Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

Start a business to hunt more?

This is getting very popular around the mountain states. Would be right up your alley.

Congrats Brandon. Be sure to spend as much effort wotking ON the Business as in the business. Those books will determine your ability to hunt more than the quality of your welds will. Work on your cash flow coming from scheduled production versus emergency repair if you want Free Time...

BHR:
CA usually gets its pipe from the Bakersfield area that has a fair bit oil production.

CA-O-G-production-areas-CEI.jpg
 
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This is getting very popular around the mountain states. Would be right up your alley.

Most dairy fencing is built with that stuff, much cheaper than buying new pipe. We have oil fields within 2hrs so there's plenty of supply locally!
 
@Brandon270 Congratulations on getting this going.

May I encourage you to be certain to deliver a high quality product, and make double sure that you charge enough for your services. A workman is worthy of his hire.
 
Working for yourself is not for everyone, many prefer the safety of easier jobs or even government jobs for hunting as they get a lot of time off and don't really have to worry about the $ side of running a business, getting fired, shitty work, or work long hours. It sounds like you have a kinda rough job. If you really want to hunt I'd say go for a government job. I have an office across from the USDA office here in Laramie and on any given day less than half the people are actually at work to give you an idea, and that was before covid. You see how much some of the guys on here hunt and many work government jobs for that exact reason. Lots of time off is good for hunting as is getting every holiday down to Columbus day off to go hunt or fish.

That being said I could never imagine working for someone else. I am like you and knew how to weld and ended up starting a business manufacturing skull hangers which has turned into my primary income. I started by myself and now have a team that keep sales moving on the various platforms, website, online advertising, welding, etc.. I like it as the sales roll in even when I am not working or awake versus only getting paid when you are actually working. I also like working with hunters so this was a perfect fit. But it is not good for hunting as my busy season is hunting season. I usually hunt a few afternoons at best. So if you do start your own business with the intent to hunt find an industry that is busy in the spring or summer as opposed to the fall.

I grew up in an entrepreneurial family and have always owned my own business and now own 2. I'm in the process of training someone to run my skull hanger business so I can focus on my other business which is my real passion right now. Owning your own business can be really rewarding as my second business was just accepted into a business accelerator through the Department of Energy which would never be possible working for someone else. That's what makes me tick. But it's risky, and can be financially tough when you have a family to support.
 
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@Brandon270 Congratulations on getting this going.

May I encourage you to be certain to deliver a high quality product, and make double sure that you charge enough for your services. A workman is worthy of his hire.
Quality is a high priority, I also make sure to beef things up when I do a repair to prevent coming back for the same problem. From what I've gathered so far, the rate I chose is plenty enough for what I feel I'm worth yet competitive enough to pick up work that others priced themselves out of.
Working for yourself is not for everyone, many prefer the safety of easier jobs or even government jobs for hunting as they get a lot of time off and don't really have to worry about the $ side of running a business, getting fired, shitty work, or work long hours. It sounds like you have a kinda rough job. If you really want to hunt I'd say go for a government job. I have an office across from the USDA office here in Laramie and on any given day less than half the people are actually at work to give you an idea, and that was before covid. You see how much some of the guys on here hunt and many work government jobs for that exact reason. Lots of time off is good for hunting as is getting every holiday down to Columbus day off to go hunt or fish.

That being said I could never imagine working for someone else. I am like you and knew how to weld and ended up starting a business manufacturing skull hangers which has turned into my primary income. I started by myself and now have a team that keep sales moving on the various platforms, website, online advertising, welding, etc.. I like it as the sales roll in even when I am not working or awake versus only getting paid when you are actually working. I also like working with hunters so this was a perfect fit. But it is not good for hunting as my busy season is hunting season. I usually hunt a few afternoons at best. So if you do start your own business with the intent to hunt find an industry that is busy in the spring or summer as opposed to the fall.

I grew up in an entrepreneurial family and have always owned my own business and now own 2. I'm in the process of training someone to run my skull hanger business so I can focus on my other business which is my real passion right now. Owning your own business can be really rewarding as my second business was just accepted into a business accelerator through the Department of Energy which would never be possible working for someone else. That's what makes me tick. But it's risky, and can be financially tough when you have a family to support.
I have some friends that have/had county jobs or prison jobs and there's a lot of sitting around that goes on. Yes you get lots of time off and the benefits are great but I would go nuts sitting around all the time. It's strange for some but I feel good after a legitimate hard day of work as long as I'm paid what I think my time and skills are worth. I don't plan to make this into a huge company but rather stay busy enough that it makes sense yet still get time off for family and hobbies.
 
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Congratulations on what sounds like a successful start! My dad started our family business 36 years ago so I grew up in a startup business but when I started working here it was established. I feel like I have seen what it takes to start a business although I wasn't the one that did the heavy lifting to get things going. Here is my $0.02

1. It may seem easy to have your wife do your bookkeeping. Don't do it. I have watched it first hand have a negative affect on my parents relationship and it seems to be similar in other businesses I am familiar with.

2. My dad and many of his peers started their businesses around the same time. They all work 7 days a week even though they are in their 60's. They don't take time for family, vacations, etc. They have no hobbies outside of their business. They were not always that way, but if you let it - a small business seems to become your whole identity.

3. Someday if you need employees be selective of who you hire. Don't just fill positions because your shorthanded...
 
After just over a full year of taking the leap into my own business, I'm happy to report it was a great first year. It's nerve racking to go for something like this when there's so much unknown but I'm glad I took the risk. I'm not much of a flashy instagram guy and I dont post all the work I've done, but anyone interested in some of the more interesting work I did is at https://www.instagram.com/p7_weld/

Hope everyone had a great year with family, work and hunting.
 
After just over a full year of taking the leap into my own business, I'm happy to report it was a great first year. It's nerve racking to go for something like this when there's so much unknown but I'm glad I took the risk. I'm not much of a flashy instagram guy and I dont post all the work I've done, but anyone interested in some of the more interesting work I did is at https://www.instagram.com/p7_weld/

Hope everyone had a great year with family, work and hunting.
Don't discount putting your work on social media. It's a great advertising tool.
 
After just over a full year of taking the leap into my own business, I'm happy to report it was a great first year. It's nerve racking to go for something like this when there's so much unknown but I'm glad I took the risk. I'm not much of a flashy instagram guy and I dont post all the work I've done, but anyone interested in some of the more interesting work I did is at https://www.instagram.com/p7_weld/

Hope everyone had a great year with family, work and hunting.
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Congrats on surviving your first year. It never gets easier, but you get to look a lot more suave because you can handle the pressure and stress like a baller. :)

How much hunting were you able to get in, btw?
 
Congrats on surviving your first year. It never gets easier, but you get to look a lot more suave because you can handle the pressure and stress like a baller. :)

How much hunting were you able to get in, btw?
I got in about the same as last year, fished a little more than usual. My wife and I had our second born this summer and our main deer season is in August, so deer wasn't much of an option this year.
 
I got in about the same as last year, fished a little more than usual. My wife and I had our second born this summer and our main deer season is in August, so deer wasn't much of an option this year.

Congrats on the second kid. That's a pretty epic year Brandon! New business, new kiddo and a little extra fishing. You're doing better than I! :)
 

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