How To Make Money With A Plasma Cutter

Introduction

In this age of opportunity and technology, there are ways to make money with a plasma cutter that you might not have ever thought of.

If you are proficient with a plasma cutter or affordable welder, the earnings potential for you are very high. There are a number of things that you can do using these tools. While you may be very skilled in plasma cutting and welding. It can still be tough to understand how to build your business and what the different jobs are that you can do.

This guide is going to give you some ideas on how you can make money with skills that you already have. Since you already have the hard part down (knowing how to use your tools). You just need to figure out which jobs you want to do and how you are going to gain a steady stream of leads and business. Let’s get started!

Ways to Make Money with Welding/Plasma Cutting

Network = Net Worth

We all know the term "It's not what you know, It's who you know" right?

If you are already confident in your welding and plasma cutting skills, you might find that networking is very difficult for you. Tradesmen are not known for their ability to effectively communicate and network. But with a little practice and perseverance, you can definitely improve this area of your business.

Networking is important for any professional, but it’s essentially a lifeline for those who are trying to build a business. If you have been in the industry for a long time, this is going to be easier. You should simply use your existing contacts and connections to see if there are any opportunities to take on more work and get some steady business flowing in. Even if you don’t get any business directly from your existing connections, they may know people who need your services and will be more likely to recommend you to anyone who asks for someone in your line of work.

Talk About What You Do

If you aren’t already established in your industry, it’s going to be a little harder to network, but it’s not impossible and you should not give up.

You don't have to always sell your services. Sometimes simply talking about what you love doing will spread the word that you able and willing to take on additional jobs on the side.

There are often events that you can start to get some skills networking. Even if you don’t get any valuable connections at these gatherings, you can practice talking to people in a live environment. In addition to these conferences and events, you can also network locally by getting in contact with the various industry professionals in your area. You can also connect with other tradesmen to talk about best business practices and advertising strategies.

No matter what you end up doing, the most essential step that you can take is to get involved with the right organizations and local business groups. One good example would be your local Chamber of Commerce. You could also get in touch with a Business Networking International (BNI) group in your area. 

These connections are valuable for getting high-value business clients and growing your network quickly. They require an up front investment, but it’s well worth it.

Sub-Contracting

One way that you can really grow your private business quickly is to take on sub-contracting work. When another company is awarded a contract but doesn’t have the capacity to do every part of the job. They may require your expertise to come in and do a part of the job for an agreed upon amount of money.

Getting these jobs is great, but what is perhaps more valuable is the connection that comes from it. If you are able to get on the good side of a large contractor that frequently sub-contracts out work. That connection could be worth hundreds of thousands each year. It’s important that you provide great service on these jobs to preserve your preference for getting sub-contract work from these companies.

While the easy part is getting calls from those who sub-contract out work, it can be a little bit of a challenge to start getting those calls in the first place. We would recommend calling each company in a 30-mile radius that sub-contracts out work. Let them know that you are available and start the networking process!

Making Money Plasma Cutting / Welding from Home

Maybe your garage is starting to resemble an industrial workshop. 

After years of collecting tools for D.I.Y projects, do you have the necessary tools to... well, build almost anything you want?

Another option that you have to try and make money with a welder or plasma cutter is to start your own business from your backyard. Many welders make money doing a variety of things from home including making art, repairing equipment, and creating other things like custom signs with a CNC plasma cutter. You’d be surprised how much business that you’d get from the general public.

One of the hottest ways to make money with a plasma cutter and welder from home is to repair or build trailers. Trailers come with a high price tag and that makes them a high-margin investment for welders to build. You can buy steel and build trailers and other things to sell products for a near 50% or higher margin, which is fantastic.

Another thing that you could make would be aluminum deer stands. If you are creative in how you construct them, you could ship them using ecommerce. If you don’t create them in a way that is compatible with that. You can use local ecommerce tools like Craigslist and Facebook to sell them to the locals in your area that hunt. All of these ideas are high-margin because of the skill it takes to make them and the high price tag.