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How to find customers?

Naterb25

Plastic
Joined
Jun 30, 2013
Location
NYC
Hey group,

I'm curious how I can extend my client base beyond my local network. I have my own architecture practice in NYC. I recently started financing a Haas VF2. I put 10 percent down and my monthly payments are about $1300. The machine is mostly for me to experiment with. I often make custom hardware for my clients and odds and ends for friends of mine. The machine usually pays for itself with minimal effort but I would like to somehow find a repetitive "bread and butter" part out there that someone regularly needs. I'm sure I could be competitive considering i'm basically just making sure I break even on the machine. We can ship anywhere. Thoughts? thanks.
 
industrial marketing, aka b2b basic strategy. Understand your product market mix and value proposition. Write a decent web site. print up a brochure. cold call your ass off. follow up on the phone. cold call your ass off, follow up on the phone, and so on.

getting business is the most important part, its lot easier to hire guys who can make stuff than guys who can bring in the business
 
Look for companies that manufacture equipment that looks like it has parts you could make.

Call the companies and ask for someone in the purchasing/procurement department.

Try to get a meeting with said procurement person.

Point a .44 magnum at them and demand a blanket PO contract for huge quantities of the easiest parts that you'll make 150% profit from.

Whatever happens you'll have 3 square meals a day.
 
In a slightly more serious vein than some of the previous posts...
Market to your competition in the architectural field. They are using parts similar to the ones you are making. Those are the pieces you have expertise with. Your architectural competition doesn't have the ability to rapidly produce prototypes and custom parts... and now they have to deal with snooty machinists and job shops in order to get something special. You speak their language and you can give them something they can't easily get elsewhere. Sounds like you have a captive audience. Damn, maybe I should go into architecture...
 
Make up some test pieces, some drawings.

End that out to other Architectural firms so they become your customers.

Suggest retail prices, suggest wholesale prices.



Make sure they can make a big chunk off of you.

Keep the retail high.
 
It would be easy to do that through internet)
If you have your own website and promote it, the customers will check out your site themselves, you just need those catchy slogans to draw attention):drool5:
You can read more here if interested)))
 
I'm going to be Nasty! And say, "Go into the house and keep your mouth shut."

Please don't tell anyone what your doing. They might need something done.

In other words no matter who you talk too, Be friendly and get around to his work. Ask him questions about his work. There will be an opening for you and explain what you do. If he smiles
he will have something to talk about. AND he will have met you. THAT IS BIG!

Regards,

Stan-
 
If you have your own website and promote it, the customers will check out your site themselves, .......)

Website and machining business. Does this ever work out?
Can I get a show of hands?
They do attract lots of e-mails that you have to deal with. I don't know anyone who would claim it makes money as a sales tool.
I'm sure there are a few where you get lucky and hook that big fish and it's certainly a must have for somebody like ex-kenna.
Do you have a website? All told, does it bring in customers and make money on its own?
I know the owners of at least 50 small places with one.
None have good things to say outside of the fact that you have to have one for people to check after you make the first IRL contact.
Bob
 
Website and machining business. Does this ever work out?
Can I get a show of hands?
They do attract lots of e-mails that you have to deal with. I don't know anyone who would claim it makes money as a sales tool.
I'm sure there are a few where you get lucky and hook that big fish and it's certainly a must have for somebody like ex-kenna.
Do you have a website? All told, does it bring in customers and make money on its own?
I know the owners of at least 50 small places with one.
None have good things to say outside of the fact that you have to have one for people to check after you make the first IRL contact.
Bob

You missed the point he was just huste!ing his own web site.
 
I'd actually like to know if you'd like to outsource some of your work to needy machinists....I mean, after all, you are an architect, not a machinist.

I've worked in prototype, production and one of a kind machining...do you have the background to read prints? GD&T callouts? inspection? precision setup? all that bs? I mean...realistically, architects work in 1/16ths, machinists likely in thousands or tenths. So the communication method, the required background, required inspection equipment....this could all be very similar, or very different.
 
Make up some test pieces, some drawings.

End that out to other Architectural firms so they become your customers.

Suggest retail prices, suggest wholesale prices.



Make sure they can make a big chunk off of you.

Keep the retail high.


There are all sorts of advertising products you could make and sent out.


various Business card stand,Wholesale custom various Business card stand


Or some thing like this in the shape of a skyscraper.

Table number stand | small card holder | metal ticket stand
 
I am in the process of putting together a shop with a 50 taper 4 axis mill and a live tool lathe for my own R&D uses, just like yours. I plan to do the same as job shopping to make the shop pay for itself then whatever I invent with R&D is gravy. I have no experience with cnc or jobshopping, just a good friend operator who is my first employee. I do though have experience creating sales. 3 years ago invented a product and developed an automated version, patented it all and licensed it to a big mfg company who was jist bough buy Jon Deere. At the same time I did somewhat similar to what your attempting of crating plain work. Via phone and email only and armed with a nice website I put together a dealer network of 25 company's and 50+ locations driving my one man ship to mfg over 500k worth of product in 3 years. With one partner who provided big picture guidance and handled the licensing while I manufactured. I agree with the posts of sticking in your architecture market because of the good fit as well as a decent website does wonders. Godaddy website was super easy to setup and manage. Nothing is impossible with determination and networking like hell with a cell phone. I'm only 25 and had no sales experience at all before producing Chem-Blade. Good luck man
 
I guess I should say where I'm coming from. I'm a welder and had to hire out machine shops to make my parts (opposite end of jobshop). Main reason I'm getting my own machines, sort of like you is for my own stuff first. I had to row through shops to only find a couple who weren't arrogant, willing to learn new parts, and we're progressive in getting the work. I'm really inexperienced but my gut says that to jobshop good you gotta be good willed and wanting to actually work. I hope my input helps in some fashion.
 








 
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