staring a welding business?

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okay i dont want to set anyone off saying i just started welding and i want to open a business now. ive been in school for two years and got certs in vert 7018 vert flux core and spray mig. i work in a sop doing all mig but getting a lot of experience modifying to fix stuff and overall fabrication including cnc plasma cutting bending and so on. i am hoping that in thhe future id start my own legit business. right now im planning how id do it and researching . i have a mentor with years of experience to work wit me so i can get the experience i cant get in class and that i need to be great at it.  i spend as much time under the hood as i can with all processes i can get my hands on. so here is my question. how did you guys get started? is it worth it ? im not lookin to make a quick buck i want to ave fun doing what i like and working like a real person instead of being like every other 18 year old and living off the parents and being useless. so please give me any advice you can. what ways do you get jobs? what would you stay away from? how much am i lookin to get insured? anything you wish you had known when you guys started?  thank you for your help !jaymiller bobcat 250 ntsouth bend metal latheClausing verticle millrikon 17" bandsaweverlast 250exharris oxyfuel set upspeedglass AD helmet with adflo power respirator.
Reply:what kind of welding/work do you plan to do?IW Local 580 NY, NY
Reply:The skills to weld and the skills to run a business don't necessarily go hand in hand. I've seen a lot of guys that were good at what they do fail with their own business, and I've seen guys that can't do any of the work have a great business.Just because you are the best welder in the world doesn't guarantee your business will succeed.  Also expect to put in a lot of hours. The day doesn't end at 5pm any more. There's bills to pay, estimates to put together, money to track down, maintenance and up keep, materials to order or pickup, deliveries to be made, schedules to juggle, taxes to do, inspections to schedule... Most guys I know who run their own small business are lucky if they only put in 12 hrs a day 6 days a week if not 7..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWThe skills to weld and the skills to run a business don't necessarily go hand in hand. I've seen a lot of guys that were good at what they do fail with their own business, and I've seen guys that can't do any of the work have a great business.Just because you are the best welder in the world doesn't guarantee your business will succeed.  Also expect to put in a lot of hours. The day doesn't end at 5pm any more. There's bills to pay, estimates to put together, money to track down, maintenance and up keep, materials to order or pickup, deliveries to be made, schedules to juggle, taxes to do, inspections to schedule... Most guys I know who run their own small business are lucky if they only put in 12 hrs a day 6 days a week if not 7.
Reply:I agree 100% with the above.  Running a business, welding, and fabricating are 3 different disciplines that each need time devoted to them.  It's most likely that you'll end up spending more time learning to fabricate and learning to run a business than you will learning to weld.I would suggest you take some business classes at your local community college, including small business basics, accounting, and marketing if it's offered.  Another class to take would be personal finance, because you have to learn to budget for the unexpected.  You will also need to learn how to save money for the slow season, because it does come around for most of us eventually.  Customers are the number one Thing in business.  Without customers your business will die a painful death.  Customers kind of build on themselves if you're doing good work - I tried advertising in the yellow pages and in the newspaper and got nothing for my money.  But word-of-mouth keeps me going and work continues to increase, enough in the last while that I had to specifically schedule today as "my day" so I can do some personal stuff.  The economy in my area hasn't been great, so I'm pretty happy about that.Lastly, and this is a random thought, it's often feast or famine.  More so when you're just starting out.
Reply:You basically work 24/7 when you own your own business best advice is to get experience do lots of research and save as much $ as you can.I worked for someone else for 23 years before starting my own deal in that time frame I purchased the tools of the trade little by little and it helped when I went into business.When you own your own business you have to wear many different hats not just the shield.
Reply:Another thought:LOOK at all the "stuff" that is in the shop you are working in.  That's everything that you can possibly see.  The building, Lights, electricity, phone, Tax Accountant, Lawyer (find one before you need one and take the time to find the right one), Insurance (property, truck, personal (don't plan on getting sick or hurt - let me know how that works out!), liability, bonds (many businesses require a bond to come on site to work).  I didn't mention taxes - local, state, federal, get an employee then double everything.  Fuel for truck - welder, maintenance for same, then all the supplies (rod - wire - tips - etc for almost anykind of metal - what comes in the door).  Like that work table you're working on - great - $3,000 to $15,000 ea.  It then takes off from there for another hundred small items.  The best thing is to be a really good welder doing specialized work or specialized material and let "them" get the work and pay you really well.  You will then come into work - work - then go home.Did I mention how you are going to get customers?  Try to figure that out!  Look at the number of welders and shops within 25 miles of you - if there are a lot of them, just how are you going to get work?How to price the work?  By the inch, time, difficulity (all the listed) but how much?  Remember you have to meet all the above costs before you open the doors - then there is the whole cost of doing business (licenses etc.) and that comes before you even buy a sandwich to eat that day.  You also have to factor in how much it cost you to live - your food, clothes, apartment (trailer out back of the shop?), etc.Need I go on?Ok, I will.  LEARN TO USE EXCEL!  Then list every expense you can think of in a spreedsheet.  Each tab being a different type of expense tracking.  Add all that up!Then USE IT to track every expense you have in your shop - everything from rod to gas to water (in its own category) EVERY DAY so you don't loose track of expenses.  If you don't you will never know how you are doing - but you will have a ton of money just pass through your hands.Dare I go on?!  Nope - that is the beginning of the things you need to think about and prep for.With that said - PREP YOURSELF FOR THE FUTURE BY ACTUALLY PLANNING FOR IT AND WORKING TOWARDS IT AND MAKING  IT HAPPEN RATHER THAN JUST HOPPING IT MIGHT.
Reply:Wow Danny, you are a smart man. I have to agree whole heartedly... owning your own business is a blessing but you live it every waking moment and half of the sleeping ones. The day to day operations and sales keep me far away from the table most days. Growing up in this business I always wondered just what my father was doing in the office, on the phone and on the road. You figure it out pretty quick. It was much easier at the work table working my 40 Sent from my Kindle Fire using TapatalkMiller Maxstar 200 DX - Syncrowave 200 - MillerMatic 200 - Bobcat 225 NT - Spoolmate 3035/SGA 1003 X Lincoln Power MIGs (200, 215XT 255)3 X Lincoln SP's (100, 125, 130)Thermal Arc 181i (spool gun and TIG torch)HT Powermax 1000 G3
Reply:i appreciate the answers . ive been in contact wit the accountant my old boss used and talked to him about running my own business. pretty much the same answer as you guys but he is an electrician so its a bit different. business classes sound like an excellent idea i took 2 of them in high school but they were a joke. as far as i know there are easily 10 to 15 small business welders around my area and im sure there are more so thats a problem too. a lot of people i know do side cash jobs but i dont want to get in a pinch and be sued for everything i own so i cant convince myself to not be an insured llc . it just seems dumb to risk it.miller bobcat 250 ntsouth bend metal latheClausing verticle millrikon 17" bandsaweverlast 250exharris oxyfuel set upspeedglass AD helmet with adflo power respirator.
Reply:If you use written text to communicate with customers please learn to use capital letters when needed.Not meant to be hurtful but how you present yourself can and will have an impact on business.Tim Beeker.
Reply:After more then 20 years in buisness for myself as a metal fabricator I can offer three words of description. Hard, Hard and Hard. You better have a product to offer and be able to **** gold cuff links or forget it. Maybe just get a rig truck and work as a sub for a long time first because open a shop and it is a roller coaster, ups and downs like you cant imagine. Ive made money and I have saved money then it falls off and it is all gone. Now here I am friken bankrupt with about 55K owed to me that I will most likely never get. Here is a thing about business that most people dont know. Money that you spend on business of your own multiplies by four on average depending on your mark up. Same goes for money that you loose from customers not paying. For example. If you spend $1000 of your own money to buy something and you have a 25% mark up on your goods or services that means you have to bill $4000 just to get back to zero. Like wise and this has been my situation lately. If someone owes you $10,000 and they dont pay and you are out of pocket on that amount that means you have to bill $40,000 just to get back to zero. It gets really scary to say the least. That is probablly one of the reasons most business go under. ..Oh and di I mention it is HARD.Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:Definitely a hard business, especially in this area. I only do it part time. I'd absolutely love to run my welding business full time, but I don't know how I'd ever pull it off, especially with any kind of benefits/job security compared to my union job.IW Local 580 NY, NY
Reply:Originally Posted by tnjindIf you use written text to communicate with customers please learn to use capital letters when needed.Not meant to be hurtful but how you present yourself can and will have an impact on business.
Reply:i apologize i do use proper capitalization usually, but my keyboard is currently broken . i guess i should tell some of my intentions. ive been accumulation tools to make  a mobile welding rig and ive made quiet a bit of progress on that. i figure the only way to learn to run a business is to have an experienced person guide me and learn as i go, as well as in classes. i have a couple small products id like to produce which are exhaust flanges for trucks and do mobile repair work. i am looking more as a side job right now and to do work on weekends and nights to use  for emergency repairs and book keeping . and i am going to be going to engineering school soon so that should help as well.miller bobcat 250 ntsouth bend metal latheClausing verticle millrikon 17" bandsaweverlast 250exharris oxyfuel set upspeedglass AD helmet with adflo power respirator.
Reply:One other thing to consider - PLAN FOR IT AND GO FOR IT!  If you fail then you fail but you will have tried!One more - The comments above are from people with their own shops.  They both made it and failed, but not because they didn't try!  Some took it to the last gasping breath, as their hand clawed the dirt into the grave.Some ways to "Make it"Be an on call welder for fab shops who only need someone occasionally.Specialize in materials that others have difficulty with.Hook up with a "repair company" that gets contracts with big businesses - refinery, chemical plants, etc.Work for someone untill they lay you off or you get so much work you have to quite to accomplish it.ETC ETC ETC
Reply:The only way my shop will survive is if I get a partner. I mean partner company or a merger. Which is on the table.If not Im closing up and getting a job, maybe keep some of the machines and make a small shop for side jobs. Funny thing is that the jobs Im looking at pay more then I have been making running a business that is for sure. Coarse I have to pass the tests. If you go the welding rig route go for pipe welding. That is where the money is. Thats what Im planning for.Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:DSW stop being so truthful...   listen to him, firedup. A biz is great, make $, got pride etc... but it is very demanding.   You've done one thing really right, you've got some school under your belt.  What if you took some extra biz classes to add to your  base. Might help you keep it under control. Music shop the same way... many people play well but fail miserably when asked to run the thing successfully.  Either way good luck, and we'll be hoping to see some good results.Lincoln Power MIG 215Lincoln WeldPak 3200HDLincon ProCut 25Lincoln WeldanPower 225 AC/DCIf all else fails... buy more tools
Reply:i think ill start with some more classes and get some more experience first and see how it goes. i really appreciate all the responses guys!miller bobcat 250 ntsouth bend metal latheClausing verticle millrikon 17" bandsaweverlast 250exharris oxyfuel set upspeedglass AD helmet with adflo power respirator.
Reply:Good luck, with sincerity. Hard work, aggressiveness when needed and always humbleness.Tim Beeker.
Reply:Originally Posted by firedup198i think ill start with some more classes and get some more experience first and see how it goes. i really appreciate all the responses guys!
Reply:If you do make the plunge then be ready to adjust your priorities a bit.  I left my shop, went back to punching a clock, with a huge sigh of relief.   The business was and is still successful - but it consumed so much of my time that my kids were becoming strangers, I had more sitters than I could keep up with and all that cushion in the bank accounts was as good as useless.  Some people are no doubt better at time management than me, I'm sure there are lots of folks who manage to balance it out.  Me personally - when the kids are bigger and can be more involved then I will go back into it but till then I like that 5:30 stroll out to the truck.Best of luck to you, small business is what keeps this world rolling.When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, "This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know," the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives.
Reply:Firedup ,congrats on your enthusiasm .i have read this whole post and you have got allot of really good input from these guys take it all to heart . i am by no means a master welder i am a machinist for a living i work for a big company and we manufacture our own products and i weld for the fun of it, also i  grew up watching my dad run his own auto repair business he died of cancer at 48 yrs.old{ whole different subject} but you being a young guy get some good experience work at a couple of different shops  for at least  10 yrs and really pay attention to what goes on and think to yourself what would you do in that situation . the 10yrs. thing i mentioned will give you a few years to mature a little "that's not a slam" you will be dealing with 40 50year old guys to get work from and have to satisfy them enough to get them to take you seriously they will see you as a 18 yr old kid that they can take advantage of and you definitely don't want that . i have a couple of good friends that are successful small business owners one does custom cabinets and the other hardwood floors . they both complain about the same  things  dealing with people ie. employees ,customers that don't pay and people who want something for nothing take these things to heart because you WILL have to deal with this at some time . the whole time i was watching my dad run his business he took a vacation 1 time for 2 weeks in about 20years "not worth it " he basically worked himself to death when those guys say it's going to be HARD this is a good example of that. i saw all that going on when i was  growing up and have no desire to be a business owner, "but that's just me"when i want to take some of my 4 weeks vacation i hand my foreman a slip and say "see ya in a few days "   and add in there health insurance and retirement plan ! when you are the boss that's all on you  . not trying to discourage you just giving you some food for thought . good luck and  let us know how it goes. Chris
Reply:This thread has me thinking a lot. I have been thinking about this stuff a lot lately anyway since the downward spiral cause by 2008. I find it very hard not to be negative and discouraging. because one of the problems with business is that everything can be great, and then in the blink of an eye it can turn horrible. You can be in a position where your future looks brite and then the next day it is all gone. What kind of business is the real question? Welding is just the hammer and nails so to speak. There are so many business that welding can be a part of. I design, fabricate and install custom architectural and structural metal work. Because my customer base is builders in construction it is not to hard to see why my business has fallen off. It is around 50% of what it was. I am trying now to market directly to homeowners because for the most part builders are out. They just don't have any money. I keep trying to think of other things to manufacture that I can sell online or something, custom signs? BBQ's and grills? If I could do it all over again I would just get a rig truck and become a subcontractor. At least then, if there were no jobs I could go work for someone else in between. I used to work 15-20 hour days, sometimes sleeping on a sofa in the office to meet deadlines, but no more. I work 8 or 10 then I come home to spend some time with my family. Then I get on the computer to market through social media and do some paper. work. Im gonna keep fighting to turn it around but it does not look good. But when I look for jobs they are pretty scarce or have a low wage. So Im gonna keep fighting for the shop and I am gonna keep looking for a job. One good move I made is cut my shop floor space down to a third which my landlord was gracious enough to do for me. Did that and sold off some machines. A huge weight off my shoulders but still may not be enough. Enough about me, my point is that one of the most important things you can do is plan. Plan plan and plan. Plan for what will happen if you have no money coming in for 3 months or even a year. How will you pay the bills? How will you meet payroll? Will you use up your life savings like me? Definitely write a real solid business plan with all of your ideas and objectives, then get a real knowledgeable person to help you with financial projections. Sometimes you can find a business idea isnt viable or will make little money at that point. If it does work out on paper the business plan will serve as a guide to make things work and will give you a solid plan to work by. You should have liquid, at least two years of your total cost of doing business in the bank before you even think of starting. I did and it still didnt help much. I worked for my first three years without any paycheck at all. Most businesses will be the same. Sigh, sorry for the rambling. It kinda feels good to vent.Last edited by Capozzoli; 02-18-2012 at 11:46 AM.Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:You have had a lot of good advise already so I will try not to repeat too much of it other than to say ,And this is said with the same experience as them ( different trades ) but business is business .LONG LONG DAYS (I used to start at the shop at  5:00 AM and leave at 10:00-12:00at night).  Very Hard if you are young and lacking  in experience( both real and perceived ) will be a problem in the eyes of your customers especially the really old ones you know 51 year olds like me who think we know it all .  The more experience the better ,find a boss who will teach you business as well as trade .Allan
Reply:PS to last post   It never hurts to marry a woman with a good job or a wealthy father .Originally Posted by OLDMERCPS to last post   It never hurts to marry a woman with a good job or a wealthy father .
Reply:Good point there. Health insurance. My wife does the office stuff at home. We just recently dropped our health insurance. They just kept raising the rates. $1.600 per month for three of us. Yep, its charity for us now.Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:We made decision once, when the kids were smaller and we were into my first business... to have my wife return to teaching rather than run the office for us. Best thing we ever did; she has Health insurance which is spendy but not crazy.  She has a good pension which she can go to anytime now years later.  The job has worn thin for her as most do when you reach retirement... but it gave us stabiltiy so I could risk, be in business, work longer hours etc. I missed her around, but frankly I think it made us more grateful for the time we spent together and probably for her it helped her  NOT hit me with sumthin' heavy now and then when I decided I was CEO  and it bugged her  I hired someone to replace her,  I realizxed then how much of the burden she was doing well.   Best partner I ever had.Lincoln Power MIG 215Lincoln WeldPak 3200HDLincon ProCut 25Lincoln WeldanPower 225 AC/DCIf all else fails... buy more tools
Reply:I am still working a "real" job, but my welding biz is and has been doing well. I started when I was young and stupid and that helped. I would never have made the leap with a wife, 2 kids ,a house and a car payment. I have all my equipment, a good customer base, and thankfully I still have the balls to the wall drive to go and get it everyday. My "real " job is 3 days on 3 days off and covers my health ins and all that good stuff. If I had a 40hr 5 day a week job it would never work. Self employment takes a special breed of people, my whole family was, and still is. It is the way grew up, my wife and her family will never understand it. You need to understand that you are in biz to make money not friends, and not be taken advantage of. The other thing is there are 10 other guys out there that will do the same job for less money, you need to give the customer a reason to use you. Quality, quality, quality, and customer service.Last edited by TozziWelding; 02-18-2012 at 05:50 PM.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:LONG LONG DAYS (I used to start at the shop at 5:00 AM and leave at 10:00-12:00at night).
Reply:Good Luck starting a business in this economic situatition. Sometimes I look back to 1956 when I started my shop in Avon Mass. Luckyily for me the building boom was starting up and I was making wrought iron rails ect. Today the insurance is the killer, back then blue cross was $50.00 a month forfull coverage . Today I am on medicare but still put in a 8 hour day. Last job put in a bottom on a 14'x 7' dump trailer,4 sheets 1/8" plate 75 ' welding with fluxcore, tomorrow 4 wheels for a mudd buggy, take 4= 28" tractor rims, put 6 lug  wheels in the center weld 2"x1/4 spokes to hold it in the center .What I am trying to say is having your own business is a lot of fun but in this situation with the economy, back in the day you did not have to have ins.I would work in Dorchester with the lines accross the sidewalk retubing a boiler at some laundry, no problem. Today I would be screwed.All of my friends have retired and have a pension .Retired cops or fireman, it's a lot of fun but long hours. I don't know if I could do it now. Good Luck.
Reply:Gremlin, tell me about working in the "city" I will never do another job within the city of Boston ever again. The permits and hassle from the BFD is not worth it.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Right on Tozzi, the good old days are gone, now ins. co's control everything. In 78 after the big snow storm "blizzard of 78" moved to Fl I don't regret it. Good luck Tozzi keep up the fight in Mass.
Reply:All good stuff.  I start at 8 and quit at 5 or sooner or later.  Depensa on when the work is done. I took a LOT of those courses for small business.  YEP, I have heard it many times.   8 of 10 fail in the first year due to poor management, not paying taxes, or lack of capitol.  Food service business is the most to fail.Note it does not say lack of skill.Its the personality of the owner.  I have been on my own this time for 8 years in june.    I figure if I can't pay for the insurance and take some time off now and then it means I have not made it.    I take off on the bike for a week or so in the summer and every other weekend.All fired up guy, go for it.  I started my first business when I was 25.  I did it till I was 30  when my family relocated. If you start your own business and have the drive, it will be the best education you ever got.Screw em all, I have made it on my own.  DavidThis is the satisfaction I get.   I built this grill.   Now they want 2 more.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=87541Last edited by David R; 02-18-2012 at 07:34 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Another thing to point out from the dark side is that it can be harder to get out of business then it is to get into it. Now if you just have a rig and a garage it is no doubt easy to just go and get a regular job. But when you are in a situation where you have grown the business to the point where there are ongoing projects and employees you then have other people and responsibilities that depend on you. In my situation maybe I should have filed bankruptcy and closed up two years ago, then maybe I could have held onto something before I got to the awful situation I am in now. The only way for me to get away now is to file bankruptcy. Not only on creditors but on customers who have deposited me. This I could never do (I hope). I not only hope the economy is gonna get better so I can turn things around for myself but for others that I could hurt along with myself. For three years now I have just been throwing money at it, trying to catch up on several accounts that just did not pay at all, some filed bankruptcy I have been working with little or no pay and struggling to pay a commercial lease, back taxes, make payroll, pay workmans comp etc. etc. basically just trying to make it work. If I dont double my sales it will be that way for a while. Now, I have been looking for a regular job but I still have some unanswered questions. How can I do it without filing bankruptcy and hurting other people? If I was to take a job what then? Just walk away from the business? Let it die? Make customers wonder where their money is? Make creditors eat it? What is the alternative? I wonder if I should stop taking on jobs and finish the ones I have? But if I found a job and I wanted to close it that way how could I ever get a potential employer to wait for the six months it would take to get the jobs I have done? Ive down sized, I have three employees, I went from a 10,000 sq foot space to a 3,000 sq. I have made every sacrifice possible in my personal life. I have risked everything. I am 100 percent invested in a business that I thought would provide me with a retirement. This is another reason that makes it so hard to give up. I have given so much of my money, so much of my life that to give up now after all of that just seems crazy. But, at the same time I feel trapped and it is like a noose that is tightening around my neck. I hear advice form mentors that say "Just hang in there you have a good thing the economy will get better" while others say "get out now and get a job".Firedup, Im not trying to discourage you, owning a business is very fulfilling I have always loved it, im just wanting to share the dark side so you can avoid the problems I am having. No amount of business schooling will help you with the things you can not control. Though being prepared for them will, because they WILL happen.  I have slathered all over this forum about my problems with this business and I hope that the info can help someone. I also hope to post some day regarding some good news about either turning it around or closing it in such a way that I didn't hurt anyone else.Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:Capozzoli, it's nice to see someone trying to do the right thing for your employees/customers. Good luck with everything.IW Local 580 NY, NY
Reply:Originally Posted by TozziWeldingGremlin, tell me about working in the "city" I will never do another job within the city of Boston ever again. The permits and hassle from the BFD is not worth it.
Reply:Capozzoli,Not trying to mess with you, just wondering on your problems.In reading your posts, it sounds like you have ongoing projects, yet are going broke.Is it a job quoting problem?  Employees not producing? or just too much overhead in general?Last year I only had help on large projects that needed 2 people.  Vs getting help whenever I was busy enough.  I don't have regular employees & I only give the work to 2 contractors that are each self employed.  I pay them their rate, in a check & they come with insurance, it's a win win.  Of course I pay more up front, but they are both very responsible guys that can read a tape.   It saved a lot of money, & I don't ever need to lay anyone off. (which always sucks)Any jobs that I can't get to myself gets sent out to 1 of 3 other small shops in the area (for a % of course).  Good luck with everything, I hope it all works out for you.Buy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldingMachineCapozzoli,Not trying to mess with you, just wondering on your problems.In reading your posts, it sounds like you have ongoing projects, yet are going broke.Is it a job quoting problem?  Employees not producing? or just too much overhead in general?Last year I only had help on large projects that needed 2 people.  Vs getting help whenever I was busy enough.  I don't have regular employees & I only give the work to 2 contractors that are each self employed.  I pay them their rate, in a check & they come with insurance, it's a win win.  Of course I pay more up front, but they are both very responsible guys that can read a tape.   It saved a lot of money, & I don't ever need to lay anyone off. (which always sucks)Any jobs that I can't get to myself gets sent out to 1 of 3 other small shops in the area (for a % of course).  Good luck with everything, I hope it all works out for you.
Reply:To answer some of your questions.Insurance is different in each location and depends on what you buy.   I have a 3 million umbrella  policy.  My equipment in the shop is covered upto 40 thousand.  It does not cost that much.   Less than 2,000 a year.I said earlier  I have been at it 8 years this time because my last business had to be sold (for a decent profit) because my then wife was not happy.   Divorce was the way to go.  I sold to my partner and kept working there.   Next I took a job as plant manager in a mattress factory that was on its way to bankruptcy.  I didn't know when i accepted the position.  Next I was laid off and started the business I have now with one unemployment check to pay one months rent in a small shop in the basement of a crappy building.   People brought me their stuff.  I moved to a better place with a leaky roof.   then to a slightly bigger place with a leaky roof.   The first while all I had was a ford conversion van.  It got me going.  Next I bought a used F150 and towed my welder on a trailer.  Then the truck in the upper left corner.   That one rusted out so now I have a 99 F350 and the welder is back on the trailer I built.  I put a LOT of money back into the business.  That is what kept me going.  Newer better equipment.When I did a big job, I bought another welder.      When I got the deposit for the grill, I bought a second tig torch and cooler.I do not use credit.   Its pay or don't have it.  I do not give out much credit.  I have had to sweat waiting for LARGE checks and I do not like that.  I do not list my equipment in my sig because I have about 7 welders and other stuff  I have accumulated over the  years.  Almost all of them were purchased  after a big job.When I started I had a gas drive Lincoln G7, an LN-25  and a set of torches.    I found it does pay in the end to buy the best.You need to have drive to succeed more than anything else.When I first opened up, I would fix anything.  Now I am a little more careful of what I take and how much I can get for the job.  Learning all the time about bidding and reading people so I can make a buck and  not be over  priced.Do it if you want.  Start out small and keep growing.  I had employee and it was a pain in the azz so I am working alone and liking it.  Everything that goes out the door I did.  I can make a living at it, so its good enough for me.I have had accountants and other people tell me I should buy a new truck because I can expense the whole thing.  I am not a new truck type of guy.    Instead I drive an older truck and take the mileage for expense which adds up to a pretty good chunk at tax time.Enough ramblingBest of luckDavidLast edited by David R; 02-19-2012 at 08:32 AM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I'll echo what is said above WRT accounts payable, collecting money is critical and can take up a lot of your waking hours. This, in turn, takes time away from your production which is where your (theorectical) money is made. I help run an excavating/sewer contracting business. About 90% of our work is public (gov't,state, cities, etc) which is good in that the money for our contract exists prior to the job starting. However, from billing to collecting, the time span may range from 30 days to 90 days. AND, getting the retainage (5-10%) can take even longer due to many factors. The owner might hold that for 3-4 months if there is a dispute/design problem. In my business, that 5-10% in all likelihood is my profit on the job. Now, your suppliers probably bill every 30 days, some of mine bill ina 15 day cycle but with a discount if paid in 10.  See the issue here??? Some of the guys here might scoff at that amount, but, believe me, that's the market I'm in. Another concern is doing work for someone in the non-public sector is collecting on money they don't have or don't want to give you. Some a$$hats might try to call your bluff, thinking that it will cost you more in lawyer fees than the amount owed. Unfortunately, there are people out there like that. Getting a signed contract is a must. It's not a 10% guarantee, but it's a hell of a lot better than nothing. I should add, there are probably some guys out there owed money by some type of gov't concern, especially these days. Illinois strikes me as one. I'm in Indiana, they have paid me so far.Last edited by dunemetal; 02-20-2012 at 07:37 AM.
Reply:Anybody know who the mods are? I want to delete post number 41. I was drinking and posting and didnt think it through. I use my real name. Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:Originally Posted by CapozzoliAnybody know who the mods are? I want to delete post number 41. I was drinking and posting and didnt think it through. I use my real name.
Reply:I cant find anyone, and reporting the post does not find anyone either. Oh well. Another rule of business is, if you are gonna use your real name within social media watch out what you post because it is permanently published to the internet. It will come up in a search. ...and potential customers will search.Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:you are correct there.   i've seen many posts and photos of work done using questionable procedures,  responses to questions that display on obvious ignorancce of the subject matter, or on the other hand, totally incorrect statements made by poster's supposedly based on fact that simply aren't.  if you should end up on the defendant side of a deposition you may well see your posting history in print, presented to you by the plaintiffs attorney and you'll be asked to declare under oath if what is presented is true or not..often, doing a search for info i don't even bother accessing the search engine for this board, i simply google the query, adding discussion at the end, and let the search engine pulls up threads from various message boards;  ww being one of them.the fact, and this is fact, there is plenty of precedent where courts have shot down defendants claims of first amendment protection (and right to anonymity) in favor of plaintiff's claim of injury.  i would say with some degree of certainty if the admin of this board were hit with a subponea demanding surrender of a poster's name and all postings written by them (and photos too) they would not be looking to spend the money required to take up the issue in court.   they'd just roll over on you and give it up.
Reply:Scary. I dont really have anything to hide. I just want to share too much information that could come up in a search of Capozzoli that potential customers can find. Im not worried if they find out Im in trouble. I never make customers pay any more then for what they can see. No real risk in hiring me.Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.