TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION PROPERLY YOU NEED TO DECIDE ON WHAT TYPE OF WORK YOU WANT TO DO, (I.E.) CONTRACT FABRICATOR, CONSTRUCTION, REPAIR? WHEN YOU DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF WORK YOU WANT TO DO THEN YOU CAN START GETTING EQUIPMENT. FOR FABRICATION PRODUCTION STYLE EQUIPMENT IS NECESSARY, GMAW, ETC. FOR CONSTRUCTION THEN A PORTABLE RIG IS NECESSARY, SMAW. FOR REPAIR WORK YOU WILL NEED A VARIETY OF EQUIPMENT, MIG, TIG, STICK, OAW, OAC, AIR-ARC, VARIOUS HAND AND POWER TOOLS, BAND SAWS, MAYBE SOME TYPE OF HOIST, AND MAYBE SOME TYPE OF FABRICATING EQUIPMENT,(I.E.) LATHES,PRESS BRAKE, SHEAR, ETC. IF YOU WANT TO DO PORTABLE WORK THEN YOU WILL NEED A PORTABLE WELDING RIG. NOW LAST BUT NOT LEAST YOU WILL NEED A PLACE TO DO THE WORK. GARAGE, STEEL BUILDING IS TYPICAL. DON'T FORGET ABOUT INCOMING POWER FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT THAT YOU NEED. HAVING A SHOP IS GOOD BUT THE INITIAL STARTUP IS EXPENSIVE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE E-MAIL ME.