One man shop?

[Oldsarge]

I posted a while back asking if your table is your main source of income and got a few responses... Was wondering if there's anybody out there with employees? I live in an area that' s pretty big, and there's not a lot of guys doing plasma stuff. When I finally quit my day job I'd really like to take one of my coworkers with me. Really good guy, and a great worker, very reliable.... So how many 2+ man shops are out there? Not 100% sure I can do it coming out of the gate, but would br nice....

Oldsarge

[AnotherDano]

I found a guy that is unfortunately one of many out there these days; didn't educate/train himself during the steady work era and now can't find a good job. He's too young for social security and has to struggle for minimum wage hit & miss work. I tried some eager, strong young fellers but they don't show up, don't feel the need to call with excuses if they are going to be late or put that darned texting phone down when they ARE there.

He is happy to take what little work I can scrounge up for him but has a good work ethic and is pleasant to be around. Lately I've been getting short-run contracts and can call him for the drudge stuff like cutting the heads off of 3/8x12" spikes and grinding the sharp edges off - a hundred at a time. Next will be prepping a hundred small cut pieces, removing the small amount of dross with a belt sander and giving each one a sharp eye for defects.

All I have to do is show him the final product I expect and where the necessary tools are. He won't slow down or ask for a break so I have to shut him down every so often and we just shoot the breeze. If I change positions in my chair, he's on his feet heading back to work. He gets $10.00/hour from the time he shows up until the time he leaves, rounded up to the nearest 1/2 hour, and is well worth it!

[Oldsarge]

Dano, thanks for taking the time to reply. Benny id that kind of guy.... I'm happy to see that you are busy enough to have even a part time guy. With the info I see posted here I think I could be in the position to take him on eventually. Some of the marketing and promotion ideas I see here are really good. I have about $400 in the budget for give-aways and donations, so I hope that pays off. Just kicking around numbers for materials, operating costs, overhead etc. and it works out to a fair amount of cutting to keep the doors open & the lights on.

Anybody else running a 2 or more worker shop? Seems like it's mostly one person shops because of costs involved....

Oldsarge

[Largemouthlou]

Just a one man shop, well sorta shop!! LOL I have the kids earn their keep once in a while but that is about it.. Still trying to figure out the pricing game, I feel like I'm giving my work away for free sometimes and if I ask what I think my time is worth I get looked at like I have 2 heads... Signed VERY CONFUSED!! LOL

[alleykat]

Im a 2 person shop,i do all the work and my gf spends my earnings.

[wickedinhere]

One man shop here, I have gotten so busy that i am selling my lawn service after the first of the year
and I am going to do this full time. I am nervous to say the least but my wife will be finishing up nursing school in may
so that makes it easier.I hope to be able to keep up without hiring someone but who knows.

[kbenz]

I am a one man shop for the most part. the wife helps me on portable jobs. still workin a full time day job. gonna try to go full time in the spring if I can figure out the marketing part of it

[michmetalman]

I am a one man shop pretty much, although my brother does my powder coating. I also started doing my own powder coating because he lives 40 min. away, so I needed to learn to get some orders out quickly.
We are growing pretty quickly and may have to hire a person or two when I open up my storefront.

[minnfatz]

I'm a one man shop. I work out of my 2 1/2 car garage. My business has started picking up since I got my website and web store up and running. I really wish I had a bigger shop with a store front. I have been doing car, gun, and craft shows and I am sick of them. It's a pain in the A$$ hauling hundreds of pounds of steel around, setting up the booths, then sitting there all day picking your nose. If things continue to steadily improve, hopefully I can get into a shop next year.

[JJsCustomDesigns]

Im am a One Man shop. Just moved from a small rented area in someone elses shop to my own 24x36 shop bout a year ago. Its in a small town and everyone interested in what im doing. But no one knows what i can do. I work a full time job as a CNC lathe op for the AreoSpace Industry. Hope'n by summer time to be doing my thing full time. By then i should have my shop finished and presentable.

[rsandoval]

I have had my table for two years and i have been a one my shop and as far as up to three employees. I can say that this market is kinda packed and you gotta have a good base to setup. i just moved to a small town and have sold my soul to a established company. it has been working out great.

[Metal Storm]

i am a 3 man shop and sometimes i dont pay them any thing, their names are Me, Myself and I. I am blessed with many skills that I have aquired from hobbys, jobs, intrest and my profession. I am an electrician by trade, but my first love is metal and wood working. My family has alot of artistic talent and a little rubbed off on me i guess. My first business was electrical contracting. at times i had a few employees but got rid of them when i had to spend so much time reworking things that were not done the way i wanted. when my body fell apart from being a one man band i had to close the doors. i wasnt sure if i ever wanted to go into business ever again... well here i am 10 years later and im back in business again. this venture has only just started and i plan to work my full time job (when i get rehired)lol. there are so many lessons i lerned from the past and one of them is, dont over expand. meaning dont have the total attitude of (if u build it they will come) plan for the future and build for the future but dont go to far. two; dont kill your self trying to keep up, three; if u do hire someone do not compermise quality for fast money but understand that they are not going to do it the same way you would. some times the thought of hireing some one sounds attractive but on the other hand it is like baby sitting. their problems become your problems (family life and such) then there is pay roll, workers comp and now thanks to obama health insurance. thats just to name a few. there are some people who are really blessed to find that employee that would kill for their boss but they are rare. most employees have to be cultivated and molded. all im saying in a very long winded way is weigh the cost and think it over bcuz it could brake you and its the lively hood of someone else.

[Eagle Mtn Metal Works]

JP we Do need to meet. It is AMAZING how we are SO a like, shoot me you phone number. BTW I may have givin you a RED TAG too ten years ago
Rod

[pemery]

I have had my table for two years and i have been a one my shop and as far as up to three employees. I can say that this market is kinda packed and you gotta have a good base to setup. i just moved to a small town and have sold my soul to a established company. it has been working out great.

I used to be him. I have made a deal with a company that could not afford to get their own table and all the extra costs that go along with initial setup. Now i am growing their business and am able to guarantee my income enough to purchase a larger table. Look around. train yourself. Any metal shop wants a trained and ready tech with a cnc plasma. get a % of profit off of table and a good salary wage.

[aometalart]

Hey ya'll,
Been a little while since I was here. Been working my tail off on business plans and such for start up. First, thanks to everyone on this site for all the insite and knowledge you so freely share as it is invaluable. I just want ya'll to know it is greatly appreciated.

I have a few questions I need some help with if anyone is game? Our business is family run and on our own property so we are blessed with no building rental and such. However, as you know, the major expense is our holy grail the cnc table and associated equipment, which is the major part of our budget. This being said, on to the questions:

1. Is a $50K start up budget reasonable? What was your ballpark amt.?

2. What would you estimate the first 2 years of income (Gross Sales / year) at based on your experience?

3. What are the challenges in your market area? Gowing? Shrinking? Why?

4. What product price point range average (example $20 -$200) does your market bear and what seems to be the max?

5. Web site cost and who to use? (I'm a welder not a computer pro.)

6. Any other advice?

The answers to these questions will greatly help me solidify my numbers and put the finishing touches on our plan so we can proceed to the funding phase.

So, in advance I want to thank any and all that put your 2 cents worth in. We are now living in N. Alabama and itchin to start turnin and burnin. Its a labor of love for us and there is nothin like taking raw material and making a finished piece of art out of it. I come from a welding background, owned a custom wrought iron business in the NW part of the states, and am now on to this new adventure.

Sincerely I thank YOU ALL!!!
Randy
AOMETALART

[balleman3]

I am a one man shop and have used guys in the past many times for other work I used to do, the best thing I found is to put an add on craigslist and go and meet with them offsite if they sound competent enough on the phone, tell them you might have work coming up and want to have someone lined up if you get it this will give you the chance to screen lots of people without them calling you back all the time or looking around your shop