welding business

By devo

Date 06-02-2013 18:12

Which level are you taking things to? Pipe, Field, shop, architectural?

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 06-02-2013 21:22 Edited 06-02-2013 21:29

By far the biggest hurdle is establishing a reliable consistent clientele, especially for a "public" business.

By Wldnfrk Date 06-02-2013 21:26

Well that's not nailed down yet. I've done portable, mostly fabrication, a little architectural, and a little iron work.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 06-03-2013 11:26

Hahaha, well, you got a minute......or 45?

I'll get a post up here on my thoughts but later today as I have to

-go to the bank
-turn on electric in new shop
-see about dropping some 220 outlets in said new shop
-have my guy install gate posts today
-revise that, oversee my guy installing gate posts today cause he is kinda green on the fine details
-finish a decorative table today
-make sure bills I got friday go out today
-finish memorial for a cemetary plot today
-modify trailer to haul stuff from galvanizer tomorrow
-load trailer to haul new stuff to galvanizer

........ how do I solve the problems?? Clones?? LoL!!

I'll give you my thoughts after awhile but as I said, gotta move out of shop into shop, set up new shop and keep invoices rolling out.....

it's not that bad...really....hahaha!!!

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 06-03-2013 18:28 Edited 06-03-2013 18:31

WELCOME TO THE AWS WELDING FORUM!!

So, problem is, we don't know what you mean by the next level. That could mean you want to get certified. It could mean you think you want to be an inspector. It could mean you want to start your own business. It could mean you want to become a union hand instead of working for nothing at some backyard shop.

Based upon your other thread, I really wish people would stop doing that- both your threads belong together, I would guess you are thinking about starting your own business. Devo asked a good question, and if you aren't that far along yet, then you are not ready for the next step.

Welding is a broad profession and there are way too many different aspects to think you are going to start your own business and do ALL of them. You can not be all things to all people/customers. So, pick one that best fits what you like and do well. The ruin of many a business is trying to do too much at the beginning. It takes too much equipment, insurance, time and experience.

It doesn't have to be anything amazing, but, start, as Yojimbo suggested in your other thread, with a basic business plan (that's why it messes things up to have multiple threads covering basically the same material). Despite many scoffers, it will keep you focused and plot your course.

Don't worry about advertising until you know where you are headed: shop location, business phone number, type of work, welding processes, certifications, available equipment, etc.

Start checking your options as to customers. Find out what the market will bear for hourly rates. Don't try to be the cheapest guy in town. Too many start out on their own because they get mad at a boss and think they can do it cheaper while keeping more for themselves because the employer is charging way more per hour than he is paying them as the hired help. They forget about all the overhead. Liability Insur, Workers Comp, Unemployment, SS, vacation time, holiday pay, medical insur, shop rent, trucks, trailers, welders for shop and/or field, leads, torches, tools, extension cords, ladders, porta-potties, phones, advertising, computers, non-payment on a job but have to pay the help and overhead anyway, PPE for employees (not to mention yourself), etc, etc.

Are you certified? to what? Do you like doing it? ARE YOU GOOD AT IT? Start there. Then work outward and get broader in your plan.

Then, come back and tell us where you are headed.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 06-04-2013 03:11

Biggest problems starting out, hmmm, lets see.

- Funds, seems to be the biggest problem when starting out. Unless your wife is working full time pulling down 6 figures its going to be a bumpy ride. If you happen to have 6 figures in the bank account already as start up money then its all up to you.

Most guys I know though, me included started with a little more than nothing. $750 in my bank account, a stay at home mom, kids. I had a truck, a welder and knew nobody. I've been dabbling in small business stuff since I was 21. Never happy as a wage slave, longest I ever stayed in one place, almost 5 years. All others were 2-1/2 years, maybe 3 and then I was gone. I say this because I think, my opinion is, like welding, small business ownership picks the owner, the owner don't pick small business ownership. I've known several that have tried and others that are scared shyteless thinking about it.

If your used to that steady paycheck coming in and will come unglued when your bank account says minus $300 then this might not be for you. Down to your last dime, contractor owes you several thousand and it is in the 40-45 day range, past due, sound like fun?? Getting loans, credit for your newly formed small business, what a joy and good luck! Some of my personal biggest hurdles, monthly insurance premiums. $300 per month when your doing little becomes a lot.

How did I solve the problems I had? Sheer perseverance, determination.

By Wldnfrk Date 06-03-2013 21:45

More than likely I would start with a portable trailer set up. strongly considering the trailblazer 325. I had structural mig cert in the horizontal position but has lapsed since. Not to worried about getting certified with steel structure in any position. NO pipe for a while. I used to do some stair and handrail work for a small company on the east coast and believe I could make that a good starting point for my market research. Should I just call all the contractors that I can find or is there a different angle that I might could take to get me a little more leverage?

By Wldnfrk Date 06-03-2013 21:49

O yeah and to clear things up. im looking at business start-up. probably portable

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 06-04-2013 04:15 Edited 06-04-2013 04:19

Dang Dualie !!!! Why don't ya just streamline it ....break it down to simpelist form....jeez so complicated!

Brent gave you very broad and good advice...By the way he is a very accomplished business owner....if you want it to get detailed you must divulge some details. Dude running a welding business of any kind means you will have to do so so so so so so s o so so much more then be able to run a bead....these guys will help you as long as your willing to help youself.,.....get specific about where you stand, where your at, money/capital, equipment you have etc.

By Wldnfrk Date 06-04-2013 15:47

Ok. I think Im gonna shoot for some commercial stair and handrails. Im currently looking at the local chamber of commerce to get a list of some contractors. Is there any advice on what I might can do to get enough leverage to even get a conversation with someone who makes decsions?

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 06-04-2013 17:22 Edited 06-04-2013 17:26

Now your started. Get some pics of work you have done. Do some sample rails about 3-4' long with different decorator pickets in them. For the commercial, do some samples with pipe and some with tube steel. Make sure you have the proper commercial and residential codes to work from. I'll have to look it up, there is an outfit you can download a free code interpretation from that has good illustrations and explanations. There are many little aspects to railings that get missed. Especially on stairways and at corners of landings coming down stairways depending upon how the landing/stairway combo was built. Stairs have their own little quirks; tread spacing- for rise and span, head clearance, variations in rise per each step, toe gaurds, landing sizes, etc.

Then, just get in there and go to their offices and show them your pics and samples. Most of them are very approachable. You may want to call and make an appointment, but don't be afraid to just show up and ask for the boss. Be ready with prices. We do it all by the foot. I don't have to measure anything to shoot them a price per foot. From there, they can figure out the total for any job. Take your steel (all with mark up- never charge exactly what you pay for it), mounting hardware, a price for fabrication, installation, painting, overhead, profit.

For MOST of those jobs you won't be bothered for certifications but I would contact a local source and get some applicable certs ASAP. Have you checked to see if your city, county, state require business licenses and/or a Contractors License? Business licenses aren't too bad but the Contractors Licenses can get a little spendy. If your state has a Registrar of Contractors they probably have County Contractors Associations as well. The advantage of them as networking. You can get your list of local contractors from them and make contacts. But, not all will be members. So then just go to the phonebook.

We run hundreds of feet of rail per year. We also used to do 200-300 truck racks (pipe racks, ladder racks, whatever you want to call them) per year before the slow down. Those are also a good place to start as they don't require any certs. Just a design that sets yours apart from others. Keep them simple. One guy can do 3-4 per day. Not bad money.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 06-04-2013 21:39

Far as marketing just grabbing the phone book calling up contractors and asking for an estimator or job supervisor will can get you in touch with a decision maker. One good reason to do that is it costs you zero money, just some time at your discretion. My very best contractor client come from a cold phone call like that...they remembered my name and number 6 months after calling them and after that first job it was on...I became thier go to guy.

By Smooth Operator (***)

Date 06-04-2013 22:54

Wldnfrk....... NUMBER One thing I've learned in 31 yrs. of biz.....:eek Don't trust a G.C. As far as you can throw them.......After all these years I can count my G.C. Customers on 1 HAND

By strother (***)

Date 06-04-2013 23:18

Go to housing projects and any govt subsidized housing. Talk to the person in the office and find out who manages the property then let that company know what you do. Sometimes they just need to add a few ft. of railing to bring something up to code and they want someone local who can do it quick and for a reasonable price.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 06-05-2013 03:51

Brent brings up good points but as far as the codes go, get on Amazon and buy the latest IRC and IBC books, everything you need to know about handrail, stairs rise, run and more. They are not that expensive and are quite handy to have. In general though you have around 500 pages (or more) of b.s you could give a rats behind about.

You have to call and do like Tommy said, get ahold of the estimators. I know a few but that don't really mean didly. Most that I deal with or have dealt with just send out invites to jobs that are more or less useless to a guy like me. Got a bid for some 1000 feet of aluminum rail on a job. Would have loved to land that. If I could get past the "one man band" hurtle, actually with a job like that would be easy. Fronting the money for the material while I build it, install it and all costs associated with it? Not gonna happen.

Cold calling and talking with them really ain't worth didly either. Meeting face to face, handing them a card, seeing the look in their eyes. Most of the time they're saying "yeah, yeah, we could use a guy like you" and their eyes are saying "quit wasting my time I've got super depot fabricators down the road".

My experience is you have to carve your own nitch. Scratch, dig til your fingernails are peeling back and bleeding and then if your lucky and have run across the right connections things will start to happen. Time, time, time. It's going to take that.