Jumping in the deep end. The scary and exciting world of starting my welding company

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Hello My name is William Payne. I live in a small town called Wanganui here in New Zealand. I am 27 years old and I have spent the last 4 years working in the exciting world of mold tool and die/general machine shop work. I have enjoyed tig welding since the day I was handed a torch and told to weld something. My dad passed away in early 2014 and since then I really started looking hard at where I wanted my life to go. About 6 months ago I started noticing how much welding my employer was outsourcing and it got me thinking. Well I started to pursue welding more and more. Brought every specialised welding book I could find, watched video after video, and looked over the shoulder of every specialised welder I could find. I went away to stay with my brother in the big city (Auckland) a month ago and did a week long welding course just to get a bit of formal training. But while there I went a visited the specialised shops that do the kind of work I want to do. The day I came back I had registered myself as a company and decided this is my future. I'll still work full time at my current employer but am now in the process of setting up my welding business.Gear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch         BOC Smootharc 185dc tig         Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:So, the adventure begins....many of us here have done the same. It's amazing who and what you will come across throughout this. Best of luck to you! Rich
Reply:Good luck on your venture, hope it works out!
Reply:You will never work for a harder boss then your self. Sent from my C811 4G using TapatalkVantage 300 kubota ,miller 304 xmt ,lincoln ln 25 pro , ranger 305 G, plenty of other tools of the trade to make the sparks fly.
Reply:Originally Posted by GmmandanYou will never work for a harder boss then your self. Sent from my C811 4G using Tapatalk
Reply:Don't know your past history but would suggest you get some small business classes under your belt if you haven't done so already.  As we've all said a hundred times, the easy part of running a welding business is the welding.  The hard part is everything else.
Reply:congrats! your an inspiration. any owner can quit and be an employee. head up, keep smart, stay true to your values. be everything you wanted to be when you were 20.not that im an owner, but soon will be. the advice i gave you i give myself. easy to get lost without remembering. goals set need to be achieved tomorrow, even if they look meaningless by the end of todaybosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:Thanks everybody. Im in the expensive stage of business at the moment. Which is the start up. I have purchased a special welder known as a PUK from Germany a long with an assortment of specialty welding rods to go with it. Am also working on getting myself a Syncrowave 351.Gear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch         BOC Smootharc 185dc tig         Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:William,First, I have to say, congratulations on starting your own business.  I wish you luck.  But I really have to ask, what kind of welding are you doing that uses a PUK machine?  I looked it up, and they look like they are for really small work.
Reply:Welcome to the forum.I learned that I needed to outsource the business operations that I have no stomach for.We have a gal that comes in one evening a week and handles the accounting, and then once a year she puts all the numbers together for the annual tax returns.I can do the "Hammer and Bang" but the posting of revenues and expenses, plus all the other administrative junk is distasteful in the extreme.I offer three choices: Good, Fast, & Cheap. You may pick two.Hobart AC/DC StikMate LXHarbor Freight AD HoodHarbor Freight Industrial Chop SawDeVilbis 20 Gallon, 5 HP Compressor
Reply:Good question! One of the main services I will be offering is mold tool and die repair welding. The PUK I have purchased is a modified one known as a Piggy Welder which is sold specifically for that kind of work.Last edited by William Payne; 08-13-2015 at 03:45 PM.Gear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch         BOC Smootharc 185dc tig         Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:Good luck
Reply:Originally Posted by Ace86William,First, I have to say, congratulations on starting your own business.  I wish you luck.  But I really have to ask, what kind of welding are you doing that uses a PUK machine?  I looked it up, and they look like they are for really small work.
Reply:Went shopping yesterday! What awesome stuff did I buy you ask?! OFFICE SUPPLIES!!!! And every purchase felt awesome! Why? Because it's my deal. I made sure made in Germany was on every pen and pencil I got in the office supply store.Last edited by William Payne; 08-14-2015 at 10:25 PM.Gear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch         BOC Smootharc 185dc tig         Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:Do you have a potential customer base lined up? How are you finding work? I would suggest setting up a web site asap. Even if it just links to a fb page.Miller TrailBlazer 251Miller HF-250-1Miller MaxStar 150 STLHyperTherm PowerMax 380 plasmaLincoln PowerMig 180Millermatic 252Miller Diversion 180
Reply:Originally Posted by waginDo you have a potential customer base lined up? How are you finding work? I would suggest setting up a web site asap. Even if it just links to a fb page.
Reply:Sounds like a solid start. Make sure you and the boss can define on the clock time and self employment time. Setting up at your job could get tricky. The best of luck.Miller TrailBlazer 251Miller HF-250-1Miller MaxStar 150 STLHyperTherm PowerMax 380 plasmaLincoln PowerMig 180Millermatic 252Miller Diversion 180
Reply:Sounds like you are off to a good start, except for the " everything made in Germany" bit.
Reply:Originally Posted by walkerSounds like you are off to a good start, except for the " everything made in Germany" bit.
Reply:Dilemma dilemma dilemma. It's time to buy the "big" machine. Have found a company in England that sells used machine and completely rebuilds and refurbishes them to order. Choices choices, syncrowave 350, or syncrowave 351 or an aerowave. Whatever I choose it will be completely stripped and refurbished before shipping to me. My past big welder experiance was with a Lincoln 300/300 and a miller 330ab/pGear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch         BOC Smootharc 185dc tig         Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:Well I have got a miller Syncrowave 351 coming and have got myself a new welding helmet. The helmet is nothing special it's just a fixed shade passive helmet, just what I'm used to.Gear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch         BOC Smootharc 185dc tig         Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:Buy your boss a beer after work hours and thank him for letting you set up in his shop! and good luck in your new venture! Hope it works out for you!
Reply:It wasn't Christmas at work but it sure felt like it! Gear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch         BOC Smootharc 185dc tig         Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:Originally Posted by William PayneGood question! One of the main services I will be offering is mold tool and die repair welding. The PUK I have purchased is a modified one known as a Piggy Welder which is sold specifically for that kind of work.
Reply:Originally Posted by steelsurgeonIs this the only type of work that you will be taking on? Is there enough of it to keep you busy enough full-time?I know it's probably way too soon for you to be able to answer these questions, but it's something that you have to wonder about.It would seem to me that if you set up a shop specifically for that purpose, that it would be impractical to do other types of welding / fabrication work in the same space.Just playing the Devil's advocate, here.RichSounds like you are off to a great start. I started working nights and weekends until I was booked every night and weekend for the foreseeable future, then turned in my notice at the gas company. It was hard leaving a 15 year career, but i didn't want to not try something that I really wanted to do. I am able to take a week or two off every year, if you call working 7 days a week for the month before and after worth it. I make more money now than I did in a fairly high paid job I had before, so that is nice, but the days can be long when you have to do the jobs, sell new work, do the books, buy materials, then your truck/welder/equipment breaks down, etc.Last edited by walker; 08-21-2015 at 08:06 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by tbone550Don't know your past history but would suggest you get some small business classes under your belt if you haven't done so already.  As we've all said a hundred times, the easy part of running a welding business is the welding.  The hard part is everything else.