Business Owners

[David R]

Please post here if you own a welding business. Please just lurk if you do not make your living or part of it welding.

I would like the business owners to give a short introduction of them selves.

David

Hi, I own a welding and fleet truck repair business. I took welding as part of my AAS auto tech degree along with machine shop and body shop in 1978-9. I have been on my own this time for 5 years. I spent most of my working life being self employed and always was at least a part time welder. I work mostly alone. I have all the insurances and licenses. I also have a 3g unlimited thickness using bare .045 wire with C02.

I previously owned a forklift repair business, a fleet maintenance public garage with 4 employees and a part time welding business. All were successful and profitable. My dad is a weldor/mechanic so I got an early start.

[rookie_steve]

Does intent count?

Although I have a web design and hosting business, I have begun planning for a possible future welding business.

In the beginning I will just create "useful stuff" and sell them online, http://kcwelder.com and eventually will take jobs for small welding projects and repairs using my Miller XL ac-dc machine. If I make any money then I will invest the money in new tools and welders such as a MIG or TIG machine. I will not borrow the money for a "prospective" business, meaning that if my skills are not in demand or good enough then why hang yourself with debt? So far, that little paragraph is my entire Business Plan. he-he

Maybe I should be lurking instead of posting in this thread, but my intent is there.

Later,
Steve

[A_DAB_will_do]

Hi,

I run a part - time welding business doing structural welding and on-site equipment repair. I'm recently passed my '1 year in business' anniversary. Worked as an engineer for many years before leaving that career behind; or so I thought.

Went to welding school for 10 months; back in 2007-08. Worked a couple construction jobs out of welding school. Now working as a engineer during the day, and welding for my own business on nights and weekends.

I hold an AWS cert for TIG/stick on steel pipe and plate, all positions. Like David, I also maintain full insurance coverage for my business.

I run a flatbed truck with a Lincoln diesel engine-driven welder in the field, and just purchased a Miller Dynasty 200 for work in my shop. I use stick and TIG welding for my own work, and do mostly MIG and FCAW during my day job...

[David R]

Rookie Steve. I like your business plan. Its simple and I agree with it. I have borrowed NO money for my business. The closest I have come is I took on one job that needed a positioner. I charged the tool on my account at the Local Welding supply place and paid for it when the job was done (and I got paid).

I stated my shop with one unemployment check. This paid one months rent for the shop. I already had a Lincoln G7, an LN-25 and a set of torches. I already had a few customers.

I still follow that plan, when I do a big job, I buy a nice piece of equipment with some of the money from the job. It works for me. I now have 7 welders and 2 plasma cutters ( I still work alone). Its been nothing but good for me.

A Dab will do, Its going to be nice to finally have a shop welder. I went more than 15 years with out one. I just always used the G7 and LN-25. All the tig was done with no foot pedal.

David

[David R]

I am a fan of dirt track racing and have been going to the local tracks for years. Last year I asked a racer what they did about a welder. He said they all put $5.00 in for one guy that shows up every week. If you break, he welds it for you. If you don't get the $5.00 "insurance" the guy charges full rate.

One of the local tracks had test and tune last week and the regular guy didn't show up, so this Friday night I am driving my truck up there to see what is going on.

Could be good, could be a pain in the a**.

Could be just a night watching dirt track oval.

David

[jimcolt]

I started fabricating metal as a 21 year old...with an interest in Stock car racing...local asphalt tracks in NH, Vt, NY....and occasionally further. I also worked at Hypertherm starting at about the same time.....yet Hypertherm at that time only made large (un affordable) plasma systems only for mechanized cutting. Anyway, I built a large shop garage for my racing habit.....lift, welding equipment........and over the years have managed to add more pieces of equipment including a cnc cutting machine with plasma as well as hand plasma (I'm still at Hypertherm, and fortunately they make some nice affordable plasma's today!).

I stopped racing (two track championships, many feature wins in super stock, late model and prostock cars) after having kids and realizing that they needed more time than racing allowed...but I still have the shop. I have done some metal art, general fabricating....and the work I do has all been used to keep my shop running and buy an occasional new piece of equipment.....some day I may "retire" from Hypertherm and make a few bucks out of my shop.

Jim Colt

[captdave2612]

I have started a small welding company called TDS Welding. I started welding in high school and worked as a welder for a wile when I was younger. Then I went on to other things. Now I want to do it full time. I have had businesses in the past that went well at first and have grown very rapidly. The problem was I owned nothing. I barrowed money here and there and if I had a slow month or two I got myself in trouble. Finally I’m putting my company together without barrowing anything. I work full time for a trucking co. and “part time” for myself. When we need something for the trucks or warehouse I build it on my off time and I have been putting the money toward my company and equipment and my bills are paid with my full time check. I also have a few other customers. Over the last year and a half I have been working my tail off. Most of the time I wake up at 05:30 get to work at 07:30 get off at 17:00 and start working on my projects and I go to bed around midnight. On weekends more of the same. I have more work than I can handle right now and I’m thinking about hiring a friend of mine to work during the day just to get caught up.

I have listened to people complain about how much the boss makes. I just shake my head thinking how hard it is to be a small business owner and how long it takes to get to were you are making good money. We all know that when the employees go home and gets to relax the work doesn’t stop for us. Like I said before most of the time I don’t get to bed until midnight. David Ramsey says it best “Work like no one else so later you can work like no one else.” Within the next few years I will work for my self full time with a business that has paid for itself. I still have a long way to go but I’m determined to make it work. I try to surround my self with people that are successful. I watch and listen to what they do and say. Because if you can keep from making mistakes someone else has made you will be better off. Lord knows I have made plenty of mistakes on my own.

[A_DAB_will_do]

Doesn't sound like a real money maker in and of itself; unless there's 50 or 100 racers buying the insurance. But, I suppose it might generate some non-race day business that would be priced at the normal rates...hmmm

I am a fan of dirt track racing and have been going to the local tracks for years. Last year I asked a racer what they did about a welder. He said they all put $5.00 in for one guy that shows up every week. If you break, he welds it for you. If you don't get the $5.00 "insurance" the guy charges full rate.

One of the local tracks had test and tune last week and the regular guy didn't show up, so this Friday night I am driving my truck up there to see what is going on.

Could be good, could be a pain in the a**.

Could be just a night watching dirt track oval.

David

[A_DAB_will_do]

I started out with a little Maxstar 150. I bought it to do small projects and keep my skills sharp. Lost some business for lack of capability (power and AC for aluminum) so I've stepped up.

I'm striking a balance between paying cash for tools, and financing them. The lincoln I paid cash for out of my retirement savings; which also funded my schooling. The truck I financed at 4% for 2 years; not a bad deal...The Dynasty I bought on credit, but am repaying it within the first 6 months using money from selling the Maxstar, my Lincoln welder's trailer, and profits from the jobs I've done this year.

All my consumables, insurance, and raw materials are paid for with cash. Repair work is good in one aspect because the raw material costs aren't usually too great. New fabrication work can involve a large outlay for materials. I haven't hadd too much business in this area, and what I've had the customer supplied the material or I negotiated materials costs up front.

Speaking of which; I don't think I'll agree to let customer's supply materials any longer i the future. What a nuisance when they buy the cheapest cuts, and you have to stitch them together to get the job done...

A Dab will do, Its going to be nice to finally have a shop welder. I went more than 15 years with out one. I just always used the G7 and LN-25. All the tig was done with no foot pedal.
David

[prop-doctor]

took a metals class back in high school(new mexico) where i learned to weld an run mills, lathes, and do foundry
really loved the welding. rented a welder to build first go-kart. so the game was on
built 3 dirt track cars, last one was an open wheeler (32 essex body on scout frame, chevy power train)
became a diesel mechanic( 2 yrs for cummins, then 3 yrs for heavy construction equipment)
moved to 0klahoma in 83 started working for myself turning wrenches.
in 91 answered an add for prop repair man (did that in NM in between jobs) work there
1 1/2 yrs it was sold .to a guy who didn t know nutting about welding or props , ( 6 months) he walk out left bank high an dry an me with out work.. i talked to bank and bought the buisness
so here i am today 18 yrs later owner. welding any thing i can and having a blast
love welding aluminum and stainless props
so for the new guys NEVER give up on your dreams

[David R]

This stuff is all good thank you to all that have contributed so far.

A few more notes:

I went with out health insurance for the first year and a half because I couldn't afford it. Now i have it. It was a long sweat knowing if I just cut my hand and needed stitches it could put me under. I'm past that now.

I figure if I can't afford health insurance and a week or two vacation every year, I am not making it. Bottom line is there are no benefits being self employed, so I have to be able to buy them. Once I could do that, I figured I was profitable.

A couple of years ago, I had more mechanic work than I could do. I was working too many hours and had no social life, so I raised my rate from $56 to $60 an hour to get rid of some of the cheapies. it didn't work like I thought, but I did make more money. In the last year I have been ditching the customers that aggravate the he11 out of me or were too cheap to do the job right. Its working because the books look better and better each quarter.

I enjoy welding far more than mechanic work. It seems to pay better although its more of an up and down business. My money seems to come in in lumps instead of a steady flow.

For the race track thing, I am sure there are more than 50 racers. My son is interested so that is the biggest reason I am doing it. He is taking welding at vocational school.

Keep it coming!

[Ag Specialties]

Hi guys, My name is Aaron Beckman. I own Ag Specialties, which is a shop that i started from money right out of my pocket. I am going to be 30 in Aug and i have ran my business for around 5 years. I run four portable trucks and have a shop full of equipment from everything you can think of. I have 5 full time welders working for me and a couple of part time guys. We fully insured and cert to tackle about anything you can think of. We also have a full machine shop that we can pretty much rebuild anything that comes in. I went to school for machinist and graduated top of the class. Worked at a Job shop for 5 years and decided that i wanted to get into the portable stuff since there wasn't anyone around to do that. Well that was worth a ****!!!!!! So i decided that i was young enough to take the leap and never looked back.

Below is a post that i posted a couple of months ago.

"I have been running my business for years. I started out with a 280nt TB with a spool gun and a 20 gallon air compressor and a small torch set up. I took everything that came my way. I would travel long distances and tackle any job with a smile from ear to ear. Even if it kicked my ***.
Now....... I have 5 full time welders with 4 full equipted trucks. Each truck has a TB with 100 foot of leads. A Torch set up with 150 of hose. A cutmaster 52 and a 12rc suitcase. Every guy has his own set of tools that i purchase for them. Tools from grinders to dewalt 18 volt kit to every measuring tool you can think of.
I have 200 by 100 shop with mills and lathes. A brake and a press and a shear. I have about 30000.00 in steel on hand.
To many tools to even list. It scares the **** out of me and my wife, how much money we have invested.
Now the Important thing, and i have been asked many times to speak about this!!!!
I did this all with no loans!!!!! What i made, i put right back into my business.
I can close doors tomorrow and don't have to pay for anything. I pay everything up front. From steel to gas for my rigs to even my payroll. My thinking is, if i have to go barrow money to make my business run, then i must be doing something wrong"

Thanks

Aaron

[Bob Warner]

Well I guess I will throw in my .01 because I have not been at this long enough for a whole .02 worth.

I am one of those guys that have had bad luck my entire life. Many, many bodily injuries of severe nature and kinda screwed up my body. Have a hard time physically and mostly (not all) due to my doing whatever it takes to get the job done for others.

Anyway, I am currently not working again and decided to start a demolition company ( www.selective-demolition.com) and have done so but the jobs are not coming at this time. Therefore, I decided to push the Demo but also get in my bag of tricks and draw upon my past abilities.

I am not one of those guys that got along with my dad and he never taught me anything but I knew that the old men in town knew how to do "Stuff." So I hung out with the old guys. I have been "welding" since I was about 10 or 11. I worked at a gas station and sold gas at 19.9 cents/gallon. I was also the one in town to go to if you wanted the forks on your stingray bike extended to make your bike into a CHOPPER. I think I did them all in my home town for many years.

So, here I am trying to use welding as another income and have done some repairs for local farmers. I have started advertising on Craigslist for artsy stuff and yard art and also to the knifemaking community for making hydraulic presses, treadle hammers and such. I need to find where to advertise so I can actually get some money coming in. I know of several welding shops that have closed their doors in my area so that is a bad sign. I even talked to a couple of the owners to see if I could buy a TIG, no luck there.

ALL of the replies I get from Craigslist is either aluminum welding (no tig) or can you fix this $19 lamp that broke off the base and do it at my house? I will pay you $10.

I can't afford the gas for jobs like that. I explain it to the people that I will do it if they bring it to me but so far all have refused.

I can run welding and demo both as demo will be managing and scheduling then delegating, I can't do that physical work anyway. The welding I can do while the demo's are in progress so I won't be spread too thin.

I have been quoting $50/hr shop rate and people go nuts. $50/hr who do you think you are? I expected to pay $10 or $15 for this job. I let them walk because I feel if I lower to $10 I will be a $10 welder and never support myself. Even the farmers are getting tight and they know they need good work but they are complaining about the $50/hr.

As for welding experience I have been truly welding for about 15 years making all types of stuff. Never have had problems with bad welds or poor quality. I have not been trained by anyone and have no certifications of any kind. I have applied for jobs before and passed the weld test to get hired but later found out they thought I wanted too much per hour.

I REALLY wish I could get to the level David or Aaron is at. I am proud for you guys that you have done as well as you have. As for David's vacation and insurance, good for you. I have not had vacation, insurance, sick days or a day off in the last nine years (except for a year in a wheel chair which was no vacation let me tell you). I have honestly switched my dreams from doing what I love and making a living at it to doing ANYTHING that will get my wife the medications she needs to deal with her Lupus and I would really only hope for enough above to buy life insurance on myself so that if something happened to me, she would be OK.

I sure hope the rest of you have better luck. I will not stop trying to make things happen, been at it for 52 years so far, someday I will get there.

[app-ironworksllc]

Hi I'm Brian
I opened Appalachian Ironworks L.L.C. in Marshall NC this Feb. I learned to weld when I was 14.I've worked in sheet metal shops,body shops,fab shops for the better part of 25 years. I specialize in ornamental steel,stainless, and aluminum too, i.e. stairs, spiral stairs, handrails, gates, balconies, light structural erection. I do in shop and on site.I've been collecting equipment for the better part of 10 years and have started with a pretty well equipped shop and welding truck.No certs yet, my last ones were "owned" by the shop not me but I'll have D.1.1. within a couple months, unless a job comes in that requires it before then, I'll add more a little at a time. I found a pretty decent building near home to rent for dirt cheap. My landlord is great, too. He's got me 2 jobs by pimping my shop while he runs the country store next door, he's good, too.He's one of those who could sell ice makers to Eskimos. He sidelines selling building materials and donated almost all the supplies to build an office, tool room and bathroom. (I know its for his building but if you saw it you'd see it's not going to be around long) I will take almost any type of job for now, but eventually I'll try to stay towards the shop more. I'd really like to focus on spirals, but I'm not sure how busy that would keep me.Time will tell if I did the right thing, leaving a pretty good job to go out on my own, in the worst economy in 20 years. So far things are looking good. In 1-1/2 months I've bid around 16 jobs, sold 6 and have around 4 or 5 bids out as of today, and I don't even have a sign on the building yet. I need to get it done, and quickly, but every time I think I have a minute to get to it I end up having a job come in or I'm busy trying to sell one. I think that's a good problem to have, though.

Brian Leonard
Appalachian Ironworks L.L.C.
4920 Hwy 213 Marshall, NC 29753
828 680 9838
828 702 0697
http://appalachianironworksllc.web.o...m/default.aspx

[A_DAB_will_do]

Business has been growing slowly but steadily for me over the last 6 months. Getting more exposure on the internet has been a real boost; as most of the older hands in the area have no advertising on the internet at all. If you're here and running a business it seems obvious that you have a website. If you don't you're missing out. You also need to insure that you're getting visibility in the major search engines. It's not too hard to do, once you start reading about google's/yahoo's/msn services.

David R, I agree with your notions about being more selective about your customers. I'm taking all the work that comes my way in order to spread the word around and get some more word-of-mouth advertising. I've failed to make money on a couple jobs, but I'm gambling that the free advertising will have some long term value.

[Accident prone]

Im not really what you would call a buisness owner but every cent ive made in the last 6 months has been made by me for me out of my own shop(rented). Im a college student taking welding and got laid off from my regular job when my boss ran out of work. But ive been buying equitment the wole time i worked regularly and its payed off i hoped to one day run a fully equiped shop so i guess my buisness is in it infancy haha.

[rookie_steve]

You also need to insure that you're getting visibility in the major search engines. It's not too hard to do, once you start reading about google's/yahoo's/msn services.

You are right about the Internet, but there is MORE to search engines than what is on their services pages. There is much more than what I could relate here, but first is to be ONLINE for a long time, meaning get online NOW!

Second, is to create your website without errors in coding! Search engines detect coding errors and it hurts your ranking. It might look and work fine while errors exist. But if you can't find your website in the first 10 results or so, depending on the search term, then you may have errors causing the search engine to ignore or downgrade the website.

Like I said, there is so much more to tell and if you try it yourself you might be wasting a lot of time unless it is done properly.

Steve

[David R]

The race track thing is out the window. The owner of the track bought a welder and has his shirt tail relative doing the work. I'm out, but that is OK, I would have to dedicate every friday night all summer. Not exactly my thing, I'm more of an 8 to 5 type. Work is coming in every day. Not all jobs are big $, but keep the money flowing. I can see the economy causing some small problems. Some of my customers have cut back or had their work cut back and it effects me. I am working every day all day, so things are fine. I have taken some time to work on my shop and truck which was needed. I put up the rest of the lights I started doing last july, and now I am making more room for the weldor guy (me) and less room for the mechanic guy (still me). I would like another welding bench. I am looking for one that goes up and down so I can work on different size stuff without tying my self into a pretzel. One of my positioners is on a stand that needs to be made so it can be moved up and down too to accommodate different jobs. Last week I got quite a bit of aluminum and some stainless jobs. I also bought a used V160-S so I made some money with it on the stainless work on the road.
This is one rare saturday off which I can appreciate.

[David R]

Just so you folks know, I am trying to make this a full fledged forum like MIG TIG and STICK so we can have threads for insurance, bidding jobs, employees, screw ups, pain in the azz customers and the like. Please keep things going here so I can show admin there is a place for us.

David

[Bob Warner]

How do you guys find these large or ongoing projects?

Since I have not been selling myself as a welder I have no clientele built up. Also since everything else I know how to do seems to be at a dead stop I need to push the welding. I need to get some cash flowing in.

I am getting small (very small) and sporadic jobs from craigslist. Stuff like welding a lamp or fixing outdoor furniture and other small stuff like that. Obviously that is not going to go to far towards the bills.

If there is a method to the madness that will get me talking to the correct people, I sure would appreciate you guys pointing me in the right direction.

I have no certifications of any kind.

[\\NV.Welding//]

Just so you folks know, I am trying to make this a full fledged forum like MIG TIG and STICK so we can have threads for insurance, bidding jobs, employees, screw ups, pain in the azz customers and the like. Please keep things going here so I can show admin there is a place for us.

I think this would be an excellent idea!! I would really like to know more about what others use for insurance, and also the fluctuation of job costs through out the country. where i am people are willing to pay top dollar, but everything else is so damn expensive it doesnt get ya too far

[Ironmower]

My name is Jeff and I'm the owner of Iron Mower Works. This is my second year on my own and things are going fine. Its a pay-its-way business. I do all sorts of things to make my business happen like; weldin' on a greasy catipillar too re-sizin' gold rings, build one-off custom black powder cannons too fixin' your lawn mowers ect... Point beiing that just doin' weldin' and steel fabrication here where I'm at YOU WILL STARVE!!!!! I love doin' my steel work, and hopefully one day thats ALL I'll be doin', but till then I'll keep it simple..............

[partagas]

OK, here is what I need help with. Over the years I have been collecting " toys". But now that I want to open my own shop, I have no where to open it. I have been storing my toys almost any place I could find. Now everybody wants them out. Where I live trying to find a place large enough to rent that I can afford is like hitting lotto.

How do I try to gets jobs when I have no place to work. I do not have a mobile welder, and feel I would look like an idiot pulling up with a generator on my truck and then plugging in my welder to it to do the work. So how do I go about this???????
Any help would be great.

[tigmusky]

Hi all, My name Daye. I not a full time business owner yet but, I may have to be soon. As of now I work construction as a sprinkler fitter for 13 years and love my job! hours are getting cut back and no new work on the books. I started working at 10 years old and have had a fulltime job since i was 14 years old, at 16 I started working at a service station. towing and wrenching on cars and then doing side work at home mostly lawn mower repair and light auto repair. Made a little coin to buy wire feed Mac 250 or miller 250 with red paint. I still use this welder everyday... almost 20 years old ( I love good tools)
In high school I took all the metals classes i could, They made a class just for me advance metals they called it 2 hours a day ,for my full senior year. I was the only kid in the class. I fix every teacher lawn mower , lawn chairs, trailers boats,props you name it. What a great class, I learn alot.
After high school I went to votech for auto mech. That was kinda a joke I was 19 and more ase cert then my teachers, so I drop out. I was working on cars at home (my parents place) at the station and going the school I got burnt out on cars. I went to work for a small weld shop in a farmers barn, just me and the boss. this was a fun job but the pay sucked and he only 40 hours week . Did bridge work for the railroad (Ironworker) Did aton of welding and cutting , this was a cool job ,but not for me! Everthing to do with the railroad is f=ing heavy!!!!!! being 5'-6" and 145lbs I am not builded for it.
Got into sprinkler trade and took a couple more welding classes for fun they were free and only a hand full of guys showed up. I don't understand that. Out of 400 and some guys maybe 10 can weld and sodler. We don't weld that much in the field but when it does come up I get to do it.
I'am still doing work from home ( my house) mostly welding /fab and machineing trying to stay away from the auto repair , still like to do the gravy work lol.
The idea of haveing my own business scares the $#!^ out of me, not that I can;t make a go of it,but not haveing time to live life. I love to work. I hate going to sleep . I can't say no and I work way to cheap and I give everyone the buddy discount.
If I get laid off. I may have to go full time at home. all my tools are paid for. The only thing I would need would be a hoist . The shop is hoist ready but I never bought one because I didn't want to work on cars that much.

Daye

[DesertRider33]

I do mobile and in-shop general repair and fabrication in aluminum and steel. Much of my work is repair to or building new gates, fence, railings, decortive items, repairs or projects relating to cars, trucks, rv's, trailers and general repair and fabrication of whatever the customer wants.

Pop started teaching me welding and mechanics at a young age and I always had projects and repairs for myself and freinds from then on. I had the usual jr high metal shop and high school auto shop classes. I also took general welding classes in college several years ago. In college I studied engineering and business and did welding on the side for extra money.

I have taken more formal, specific welding classes more recently for stick, mig, fluxcore and tig and I have an AWS D1.3 FCAW-S structural steel sheetmetal cert, 3g and 4g positions. I have performed and passed the D1.1 SMAW unlimited visual and bend tests in 3g and 4g in the classes but didnt need the actual certs for my business so didn't spend the money on the x-ray and papers. If I need them, I can always go back and take the tests again as the instructors and resident CWI at our local college offer testing any time there is a need for it for ex students working in the industry. The work I do in my business is not structural code work, so I haven't had a need for the D1.1 in stick or wire so far.

In college after high school, I studied engineering and business and did welding on the side for extra money. I started working in shops ranging from sheetmetal to fencing & gates, to racing buggy building, to various manufacturing, not always doing the welding but doing alot of other tasks too. Later I worked as a production aluminum mig welder and was with that company for about 10 years when they shut down due to the economy and mis management. I was doing side jobs welding in the garage shop during that time and when we all saw the writing on the wall with our jobs, I started setting up the truck to go mobile. I already had everything needed in the shop, so I just duplicated it on the truck. I already owned the 1-ton truck and all the equipment I bought was with cash from my then current job. I started the business with zero debt and practically no overhead. I've been in business about 2 years, the last year and half officially licensed and full time. The economy has been tough, but I have survived it so far.

A good job deal came up recently, so currently I am putting my independent business on hold and welding for a local contractor. They are building some new structural metal buildings at a school in a city nearby. I am doing the sheetmetal frame welding. There are only 2 of us welding and we have 5 buildings to weld. Both of us are using our own machines and have done other jobs together in the past. This is good consistent money at prevailing wage under gov't contract, so I am going to stay with it untill the project is done and then go back to doing my business as usual, unless this contractor has other lucrative projects lined up involving welding. He doesn't normally need much welding in his sheetmetal framing projects, but this gov't job involves alot of welding so that is good for us for now. In the meantime I am still serving my own repeat customers and have a couple friends I have helping out with their own rigs to get jobs done that I cant get to due to working with the contractor. It's different being an employee again after having run my own show for awhile now. I am liking the consistent money though.