Episode #30: How to Start a Shop from Scratch

You don’t start a machine shop by buying a machine.You start it by solving a problem.In this episode, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps unpack the reality behind building a machine shop from scratch—and it’s probably different than what most people expect.Everyone talks about machines.Very few talk about:• Cash flow pressure• Customer concentration risk• Investors and financing mistakes• The hidden costs nobody budgets for• Why your first customer matters more than your first machineAnd one statement from this episode flips conventional thinking upside down:"Don't buy the machine and then go find customers."If you're dreaming of launching your own shop—or wondering if now is the right time—this episode walks through the real-world decisions that determine whether you grow... or struggle before you ever get started.PLUS A MAJOR announcement about the future of Machine Shop Growth and the launch of Manufacturing M&A🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.