton truck and all the equipment I bought was with cash from my then current job. I started the business with zero debt and practically no overhead. I've been in business about 2 years, the last year and half officially licensed and full time. The economy has been tough, but I have survived it so far. A good job deal came up recently, so currently I am putting my independent business on hold and welding for a local contractor. They are building some new structural metal buildings at a school in a city nearby. I am doing the sheetmetal frame welding. There are only 2 of us welding and we have 5 buildings to weld. Both of us are using our own machines and have done other jobs together in the past. This is good consistent money at prevailing wage under gov't contract, so I am going to stay with it untill the project is done and then go back to doing my business as usual, unless this contractor has other lucrative projects lined up involving welding. He doesn't normally need much welding in his sheetmetal framing projects, but this gov't job involves alot of welding so that is good for us for now. In the meantime I am still serving my own repeat customers and have a couple friends I have helping out with their own rigs to get jobs done that I cant get to due to working with the contractor. It's different being an employee again after having run my own show for awhile now. I am liking the consistent money though. MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith opHey all this was a great idea it is interesting to read about everyones background. I personally just finally got my own buisness Ag Assist LLC off the ground in the end of feburary. I specialize in welding and fabrication and service all industrys and residential. I really enjoy blacksmithing and ornamental work but dont ever seem to have the time to do it as just practice. I also offer through my buisness farm and facility maintanace repair and renovation. This helps to keep me busy constantly. I hardly say no to a job and consiquently have an azz load of tools. I primarially use a 16 foot enclosed trailer loaded to the hilt with construction and welding equipment to work on site with. Guys really like the fact that they call me to come weld something and then i can jump on the roof and screw down loose sections etc. I spent the last 10 years full time on my familys farm www.windyknollview.com doing all things farming and maintance related as well as animal husbandry of course. so i know when things need fixing and how they should be done. I get alot of work just by stopping by to bull **** and offer a cold beer then get to pointing out things that should be taken care of before they become a big problem. like cracked welds on new machines and old stuff that just needs fixed up. It is amazing that you point this stuff out and guys have never thought of it or noticed it needs done. Then when you give them a reasonable quote to fix it and tell them then it wont break when you need to be using it they usually go for it. anywho i love running my own buisness one thing to keep in mind is YOU DONT GET RICH OVERNIGHT i make decent money right now but i leave some on the table so i get called back for future buisness to many guys take to much to often then wonder why after three years they have lost there clients it is because they are greedy anyway. keep posting it is wonderful to read about you guys. oh yeah i forgot i still go to work everyday at 4:00 am to feed at the farm for 3 hrs before i go do my own stuff and i often work there in the evenings the supplemental income really helps with the getting rich partwww.burdettenetworks.com
Reply:i just read my post my punctuation sucks sorry www.burdettenetworks.com
Reply:That is the $64,000 question. I'm following a word-of-mouth advertising route, along with a simple web page. I've done work for other contractors who work with larger corporations. All have said they'd recommend me to their clientele if the opportunity arrose. I'm waiting for these 'seeds' to bear fruit now. In the meantime it's a string of small projects.Bob, I'm trying to stay away from the type of work that Craigslist generates. I'm not suggesting that I refuse all of it; but if you get wrapped up too many of those small projects, it eats into your time for finding profitable work. Do'em for favors, if they're easy, and if there's nothing else you can be doing to find better work. Otherwise, you need to be working for somebody else fulltime during the day(like me), or selling your services. Call local companies who might a welder, and find out who makes those decisions. Cold sales calls are hard, because of the rejection rate. Bite the bullet and make them anyway. Get web page going for your business.It's like having an unpaid salesman working for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Showcase your work and your capabilities on your website. Convince the people viewing it that you're a competent welder. My own website needs work in this area....Microsoft's Live Office makes it very easy. I know almost nothing about websites, and their web page was able to walk me through settting up my website in a couple hours. A couple more hours with a buddy who knows the web and web advertising, and I had my webpage showing up in the major search engines. Now I'm getting a couple calls a month from people who found the website. Some are private individuals, and some are business people. It's the latter I'm hoping to catch and retain as customers... Originally Posted by Bob WarnerHow do you guys find these large or ongoing projects?Since I have not been selling myself as a welder I have no clientele built up. Also since everything else I know how to do seems to be at a dead stop I need to push the welding. I need to get some cash flowing in.I am getting small (very small) and sporadic jobs from craigslist. Stuff like welding a lamp or fixing outdoor furniture and other small stuff like that. Obviously that is not going to go to far towards the bills.If there is a method to the madness that will get me talking to the correct people, I sure would appreciate you guys pointing me in the right direction.I have no certifications of any kind.
Reply:Its been 5 years for the word of mouth thing for me. Its working and what I get is really good. Some of the best jobs I have done are from a small sample of my work or word of mouth. I have no sign and no business cards. I do have nice pens with my # on them which to me is the same or better than business cards. TODAY I welded s brass lamp thing for a guy. He has more and will sure spread the word. He is a private individual, not any kind of business, but.......By the way, my local LWS sent him to me. They said I was the only guy they could think of that could weld this brass (?) part. I charged him my usual "a dollar a minute" I was joking with the customer and told him if it was an antique it would be TWO dollars a minute. He just smiled. I gave him a "free" pen.Just a note about cold calls. They do work and screw the rejection. Its a numbers game and that is all. Stop in 10 places in a day, introduce your self, ASK QUESTIONS and leave your number. It might take a month or a year, but if their regular guy screws up or they need something they will find your #. Stop in ONE place a day for a month, Take a slow day and stop here and there..... It works. I was a salesman for 3 years and even graduated the Dale Carnagy Sales course.Some things you need to do when making sales calls. Talk to the person that makes the decision, or the one that writes the check. It can be a pain in the ***, but if you are talking to the wrong person its a waste of time. Talk quality and delivery, not price. Find out what their needs are and see if you can satisfy them. If you can't SAY SO. Be honest, everyone likes that. A weldor they can trust..... Hmmm..IF you are on call 24/7, say so. I take my rig if making sales calls. Sometimes you might get a job right then. Maybe they are checking you out or maybe they need something and you just happen to show up at the right place at the right time. I have walked in when the prospective customer was pissed at their present vendor.If you aproach them as cheaper all you will get is cheap sh*t work.DavidLast edited by David R; 05-04-2009 at 08:09 PM.Real world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:My name is Jackson Hammack. I started my business, Hammack Welding part time back in 96 when I was in college. I have a small business located in rural southwest Georgia, and my specialty is in repair of Agricultural, industrial, and timber equipment. We do a wide array of work from repair, to fabrication, to structural to pipe, and most basic machine work. 90% of my work is in the field off of the truck. I have never actually been schooled in welding or machine work. I learned for the most part in the trenches behind a hood by doing it. It definitely didn't hurt to have a father with an engineering degree at my disposal. I started part time with one trailer mounted moblie rig, and just myself, and at our high point I had two full time mobile rigs, and one part time guy in the shop. With the economy I am back to myself and one part time helper, but the bills get paid, and everything I own, I actually OWN. I run on the principle that if I can't pay for it then I don't buy it. I may never have a huge shop, or make a fortune, but the bills get paid and if the time came I could close the shop doorsput the equipment under the shed and not owe a penny on any of it. Up until the last few months I ran completely off of word of mouth. Honestly I did not want anymore new customers. The ones I had were steady, dependable, and never had to worry about getting paid, and best of all they kept us working even when we just needed the work. Ofcourse now Everyone is feeling the crunch, and I am back to passing out business cards, but I am keeping a little more work than I can do for me and my helper. It's good to read about others businesses. Good Post!I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by partagasOK, here is what I need help with. Over the years I have been collecting " toys". But now that I want to open my own shop, I have no where to open it. I have been storing my toys almost any place I could find. Now everybody wants them out. Where I live trying to find a place large enough to rent that I can afford is like hitting lotto.How do I try to gets jobs when I have no place to work. I do not have a mobile welder, and feel I would look like an idiot pulling up with a generator on my truck and then plugging in my welder to it to do the work. So how do I go about this???????Any help would be great.
Reply:Things are looking pretty good here. More calls for bids are coming every day. This week I sold 3 new jobs for a total of 5 in the shop right now. Let's see if this trend continues, I certainly hope it does. If I can stay steady for a while and build up some $ I'll be looking for some help soon.Current jobs1)double door fire screen2)wrought iron chandelier3)stair and porch rail4)stair rail5)spiral stairI signed up with a lead referral service when I opened, and their market report shows all construction sectors in my market area on a substantial increase this month. I'm sure a lot of that is due to weather getting warmer, but that's still a pretty good economic indicator for my shop.
Reply:Another opportunity for me. I got a call from a guy that has a bobcat excavator. Its a small one and he broke the thing that holds the boom on. Its part of the frame, so I cut it off and he is going to have a new one cut out so I can weld it back on. Simple job. I also repaired his broken cutting edge on a small bobcat bucket (no guarantee). While I was there, he told me he was building a foundation for a new ride at an amusement park. He asked me if I was certified. I said yes, bare wire, Co2 gas, vertical up unlimited thickness. He said he might need some one to do the welding.Ya never know. A small job may have found a BIG one.David Real world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Good to hear David. Hope it turn into you doing it all.
Reply:I 'm just starting up my own business luckily I have health insurance (through US Steel from where I am laid off ) or like a couple of you fellows were saying a broken leg or whatever could really nail you. So far I have found most people receptive to a rate of $ 50 /hour once they see what your capable of and some people take a lot of ear bending to understand the concept of overhead. I explain it like this someone fixes your computer they charge $ 65- $70 /hr. they could carry their tools on a bicycle and chances are that computer is in a landfill in 2 years. However if I charge you $50/hour to fix the welding on your bulldozer or whatever and you dont suffer major down-time you've made money. By the way Jackson Hammack is that you in the picture welding bare-armed? ( bacon arms and skin cancer are in your future if it is)Last edited by ol' Stick Guy; 05-10-2009 at 10:35 PM.
Reply:Thought I'd resurrect this thread with a followup question:Do any of you have standard 'boilerplate' contracts that you have customer's sign off on? If so, what's your threshhold for asking for a contract? Is it a cost minimum? Or does the type of job determine whether or not you ask for a signed contract? Do you insist on contracts, engineered drawings for every job? How about repair work?I use a standard quotation form for bidding jobs that includes some vague language about work being high quality. If doing code work, I'll make sure the relavant AWS/ASME/API code(s) are listed. I'll ask if there are relevant drawings for structural work(unless I forgot to, like I did on a recent job I discussed in another thread).If I'm preparing drawings for the work, I'll make sure the materials, filler metals, processes used, and welding specs are spelled out on the drawing, along with dimensions. I'll also mention any finishing that will be done(grinding, painting, etc)As small business operators(not relevant to big fab shops) how many of you have welding procedures and qualification records? At what point do/did they become necessary if you do have them?Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:I didn't read this whole thing, so I don't know if anybody said this already.Having decent and competent business sense,,,, is a far better indicator, of future business success, than being the best weldor (or any other skill) around. I started back in the mid-80's,,,,, plenty of guys better than me around then, all gone long ago. Weld circles around me,,,,, but no idea how to run business. I can think of three guys, like me, started up since, that are still around ..... like me,,,,, excellent business sense, still around,,,, we are both competitors and we help each other out. I can also think of twenty to thirty other guys, started up over the years,,,, excellent weldors,,,,, no business sense,,,, all working for somebody else today. Think about it.
Reply:A_DAB_woll_do,I have not asked for a contract yet. I do the work the customer asks for to his specs. If its a code job, I ask for drawings with specs. Most customers that are good ones and want something done right will leave me with a drawing, or blueprint. I will not do a job until I know the whole job. Cell tower jobs just send me the whole set of drawings including a lot of stuff I don't do, but they just email the whole package to me the way it comes from the engineers.Mark8310, I agree. Some people have business sense and some don't. 8 out of 10 new business fail. I have heard this many times. This time I have been in business for 5 years today actually. I have been stiffed for $59.00 once. The rest of the customers just pay me. Here is a good example. I have 500 "spikes" or 15" nails I made for a customer sitting on a skid at my shop. I stopped by there today with a bill. They gave me a purchase order. I smiled and said when you have a check I will deliver the product. David Real world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:i owned a residential construction company that i closed down due family needs. i moved into welding and fabrication by happenstance and have loved learning a new field of building. i weld with smaw, gmaw (hardwire, dual shield, and fluxcore), braze, and some tig. i prefer smaw, but have grown to really appreciate gmaw. i weld part time doing repair work on agricultural equipment. i also fabricate custom trailers, implements, and what-nots.
Reply:thats good to know David. Congratulations on your 5 year anniversary. That's a real milestone, and I'd say you're well established at this point.The railing project I posted about in Hatfield's thread was the first time I've had someone give me pieces and say, just install them. Turned out the contractor had never used that railing fabricator before, and normally used mechanical fastening to join the railing sections. The fitup on the pieces I had to weld was horrendous, and in retrospect I shouldn't be surprised that the railing height was off as well. I doubt the contractor will order railing from that source ever again...In regards to billing, I've only taken a P.O. once, and I waited exactly 30 days for payment. If I'd allowed 60 days, I'm sure they would have waited 60 days.Normally I take a check when the work is done. For a few customers, I'll allow them 14 days to mail me a check. But payment terms are always discussed upfront and spelled out on the bill. Originally Posted by David RA_DAB_woll_do,I have not asked for a contract yet. I do the work the customer asks for to his specs. If its a code job, I ask for drawings with specs. Most customers that are good ones and want something done right will leave me with a drawing, or blueprint. I will not do a job until I know the whole job. Cell tower jobs just send me the whole set of drawings including a lot of stuff I don't do, but they just email the whole package to me the way it comes from the engineers.Mark8310, I agree. Some people have business sense and some don't. 8 out of 10 new business fail. I have heard this many times. This time I have been in business for 5 years today actually. I have been stiffed for $59.00 once. The rest of the customers just pay me. Here is a good example. I have 500 "spikes" or 15" nails I made for a customer sitting on a skid at my shop. I stopped by there today with a bill. They gave me a purchase order. I smiled and said when you have a check I will deliver the product. David
Reply:I started my business in Michigan back in 1991 was home improvement/ roofing and there was plenty too much work had 10 guys under me and running nuts all day and night couldn't keep the sheets on the bed at night... I was that consumed in the business restless unless I was running ........Well I put a stop to it all up there in 2002 helped some of my guys get jobs and gave a few some clientel called all there debt even they all owed me money....and I came to Oklahoma wanting to work for someone else tired and ready to have a stroke or just go insane done some work for the school district and now everyone in town wants stuff done...and the word of mouth thing is all that will get me work in this small town anyhow I stopped all wood framed construction when I came here...now it's metal buildings,barns,carports, metal house roofs,some Tornado shelters,stairs,ramps,repairs etc. and I actually make good money working by myself most the time "My Ten year old boy is a good hand though"and I have a couple roofs lined up to keep me busy for the summer... till about lunch time now it's summer oh boy... and some little repairs for the evening if I want to go out to the shop.now last year it was a rough few months from Nov.-Feb as I had 6 jobs lined up and the credit crunch put a halt to all but one and that was a life saver the one though...Now I don't persue work like the days when I had to feed the crew....I can take it easy and wait for the town folk to call... and they will keep me busy enough to get by and make a decent living. I gave up the get rich thoughts when I threw in the towel on the crew and stress involved in making all the calls on the jobs up there...I had 6-10 different jobs going all the time and I couldn't think straight or sleep let alone give my wife and kids the attention they deserved...I mean I eat sleep drink work work work and it about destroyed me as I will never have that big a crew or business again ...But now I'm pretty content with the way things are going I've purchased some equipment this year a log splitter I'm not getting younger...powermax 30 cuts roofing easier,a tapco Pro 19 brake making about a grand a roof bending trim...above about five thousand a roof profit, and a ingersol rand 60 Gal. everything is paid for but debating on a new truck and can't save enough to just buy it this year...so I may have to borrow one or wait till next year and stop buying stuff and buy the truck!!! oh and the kids got a new Polaris 4-wheeler for Christmas so were doing pretty good down here in the middle of nowhere, I'm glad I left Michigan when I did we sold the house up there and took the kids on a 3 month vacation and bought this place down here cash.. and never ever wished I was back there..as were all happy and healthy and making it through these hard times even if I feel like i'm retired getting off at lunch and going a week or two between jobs but if I get bored there is always the shop LOL.. the wife and kids toOH ya I have liability that cover the range of things I do and always put everything in writing no matter what every detail...no weldin certs but enjoying the things I can do without and the most I weld on the job maybe some plates for feet on the car ports all the rest are bolted...Last edited by Tony D; 06-02-2009 at 10:14 AM.Reason: last lineLincoln 225 Tombstone,Miller Big 20,Hobart 180,150' Argon,A/D hobart hood 22 Ton Log splitter,79 F350 dump eats 4.75 TONS and still turns cutters,grinders,And a Hypertherm POWERMAX 30
Reply:Hey, my first job was pickin pickles and bailin hay on a farm in the summer 12=13 yrs old. The next was pumping gas at a marina for 12 hrs a day, but I started welding on my grandpas rental boats at age 11. I had machine shop in high school and was welding and building stuff with my grandpa all the time during my high school yrs. I did a stint in the air force and had nothing to do in life, so I went to Fla. Cold in Ohio in the winter, I worked for a carnival for a couple of yrs as a welder/mechanic. Quit that, got a job in a truck body shop installing dump bodies and truck accessories. (great education). Quit there to install/service garbage compactors / cardboard bailers, Quit that to Join the millwrights union as a apprentice. Now I went from making 8.50 a hr - 70 hrs a week to a 35 hr week @ 7.11 a hr. I had to make up the difference somehow. I bought a welder and scraped together some power tools and started part time welding business. I finished my apprenticeship and worked 1 more yr out of the hall, put my book on the shelf and went full time. 15 yrs later I laid off 14 great guys and a awsome secretary due to divorce. After taking off a couple of yrs and doing nothing I started toget back into the business mode, but nooooooo employees. I am now a licensed fire suppression guy. I do comercial kitchen ventilation. Exhaust hoods, service, install, clean, and fire suppression.About 10 yrs ago I fell through a rotten wood roof, bounced off a pallet rack and hit the ground. Screwed up my left knee really bad, It has gotten alot better and doesn,t hurt at all any more. Reading this forum sure makes me miss working off the back of a truck. And since my knee doesn't hurt any more, I might just do that. I am sorry I am not doing it now as my experience tells me that when the economy sucks, I did awsome, Cheaper to repair than to replace. My first few yrs in business when I was alone with a part timer were the best, My saying is or was. I am the guy you love to hate to see. I will be posting pics as I dig them up and scan them into the computer. Lots of repairs, ladder racks, a few of various trucks I owned. I also did alot of pipe thawing in the winter. Does any one do that.We did what ever walked through the door in the shop, Miles of railings all over the east coast, mostly hotels, gyms, ect. Lots of equipment repair in the field. I think that was my favorite. Repair work, by the hr. Actually all road work was by the hr. Usually COD.Sorry about all the rambling on, but welding has pretty much been my life and it's cool to communicate with others of the same mind set.Lincoln Ranger 8 Lincoln 175 Drill pressLincoln 225 mig Plasma 8 ft brake 52" jump shear
Reply:A_DAB_will_do said ************************************************** ******************************payment terms are always discussed upfront and spelled out on the bill.************************************************** *******************************I ask about payment on the first phone call. Or I know the customer.When I first started (in 1985) I gave 2% 10 days, Net 30. Do you know how many people took the 2% and paid me in 30?I also learned you can wipe your azz with a purchase order. It aint no check. I too had a mechanic shop with 4 employees. It was OK, but the welding is much better for me. I have pretty much worked alone for the last 5 years and I KNOW every job. If i a screw up goes out the door (which it doesn't) I did it.DavidLast edited by David R; 06-03-2009 at 06:33 AM.Real world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Well I love seeing all these posts... I am a part time owner myself... I started out welding at my Family buisness. (www.packagesteel.com) they make steel buildings but as we all know it sucks working for family. So now I work at AZZ / CGIT and do my thing on the side. I don't really put very much effort into this as I am going through a divorce right now and the econmy sucks. But I have a lot of friends that do construction work so I am always very very busy. I can't imagine having time to do much more. The money is good and I love every minute of it. I repair a lot of buckets and plows during the winter months espically. As a matter of fact last winter I setup some signs around the city were the subcontracted plow guys hang out saying how I do mobile repair 24/7 and got a lot of work from it. Even not welding stuff just cause I kept silly stuff like hoses and plow pins / bolts on hand. whod of thought that the plow repair store wasn't open all night. LOL anyhow I love seeing all this and I hope they make our own thread just about this. I think it would be a great tool to have in our pockets.Millermatic 251Miller Bobcat 225Lincoln 135Victor Oxy/FuelOlder Thermal Dynamics 50 amp (paid $700 with 10 sets of consumables)
Reply:I have owned my welding fabrication shop for 6 years. I have been doing a lot of fab work for the oil field. My shop is 140 by 50 I had 5 employees as of 5/09 and we had to work 6 day a week some times. Since the economy has gone downhill Im down to 2 employees. Hope time get better fast. I just started a mobile welding rig it is starting to pay for itself. KEEP BURING ROD Attached Images
Reply:I guess I better add myself to this list!I was a truck driver for years, done all my own welding and fabricating since my early teens, mostly garden tractor and farm use stuff.Dad taught me a lot, but my best mentoring came when I was in my late teens, when my brothers father in law took it upon himself to show me the ropes of real shop work including welding, he owned his own business as a weldor since he was a teen himself.He had a full machine and welding shop.It started out when he had a contract to maintain the tanks at our local fuel storage tank farm, he hired me and my brother to shovel the snow off the tops of the tank during winter, this was back during the recession in the early eighties, I spent several years working and annoying the crap out of him with all my questions about welding and fabricating, and I am sure I gave him a few of the gray hair's he had on his head, I suppose I would have followed that route of work, but he retired and sold off his shop and equipment, and I had to find something else to do!My dad got me into truck driving with a company he worked for, the money was good, so I just kept on truckin!About a year ago I had my first mild heart attack, followed by a second one last fall, and finally a stroke this last Feb, that effectively put me out of the driving business.over a year ago, I started making and selling some specialized garden tractor stuff and adding to my tools I had, most all sales where done on line, so I didn't need a special license or permit.The economy has kept the sales down and forced me to get more aggressive and take this further and add to what I do, so I applied and received my business license a few weeks ago under the name of D&D Welding and Fabrication, I had still been adding to my tool and machine lineup, and am now open for business for mobile and shop general welding and fabrication.I sometimes wish I had followed this path years ago, but I don't regret taking up the trucking life, if I hadn't, I probably would have been like most of the people who live around here and had never traveled more than a few miles away from home!This is the short version of how I got here, if anyone cares to hear it, I could go on and elaborate, but I am afraid this thread might have a melt down due to an over post over load! #1. If you don't like what I wrote, or if it offends you, then don't read it!#2. I am living life the way I see fit, if you don't like the way I'M living, tough sh**!
Reply:Hello all you business owners.I have been welding since 1991. I went to welding school from 1991-1993 and from then on welding was good to me. I went to work in South Texas and hired on with a contractor that worked for Exxon. I did repairs in the oil field and build whatever was needed. That was a singlehand job. From there I came to Oklahoma and worked for 7 years at a little place called Charles machine works (ditch witch). 4 years as a special products weldor and 3 years as a special products coordinator in sales and marketing. In 2003 I decided to go to college and four years later I got my Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Oklahoma State university. It was during my first semester in college that I decided to open up my welding business. I had already done contract welding work in several rock quarrys in central texas and worked as a boilermaker. I had gained plenty of experience in repairing road equipment, asphalt plants, farm eqipment and alot of general fabrication along the way. So I had some contacts and it worked out all by itself.Right now things are slow, the town I live in is saturaded with welders due to the largest employer here in town is only working every other week and they employ roughly 300 welders if that. since they only work monday through thursday and every other week, they are picking up alot of work that I usually would have gotten. They are working for $8-$20 an hour. I had been working for $65.00/hr so many farmers are getting a deal in this down economy. I am insured, mobile and do shop work. This is my 6th year in businesss and I am greatful that I own everything I have. So overhead is low and life is good. thanks for reading.Salas Repair General Welding & Fabrication
Reply:full of bussines man
Reply:Ugh!Been filling out insurance papers for 2 hours.Ugh!That is all.Brian LeonardAppalachian Ironworks L.L.C.434 Long Branch Rd, Marshall, NC 28753828 649 9966828 702 [email protected]
Reply:hi... I guess I do a variety of business , now into oil company service, piping and off-shore platform fabrication... joint venture with old established company...Thats all I think... Unit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles... |
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发表于 2021-8-31 15:01:20