New Business Tools?

[Admin]

As we continue to improve our site, some discussion around offering help for people starting new welding businesses has surfaced.

If we were to create a section on our site for people who have or are starting their own small/freelance business, what types of articles or online tools would you like to see offered? What might help you the most?

-Setting rates?
-Marketing yourself?
-Insurance?
-Product selection?
-Mobile welding/service truck set-ups/rigs?
-Anything else?

Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you!

[dabar39]

I know the county, state, and federal taxes vary but maybe you could do a broad range topic on taxes and accounting related topics. What's taxable, what's not, tax certificates and exemptions, that sort of thing. That seems to be the most misunderstood part of getting into business for yourself. Otherwise most of the other topics I would include you have already mentioned. Dave

[Black Wolf]

My $.02 are on the Motorsports site. I'm not going to annoy anyone with double-posting.

Later,
Jason

[snackers]

Business tools...

I would have to say that some of the most important would be locating suppliers who are willing to work with small businesses and also the bidding/cost end of it as it relates to different areas in the country. Not only regionaly, but also city/suburbs/rural within those regions.

[tnjind]

The uncle sam thing worries me and I don't really worry about anything much, ask my wife I drive her nuts with it (the not worrying thing).
When I was just doing stuff on the side, no big deal, this year I did 20K of work with one company, plus about 4K other, I have tax ID #. I am not sure how to pursue this.
Tim.

[walleye1]

Hello,

All the items you listed are great topics, 2 big ones for me are how to find work and what about liability insurance, any help would be great!!

[AC MOTORSPORTS]

Familey Business Forever

I Have Worked In Familey Business Owned Shops

To Help The Smale Business Owners Is Cool We Can All Us This And Miller Doing There Part Is Just Like The Iceing On The Cake

I Can Say There Is A Lot To Run Any Business

Income Tax Is One And Then There Is Insurenss To Get If You Do D.o.t. Work

How To Put Together A Bid On Work So You Do Not Lose Money For Your Hard Work

There Is The Rework Jobs When You Have To Go Back And Fix A Broken Gate Or A Weld Fales And The Custemer Is Mad

I Got A Wake Up Call On This One Doing Golf Furnecher My Desines And Proto Tyeps Got Stolen By My Invester And He Had 51% Vested In Me And I Did Not Now That Is How You Can Lose What Is Yours Like The Hole Idea

There Is So Much To Think Of I Can Say That This Is A Good Idea That Miller Has And I Hope It Works

[welder_one]

legality ideas for making a binding contract that will help to ensure that monies will be paid at the end of a job. i guess like an overview or outlines of contract ideas.

[brightspark]

I'm not sure about Health and Safety legislation in the US but here in the UK you cannot commence any work on site without a Method statment and Risk Assessment for the work to be undertaken. Maybe a template for each would be a good idea so new starters can have all the appropriate H&S documentation in place to enable them to complete work on site.

Russ

[Admin]

More Info

I'm happy and amazed with the response this topic has received in a fairly short time! THANK YOU!!!

What form would you like to see this take? Would you like a category, such as "Welding for a Living" created on our message boards? That area could be for these kinds of topics as well as people starting their careers, getting certifications, etc.

And/or, would you like to see actual articles or documents of guidelines created and posted under our "resources" tab on our Web site? Maybe for the tax/insurance, (since it is always changing) we could just give referring links to the correct spot on the IRS Web site? Internationally, (as in for the UK or Canada, etc.) I guess I have no idea where to start looking for info on the "technical" stuff like taxes, etc.?

[doobie]

This topic is a great idea.Maybe it can be divided into different countries.I know the local shop here pays $5000 month insurance(a one man shop),but you dont have to have insurance but it depends ont the company that you may work for.

[Admin]

An awesome resource you can use now

In case you don't know about it already, Microsoft has an impressive cache of pre-made invoices, legal docs, forms, etc., that are free for the taking.

Here's the URL:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/te...s/default.aspx

They will definately help you streamline almost any process you have!

[BDJ]

Sign me up

This is a GREAT idea I would really appreciate something like this as I aspire to break out on my own. This would be an asset (I think) to people who already have their own business to cut overhead and bring new things to the table they haven't thought of. Setting rates, rig set-ups, insurance references would help me out a lot.

[welder_one]

how about links to places that offer financial grants or the likes to starting up small businesses

[SkidSteerSteve]

Real world

To begin with, I think this is a great idea to pursue. Thanks, Miller. The topics already listed are some musts. I'm not exactly sure how this idea would fit, but maybe a section of "real life" stories of how guys got to where they are now, and just some words of wisdom for up-and-comers. I've only had my business for four years now and have learned more than all the years of schooling before that. One of the key things that cause a lot of problems early on that no one really talks about is the need for good ol cash capital. When starting something on your own, most people can't even imagine everything that is going to surface and bite you. Case in point...it cost me $150 earlier this week to file two pieces of paperwork...not to get a license or permit, or anything like that, but just so that I could have the privilege to hand paperwork over and wait for them to tell me what I did wrong or left out and come back when it's corrected. you do that a handful of times on things and bamm..there's a grand gone and absolutely nothing to show for it. Or the reality that, (to the surprise to most employees) an honest business man is the last person that gets paid...if at all. On a few occasions, the subs, the suppliers, and everyone else went home with $, but I was scrounging material for returns just to keep from COSTing me $ to do the job. Granted, part of that is thwarted by good bidding, but sometimes things happen and you just have to make good on it if you ever want work in the future. Or the fact that on one project, we were on a tight schedule and come to find out, since we were in a remote part of the county, the building inspectors only came out when they had a certain number of inspections to justify the trip. We lost over two weeks for ONE TWO FOOT LONG BRACE that was missing because we couldn't proceed to the next stage without inspection and he failed it the first time. Other contractors had to pull off because they had other work and couldn't wait. You factor all that, plus bank interest and that one $.50 part cost us over two thousand dollars.

Ok, I'll stop, I'm getting worked up...

Don't get me wrong...I love working my own show and will work 80hrs/week because I want to anyday over 40hrs for someone else because I have to. Ups, downs and the in between...no day is the same and it's never boring. If you like a check every Friday and two weeks a year, think twice. But.....If you wake up and can't wait for the day to start and make something happen just because Capitalism and America are two awesome things that most people never utilize and so many people in the world would love just have our daily CHANCES just once in their life....then go for it!

SSS