Finding work

[Hell on wheels]

I started my welding business here in SW Florida about 2 years ago. Its been slow ever since then,just do a job here and there nothing worth bragging about. And everybody tells me that the first 5 years of your business are gonna be slow but......this slow and I know the economy is hurting.
I dunno what to do I advertise, I have references I go around town for days and weeks at a time looking for work but I can't find none.
Generally I try to work on like heavy equipment repairs buckets,rakes,bushhogs. Once in a while I'll do ornamental iron repair.
All my equipment is fairly new I've got a ESAB stick/TIG machine,Hobart MIG welder,a Lincoln Ranger 8 I do try and appear as professional as I can.

I'm just so frustrated.

What would u do???

[partagas]

Two things.
1) Try craigslist. It's free and you never know. Small jobs but still some extra work.
2) Call or stop by other Weld shops and ask if they need any outsourcing. You just might get lucky and find one that could use you for a project.

Plus being in SW Fl have you tried the Marnia's and any of the boat shops..

[usmcpop]

Look through the yellow pages for any businesses that might need occasional welding repairs. Equipment rental places, agricultural machinery dealers, tractor trailer repair, forklift dealers, etc. Periodically check with your metal suppliers about potential projects in your area.

[Hell on wheels]

Yea I run ads on craigslist once a week.
And yes I do stop by equipment rental places and give out my card. I even go by the golf courses around here to their maintenance buildings looking for work cause their's alot of them around here.
The thing I find is alot of places its easier to pay a mechanic or somebody $8-$10 an hour to weld the things they need done instead of sending it to somebody like me.Most of their welding work they need done they can do it in house.

I guess the only thing I can do is keep looking something is bound to turn up.

Thanks,
Dan

[partagas]

Their are web sites that offer Leeds. But you have to pay a service fee. Some are cheap, but most are way out of my league. Try a search on that..

[bandsawguy]

I'm not sure how this would help you but in my business we offer free machine inspections when you buy your bandsaw blades from us. This often leads to service work. As an example things were slow last week so I started working on getting some of the free inspections done. I walked into the first place after calling ahead to see if it was ok to go in and they had two saw broken down with larger repair jobs and 2 or 3 little things that need fixing. Of course immediately my phone started ringing and two other customers called to have me look at problems on their saws. When it raisn it pours right.

[Hell on wheels]

Advertising can be expensive I used to run an ad in one of the local newspapers here and it was like $110 a month for just a plain ad w/ just writing in it no pix or fancy letters nothing.

Bandsaw I see what ur saying and I might come up w/ something like that.

With the economy being so bad right now I think folks are not spending money unless they have too if it can wait they won't bother right now.

Thanks,
Dan

[Steve Crum]

Are you sure that you business is right for your area to start with? What I mean to say is, is there much of that kind of work needed in the area you are trying to market in? Surf boards in the Sahara? Yeah there's sand, but no surf.

[Hell on wheels]

Oh yeah the kind of work I target is in abundance here. Their's plenty of contractors w/ bulldozers,loaders,skid steers,excavators and all kinds of construction equipment that needs repair.
Fort Myers is one of the top growing cities in the country so theirs plenty of work going on its just the economy is so bad right now their is no work.

But see if their is no work going on people are not using their machines,in turn their not needing repairs which means I'm outta work.It's like a chain reaction.

I'm going out next week to look for some work so hopefully I'll turn something up.

Dan

[usmcpop]

Have you tried commercial property management companies? They might need some occasional repair/fabrication for railings, barriers, etc.

Maybe put an ad in Craigslist - offer some hands-on welding training for newbies and homeowners. If you could get several people at once for a couple of sessions, you might get a few bucks.

Check out the Small Business Development Center here, and see what kind of free assistance they can give you: http://cli.fgcu.edu/sbdc/index.html Perhaps they can hook you up with some small-business set aside job from the city/state.

Likewise, SCORE is a free business resource. http://www.score219.org/ If nothing else, they may know people who know people, which is what it's all about.

Also see http://www.leecountybusiness.com/

[Hell on wheels]

Thanks alot I'm going to look into all of these this week.
I am a vendor for the Lee county school district,one of their teachers found my ad on craigslist and had me build some plant stands for their marine science class.

After the election is over with I beg that things will pick up and not just for me for everyone.

Dan

[usmcpop]

Dan, just keep shaking the trees. Something is bound to fall out sooner or later.

[Sberry]

Anyone in biz should be reading these, start with Marketing warfare, Positioning and the 22 laws of marketing. You are wasting your time if you dont read them. http://books.google.com/books?q=Jack...ottom-3results

[usmcruz]

**** on Wheels, if your willing to come up to Jacksonville Florida, I can probably get you in the local shipyards welding if your interested. You can put me down as a reference. Its good work, and pay starts at $16 to $18 an hour.

[teck_man12]

If you have a good mobile set up, especially a good 110 volt welder (like a HH140), get set up and practice welding stainless steel. Look in the phone book for companies like Hobart, Ecolab, dish washer mfg, restaurant/commercial kitchen maintenance outfits and give them a call. I live in the KC area and worked at a local restaurant. I learned to do SS and was repairing a sink one morning when our Ecolab rep came in and put me in touch with his boss. I made some good money on the side doing SS repair in commercial kitchens, but the hours suck so I gave it up a while back.