Life is what happens to you while you are making plans. I have found that if you do what you enjoy...without the burden of expectations of glory/riches...then you will be rewarded. I was fortunate to retire with a good annuity so money is not a concern to me in these later years so now I can do what I really want to do without the need to worry about where my next meal is coming from. That said, I have found that I am good enough at what I enjoy doing to have a sizable client base should I ever need to do it for a living. If I had started a business doing what I enjoy then I am sure that I would not have been able to do it for long...a labor of love can soon become a JOB with no heart.


I believe that if I were in a similar situation as you then I would find something to do to pay the bills and then on my own time develop a business based on whatever it may be that you are passionate about. 49F3dls is in a good field...not a lot of specialized equipment, clean, and fills a need that many would not take on themselves. My wife was a drafter when she was gainfully employed...now she uses her PC to do engineering drawings for people seeking patents. Not a business she would have ever planned to have but nonetheless it brings in as much income as she wants to commit to. Good luck...

 

So it sounds like the people you work for are more the problem then the job itself. Are there other companies around that could use your skill set? You were self employed, what changed that? Has that passed and could you be self employed again? Another thing to consider, everything in life has a shelf life, perhaps your job has come to the end of its best before date per say. The biggest thing with making something new is the initial venture into it. Big risk but could be a big reward. Could tell you many stories for sure.

 

I ran my own business for 15 yearsdoing the same type of work. I've been this type of work for.over 25/years. I have always enjoyed it up until the last two years of running my own shop. Time got tough, customers cared more about price than quality and I had one long time customer who got it in his head that he was my boss and tried to run it like it was his. It came to a head one day and we had a discussion that left him leaving my shop in tears like a spoiled brat. Now that I've had a chance to stand back and reflect on how things were I would do somethings differently, hopefully better.

Ross, the check every two weeks is nice but I think if you to anyone who is self employed we all bitch about our difficulties but we still enjoy the freedom we have. Not so much in time but in doing our jobs the way like and not having someone looking over our shoulders 8 hours a day.

 

Bob,
You are correct. A lot of companies are bring work in house that they used to job out . . . but not everything. This is a pendulum that swings back and forth. The trick is to be at the right place at the right time with the right product or skill.

You need a business plan which may make you groan if you are a hands on guy. But it doesn't have to be fancy. Lots of plans start on the back of napkins. It is obvious that you have given the economics a lot of thought. Just get those thoughts down on paper. Then if you can find someone that you trust a second set of eyes is often helpful.

Your innovation and creativity is great and is very important. But combining that with hard work is not a sure ticket to success. You need a workable plan . . . and it should be on paper. This will help you stay focused during times of stress and keep you from straying into areas that might stretch you too thin.

Just my 2 cents . . .

 

Bob, just be careful dont show to many people your idea or your prototype to too many people i would try to get a patent on it first there are a lot of people out there (including your friends) that would jump on your idea and head for the patent office and you would be out just remember that money does strange things to people just remember what my father told me COVER YOUR ***

 

Be careful not to be too paranoid though. People don't like to do business with people that are too careful. You know like saying, "just buy it from me and I'll tell you what it does later".

Also it is often who you know that gets you the jobs.

 

I've done a little reading on line by people asking about getting a patent on an idea and most advice was unless you have a idea that is going to make you hoards of money and will be in demand for a long time the cost of getting a patent is not feasible. The idea I have I feel could be very much in demand but just for the small market in my industry, not the general public. I started out with a piece of equipment that was not really related to my industry and modified it to fit my needs. It served me well for the last eight year or more. I have now built the item from ground up incorporating all of the improvements I wanted and have been using it in my work for over the last six months and it works great and I have gotten a lot of compliments from co-workers who are also using them.

 

That's good advice on patents.

 

You may want to check to see if you signed an intellectual property sheet when you signed up at your current place. They may own the rights, since you were working for them when you developed it, and used it at their shop.

 

Ross I'm not worried about that. I designed it on my own time, using my own computer and.software. I emailed the drawings to my company's computer from my computer. The.original .dwg drawings are.only on my computer, all drawings were sent in a..PDF file. If anything I gave them the free use of my design.

 

True Bob. I have been self employed since 1980, 35 years. Each job I get another boss, but not in the same way as working for one 40 hours a week. I usually am supplied with plans and then am on my own to get the job done. All referrals so they already have an expectation of someone they are looking forward to do a good job so most don't try and micro-manage me. If they do it doesn't go well for them or me, but I don't have to work for them again if I choose. I have been doing it so long that I pick and choose my jobs now - at least as long as this great economy around here keeps going. But no matter anyway, I will be retiring before next spring. Then I will get back to working on my trucks and building woodies again.