P_ham for the win

[antelopedundee]

One thing Kurt Racicot said one time was that he felt one of the big reasons Stone Glacier was successful was that he didn't hurry to make it his full time job. I think there was a lot of wisdom in that.

We see it all the time, excellent craftsmen go into business for themselves, get lots of work because they are good, and then get overloaded. Communication starts to suffer, and unfortunately sometimes being behind means quality starts to slip. Add the fact that that backlog sometimes gets sold at rates that really don't make a lot of money, and things get squirrelly in a hurry.

My advice would be,

-make sure you are actually making profit on your work after all expenses are covered and you are paid.

-know your costs extremely well.

-have systems in place to handle incoming interest and work.

-understand that communication with customers is what may make or break a small business.

Once all that is working going into business full time won't be an issue. I've worked for the public for about 10 years now and I wish I had followed the above advice from the start, as it would have saved me a lot of stress and put a lot more money in my pocket.

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, if so, great! Im personally rooting for @p_ham .

Remember too that unnecessary jaw jackin with customers takes away from smithing time. J D Jones at SSK used to mention this.

 

[noharleyyet]

95/hr
190/hr if you watch
380/hr if you help

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Remember too that unnecessary jaw jackin with customers takes away from smithing time. J D Jones at SSK used to mention this.

Seems like a major thing that bogs gunsmiths down a lot.. I always try to minimize communication to just the core details but it can burn a guy at times. Like when i wanted a SAAMI spec chamber and the smith told me his reamer was SAAMI so I didn't ask about the freebore.. And got a chamber with about 0.060" less than SAAMI freebore that resulted in factory ammo jammed too hard into the lands to be used.

 

[elkduds]

"Advice is what other people would do in your situation." Me, fairly often to clients.

 

[choc dogs]

95/hr
190/hr if you watch
380/hr if you help

What if I already tore it apart?

 

[noharleyyet]

What if I already tore it apart?

That's a 4th line item value...

 

[BackofBeyond]

What if I already tore it apart?

Then the answer is "sorry, I'm just swamped, I don't have time to get to it."

 

[millerkiller77]

I gotta give the guy credit. He'll build anything you want and isn't afraid to tackle out of the norm projects. Communication is brisk , but to the point and his overall knowledge of firearms covers the whole gambit.

 

[woods89]

Seems like a major thing that bogs gunsmiths down a lot.. I always try to minimize communication to just the core details but it can burn a guy at times. Like when i wanted a SAAMI spec chamber and the smith told me his reamer was SAAMI so I didn't ask about the freebore.. And got a chamber with about 0.060" less than SAAMI freebore that resulted in factory ammo jammed too hard into the lands to be used.

Thus the "systems in place" line.

Either @p_ham needs to price his work so that he can spend enough time on the phone with clients to get this info, or have a form clients fill out with relevant questions, or perhaps some other better solution.

It's really helpful when a tradesman not only knows what needs to be done, but why it needs to be done so. The other side of this is that the cost of that time on the phone or answering emails adds up quick.

For my brother and I in the remodeling industry, we try to spend a lot of time getting all the info we can, and the tradeoff is that we are quite expensive compared to the local average. This year our 3 man business will need to pay for 40-45 days of me not being on site ( at my desk working on quotes, meeting clients, etc.) to provide the level of service we want to provide. That's a lot of overhead to cover, but it appears our customers are happy to pay for it.

Probably a bit TLDR, but the bottom line is that good communication is not going to come with "reasonable" prices, at least not long term.

 

[woods89]

What if I already tore it apart?

Or, what if I buy the materials and let you install them?

 

[noharleyyet]

It is rare, very rare, but there are those whom you can play cards with over the phone...Paul's that guy. Succinct, conscientious, and fair works for me.

 

[Treeshark]

I’m not going to weigh in on whether or not he should make a full go of it, that’s his life/his call.

I can say that I do fully intend to send some business his was someday, whether or not he goes full bore or as a side gig. Really impressed with his work and communication on here.

 

[BackofBeyond]

It is rare, very rare, but there are those whom you can play cards with over the phone...Paul's that guy. Succinct, conscientious, and fair works for me.

Definitely the kind of guy that I feel comfortable enough with to, at some point, send him a stack of cash and say “build me something cool” then end up with a rifle that will exceed all expectations.

 

[Addicting]

What if I already tore it apart?

I have one of these I am ready to send him. Thought it would make a good thread.

 

[Gus Chiggins]

Remember too that unnecessary jaw jackin with customers takes away from smithing time. J D Jones at SSK used to mention this.

There are quite a few people who assume your time is free and will take what they can get. Most of them mean well, but are oblivious

 

[antelopedundee]

Seems like a major thing that bogs gunsmiths down a lot.. I always try to minimize communication to just the core details but it can burn a guy at times. Like when i wanted a SAAMI spec chamber and the smith told me his reamer was SAAMI so I didn't ask about the freebore.. And got a chamber with about 0.060" less than SAAMI freebore that resulted in factory ammo jammed too hard into the lands to be used.

Some like to call and shoot the bull. I may have an issue similar to what you're talking about.

 

[noharleyyet]

There are quite a few people who assume your time is free and will take what they can get. Most of them mean well, but are oblivious

...and there are forums for that. ; )

 

[millerkiller77]

On my first phone conversation with Paul, I suggested he should raise his prices. This is before I even committed to a build....he's that knowledgeable and honest.

 

[Dsnow9]

I have two guns there, and I agree. For the work, communication, and eye for detail I feel like I should be paying more.

 

[Ben Lamb]

...and there are forums for that. ; )

This is consensual.

The phone call/ impromptu dropin generally isn't.