I want to be my own boss!!!!

[Bmxin^Bjorn]

the big thing is probaly advertising since your just starting,, i'd go with the trailer tho .. and yah you could tow it behind a motorcycle just not a good idea.. don't doubt yourself tho if you want to start a company you probaly can it's just alot of hours to get it going and keep it running as apposed to working for somone else.

[MAC702]

Are you hinging this whole business thing on getting this grant?

[Bert]

Bankrupt by 20 years old

WOOGAWELDOR,
Bad side:
I can't say enough of these guys looking out for your back !!! Lot of 'em tried to do their own business. VERY long hours, work all day, then doing all the paperwork at night = that IS your life; extra costs that you never expected, list goes on. So many of us did that (I tried other little side businesses, not welding), that now we err on the side of caution. when I talk to other small businesses, they threw their arm,leg, and the baby also! Used all the credit cards to the max, etc. Very few made it well, 95% failed miserably. You may have grants coming, but no contacts or jobs lined up!!! At least not for full time work! You may want to get experience first, then use those grants for when you really ARE ready! Buiild up your portfolio, then do it, otherwise, if you fail, you won't be able to get grants/loans again!
Good Side:
Who the heck wants to work for "the man?" Not us!!! If you are willing to do the work and bust your butt, it's up to you. things to consider:
1) Can you do small things in your garage before renting commercial space?
a) commercial space=electric,insurance,water,etc. Although building
(noise) in your garage might p off the neighbors!
b)start with small projects: truck racks, small gates, etc.
2) Vinyl magnetic sign on your truck doors vs. carrying around your welder.
a) Although it's cool to have your welding machine and oxy/acet tanks on
your truck, think about theft and sucking more gas with the extra weight.
b) Welding machine on your trailer, use it only when you need it.
3) Advertising in newspaper: usually wasting your money then passing out
business cards,handing out flyers, talking to people at home improvement
shops,design centers,contractors,welding stores.
4) Start your portfolio: Have pictures of what you built to show potential
clients (and us )
5) Business classes: I went to a really good entrepeneurship class ($400)
that basically we went through a cd tutorial and listed all of our business
expenses (instructors helped a LOT with ideas)
6) grants: if you are part of a minority group (ie: Indian,Native Hawaiian, etc.)
there are a lot of grants out there for start up companies). Unfortunately,
here in Hawaii, if you went to jail for drug use, there are HUGE grants for
starting up your own business (ha! think THAT'S fair?!!!)
We HOPE you do good, but we don't want you to have to sell your 1st born!
This forum is excellent, with excellent people as was mentioned before, I wish I had my own house that I could invite everyone over for a BBQ
1st REAL advice I have: Plan, right out expenses (labor,material and other expenses,layout, and build a welding trailer: see how close you are at getting the money you want with the time it takes you. that will be a good start!
*I had a friend that designed and built trailers all his life. When I met him, he
was averaging over $120,000/yr. before he retired. BUT, he went to
engineering school for 2 years and worked for a welding company for 6
years before he went out on his own and started building trailers on the
side.
The Island of Hawaii (Big Island) has 7 mobile welding trailers on the Kona side. They said they haver work for 7 more. So much construction! No one charges less than $70/hour. they do mostly repair work on 'dozers and other heavy equipment. Lot of weldors aren't that good, repairs break less than 2 days, and no one will ever call you again! Word gets around too fast! But what I see from this forum, most guys would charge 1/2 that, depending on your area.
Sorry for being long winded, just watching out for your back
bert

[Darmik]

Business

Hey woogawelder just dig a little deeper into your research please.
still have your business but also have a regular job to for awhile anyway.
And most of all dont get discouraged.

[dabeldesign]

not to change the subject...

Hey Bert! My brother lives in Kona and he almost had me convinced to ship my welding rig over and move out there. I've been there a couple times to visit him and there's SO much construction and not enough weldors....

[HMW]

These guys have gave you alot of sound advice. Gotta walk before you can run. Having said that, dont be discouraged, get a welding job somewhere and plan on starting your own busines someday. Do small jobs at home for friends and just keep looking. I agree with the other guys. Are the grants free? in other words you dont have to pay it back? I'd still do lots of planning, work awhile then make a go of it


Good luck

[trstek]

The secret to business if there is one, is, its the business that you turn down. If you get in over your head, you will loose every time.

without knowing you, your skills, your connections, your business sense, its hard to say if you can make a go of it. You might be able to or you might not.

Grants if you can get them will launch you into business, you will need paying customers to stay in business. That is where it starts, gets a bit more complex from there.

An old painter once told me, I loose a little on each job, but it is ok, because I make it up in volume.

Get work that you know you can do well for a fair price, and get paid in a timely mannor. go from there.

Insurance up, so you don't skrew up the rest of your life if something goes bad. And sometimes things do go bad, even if you do everything right. That is what they call risk.

Good luck.

[LarryM]

Woogawerlder,

I'm with Bmxin^Bjorn use a trailer. Get one that is enclosed you can lock your equipment up. It's also out of the weather. Another thing to think about if you work for someone esle first chances are you never will work for yourself. Besides that just think of the bill board you can have sides of trailer!!


Keep on burning
Larry

[SNUNEZ]

U Will Never Be Your Own Boss

Unless U Retire U Will Never Be Ur Own Boss
If You Work For Urself U Will Have A Boss Its Called (((customer)))

[Eric Carroll]

I have run my own rig/shop for 5 years now and still have to work sundays and nights.The big thing I have seen with guys fresh out of school is just not enough exp. in the craft.If you run a rig-pipe,equipment repair,structural-whatever- you will do much more than run beads.you need to learn how to rig,how to use dogs,what a roller shoe is,etc,etc,etc.the best thing to do is to learn on other people dime,by the hour.Start in a job that you can really hone your welding(pipe),then move on to a shop or job that offers somthing else to learn while you earn.I would love to hire a guy who could tig,mig, stick ,do lay out and didnt mind having to work a shovel once i a while,but welders tend to be babies.Once you have a grasp on most of the things a jobsite could throw at you and you still want to work 70+ hours a week get a truck,a trailer looks kinda part timer to most the people I deal with and if you want pipeline work they wont allow a trailer.You can make it,but the work is hard enough with out having the stress of a new buisness on your head.

[Anti-GMAW]

I'd say get a job and then run your buisness on the side at the same time. When I first started welding I thought thats all I would need to do or know how to do for that matter. Not the case, I do rigging, joint prep., grinding (alot more to it than you think), fix mechanical issuse (some times I feel more like a mechanic), on the spot engineering, etc... Welding is more a means to complete a job rather than an actual job. I found that being a welder is far more than just welding, your more of a frabricator/metal repair specailist than any thing and that requires far more than welding. I to received a far above standard education and it still isn't enough. The only education that sufices in this industry for going out on your own is exp. I work full time and I'm curently in the process of starting a rig. By working full time you don't have to worry about not having enough work. If buisness drops you still have a paycheck atleast not to mention benifets. Working for youself means eather no health insurence or super expensive health insurince with a big fat premium. And I'd have to agree with everyone else about building up a good base of contacts before going out on your own. It makes a huge diference. What ever you do though I wish you the best of luck.

[dabeldesign]

I found that being a welder is far more than just welding, your more of a frabricator/metal repair specailist than any thing and that requires far more than welding..

This is exactly right. There's so much more to learn than welding you just simply can't cover it all in school; no way!

[fun4now]

get a truck,a trailer looks kinda part timer to most the people I deal with and if you want pipeline work they wont allow a trailer.
Eric Carroll makes a good point here, all the shops and field work is always done out of a truck. an old bread truck might be an option, good add space and lockability but looks more like its a welding rig, not a bunch of stuff thrown on at the last minuit to go do a job. a trailor looks like you are not willing to comitt a vehickle to the job. "if you were sereous about being a welder you would make it permanant, not a tow behind when you need or want it." is how its going to be seen to many.
at the same time you have to do what you can do and make do with it till other options arize.
good luck i hope the best for ya.

LarryM
welcome to the site. always good to have more people. sorry i dissagree with your first post please dont take it personal, many dissagree its the only way to get more than one opinion, your's may fit him better than mine. after all you know what they say about optionons.
welcome

[dabar39]

So much wisdom in such a small space!!!!!!!

woogawelder,

Listen to what these guys are telling you, take little steps in your approach in the business world. Get a job to gain the all to valuable experience needed to survive in this world. Buying a welder and thinking you are going to make it is a very unrealistic theory, being a weldor is just a very small part of the actual business you will be doing, Get a job in a machine shop if at all possible, the fabrication skills you will gain are an invaluable experience.

In my daily routine, I have to answer the phones, answer e-mails, deal with walk in customers, draw up plans and blueprints, order materials, deal with other contractors, estimate projects, do the accounting and book keeping, file papers, deal with insurance issues, do a bank run, sit down and go through the bills, bill out completed jobs, make coffee, sweep the floors, clean the office, take out the trash etc...etc...etc... and in my spare time actually get some work accomplished. Oh, and did I mention everything is on a dead line and everyone thinks their project is more important than the others.

Wanting to be your own boss does have it's rewards, but it's no picnic either, just some food for thought. Dave

P.S. I know many people who said they could get grants, but don't know any who actually did, they are harder to get than you think.

[Kim]

Be your own boss

Always be positive, keep focused, work hard and avoid all negative information.
Always carry out your best workmanship and be professional.
Never give credit unless your are 100% sure you will be paid.
There’s always someone out there ready to screw you.

Good Luck and best wishes Kim .........