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[ViciousNoob]

Trent and I are thinking about starting a little company here in Austin....


I made some bars for a mini chopper I fabricated and looked high and low for a chromer here in CenTex. I found out real quick that if you don't have a 500,000 part run, no one really wants anything to do with you. They wanted $200 bones to single dip my bars. I can get a chromed set for $211 shipped. It was ridiculous. We wanna start a chrome and powder coat company for the little folks like us. If you need bars chromed, something like $50. A set of wheels powdercoated? $75 each. Just guessin on the prices, but you get the idea..

X riders would, of course, get a helluva lot better prices than that, too...


Do you guys think it would fly?$20k would get us off the ground. You think we'd go broke?

-n00b

[jmdaniel]

Do you guys think it would fly?$20k would get us off the ground. You think we'd go broke?

-n00b

Yes.

Remember that you are in Austin, where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an environmentalist. Do a little research on the regulations surrounding the use of chemicals in that type of work, and I believe you will quickly discover the reason why small runs don't pay the bills at those shops.

And don't ever put a business plan together by "just guessin"... that's an easy way to say bye-bye to your money. 

[Morgan Buchanan]

gotta agree...  your prices seem like "we're going to go broke" rates.  Nobody begrudges you a reasonable profit.  Do I WISH you could chrome every part on a bike for $500 total?  Sure.  But realistically we know that's not the case.

[RD]

How about adding "Powder Coating" to the mix.

What Jeff said is right. Look into a smaller community than Austin. Manor? Buda? Dripping Springs? You know the areas that are close to you.

People will drive a little, if they know you'll be able to do the job at a reasonable price.

Now the $$$ deal. Do you have a years salary saved up? OK, that's what you live on. Now, aside from that, how much can you invest in your business? You'll need to take every bit of what you make, and reinvest it to keep your business growing. You won't have the luxury of spending it on frivolous items like groceries, gas, entertainment, and such.

Do your research, and be honest with yourself. Then after you do that add 25% more $$$ to it.

I don't mean to sound discouraging. More businesses fail, compared to being a success. You have to be willing to do your homework, work hard, and be prepared to be successful.

[sgtstever]

Man, you guys are all so damn negative!   I say hell yeah!!  Open that joint up!!!  I need my rims chromed cheap!!!!  Hurry up!!!!












On a serious note....(OK, I know that sounds weird coming from me), I think what they are saying is true.  I had a buddy of mine who opened up an "authentic Chicago pizza" shop here in Killeen, I watched him put everything he had into it, and within 6 months he was shut down and filed for bankruptcy.  Just be careful and know what the hell you are getting into.

[ViciousNoob]

Thanks for everyone's input...

This is just something we are kicking around. If we find out that there may be a market without total saturation, we would put together a business plan, ROI analysis, P&L forecasts, location research via demographics, ect....

Also, I have a great job that pays me really well, so I have no intentions on quitting anytime soon. This would completely be done off the clock. Just a place for the common man to send a part to get some chrome slapped on it and not pay as much as CenTex Chroming . A place that I can put my tools that I really don't need in my garage anymore. A place to hang out away from the women type folks..I looked online last night and can get warehouse space for a buck a sq. ft. right now, all bills paid except electricity. If I could get 350 sq ft, not only could I have a place to put the tanks, but a cheap place to wrench on the bikes and fab stuff. Not to mention drink beer with my buddies. My HOA is starting to get pissed about a cutoff saw and welder running at 10:00p.m.!!!

[apolloII]

Based on your last input, it sounds like you have given it some good thought. Sounds like more of a place to hangout, do some good stuff for bikers, and increase your skills. If it pays for itself you are ahead of the game. And if you do good work, reasonbly priced and in a reasonable amount of time--you should get all the knucke draggers in the area to come running to ya. Go for it!

[snake]

You might contact Handler, Sound him out on whats required. I don't figure He'd think of you as a threat enough to not give you the info...Or, send him the bars!

[sherri]

It sounds like a good idea, the best one of course is keeping you day job. If it takes off, you can always set a target goal of money to time and return on investment that you need to hit before you consider leaving you job. You could call it after hours chroming or something like that.
 I know I looked into designing a custom piece for my bike once and the chrome $$ made it not that appealing.

sherri

[WILD E]

I work for a precision fab shop in SanAntonio we also owen a powercoat company called CTC
They do a lot of bike part from frames to wheels .The avrage charge per wheel is $70.00 each for Black . The   phone # is 210-661-0020 . We only do powder coating . Chroming gets in to the wastwater management area ,Those folks will get in to your pocket book in a hurry.

[Morgan Buchanan]

a much more workable business plan...but if you go that route, don't let your success ruin it for you.  You'll need tight control on how MUCH work you do...or you'll end up with a grotesque back log, pissed customers, and no life.

[tom cat]

Just a thought, a chrome shop is not a good place to store bikes tools or any other stuff you do not want rusted up. The chemicals involved tend to rust up every thing including metal buildings.

[DarwinVTX]

my .02

Make it known and put it in the Service agreement that this is a part time deal for you and the work will be done at your leisure but with in a reasonable amount of time... that way when you get alot of customers they cant come back later talkin trash about it taking so long... you can refer them back to a peice of paper they signed saying that it will take time...

this is coming from Personal experiance... my job in the military is being a network/satalite controler... and i control a Civilian Internet on the side (do what i can to keep my fellow soldiers happy)... I really wish i would have put that in my Service agreement...

and another tidbit of advice... never take on more work than you can handle... correction... only take on about a third of what you think you can handle at a time... Murphy's Law applies in all situations...

D

[ViciousNoob]

You guys rock. Thanks for the input...


After the EPA researching, I'm leaning more towards powdercoating. There's some damn nice finishes available...

[hookem]

A voice with experience in this exact scenario:


EPA is easy...TCEQ is a b*$^@!


Trust me when I tell ya, $20K will not get you off the ground.  No building will be wired for 480V power, with the correct step-downs, ventilation, etc. that a Chrome shop calls for, except an old chrome shop.  Then, it will be out of code, and you will ask yourself 'why did they close'.

Cost of chemicals, copper, nickel, filters, scrubbers, etc. is over $20K on its' own.


Research, research, research grasshopper