The new shop on the block--A young fabricator follows his dream, learns about business along the way

摘要

On a social media website recently, a young fabricator asked group members what sort of advice they might have for someone wanting to open a metal fabricating business. Everyone had good advice, ranging from getting customers lined up to putting together a solid team, but a simple one-word answer stood out: "Don't!"Half said in jest and half said as a plea to be cautious about what was about to be undertaken, the advice probably rings true for many metal fabricators. They love solving customers' problems, but the business end of metal fabricating has grown incredibly difficult over the years. Customers don't knock on the door anymore; a metal fabricator has to knock on prospects' doors.Of course, that attitude doesn't apply to everyone—certainly not Rob Howell.