This has quickly become my favorite RUclips channel. As a retiree, and having the benefit of a pension, you have inspired me so much in pursuing my aspiration of woodworking and fabricating. I’m so sick of hearing “the younger generation” belittled and demeaned. You are a talented young man, a craftsman, and an inspiration to an old guy like me. Blessings to you and your work.
Rex Krueger he is answering the exact questions I want to ask someone like him, I love this. Oh and I’m a big fan of your videos as well, long time subscriber to you, this is my first time seeing this guy!
You are speaking the truth, says the guy who FINALLY built a small shop behind his house at 53, and 3 years later FINALLY will be the first year it pays back everything I put in. Whew!
Good luck to you. It certainly takes a lot of time and money to set up a business. I've been in business for 35 years. Sometimes its been very, very hard. But I wouldn't go back working for somebody else. I have learned many things over the years but a few things come to mind, that i think helped me. #1. "Always, always call customers back." Even if its bad news,there's nothing more annoying to a customer, than not calling them back. Plus when you do, they remember your a man of your word and reliable. #2. "Do whats on the bench" It's easy to get overwhelmed with everything you need to do in a day. Concentrate on whats in front of you with a step by step approach and you can't go far wrong. #3 Your only as good as your last Job. It's easy when you have done a great Job for a customer that turned out great. But that soon gets forgotten if you screw up the next:):) Again good luck to you.
Very good points! I can especially relate to that first one. There are companies that I wouldn't do business with even if they were the only one in the area simply because they won't return calls! Its so ridiculous and irritating! I really don't know how they stay in business.
Zep, congrats on 3 years! I met you in October 2017 at the first Diresta Axe Class with Bastionhead, since that time I have not missed a single one of your YT videos or IG stories. I wish you continued success.
Great video! I’m one year in next week. I did quit my day job, and haven’t looked back. I’ve been fortunate with work and I have little overhead. My shop is in my basement. I have thought about working part time to build up my savings but haven’t had the time yet. Keep it up and thanks!!
I'm working on setting up my own shop in my first house and It really makes me happy to see it all come together I cant wait to transition from setting up shop to bringing ideas in my head to life.
This channel and young man are such a breath of fresh air. He really shows you what hard work and dedication are required to succeed in business. Keep up the great work!
I would say No. 5 is the best advice. I did smithy work for 50 + years and never quit my day job. Retired from it all now.. You Will do good, you have a level head.. Peace
Spot on! Whether it's a bathroom remodel or starting a business, everything is going to be more than you think. Double the money and triple the time - that's been my experience. Really appreciate your videos, especially after putting together my own. A lot goes into creating content and you do a great job. Keep it coming!
Many years ago I rented equipment and space from a guy that wasn't really utilizing it much. He got a flat 30% of the gross of whatever I did. He needed a lot of work done for his business so I contracted that, and brought in a lot of work of my own. Everything went fine until the payment for the work I did for him started getting slow. I was basically helping support his business and then he was making more and more noise about wanting more of a percentage. It didn't last long after that. I had made enough money to build a garage and buy some equipment so I started doing it at home. Then the work from my best customer dried up. Luckily everything was paid for and I still worked a day job so it didn't affect me very much, I just had to find new customers. I went to machine shops that were very busy thinking I could do their excess work, that was true except for the fact that they basically wanted me to work for wages. I could actually make more working for my current employer with benefits and all. Getting work from the big places is where you will get the best paying jobs, other than that you can find yourself arguing with a farmer over $15. The big places generally don't want to put work out to part time garage people so you have to have a connection or personal contact with someone in a position to job out work at a fair price. Keep in mind my best week I grossed $5,600 and that was back in the late 80's, then the work dried up. Making product/parts is one thing, you also have to have the sales experience or connections too. A salesman from a industrial supply place told me once that more businesses are started when someone's brother-in-law or relative gets a job in the purchasing dept. of a big business than anything else. I don't want to sound discouraging but if you can't make enough to prosper, then all you have done is purchase your own job. It can be done, you just have to know what you're up against.
And here's the fun part; once you are in a position to quit you day job and concentrate full time on your side hustle, you get to work the same if not more hours! The difference is however, it's your gig and your art. You'll be fine, you have the right motor. Much success, looking forward to taking a class or two.
As a guy that works three jobs, this is a great video and that last point really drove home how much respect you have for your work, and what it takes to reach out on your own and how hard it is
Great segment man. Thank you. I'm starting my fabrication shop and really relate to most of what you are talking about. From teaching, to learning as we go, to working a seperate job to help take the pressure off financially. Keep the dream alive brother!
Spot on mate 👍 people have no idea how scary it can get. When you've not got the money but just have to find it. I quit the day job and went in deep, it's brilliant but also the most time-consuming stressful thing I've ever done. Great video 👍
Chris, you do a great job in everything you do. You are one of my favorite makers that I follow. Definitely top 3, right along with Jimmy. Keep up the good work.
You really provided a tremendous amount of valuable advice. Well done. Sharing both the ups & downs + the reality of starting a self-sustaining business is very, very difficult. Utilizing the knowledge & help of friends & experts in the industry is very very smart. You have a bright future of your own making. Tremendous video!
Love the honesty! So many videos are (I don't think deliberately) misleading, leading people to think that making money in a particular line of work and creating content is easy and lucrative.
Thanks for being so open and honest about your experiences Chris. Great to ride along on the maker train with you and seeing you develop and grow from strength to strength, great energy and talent, cheers 🍻
I appreciate your human spirit! I am looking to do this on a smaller scale when I am fully retired . I have made my kids a lot of things and gotten some jobs from that.
Great video man. Cool to share your school of hard knocks. Sounds like you are smart, hard working snd persistent. Best ingredients to being a business owner
Just found your channe;. really like what you do. When I came back from Viet Nam war. I went t o welding school and worked in fab shops for 10 years/ I started painting houses and buildings and now I am retired so I''m starting up a metal and woodworking shop. My main reason to get it going is to get my grandson acquainted with all I can teach him to have a trade. We adopted him at 3 years even though we go t have him from birth. He's a good kid with a big heart and I wast t make sure I teach him every skill I know before I get too old. There is a huge shortage of blue collar career fields out there. and I specialized in Structural welding with some pipe, HVAC/Rk and also a commercial electrician. I built a 36 by 36 with 10 by 36 upstairs. I inherited some woodworking tools Raiial arm saw big wood lathe, metal chop saw jointer planere shaper band saw. metal band saw, metal grinders and power jhqme tools. Stell have to get rid of junk puut up shelves, and put in electric;al and lights , add some other tool better welder that will operate 110 and 220 with stick, tig, and mig. I've also got tourches
I just found your channel and watched this video- thank you for your extremely helpful advice. I am where you were (4 years ago now) and many of the things you brought up are the thoughts and concerns I have been having as I consider starting a business of my own. You have a very common sense, work extremely hard approach that I can appreciate. Thanks for your life/work lessons and you have a new subscriber!
Fantastic! January will be the end of my first year. Good advise on keeping your day job. I still work 40 + hours a week and play in my shop when I get home. But I am almost 60 years old and don't want to grow into anything big. Just get so I cam make a little extra once I can retire. Good luck in the future.
Chris Great video, great insight into what it takes to be in business. I saw your Dad twice in the video, coincidence? I say no there are no coincidences. Looking into the future I see greatness on your Horizon. Stay well my friend .. You need a guy who gets buckets of hardware. hahaha. You're always Welcome to come and shop, never a price.
.When I started my home business a few years ago, I was spending money hand over fist on lathes tooling and material not to mention the money I had already spent on other tools in the past. Yea I do understand what your talking bout.
I really appreciate the insight and honesty! The way I make my shop work is it's in the backyard of a rental house I own. The house covers the mortgage, so I only have to pay my electric & water bill. Best, @HoneyOnWales
This is an amazing video!! I've been working on this for the last 10...well 2 years with serious consideration and 20+ years in the hobby. I've gone into this with a 10yr plan though. My youtube channel has been mostly low effort videos of projects I've worked on in hopes that I'll slowly improve over time. My projects have mostly been self inflicted projects for things I want to have or processes I want to learn. I have a day job in IT making good money but am getting close to 50 and know I wont be competitive in it for ever. With no desire to go into management for my day job (oops i'm kind of already there but unlikely to develop the skills to improve on it) I'd really like to build up my shop to the point where I can have it as a retirement "job" only taking work I'd like to do and just making enough money to pad the rest of my retirement income.
Great advice, thanks. It's cool to see how you built up the business. Have you ever done art fabrication? It seems natural based on your background and problem solving skills.
Starting a business is not easy and takes an extreme amount of work. My father and I started a Printing company many many years ago. We worked at night after our day job, ran deliveries on our lunch hours, whatever it took. Eventually we had a business that was supporting us both. We have since sold the company and my father passed but I still remember working with him and wouldn't trade it for anything.
@@MakeEverything, I'll be plenty busy for a while just making stuff for the shop to keep me busy. Chop saw stand/bench, sheet/plate metal cutting stand, and tons of sculpture ideas.
Alright, we lose and are somehow just watching this now... but you did a great job covering a lot of fantastic points here. We get asked a lot of business-related questions and are trying to figure out how we want to present the info in videos.
New sub here. Good topic for sure! I’m 50 and have been thinking of quitting my job and going full time in furniture restoration. Just now getting my new shop set up and it’s just a small garage in my home. Love this kinda of advise tho!
Great video! Thanks for the inspiration. My wife and I are in the process of buying our first home. Future plan is to build a small shop and begin fabricating / wood working on the side. You have a new subscriber.
Great video, subscribed. Im in the same place with you. Took interest in fabricating wood and metals in 2021, after contemplating whether I am gonna retire in banking industry or not. Now i have just built an outbuilding on my backyard (lucky me). Took a lot of savings, broke my bank. But I'm not quitting my day job until the shop's profit beat my full year salary. Its really hard to find time between day job, family, and my own downtime. Wish me luck!
Get an intern in there, someone who wants to learn about what you do. You won’t have to pay them anything, and their free help will be enormously helpful to you. Take some time to make it worth their while, and set fixed hours (not full time), don’t feel bad about making them do stuff you don’t want to do (take out the trash, go to the post office, whatever, organize your stuff, etc.). Advertise the opportunity on Craigslist, through an area community college, etc. Women might be interested, too. Are you using any of the software that tells you how to price other types of projects, like construction software, etc.? Use Google to get info on how much to price things. Websites like Houzz and others will offer info to homeowners on how much they can expect to pay for all kinds of projects. That’ll help you, too. Just some thoughts.
As a fellow business owner, after 3 years you should definitely have employees at this point. A suggestion for you would be to focus more energy on your business. Advertise and get the word out, then you will not need to have a full time job and your business will support everything. 3 years is a long time to not be at that point TBH. I think you are holding yourself back. Make the jump! :) I quit my last job and never looked back. Focused all my energy on my business. Growing it and working. If I had as much space as you, I would be replicating myself, even if it means just hiring part time fab guys. Good luck, and JUMP!
Starting any business takes a lot more money, time and sweat than you ever realize. If. your putting in less than 60 hrs a week in your business, most likely it will fail. (even after you've had it for many years) And, even if you have the greatest product/service ever, you still have to sell it. So besides being a technician/maker/whatever, and bookkeeper/accountant, you also have to be a salesman. No product/service sells itself, Of course, you already know all that if you've made it 3 years. Congratulations!
I quit my corporate 30 year career to live full time in an RV and travel, and now we are RV you tubers. when we stop full time RVing I want to set up a maker shop where I can do videos about making and inventing stuff, more additive and subtractive manufacturing than metal working. I want to make a space where people can come from all walks of life to learn and create. Like you said in this video, i will be very difficult to make this idea financially self sustaining. I will start small with an out building on a rural cheap property, adding machines and equipment as it grows. I wont be doing it for money, i will be doing it to be around people who want to create and learn like me, but the money has to come from somewhere, that’s the problem I will work on for the next couple of years as we continue to travel full time in our RV. I have learned a lot about youtube on our RV channel, hopefully I can transfer those skills to a maker shop channel in the future. Thanks for this video, it was very helpful. Larry
Thanks for the pointers, I have a shop in Port Jeff ,starting small but hope to be full time as well. Do you know of any shows on long island for people who make things out of wood ,metal etc.
Great information 🔥 thank you sir. I’m in the same position with HVAC except I have done some sheet metal work and working with the company I work at to do commercial sheet metal.
Fine, I'll subscribe. LOL Great information for the uninitiated! I remember being young, have fun and go hard buddy. AND YES, under capitalization is the end of so many start ups. Cash-flow is king.
I'm starting a furniture company. I have no access to shop space anywhere, not even a garage. I have found local machine shops that want to help me. They are honest about slightly personal motivations. They want me to use them to outsource some production once I'm underway. That can work, or so it seems at this very beginning. I have a luxury of being very specific in what I'm making. Once I open my shop, I will do the furniture I intended to do, and nothing else. I think I can be successful in the basis of focus, not over diversifying and diluting my efforts. I'm hoping to make furniture, then quickly upscale to mass production. Only the future can say if I'm correct in my meathods.
Thx man for this honest video👍 i believe every word you said and congratulations to what you have archieved in these 3 years! As a new subscriber to this channel i was wondering what your day job was? Best regards, marcel
If you are the owner of your shop building then having renewable solar or wind generation on-site with battery backups for your shop needs overall will be a great upgrade to get every month electricity bill reduced to basically become zero altogether you do seem to have very high power consumption for all your tools and machines to speak off but for your whole setup pay about 90% of the hole installation and material costs upfront with the remaining 10% be payable in about a One year time period. If you have the building on rent then having at least battery backup and a gas generator will be great but you need to have both simultaneously since the generator fuel cost could screw you up if it needs to be On for power generation 24/7 for days on end with a good enough capacity battery backup you may get solar panels on portable units you can supplement your energy needs with and avoid generator noise and being screwed due to running out of fuel but have the generator around if you are working on through the day into the night and don have the weather for the panels to help you out. After all the last thing you need on a busy day with a crazy close time crunch on a project is to get close to completing the project but then run out of power in the shop while you are about to finish it [due to any maintenance or bad weather that caused a power cut while working].
Love your little Devil Forge DFSW2 back there. Can't tell on the video, but is that ceramic wool coated? If not you should really get something to coat it with (you can even use Kiln wash which is extremely cheap) so that you don't have burnt ceramic fibers floating around getting inhaled by people, which is really bad.
if you will turn the magnifying florescent lite sideways when not in use, it will not collect dust and the lens won't get scratched cleaning a pound of crap off it, like yours has.
This has quickly become my favorite RUclips channel. As a retiree, and having the benefit of a pension, you have inspired me so much in pursuing my aspiration of woodworking and fabricating. I’m so sick of hearing “the younger generation” belittled and demeaned. You are a talented young man, a craftsman, and an inspiration to an old guy like me. Blessings to you and your work.
Thank you so much for this comment James!
I think we need MORE videos about business. I'm happy to learn from others since I don't have it all figured out.
Rex Krueger he is answering the exact questions I want to ask someone like him, I love this. Oh and I’m a big fan of your videos as well, long time subscriber to you, this is my first time seeing this guy!
You are speaking the truth, says the guy who FINALLY built a small shop behind his house at 53, and 3 years later FINALLY will be the first year it pays back everything I put in. Whew!
Congrats brother great to watch your growth ✊🏻
Good luck to you. It certainly takes a lot of time and money to set up a business. I've been in business for 35 years. Sometimes its been very, very hard. But I wouldn't go back working for somebody else. I have learned many things over the years but a few things come to mind, that i think helped me. #1. "Always, always call customers back." Even if its bad news,there's nothing more annoying to a customer, than not calling them back. Plus when you do, they remember your a man of your word and reliable. #2. "Do whats on the bench" It's easy to get overwhelmed with everything you need to do in a day. Concentrate on whats in front of you with a step by step approach and you can't go far wrong. #3 Your only as good as your last Job. It's easy when you have done a great Job for a customer that turned out great. But that soon gets forgotten if you screw up the next:):) Again good luck to you.
Very good points! I can especially relate to that first one. There are companies that I wouldn't do business with even if they were the only one in the area simply because they won't return calls! Its so ridiculous and irritating! I really don't know how they stay in business.
You got one foot and one foot out... best and hardest thing I ever did was give myself no way out but to sink or swim...
Zep, congrats on 3 years! I met you in October 2017 at the first Diresta Axe Class with Bastionhead, since that time I have not missed a single one of your YT videos or IG stories. I wish you continued success.
Lesson 6: Do not grab any steel in a blacksmith or metal shop.
Great video! I’m one year in next week. I did quit my day job, and haven’t looked back. I’ve been fortunate with work and I have little overhead. My shop is in my basement. I have thought about working part time to build up my savings but haven’t had the time yet. Keep it up and thanks!!
the American dream is alive and well!
I'm working on setting up my own shop in my first house and It really makes me happy to see it all come together I cant wait to transition from setting up shop to bringing ideas in my head to life.
This channel and young man are such a breath of fresh air. He really shows you what hard work and dedication are required to succeed in business. Keep up the great work!
I appreciate the comment!! ❤️
I would say No. 5 is the best advice. I did smithy work for 50 + years and never quit my day job. Retired from it all now.. You Will do good, you have a level head.. Peace
Spot on! Whether it's a bathroom remodel or starting a business, everything is going to be more than you think. Double the money and triple the time - that's been my experience.
Really appreciate your videos, especially after putting together my own. A lot goes into creating content and you do a great job. Keep it coming!
Many years ago I rented equipment and space from a guy that wasn't really utilizing it much. He got a flat 30% of the gross of whatever I did. He needed a lot of work done for his business so I contracted that, and brought in a lot of work of my own. Everything went fine until the payment for the work I did for him started getting slow. I was basically helping support his business and then he was making more and more noise about wanting more of a percentage. It didn't last long after that.
I had made enough money to build a garage and buy some equipment so I started doing it at home. Then the work from my best customer dried up. Luckily everything was paid for and I still worked a day job so it didn't affect me very much, I just had to find new customers.
I went to machine shops that were very busy thinking I could do their excess work, that was true except for the fact that they basically wanted me to work for wages. I could actually make more working for my current employer with benefits and all.
Getting work from the big places is where you will get the best paying jobs, other than that you can find yourself arguing with a farmer over $15. The big places generally don't want to put work out to part time garage people so you have to have a connection or personal contact with someone in a position to job out work at a fair price. Keep in mind my best week I grossed $5,600 and that was back in the late 80's, then the work dried up.
Making product/parts is one thing, you also have to have the sales experience or connections too. A salesman from a industrial supply place told me once that more businesses are started when someone's brother-in-law or relative gets a job in the purchasing dept. of a big business than anything else.
I don't want to sound discouraging but if you can't make enough to prosper, then all you have done is purchase your own job. It can be done, you just have to know what you're up against.
Well said
And here's the fun part; once you are in a position to quit you day job and concentrate full time on your side hustle, you get to work the same if not more hours! The difference is however, it's your gig and your art. You'll be fine, you have the right motor. Much success, looking forward to taking a class or two.
Exactly! I have worked for myself for 38 years now, but I bet if I broke that down in 40 hour weeks it would amount to 138 Years!
So much respect for you.. All the way from New Zealand.. hope you’re safe and sound during this testing times of Covid-19.. much respect..
As a guy that works three jobs, this is a great video and that last point really drove home how much respect you have for your work, and what it takes to reach out on your own and how hard it is
You are wise beyond your years. I wish you continued success.
Thank you for doing this. As a business owner and a one man operation I can say, you are right.
You are doing a great job.
Great segment man. Thank you. I'm starting my fabrication shop and really relate to most of what you are talking about. From teaching, to learning as we go, to working a seperate job to help take the pressure off financially. Keep the dream alive brother!
Spot on mate 👍 people have no idea how scary it can get. When you've not got the money but just have to find it. I quit the day job and went in deep, it's brilliant but also the most time-consuming stressful thing I've ever done. Great video 👍
Chris, you do a great job in everything you do. You are one of my favorite makers that I follow. Definitely top 3, right along with Jimmy. Keep up the good work.
This is an important video, thank you for sharing your experience.
One of the best channels on RUclips
You really provided a tremendous amount of valuable advice. Well done. Sharing both the ups & downs + the reality of starting a self-sustaining business is very, very difficult. Utilizing the knowledge & help of friends & experts in the industry is very very smart. You have a bright future of your own making. Tremendous video!
Thanks Chris for the great advice and motivation. Definitely agree with the don't quit your job. Congratulations on the three year mark!
Great lessons! Having been in the same boat over the years, I couldn't agree with you more!
Love the honesty! So many videos are (I don't think deliberately) misleading, leading people to think that making money in a particular line of work and creating content is easy and lucrative.
Good to hear honest business situations. I deal with some of the same. Awesome vid.
Thanks for being so open and honest about your experiences Chris. Great to ride along on the maker train with you and seeing you develop and grow from strength to strength, great energy and talent, cheers 🍻
Congrats on your success Chris!! You're a talented person and I'm sure you will do well.
Thanks for your perspective and best of luck! Keep the videos coming! 👍
Congrats and thanks for the pointers!
I appreciate your human spirit! I am looking to do this on a smaller scale when I am fully retired . I have made my kids a lot of things and gotten some jobs from that.
Great video man. Cool to share your school of hard knocks. Sounds like you are smart, hard working snd persistent. Best ingredients to being a business owner
I know that experience of the $$ not being there and getting in a corner looking for options. Keep strong and keep moving forward, man.
Just found your channe;. really like what you do. When I came back from Viet Nam war. I went t o welding school and worked in fab shops for 10 years/ I started painting houses and buildings and now I am retired so I''m starting up a metal and woodworking shop. My main reason to get it going is to get my grandson acquainted with all I can teach him to have a trade. We adopted him at 3 years even though we go t have him from birth. He's a good kid with a big heart and I wast t make sure I teach him every skill I know before I get too old. There is a huge shortage of blue collar career fields out there. and I specialized in Structural welding with some pipe, HVAC/Rk and also a commercial electrician. I built a 36 by 36 with 10 by 36 upstairs. I inherited some woodworking tools Raiial arm saw big wood lathe, metal chop saw jointer planere shaper band saw. metal band saw, metal grinders and power jhqme tools. Stell have to get rid of junk puut up shelves, and put in electric;al and lights , add some other tool better welder that will operate 110 and 220 with stick, tig, and mig. I've also got tourches
I just found your channel and watched this video- thank you for your extremely helpful advice. I am where you were (4 years ago now) and many of the things you brought up are the thoughts and concerns I have been having as I consider starting a business of my own. You have a very common sense, work extremely hard approach that I can appreciate. Thanks for your life/work lessons and you have a new subscriber!
Fantastic! January will be the end of my first year. Good advise on keeping your day job. I still work 40 + hours a week and play in my shop when I get home. But I am almost 60 years old and don't want to grow into anything big. Just get so I cam make a little extra once I can retire. Good luck in the future.
Chris Great video, great insight into what it takes to be in business. I saw your Dad twice in the video, coincidence? I say no there are no coincidences. Looking into the future I see greatness on your Horizon. Stay well my friend .. You need a guy who gets buckets of hardware. hahaha. You're always Welcome to come and shop, never a price.
With yr attitude + hard work, success shall come in the longer run. Congrats.
.When I started my home business a few years ago, I was spending money hand over fist on lathes tooling and material not to mention the money I had already spent on other tools in the past. Yea I do understand what your talking bout.
Great, honest video! Appreciated it.
first time viewing for me - really honest and helpful well done.
Very timely lessons and the unrealized perspective. Thanks and keep making!
Nice honest words. Thanks for posting this up for helping others consider all the challenges.
It is expensive in Long Island because there's a lot of money there. A LOT of money. It can't be overstated.
I really appreciate the insight and honesty! The way I make my shop work is it's in the backyard of a rental house I own. The house covers the mortgage, so I only have to pay my electric & water bill. Best, @HoneyOnWales
Very dedicated and amazing. Great job
This is an amazing video!! I've been working on this for the last 10...well 2 years with serious consideration and 20+ years in the hobby. I've gone into this with a 10yr plan though. My youtube channel has been mostly low effort videos of projects I've worked on in hopes that I'll slowly improve over time. My projects have mostly been self inflicted projects for things I want to have or processes I want to learn. I have a day job in IT making good money but am getting close to 50 and know I wont be competitive in it for ever. With no desire to go into management for my day job (oops i'm kind of already there but unlikely to develop the skills to improve on it) I'd really like to build up my shop to the point where I can have it as a retirement "job" only taking work I'd like to do and just making enough money to pad the rest of my retirement income.
Great video and spot on advice! The accountant nerd in me likes hearing real people give real advice!!
It’s always nice having multiple streams of income.
Great video, thanks for sharing!
Great advice, thanks. It's cool to see how you built up the business. Have you ever done art fabrication? It seems natural based on your background and problem solving skills.
Congrats on the 3 year mark brother! Only more great things to come
Great insight you rock man. Hope to have a shop too one day
Thanks for sharing. Much respect!
Starting a business is not easy and takes an extreme amount of work. My father and I started a Printing company many many years ago. We worked at night after our day job, ran deliveries on our lunch hours, whatever it took. Eventually we had a business that was supporting us both. We have since sold the company and my father passed but I still remember working with him and wouldn't trade it for anything.
Where I'm at now is where you were at 3yrs ago. Want to do similar projects like you, but focus on the artistic side of welding.
Homestead Fabricator start making stuff and don’t stop!!! You will succeed!
@@MakeEverything, I'll be plenty busy for a while just making stuff for the shop to keep me busy. Chop saw stand/bench, sheet/plate metal cutting stand, and tons of sculpture ideas.
Alright, we lose and are somehow just watching this now... but you did a great job covering a lot of fantastic points here. We get asked a lot of business-related questions and are trying to figure out how we want to present the info in videos.
New sub here. Good topic for sure! I’m 50 and have been thinking of quitting my job and going full time in furniture restoration. Just now getting my new shop set up and it’s just a small garage in my home. Love this kinda of advise tho!
A lot of great info. Thanks for sharing!👍
Great video! Thanks for the inspiration. My wife and I are in the process of buying our first home. Future plan is to build a small shop and begin fabricating / wood working on the side. You have a new subscriber.
Great video, subscribed. Im in the same place with you. Took interest in fabricating wood and metals in 2021, after contemplating whether I am gonna retire in banking industry or not. Now i have just built an outbuilding on my backyard (lucky me). Took a lot of savings, broke my bank. But I'm not quitting my day job until the shop's profit beat my full year salary. Its really hard to find time between day job, family, and my own downtime. Wish me luck!
Thanks for your time and making his video. I have a ruler of doubling, double the cost and double the time and you’ll be pretty close…
Love it man, and congratulations on year 3!
Get an intern in there, someone who wants to learn about what you do. You won’t have to pay them anything, and their free help will be enormously helpful to you. Take some time to make it worth their while, and set fixed hours (not full time), don’t feel bad about making them do stuff you don’t want to do (take out the trash, go to the post office, whatever, organize your stuff, etc.). Advertise the opportunity on Craigslist, through an area community college, etc. Women might be interested, too. Are you using any of the software that tells you how to price other types of projects, like construction software, etc.? Use Google to get info on how much to price things. Websites like Houzz and others will offer info to homeowners on how much they can expect to pay for all kinds of projects. That’ll help you, too. Just some thoughts.
Great advice. Thanks for sharing! Love your channel.
As a fellow business owner, after 3 years you should definitely have employees at this point. A suggestion for you would be to focus more energy on your business. Advertise and get the word out, then you will not need to have a full time job and your business will support everything. 3 years is a long time to not be at that point TBH. I think you are holding yourself back. Make the jump! :)
I quit my last job and never looked back. Focused all my energy on my business. Growing it and working. If I had as much space as you, I would be replicating myself, even if it means just hiring part time fab guys. Good luck, and JUMP!
Starting any business takes a lot more money, time and sweat than you ever realize. If. your putting in less than 60 hrs a week in your business, most likely it will fail. (even after you've had it for many years) And, even if you have the greatest product/service ever, you still have to sell it. So besides being a technician/maker/whatever, and bookkeeper/accountant, you also have to be a salesman. No product/service sells itself, Of course, you already know all that if you've made it 3 years. Congratulations!
Great video! Congrats on 3 years! ⚔️⚔️⚔️
I quit my corporate 30 year career to live full time in an RV and travel, and now we are RV you tubers. when we stop full time RVing I want to set up a maker shop where I can do videos about making and inventing stuff, more additive and subtractive manufacturing than metal working. I want to make a space where people can come from all walks of life to learn and create. Like you said in this video, i will be very difficult to make this idea financially self sustaining. I will start small with an out building on a rural cheap property, adding machines and equipment as it grows. I wont be doing it for money, i will be doing it to be around people who want to create and learn like me, but the money has to come from somewhere, that’s the problem I will work on for the next couple of years as we continue to travel full time in our RV. I have learned a lot about youtube on our RV channel, hopefully I can transfer those skills to a maker shop channel in the future. Thanks for this video, it was very helpful. Larry
Thanks for making this video! it's really helpful for me in my shop
Great advice man, thank you. Best of luck!
Thanks for the pointers, I have a shop in Port Jeff ,starting small but hope to be full time as well. Do you know of any shows on long island for people who make things out of wood ,metal etc.
I really enjoyed this video.
Great information 🔥 thank you sir. I’m in the same position with HVAC except I have done some sheet metal work and working with the company I work at to do commercial sheet metal.
Fine, I'll subscribe. LOL Great information for the uninitiated! I remember being young, have fun and go hard buddy. AND YES, under capitalization is the end of so many start ups. Cash-flow is king.
Great video! Glad to here you have been working hard! keep it up, just subscribed!
Great video brother wish you nothing but success. HogOn
Thanks for the info! God bless
I'm starting a furniture company. I have no access to shop space anywhere, not even a garage. I have found local machine shops that want to help me. They are honest about slightly personal motivations. They want me to use them to outsource some production once I'm underway. That can work, or so it seems at this very beginning.
I have a luxury of being very specific in what I'm making. Once I open my shop, I will do the furniture I intended to do, and nothing else. I think I can be successful in the basis of focus, not over diversifying and diluting my efforts.
I'm hoping to make furniture, then quickly upscale to mass production.
Only the future can say if I'm correct in my meathods.
Great video, thanks for the advice and hope you keep doing this amazing dreams come true
Thx man for this honest video👍 i believe every word you said and congratulations to what you have archieved in these 3 years! As a new subscriber to this channel i was wondering what your day job was? Best regards, marcel
Congratulations on 3 years! That went fast! The next three should be much easier... =)
If you are the owner of your shop building then having renewable solar or wind generation on-site with battery backups for your shop needs overall will be a great upgrade to get every month electricity bill reduced to basically become zero altogether you do seem to have very high power consumption for all your tools and machines to speak off but for your whole setup pay about 90% of the hole installation and material costs upfront with the remaining 10% be payable in about a One year time period.
If you have the building on rent then having at least battery backup and a gas generator will be great but you need to have both simultaneously since the generator fuel cost could screw you up if it needs to be On for power generation 24/7 for days on end with a good enough capacity battery backup you may get solar panels on portable units you can supplement your energy needs with and avoid generator noise and being screwed due to running out of fuel but have the generator around if you are working on through the day into the night and don have the weather for the panels to help you out.
After all the last thing you need on a busy day with a crazy close time crunch on a project is to get close to completing the project but then run out of power in the shop while you are about to finish it [due to any maintenance or bad weather that caused a power cut while working].
I love the “ToolNut” sticker.
Great job!
Great info!👍👍👍👍 Congratulations!!
Great informative video Bro. Keep up the good work...👍👍
Great very informative video, keep up the awesome work
Great tips! Thanks
Thanks for these advice
Love your little Devil Forge DFSW2 back there. Can't tell on the video, but is that ceramic wool coated? If not you should really get something to coat it with (you can even use Kiln wash which is extremely cheap) so that you don't have burnt ceramic fibers floating around getting inhaled by people, which is really bad.
Best of luck
"Was flooding"
So innocent in those days.
What's your normal day job? Do you balance this with any hobbies or a family? Thanks for the video!
if you will turn the magnifying florescent lite sideways when not in use, it will not collect dust and the lens won't get scratched cleaning a pound of crap off it, like yours has.
I needed this
Would love to find such a shop for both schooling for for small shops. Nice.