Fabrication Business

[scarecrow]

Best of luck with your new business if you decide to have a go. You are obviously very good at what you do so that side of the business you don't have to learn the business course might be a good idea to help you figure out how to do the rest. You could always go back to what you are doing now but first you have to go forward

 

[Ratty]

.. Too many people out there with seven rows of teath, who will screw you given the opportunity. (and the ones that do tend to be living fancy life styles, big house big car etc.... makes em look like they've plenty of money, but they ain't!).
weldequip

Wrong!!! They DO have lots of money..why? cos they don't pay their bills

Good luck Paul, I've been self employed nearly all my life (except for a brief time, mid-career, as a student). I used to work up to 20 hours a day for bu88er all but always happy doing what I chose to do. Now I work less and charge much more as I have built a good reputation - and I've never advertised! All word of mouth recommendations.

Do a good job, treat your customers well, always meet deadlines, charge a good price, there are plenty who are willing to pay for quality.

 

[irondarren]

Ratty love the bit about there are always those willing to pay for quality lol. There was a stampeid down aldi a few days ago cos someone mentioned on here you can get a set of calipers for under a fiver. ROFLMAO

 

[Ratty]

Ratty love the bit about there are always those willing to pay for quality lol. There was a stampeid down aldi a few days ago cos someone mentioned on here you can get a set of calipers for under a fiver. ROFLMAO

I didn't say EVERYone was. You need far fewer customers paying a lot...a lot more paying a little. Personally I'm much happier with a few clients with a discerning eye - and a fat wallet. I can never understand those S/E people who complain on the one hand that they are so busy they can't keep up with their orders and on the other that they don't earn enough. PUT YOUR PRICES UP! Then you get the same money for less work. Well makes sense to me . I once had a client refuse to pay for a piece of custom work, tried to knock me down on the price - he said he could've got it cheaper - when he told me where, I knew he was not worthy of appreciating what I had done so I said sod you and kept it, even tho I was very poor at the time and needed any money. I sold the piece a year or so later (ok quite a lot of years later) for about 10 times what I had quoted him..and the client loved it. If you believe in what you do and do it well there are people out there who will appreciate it and cough up.
Still...we all love a bargain..where's my nearest Aldi?

 

[chuk]

Ive recently (last year) started my own building and groundwork bussiness and its going pretty well so far. The one biggest thing ive learnt is NOT to be shy about money, things cost what they cost there is no such thing as a cheap job. Being a young un (23) i use to be a little shy about it.

However 1 word of warning, this may just be me, But you may just start to hate something you onced loved. I never get time to stand over anything and make it "perfect", I also find it hard to let people do things for me because its not how id do it.

The missis says im a perfectionist but i reckon im losing it

All in all its the best thing ive done and is opening doors for me.

GO FOR IT!!!!

chuk

 

[irondarren]

Is difficult when self employed, everything needs to be as perfect as possible, so you know your turning out top notch stuff. But the longer you spend on it the less money you get for it. Difficult to find a balance, all my work is gates and railings with the odd repair on other stuff. If i had my way the mig welder would find the bin, the AR/CO bottle would be sent back to BOC, and all i would use is TIG. I would TIG everything, but its just not practical. So its a case of striking a balance

 

[Drains]

I used to have a foreman, in a joinery shop, who was one of those annoying buggers who moved at the speed of a sloth but worked at the speed of light. Still don't know how he did it, but none of use could match him, no matter how hard we grafted.

He used to see me fussing over a job, and would say "you've finished it havn't you?", I'd say, "yes, but..." And that was as far as I got. Perfection was NOT ALLOWED. You did the job right and got it out the door. If you couldn't do the job right first time..... off you go!

That same man also told me the best workers were lazy. Why? Cos a lazy worker finds the easiest and quickest way to do the job. Maybe that's why he looked like he worked so slow but actually worked so fast.

 

[snowcat]

Im with you ratty, had the same sort of delima, I didnt know if I could put my prices up and still keep my customers. Chargeing a decent wack was the best move , I got rid of all the messers who wanted everything done the nothing tommorow, which gave me more time to concentrate on the bigger people who put more work my way and are willing to pay the price,. Iv done the same, never advertised all word of mouth, The other thing with the firms i work for is it's all repeat work so im lucky now that i dont really need or want any more customers, but thats not to say i get greedy with the ones i have trust on both side's is needed, I like the changes I have in my job last week I was doing a low loader, the last few days i got involved replaceing a hydrulic clutch pack on a shovel, tommorow Im on A/C work for the day and friday im back welding herring bone's in a industrial building,
As for aldi I buy multimeters from them £3.50 each try buying a 9v battery for that

 

[Ratty]

However 1 word of warning, this may just be me, But you may just start to hate something you onced loved. I never get time to stand over anything and make it "perfect", I also find it hard to let people do things for me because its not how id do it.
chuk

I totally understand this one, I was self-employed for nearly 10 years in the profession of my childhood dreams, one of the reasons I jacked it in and became a student for 4 years was disillusionment, partly due to the moaning kind of clients mentioned in my last post and partly, like irondarren, the more I learnt, the longer I took over every job - I was better at what I did but didn't feel appreciated and therefore unfulfilled (and actually earned less then when I first started - I'm a bit of a perfectionist too). It was a leap of faith, going from a fairly successful business to being a very poor student (I took in student lodgers to help pay the bills and in those days there were still student grants) but it was the best move I could have made. I loved it and since leaving college and going s/e again with a different attitude, things just got better and better. I rarely take on work these days unless I really want to do it. Follow your dreams Paul, a positive outlook combined with hard work and ability will get you where you want to be....and even if you end up somewhere else you will at least enjoy the journey. I've never regretted anything I've done - only the things I haven't done.

 

[snowcat]

I think that's the key, Since I became more pickey about the work I do enjoy it much more, dont think employment would ever be an option, or more likely dont think anyone would want me ro work for them, I like working my times, to my rules, to my standards think it would take me about a morning before i was given the sack.

 

[chuk]

My missis always tells me "you wouldnt last 5 min in a "normal" job" She seems to think telling here boss to do 1is'nt aceptable.

chuk

 

[irondarren]

Same here snowcat, work when i please etc. In fact im just deciding, if to go back out to the workshop and ram a 50x25mm frame together for a sheet steel gate. About an hrs work to make the frame and it saves me doing it tommorrow and there is diddly on TV, so the frame is looking favourable.

 

[Welderpaul]

I've just re-read this thread. Funny how all the comments by weldequip, rtb, snowcat et al all make perfect sense now.
What a long way we've come in two years!

 

[rtbcomp]

Nearer three years - doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself!

How's it going then Paul? Fancy being an employee again?

 

[Welderpaul]

Fancy being an employee again?

Never - couldnt go back to it. Always have a laugh when someone moans to me about their boss!

Still really enjoy it - especially now we're starting to get the decent work.

It's hard work though - certainly not easy, but does have its rewards.

 

[Ratty]

Haloooo Paulie...looong time.. Can't believe it's nearly 3 years since your dilemma and so pleased it's all working out. I just re-read your kind advice about railings. Finally got them done and fitted about a week ago (and actually managed to do a tiny bit of welding myself to adapt the neighbours railings to fit), stupidly forgot to photograph the finished results but am back in London next Friday so will do so and post you a pic.
I nearly got to meet Si this w/e as I was in Granton for a seminar but he neatly avoided me by going to Marseilles for the w/e. Ah well, went to see an old mate in Elie instead after too much wine in Edinburgh and a bad meal the night before. Just back and recovering.

 

[Welderpaul]

Nice to hear from you again Ratts. I think Malcolms being dreaming about us though...go back a few pages in your beers up thread- it's there somewhere.

We've some catching up to do! How's the little dog? not so little?

 

[Ratty]

Violet has grown but is still pretty small, just over 8 months now. Still full of beans and cute as a button and still makes me laugh no end.
I should really be posting this in the bar or 'show us yer pets' and not spoiling this thread...feel free to bump me Malc. Gotta get some sleep to recover from the vagaries of Edliburgh, I'll be back

 

[s410man]

any chance of a update 5 years on?

 

[Hitch]

Too busy in the Bahamas on his private yacht to post I expect