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Been lurking here for a while and finally decided to share my experiance turning my maker/mechanics hobby into a small business. It started with just tinkering in the garage, fixing up old lawnmowers and reselling them. I was surprised at how quickly I developed a local reputation. Than I started taking on custom fabrication work, small things like building custom brackets or modifying tools for specific tasks.The biggest hurdle wasn't the technical stuff, it was definitely the business side. Learning about things like liability insurance, proper invoicing, and managing customer expectations was a steep learning curve. I relied heavily on free online resources and mentoring from a retired machinist who'd run his own shop for years.He was invaluable.
Now, I mostly focus on servicing and repairing small engines (lawnmowers, generators, etc.) and creating custom metal components for local businesses. It's not glamorous, but it allows me to do what I love and be my own boss. Anyone else made a similar jump? What were your biggest challenges and lessons learned? I'm always looking for ways to improve and streamline things.