HiltzMachining
Plastic
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2018
- Location
- Aroostook County
Hello all,
Yes, this is another "starting a job shop" kinds of posts. I just wanted to share my story and get any advice or input from more experienced members of the forum.
I've been slowly accumulating machines and tooling for a small job shop that I have developed out of my garage. My focus is on repair work and one off duplicates of hard/impossible to find parts. I live in Northern Maine in a very rural area surrounded by farms and paper mills / logging industry.
Next Spring, I plan to build a new building on my property that will give me the proper space to expand. Right now I have some machines in storage because I can't fit them all in my current garage (small attached garage to my home).
I'm not planning on getting into any CNC at this time, although I am competent with CNC. Not seeking any production jobs. A good friend of mine about 200 miles from me has had his job shop - all manual - for about 30 years now and is busier than ever. He does a lot specialized engine work on powersports applications and is a basic general purpose machine shop. I'm loosely copying his model. The work I've done has started to give me a name for doing things right and getting them done quickly. I also make a patented motorcycle kickstand accessory that I sell, and plan to get into some niche markets with Air Cooled VW & Porsche work.
I have not started to advertise at all yet, because I feel that I should wait until my building is up and all my machinery and tooling is ready before I start general advertisements. Right now the work I'm getting is all through word of mouth as people know I have been collecting Machine Tools in my garage.
Right now I work at a High School vocational center in the Automotive department. My plan is to quit this job in one year once my building is up and I hope to be open M-F 7:00-4:00 in my business. At the start, I am also going to get a part time job working evenings (Say 6-10) to keep some extra money coming in.
Financially I have sat down and calculated that I can swing this, as my debt is very low and I don't have a lot for bills.
One plan I have to increase business awareness in advertising is to hit the ground with a portfolio of jobs I have done for other customers, and go in to introduce myself to every surrounding business. Auto shops, farms, town/state garages, mills, factories... just get my name and face out there. I'm good at talking to people and presenting a strong first impression.
There are absolutely no decent shops within a 50+ mile radius of where I live. There are a few welding shops and one "machine shop" that has only two knee mills and an engine lathe, but its a dungeon shop without even a granite table so its not a high quality machine shop. More of a fab shop. That guy stays right out straight with fab work though.
The vision for my shop is doing A+++ repair machining and high precision work. I want to run a very clean shop that makes an impression on the customer who walks in. It seems like most places in my area (from automotive shops to the fab shop I mentioned) are "dungeon" environments. I was a Tool & Die Machinist previously and have been in the trade since I was 15 so I have some experience and a lot of drive. I'm 36 now.
I've previously owned a small landscaping business where I learned a lot of mistakes/pitfalls of business ownership.
Besides hitting the ground and personally meeting people, and allowing the word of mouth to spread about the quality of my jobs, what other ways of advertising do you see as most beneficial and cost effective? Do people still use newspaper ads? Radio ads? Do you use FaceBook or social media? Web sites?
Thanks for any advice or tips. I know this question comes around a lot, and sometimes its a pipe dream, but I believe in myself and this business. I'm going to push forward with this 100%. Its been a dream of mine since I was back in High School.
Yes, this is another "starting a job shop" kinds of posts. I just wanted to share my story and get any advice or input from more experienced members of the forum.
I've been slowly accumulating machines and tooling for a small job shop that I have developed out of my garage. My focus is on repair work and one off duplicates of hard/impossible to find parts. I live in Northern Maine in a very rural area surrounded by farms and paper mills / logging industry.
Next Spring, I plan to build a new building on my property that will give me the proper space to expand. Right now I have some machines in storage because I can't fit them all in my current garage (small attached garage to my home).
I'm not planning on getting into any CNC at this time, although I am competent with CNC. Not seeking any production jobs. A good friend of mine about 200 miles from me has had his job shop - all manual - for about 30 years now and is busier than ever. He does a lot specialized engine work on powersports applications and is a basic general purpose machine shop. I'm loosely copying his model. The work I've done has started to give me a name for doing things right and getting them done quickly. I also make a patented motorcycle kickstand accessory that I sell, and plan to get into some niche markets with Air Cooled VW & Porsche work.
I have not started to advertise at all yet, because I feel that I should wait until my building is up and all my machinery and tooling is ready before I start general advertisements. Right now the work I'm getting is all through word of mouth as people know I have been collecting Machine Tools in my garage.
Right now I work at a High School vocational center in the Automotive department. My plan is to quit this job in one year once my building is up and I hope to be open M-F 7:00-4:00 in my business. At the start, I am also going to get a part time job working evenings (Say 6-10) to keep some extra money coming in.
Financially I have sat down and calculated that I can swing this, as my debt is very low and I don't have a lot for bills.
One plan I have to increase business awareness in advertising is to hit the ground with a portfolio of jobs I have done for other customers, and go in to introduce myself to every surrounding business. Auto shops, farms, town/state garages, mills, factories... just get my name and face out there. I'm good at talking to people and presenting a strong first impression.
There are absolutely no decent shops within a 50+ mile radius of where I live. There are a few welding shops and one "machine shop" that has only two knee mills and an engine lathe, but its a dungeon shop without even a granite table so its not a high quality machine shop. More of a fab shop. That guy stays right out straight with fab work though.
The vision for my shop is doing A+++ repair machining and high precision work. I want to run a very clean shop that makes an impression on the customer who walks in. It seems like most places in my area (from automotive shops to the fab shop I mentioned) are "dungeon" environments. I was a Tool & Die Machinist previously and have been in the trade since I was 15 so I have some experience and a lot of drive. I'm 36 now.
I've previously owned a small landscaping business where I learned a lot of mistakes/pitfalls of business ownership.
Besides hitting the ground and personally meeting people, and allowing the word of mouth to spread about the quality of my jobs, what other ways of advertising do you see as most beneficial and cost effective? Do people still use newspaper ads? Radio ads? Do you use FaceBook or social media? Web sites?
Thanks for any advice or tips. I know this question comes around a lot, and sometimes its a pipe dream, but I believe in myself and this business. I'm going to push forward with this 100%. Its been a dream of mine since I was back in High School.