How to start business

[Ray Hershberger (Unregistered Guest)]

How do i get the shopbot going full speed and on its feet when i already have a full time job and am trying to get the shopbot going full time so i can quite my other job????????
Should i hire somebody tempararily to help us get going??????

[kivimagi]

That would depend on what type of a business you are going to start.

Do you know yet?

[stickman]

Ray,

It took me about a week to assemble my ShopBot and get it up, tuned and running. Before it arrived, I built my wood table.

I've got a full time job. I spend as much time as I can warrant to, business affairs and programming time as well as experimenting. But, I also make time to spend with my family.

At the moment, I've been making my prescence known through friends and family, that is until this coming weekend, with the debut of my business at the home show to expose my work to the community. After this weekend, I'll know more of what the interest in my products will be. (ie, carved signs and custom woodworking) I've got a few other jobs out, in the quote process and I've made contacts with a vinyl sign company that loved one of my samples, which in turn he put me in contact with a custom cabinet maker.

MalteseSample (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=2&post=12316#POST12316)

Just comments from a guy with a full-time job, looking to make it his last working for someone else.

[paco@cooptel.qc.ca]

I'm I wright;

most users of ShopBot were not CNC users before?

most ShopBoters bought their machine before knowing if it would actualy be machining enought?

Thanks for sharing!

Paco...doing a survey.

[ron brown]

Paco,

ShopBot was one of the first affordable CNC machines. Many of us learned CNC on ShopBots.

I built mine, the first were kits, before I understood exactly what they would do. I knew, if it would do what was claimed, it would help in the project I had planned.

I believe many of us bought them to do repetitive work that was previously done by hand with patterns. Others bought them for things like sign work.

HTH,
Ron

[sleepy]

I bought my shop bot to do signs only, I bought a benchtop. It paid for itself in 3 months. Two months after I bought it, I wished I would have bought a larger one. I knew nothing about cad programs with the exception of knowing corel and owning a laser.

[Terry L (Unregistered Guest)]

hello! i am thinking of buying a shopbot to do 3d wodcarving for picture frames!I am wondering how hard it is to learn the programming! i have experience on c.n.c. fanuc programming and also G ZERO programming as a machinist!does the shopbot come with everything neccesary to do 3d carving?also could anyone tell me where i could buy a used shopbot? any help would be appreciated!

[ron brown]

hello! i am thinking of buying a shopbot to do 3d wodcarving for picture frames!I am wondering how hard it is to learn the programming!
~~~~~~
Depends on your experience and understanding.
~~~~~~ i have experience on c.n.c. fanuc programming and also G ZERO programming as a machinist!
~~~~~~~
That may or may not translate into understanding what is happening in a carving depending on what you did with a CNC machine.
~~~~~~~
does the shopbot come with everything neccesary to do 3d carving?also could anyone tell me where i could buy a used shopbot? any help would be appreciated!
~~~~~~
Yes, NO and mine's not for sale.

My first carving was an incised star written by Bill Young. The second was a raised star written "by hand" in ShopBot code. Yes, it can be done. But, it requires more understanding of where the bit is traveling and a lot of write and re-write. Some patterns can be done in a spreadsheet.

The probe program can duplicate existing work, in a fashion. I have taken probed files of parts and modified them.

Straight "raster cutting" can be done with programs available at no charge on the internet. Programs that allow one to control more cost more.

HTH,

Ron

[pointychin]

I am a new shop botter, but I have a strong opinion on the business aspects of this machine.

1st step, know what the shopbot can do. (These forums are a great source for that.)
2nd step, know what YOU can do with a shopbot. (What level of programing do you expect to feel comfortable with.)
3rd step, knowing the limitations, what do you want the business to be in a year or so? What volumes, what level of programming, what level of active sales?
4th step, find the markets that fit.

Personally, I come from a world of 3-D modeling and development. I fully expect to push my shopbot into that world. I see an unbelieveable number of markets for the 3-D, low volume shopbot. However, that is my goal, and I have the background to get there. In the meantime, I am looking at the markets in between 'surfacing for table' and low relief carvings of the Mona Lisa. The learning curve is real, so you should plan for it.

The greatest thing about the shopbot business is the wealth of markets at all levels of programming. Signs, jigs, crafts, molding, complex joinery, toys...
Just keep in mind what the competition is, and how to beat them.
For example, making furniture for profit is VERY tough. (lots of parts, case studies and labor verify that.) But one of my first clients makes custom furniture. I do what the shopbot does well at a profit. He takes care of the 100 or so other details to make the furniture. I make a profit, he can sell more chairs.

Were I to try the furniture route alone, I would have to focus on so many items that my shop does about as well as anyone. That's not the path to financial independence.

Brian Hill

[swingblade2]

I want to start a business using Shopbot as a replacement for all rhe tooling I have aquired in the past but, I also want to produce things in quantity. I have a new building I have put up which would be ideal for one but, I would like some ideas on how to get started in all this...

[ron brown]

"as a replacement for all rhe tooling I have aquired in the past but, I also want to produce things in quantity"

That's a tall order. I find there are some things CNC automation helps. Other things are still more efficeintly achieved with other power tools and some things are still best done with hand tools.

Your best bet is to attend a ShopBot camp. Learn from those who have the tools.

Ron

[Ray Hershberger (Unregistered Guest)]

Ryan,

A late response but my plans are to do signs and hit shops and stores if i am not too busy with signs!
Thank-you! Ray
P.S. My business is picking up a good feeling!

[kivimagi]

I'm curious how many people quit other jobs, to start a business with a shopbot. Its tough for me to leave the salary of corporate america, to take a risk.

[Mantlemen@savannahga.net]

Ryan,
There is an old saying (don't quit your day job) that I wouldn't take lightly if I were you. It is very possible to start small and slowly build up your business until you are comfortable enough to jump in head first. I myself am developing a new business with shopbot while keeping my old business going to help fund the new one. It works well this way and is not so scary. Don't forget, most business fail quickly because they didn't realize it takes five years to get things established. (Unless you hit the jackpot with some new tricky product li a pet rock). So take it from an old timer-build your business slow and steady and it will be with you for many years.

Good Luck'

J. Scott

[Brady Watson]

Ryan,
I had my bot for about a year or so before I was laid off from work, along with 100 other people the same day. I instinctively knew that it was going to happen sooner or later and that's one reason I bought the bot. I was too chicken to just quit...and didn't have the business to justify quitting either. I did of course, hate my day job...and all of the nonsense that comes with corporate America.

I have been on my own for about 6 months now and it has been a tough winter. It has been feast or famine as far as work goes. It isn't like collecting a salary check every week....but then again, I no longer feel like someone's slave. It does have it's pluses and minuses.

It's tough...but I seem to be making it happen. When the time is right, things will just happen for you. In the meantime...make lots of friends and acquaintences. All of my work has been word of mouth. From the local coffee shop to the chiropractor. Find people who know people. A network like this will be your saving grace until you get some b to b work.

-Brady