Need help laser ecthing small business

[Ronnie Matthews]

I've just started a small business class for my laser ecthing business & my first home work assiment is to talk to other existing business owners in my field ? #1 what did you do to start your business #2 what made you choose this Business #3 what was the greatest business challenges that you faced as you started your business #4 what have you learned from being in business for your self #5 what advice would you give me as I start my business witch ever questions you can help me with would be greatly aprecated as I'm under the gun I had no one to go to in my area that has a laser thank you for you suport

[Dee Gallo]

Ronnie,

What you are asking for is an entire year's discussion. Just searching for "laser business" on this forum will get you 500 threads of discussion, which is the tip of the iceberg.

There are hundreds of different answers for each of your questions. Here are my short answers to your questions:
1. Before starting my business, I spent 50 years learning my trade
2. I chose laser engraving as a more modern tool for doing what I had been doing by hand with gouges.
3. The greatest business challenge is researching and establishing a target customer and niche.
4. I've learned that running your own business can consume your life and resources if you let it, but it can enhance and enrich it if you control it.
5. My advice is to examine what you are planning to do, determine if it is realistic money-wise, plan on waiting at least 2-3 years before you see any success and focus on something you already have some expertise in so there is a strong base to start.
6. You didn't ask, but you would benefit from reading every single post on this forum to find out all the good, the bad and the amazing about the laser engraving biz in all its incarnations.
cheers, dee

[Joe Pelonio]

Yes, that is asking for a lot of long narrative, but I'll give a short summary too.

#1 Bought an existing business 7 years old (added the laser as another tool for my sign business after running it 10 years)

#2 20+ Years experience, fun and creative job

#3 Overcoming the shortcomings of the previous owner to bring back
customers and add more of them

#4 Long, hard hours and not nearly enough pay, carefully monitor employees

#5 Don't listen to a salesman that says "anyone can do it." Besides business sense this kind of work does require artistic and creative
abilities, and a certain amount of technical/mechanical skill.

[Ronnie Matthews]

I guess I should've known about this fourm before I perchased a laser in 2002 I was at a siminar for my job when i first seen my Vytek 24x36 laser
i bought it for 55,000 cash witch is saling for alot less these days with the type of work i was doing at the time concrete cutter in this ecomny work has slown down plus a near fatal motor cycle accident in witch i lost my right eye never realy had time to get my own business going so now i have the time just not the bussiness sence but I will get it going the questions were for the business class I'm now taking so now i'm in it for the long hall Ihave to turn this into my day job

[Dee Gallo]

Ronnie,

One suggestion for you that might relate to your previous experience is to make number and name blocks for contractors. I've done a few and have not pursued it but they have inspired other people to come to me asking for similar blocks. The one that surprised me was a "stone" which is really made from concrete and used on exterior walls. It engraved really well and the customer was able to mount it near the entrance of the house easily.

Another customer wanted ceramic floor tiles done for his new house, some with names and dates, some with designs.

Hopefully some of your concrete business contacts will send you some business, in fact if you make some samples for them to keep around, people are really excited to see their name can be engraved for less than they thought possible. I got $80 for a 10 inch tile with one word and the year on it, which took no time at all. And when they got it, they asked for 2 more just like it.

Another suggestion and please take this as a friend trying to help another: work on your typing skills. If you are going to be communicating with clients, you need to avoid massive spelling, grammar and typing errors or they will think less of you.

cheers, dee

[Mike Null]

There is a spell checker on the Google toolbar which has been a big help to me.

[Ronnie Matthews]

Thats good information I should probly spell check befor sending a message thank you but please don't let that be the reason to not reply

[Ronnie Matthews]

I'll do better that why some post go unanswered LOL

[Jim Beachler]

I've just started a small business class for my laser ecthing business & my first home work assiment is to talk to other existing business owners in my field ? #1 what did you do to start your business #2 what made you choose this Business #3 what was the greatest business challenges that you faced as you started your business #4 what have you learned from being in business for your self #5 what advice would you give me as I start my business witch ever questions you can help me with would be greatly aprecated as I'm under the gun I had no one to go to in my area that has a laser thank you for you suport


Hello Ronnie.

1 - Bought an existing business 8 years ago
2 - Had done this as a hobby for many years and loved puzzles
3 - Biggest challenge was listening to "experts" and following their advice.
I now do things very differently from the way the company operated when I bought it. Doing things my way when others told me different was hard at first but I realized that it was not their money in it, so they didn't have to deal with the consequences if it failed. They didn't have a dog in the fight.
4 - Seek advice, take advice but make your own decision. Learn from what others that are successful are doing, not just in your field, but in business in general.
5 - Realize that the most important job in the business is Sales. without which you have nothing to do. The second most important job is Customer Service. which is everything else from taking care of the order to getting it out correctly and promptly and how well you handle mistakes.