Fabrication Business

[rtbcomp]

Bluddy 'ell better start breeding then

 

[weldequip]

They cottoned on to that decades ago overseas, why do you think Britain is so attractive? certainly not the weather!
weldequip

 

[the cheerful blacksmith]

Hi Paul. I am doing just what you are thinking of doing. I have my day job, but I work every night in my home workshop and also at least two weekends per month. The wife said she will support my dream of self employment, but that I must make try and make it happen in a year or two. No longer!!
I do gates, flower-pot holders etc and am gradually learning the market. Slowly but surely. There are no short cuts.
The other guys are giving good advice, so go for it.

 

[Welderpaul]

Thanks Rick - How are you finding it?

 

[the cheerful blacksmith]

Going it alone

Thanks Rick - How are you finding it?

Hi Paul.

I am doing something that I really enjoy, and the money that I am making I have ploughed back i nto advertising ina local magazine that is availabke free on garage forecourts and in local shops. This has produced a few jobs in local towns, but I must say one thing that really pays off is word of mouth.
I did a gate for a lady, and she told her brother who wanted some work done on his narrowboat, and his dad need a garden seat rebuilt and it went from there.

One word of caution here: do not undersell yourself. I did this for nearly ten months, and one day my wife saw a patio table drawing I was quoting on.
She added another £55.00 to the price I was goig to ask, and the customer never batted an eyelid. The wife now does my pricing for me.

I have probably lost a couple of hundred quid over the ten months by undercharging, but I look at is as a learning curve.

My work is slow but beautiful when finished, and I am now sticking to my guns on prices. If someone wants something made for nothing, let them go elsewhere and look.
I did this and have had two different folks come back to me, both roughly after about a week or so, and asked me to go ahead with the job.

My paintwork is what also sells my jobs. Painting can make or break a good job, so I went on an evening training course about two years ago and learned to spray.

I reckon (hopefully) that this time next year I will be on my own. So here's hoping. The one correspondent in the forum said that "being a bit poorer but doing what you love is what really counts".
I reckon he's right. Artists have done it for centuries, and I really am very happy in my workshop hammering and welding. After about 14 months of it I am now even far happier than when I started, and I am determined to make it work.

Hang in there, man.

 

[Welderpaul]

You sound like your on my sort of wavelength - i am in the process of setting up a website, sorting business cards etc etc etc that sort of thing to run the wrought iron fabrication side of things along side my day job to see what happens - ideally fab work will take over from day job, but a long way to go yet - lets see what happens....

 

[Alex]

Another idea you might know already or have done so anyway is to get your business card on the counter of related shops. The local tile shop near me has business cards of local tilers on the counter. Maybe you could try local garden centres for your gates.

 

[pieman]

Just thought i'd add my 10 penneth FWIW.

I've recently set up on my own after 20 years in engineering. The last 5 have been as a design manager on a relatively good salary.

I just had enough of keeping fat , lazy people in big cars! i'm sure a lot of you guys can appreciate that!!.

Anyway, after finding a solid months work via friends and colleagues, i quit my job and am now a handyman with a flatbed truck and lots of tools yay! i also do a bit of freelance design from home for a couple of companies (when its raining of course!)

Initially i was like a fish out of water, i had now thrust myself into very unfamiliar territory; a world of accounts, tax, advertising and marketing - things which you take for granted when employed.

Now 8 weeks on i'm very very very happy, and most importantly i am free! thats worth a lot of money in my eyes.

Yes i had the first 3 weeks pointing houses, not nice but i had to do it! i was quite low at that point, wondering what i had got myself into. But after those 3 weeks when i got a big wodge of cash it all made perfect sense.

I'm not in a position where i can pick and choose jobs, but work does keep coming in via word of mouth. I've got a few business cards out there which have worked a bit but have never done a big advertising campaign as yet, Quite honestly i dont think i need to.

I'm just negotiating a mainenance contract for a company which requires a fair bit of light fabrication. Thats why i'm on here now asking mr Weldequip about portamigs!

Sorry to ramble on but i just wanted to say its by far the best decision i have made to date and really look forwards to getting up in the morning now.

Dont worry about the tax and accounts too much initially, take stock at 2 or 3 months and you'll have a good idea where you're going by then. (do inform the tax office before 3 months tho!)

Most importantly -

1. Do every job like it was your own - Hopefully with pride.
2. Dont rip anyone off.
3. If you cant make it to a job at a given time / date then contact the customer to inform them.
4. Dont stress! things invariably are not as bad as they seem.

These 4 rules are what i run my life and business by and they serve me well to date.

Also remember if you are working you are earning! worry when you're sat at home doing nowt!!!

Sorry for rambling, hope this is of help.

Cheers

 

[weldequip]

Best of luck to you.
One word of advice... watch the old credit accounts. 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!). You will be keen to gain as much business as you can at first but just be on your guard; if they want credit let em pay on a credit card!
weldequip

 

[rtbcomp]

Best of luck to you.
One word of advice... watch the old credit accounts. 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!). You will be keen to gain as much business as you can at first but just be on your guard; if they want credit let em pay on a credit card!
weldequip

Especially if you do work for friends & family. Lay down the law - if you want me to do what I do for a living you pay my wages!

 

[weldequip]

Hmmm, that's another one. Try not to get involved! Fine doing stuff for family & close friends but even they can take the p***
weldequip

 

[snowcat]

Hmmm, that's another one. Try not to get involved! Fine doing stuff for family & close friends but even they can take the p***
weldequip

every one takes the p**s out of me

 

[pieman]

Theres definately no F in credit here!

Family and friends have been good and they know the score now its my livelyhood!

Luckily my work generally is only the odd day or three here and there so invoices are only in the hundreds and not thousands.

 

[Rusty]

I think there are thousands of opportunities waiting out there but because we all go into auto pilot mode with our 7 - 4 or 8 - 5 or whatever jobs you don't get the chance to suss out what the world's got waiting for you.I was self employed for almost 30 years and did all sorts and being out in the world and meeting people every day the opportunities just seemed there for the taking, you would be surprised how many people are looking for a trustworthy odd job man and will pay good money for you to do even the simplest jobs.
A small add in the local paper usually starts the ball rolling.
I now work for an agency preparing new cars for dealerships ( no rust to worry about here !) I am paid on a price per unit basis where if the time for the job is say 5 hours and I do it in 3 hours I get the 5 hours pay,earnings can be excellent - poor but I'm not working out in the cold and wet anymore and I don't need to advertise either.
Buying and selling second hand cars can be good, a couple of cars a week shouldn't be a problem to sell and it only takes a good valet a lot of the time.
Buy them from your local free ads paper and stick em back in with your bit on top,my mate does it full time.

 

[murex400]

Best of luck to you.
One word of advice... watch the old credit accounts. 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!). You will be keen to gain as much business as you can at first but just be on your guard; if they want credit let em pay on a credit card!
weldequip

Been there when I first started out I was given a phone number of a guy who has a contract for one the big home building companies his company do all the ground work gardens/fence’s etc . As weldequip says I was after all the work I could get.
And was blinded by his big house, swimming pool, snooker room and flash cars etc
Gave me job to do some hoop top railings (30mtrs) for him which was my first real big job cut along story short it took 4 months to get payment from him. Later found out that no other fabrication company will touch him from the local are

 

[rtbcomp]

Buying and selling second hand cars can be good, a couple of cars a week shouldn't be a problem to sell and it only takes a good valet a lot of the time.
Buy them from your local free ads paper and stick em back in with your bit on top,my mate does it full time.

Put it on a formal basis though, Trading Standards watch the small ads for repeated phone numbers and the papers themselves do the same because they charge trade advertisers.

And in any business - don't diddle the taxman

 

[Rusty]

Better to just work for Joe Public, forget doing work for companies certainly until you have a few quid behind you as they can take ages to pay.And if you do a good job the word will spread between friends and relatives of your customers and that will save on your advertising costs.

 

[irondarren]

One of the better thing about working for joe public, you can ask for a deposit of 50%. A realitively common practice something i do myself. If you get stiched up at least you have had material money, just means your out of pocket on labour

 

[murex400]

To be honest I prefer privet work to contract work as you don’t feel like you’re owned by any 1 yeah I all ways ask for 50% now when taking on a privet job the last contract work I done was on a 60day account that’s a killer

 

[shenion]

I ask for 50% up front from my clients for the first job. Then, if they pay fast with no hassle, then it is at end unless it is longer term. Then do monthly bills.