wgnrr1
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2008
- Location
- Spooner, WI
Hello Gang,
I see I have not been active on the forums since 2012, and a lot has happened. I went full time in my shop in May of 2012, and had a great business going. Fast forward to 2016, my best customer(65%) starts having financial trouble, and starts playing games with all their vendors. So, I tell them we are done! At this point, I had a job offer to go back to locomotive repairs, so I took it. I still ran the shop on the side, picked up a few customers. December of 2019, I had enough of working outside and fixing things caused by gross stupidity, so I left to go back to the shop. First couple months were looking very promising, meetings with new potential customers, P.O.s coming in. Everything looked good, word got out I was back in the game. Then COVID-19 hit! Orders pushed back, customers laying off, production slowdowns. So, I went back to doing locomotive work as a contractor. At least I'm not on the clock anymore, and I go in as I want or for emergencies.
I pushed the advertising early on this year, and did a little throughout the year. I've started doing some YouTube videos. Just hoping things would change. I'm going into winter with very little in the shop, but do have that contract work, luckily. I really want to be machining and welding.
I've been working with a couple other shops, doing the stuff they cant do. They are seeing things tanking now too. I've been working on a potential product with a friend, but we are seeing that market struggling also.
I'm not giving up on anything, and the shop is all paid for. So, I'm here to stay!
Where do you see things headed? What advice do you guys have?
I see I have not been active on the forums since 2012, and a lot has happened. I went full time in my shop in May of 2012, and had a great business going. Fast forward to 2016, my best customer(65%) starts having financial trouble, and starts playing games with all their vendors. So, I tell them we are done! At this point, I had a job offer to go back to locomotive repairs, so I took it. I still ran the shop on the side, picked up a few customers. December of 2019, I had enough of working outside and fixing things caused by gross stupidity, so I left to go back to the shop. First couple months were looking very promising, meetings with new potential customers, P.O.s coming in. Everything looked good, word got out I was back in the game. Then COVID-19 hit! Orders pushed back, customers laying off, production slowdowns. So, I went back to doing locomotive work as a contractor. At least I'm not on the clock anymore, and I go in as I want or for emergencies.
I pushed the advertising early on this year, and did a little throughout the year. I've started doing some YouTube videos. Just hoping things would change. I'm going into winter with very little in the shop, but do have that contract work, luckily. I really want to be machining and welding.
I've been working with a couple other shops, doing the stuff they cant do. They are seeing things tanking now too. I've been working on a potential product with a friend, but we are seeing that market struggling also.
I'm not giving up on anything, and the shop is all paid for. So, I'm here to stay!
Where do you see things headed? What advice do you guys have?