Found a shop!

Rob Babcock

Rob Babcock

Joined
Jul 16, 2007
Messages
1,041
This is maybe a bit out of left field as I don't think I've discussed this here before, but I just found myself a shop space to rent! Many of you probably know I worked as a chef for almost three decade. Around 2020 I wrecked my shoulder at work and was on work comp for almost two years. Eventually I've eased myself slowly back into restaurant work but the passion has not returned. I still like to cook but I don't think I'm going to every want to go back to working 60 hours a week again. While debating what else I'm passionate about it occurred to me that the only other thing I've remained really excited about for the last two decades has been knives and sharpening! Since I've done a bit of sharpening as a side hustle I figured maybe that's where I want to focus. So I flew out to Hawaii to train with a really good pro sharpener there with a special focus on learning to do convex high end salon shears. I got back last week and managed to nail down a small shop space! I'll sign the lease later this week! :cool: 🥳 :D
 
Rob Babcock said:
This is maybe a bit out of left field as I don't think I've discussed this here before, but I just found myself a shop space to rent! Many of you probably know I worked as a chef for almost three decade. Around 2020 I wrecked my shoulder at work and was on work comp for almost two years. Eventually I've eased myself slowly back into restaurant work but the passion has not returned. I still like to cook but I don't think I'm going to every want to go back to working 60 hours a week again. While debating what else I'm passionate about it occurred to me that the only other thing I've remained really excited about for the last two decades has been knives and sharpening! Since I've done a bit of sharpening as a side hustle I figured maybe that's where I want to focus. So I flew out to Hawaii to train with a really good pro sharpener there with a special focus on learning to do convex high end salon shears. I got back last week and managed to nail down a small shop space! I'll sign the lease later this week! :cool: 🥳 :D
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A guy at work is starting a small side business...shear sharpening too, but he added Dog Groomers as well.....that's not something I would of thought of, but ever since he mentioned that, that's all I see now is dog grooming places.
-just a thought for More business for ya
 
I stopped in to sign the lease today! It's all mine once I get my commercial liability insurance in place. The shop is 17'x14', not huge but more space than I need. I have not registered the name yet so I won't spill the beans till I do (superstitious I suppose!;)). But I will be sharpening as well as laser engraving. To start out I'll have two xTool machines, an F1 and an F1 Lite. Not huge machines but blisteringly fast and the F1 can do steel/stainless/steel/aluminum as well as glass, acrylic, ceramic, stone, wood, etc. My neighbor to the east is a comic shop and the one to west is a charcuterie store and butcher shop. I think the owner is already planning in principle to give me at a shot at sharpening for his store and he has many contacts in restaurants and country clubs that are always looking. Also there's a pet groomer below the comic shop so I might have some business doing shears and clippers as well as knives, all without leaving the building. :cool: We'll see though, can't get ahead of myself.

Monday I'll hopefully be able to install work benches and get the machines/gear set up with the lasers getting setup by midweek (fingers crossed).

I've been working towards this for a while so I'm excited to see the dream starting to turn into reality.
 
My maternal Grandmother taught me that the first entrance to a new place of residence should include a Bible and a new broom.
I think it's an Appalachian thing, but I have always done so for good luck.

Good luck, Rob!!
 
I have been remiss in posting updates! Sorry about that. Today I picked up the keys. :cool: 🥳 :D I registered the name with the MT Sec of State, and will be called Apex Sharpening & Laser Engraving, LLC. There's so much involved in opening even a small business! I still need to get cell phone just for my business, set up a way to take cards (maybe Square?), and get my EIN from the IRS. Then I need to get furniture (think workbenches) so I can setup all my machines. And there's a shortage of outlets so I need get an electrician over...and he will need to clear permits from the city. ARGHHHH!!! All I wanted was just to sharpen knives! :eek:;)😂👍
 
It gets pretty involved starting a business, lot more than people think. Best of luck getting everything together and going!
Rob Babcock said:
I have been remiss in posting updates! Sorry about that. Today I picked up the keys. :cool: 🥳 :D I registered the name with the MT Sec of State, and will be called Apex Sharpening & Laser Engraving, LLC. There's so much involved in opening even a small business! I still need to get cell phone just for my business, set up a way to take cards (maybe Square?), and get my EIN from the IRS. Then I need to get furniture (think workbenches) so I can setup all my machines. And there's a shortage of outlets so I need get an electrician over...and he will need to clear permits from the city. ARGHHHH!!! All I wanted was just to sharpen knives! :eek:;)😂👍
Click to expand...
 
The electrician got held up and won't make it till tomorrow. But on the plus side I got my EIN and ordered a cell phone to use for a business phone. The workbenches are all ordered and hopefully will be here about the time the electrician is done. Now that I have the EIN it should be quick to pop into my bank and get a DBA account for my business. My to-do list is starting to get short now. Once the electrician finishes I'll get the shop build done, install the grinders and lasers, and hopefully be ready to spend a few days to a week just shaking things down, seeing how everything is working. I'll need a week to figure out how to run the XTOOL F1 laser! It's a beast, it will do a lot but there's a learning curve.
 
One step at a time, you are getting close!
Rob Babcock said:
The electrician got held up and won't make it till tomorrow. But on the plus side I got my EIN and ordered a cell phone to use for a business phone. The workbenches are all ordered and hopefully will be here about the time the electrician is done. Now that I have the EIN it should be quick to pop into my bank and get a DBA account for my business. My to-do list is starting to get short now. Once the electrician finishes I'll get the shop build done, install the grinders and lasers, and hopefully be ready to spend a few days to a week just shaking things down, seeing how everything is working. I'll need a week to figure out how to run the XTOOL F1 laser! It's a beast, it will do a lot but there's a learning curve.
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Rob Babcock said:
Thanks! That's the way I'm leaning as they seem to be the best option short of getting a merchant account. Do you have a machine or use phone app?
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Phone app. We used it for it's portability ease, we woud use at trade shows, consumer shows and fairs, have put as many as 140 transactions a day thru it and never hade a problem. Their reports are excellant
 
B JACKSON said:
Phone app. We used it for it's portability ease, we woud use at trade shows, consumer shows and fairs, have put as many as 140 transactions a day thru it and never hade a problem. Their reports are excellant
Click to expand...
Thanks! That's probably the way I'll go, too. Does it use just the phone or do you have the little plastic dongle widget?

Well, got the electrician coming over tomorrow. Gonna be low four figures which stings a bit, kind of hoping for a bit less but electricians make even more than sharpeners.😂 Adding a couple of circuits and more outlets for all my machines. And I finally gave up and ordered a new glass display case, a 6-footer. I'd been flogging a couple local guys on Facebook but finally gave up on them. I'd get a message, then radio silence for a few days, then a message, etc. Finally decided to spend more and buy new instead of wasting my time with these clowns. Seriously, if you're trying to sell something doesn't it seem like you'd want to communicate with an eager buyer? Oh well, it's the last thing I really need for my shop save a rolling tool chest which I might get soon or might get after I've been open a month or two.

Once the electrician is done I'll set up my laser engravers and begin some testing! I don't know much about them yet, I've studied but not had any practical experience. My main thing is going to be sussing out knife marking and let my brother do more of the intricate stuff but I'll learn it all as I go along. It's getting closer! I'm aiming for around the 17th to do a soft open.🥳
 
The electric is done! I've got a mover booked to haul all the workshop stuff (benches, tables, machines, etc) over to the shop. The weather has been brutal which has slowed things down a bit. We had intermittent closures of the interstate over a couple of days which put the electric behind as well as the deliveries of the shop supplies. Still, I should be able to start building it out on Thurs! I have a couple of folks over on Nextdoor that have messaged a couple times to see when I open, they're chomping at the bit to get some sharpening done. :cool:
 
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