O/T How to start own shop on the side

[Mike okislong]

First off don't hammer me for this not my first post. I'm a member with almost 300 post. I doing this from my home PC and don't want my employers to know about this venture. I have a small vertical CNC mill and a small collection of tooling. I would like to make a little money on the side. How does one get started finding work?? I know you guys would help me for sure if I were logged in on my regular name(eman) .

[JAMMAN]

I started a shop once but it was opposite of how you are trying. I knew people, saw that the shop I was foreman of was turning away enough work to support a small shop, I nabbed that work then incorporated.

 

One word of advise, do it yourself, don't take on a partner.

 

I'd write more but junior is crying and I'm Mr. Mom tonight!

[cvomooney]

I have started two sucessful machine shops, the first I started in my garage with a Hurco KMB1M cnc mill and a Excello manual mill. It grew to 22 CNC's and 64 employees. the second was a smaller version of the first... I sold out 4 years ago and now work for a pay check. and wishing I was still in business for myself.

 

Go for it... if you have the salt.

[gcode]

quote:

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One word of advise, do it yourself, don't take on a partner

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That is excellent advice.

Been there

done that

and

got the frigging T shirt.

[Fralex_francois]

Just started mine, and the best thing to have is contact.

Then a lot of determination

[mario]

Fralex_Francois :

 

tu est dans quel domaine au juste

[Fralex_francois]

je fais ce que tu veux(milling 4 axe)

... en passant j'ai recu ton email j'ai juste pas eu le temps de repondre parce qu'il n'est pas sur cet ordi...désolé!

 

présentement je fais des morceaux d'auto...

 

j'aurais de l'ouverture dans l'esthétique...

 

Toi, est-ce que ca se peux que tu travaille avec un Mario Bouchard et que tu aie travaillé avec un Serge Beausoleil??

[mario]

exactement

continue

[Fralex_francois]

Mario a un fils qui s'appelle Mike, j'ai fait mon cours avec lui et je suis déja allé chez lui et il m'a dit que son père travail chez thermoplast(en passant j'ai vu des exemple de chose que vous faite au fil, c'est très impressionnant) et Serge a été mon professeur au début de mon cours...

[mario]

ckoi au juste ton nom

 

on se connais

[Fralex_francois]

quote:

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Fralex_francois

---

Francois et la compagnie Fralex...

J'ai mon garage sur Francis Hughes juste à coté de votre shop...

[mario]

tu est a ton compte?

[Fralex_francois]

officiellement depuis le 1er juillet...oui!!!

[Fralex_francois]

toi tu fais quoi là-bas... programation??

[Noel]

Non parles fancais

 

 

Noel

[mario]

as-tu une adresse internet

 

moi je suis en charge du département de fabrication donc je programme milling 2 1/2 et wire edm

 

2 Okuma cnc milling

3 wire edm 1-agie et 2-sodick

[Fralex_francois]

as tu de la sous-traitance des fois???

sur du 4 axe...

[mario]

il faudrais échanger nos numéro de téléphone

[Fralex_francois]

voici le mien 450-473-1154

demande francois!

[jrykrl]

Where's my translator????

I'm trying to get my own shop up right now.

See if you can get some overload from surrounding shops. Get everything in writing!!! and +1 on No Partner, I'm still recovering from my first venture, and I'm only out $1500 in lost profits

Jer teh One man show

[billystein]

You dont need a translator, they're speaking french.

[billystein]

I feel for you Mike. I have been doing the same since January and I had to find a job last month. It seems like my best freinds that have work take advantage of me the worst. Very dirty game this business.

[jrykrl]

Really? French?

I guess you couldn't smell the sarcasm

Jer

[Fralex_francois]

The best way you can go is go were you won't have competition don't try to cut price by 1 penny and do 10000 pcs.

you will die...

[IntegrexMan]

I came from a very small job shop in Florida and got to know the ins and outs of their business. What amazed me the most was the number of quotes the came in the door. They would only get about 20% of the jibs they quoted and that is being generous. In hard times, they would take jobs just to pay the bills. I tried to start my own shop while still working their, and I ran into the same wall. I did mass mailings to get my name out and would quote several jobs a week, but would only land 1 or so per week. It is a very cut throat industry. It is hard to compete against other shops charging $25/hr shop rate. The best thing to do is find a niche. To make it big, you need a lot of capital so you can survive the down turns, unless you are just trying to make so extra money on the side, I would rather work for someone else. I have owned several small businesses, but none grew large enough to support my family. My wife has not worked for 8 years (raising our kids) and we like it that way.