wrote

Stay in the business long enough and do good work, and your business
and clients will take care of you. Then the bull**** factor goes to
half, you get better jobs with more money in them, and the people know
about your work and don't mind paying for extra if they know they are
getting exactly what they want.

Robert


That is an astounding statement, although contradictory to the usual spew
here. It was also my experience. I was a licensed steel erection
contractor for nine years. At the end, I did welding repair work and
carport repair work for 275 apartment projects, several builders, a few
hotels, various US Gov't agencies, and U Haul.

I got and kept my business by being honest, dependable, thorough, and doing
good work with a 100% guarantee. I got all my business either by soliciting
them, word of mouth referrals between property managers, or people finding
me because my work spoke for itself.

I still have work hanging in Las Vegas at major hotels, businesses, at
Hoover Dam, at hundreds of apartment projects, Nellis AFB, and other places.

As the man said, do a good job, charge a fair price, learn how to handle
tire kickers, guarantee your work, go the extra mile, and you will be about
as busy as you want to be unless you are located in a bad market. Don't
mess with any break even work, even if it is for a good customer unless it
will return in spades. (I would even do "free" work that amounted to a ten
minute gate weld, but I would always roll it in on another job down the
line."

Some of the earliest advice I got from successful people was .......... do a
good job, the money will follow; employees are the kiss of death; don't
listen to people who say they have more work for you if you do this job
cheaply; and listen to your gut.

Steve