How to start a business in the production of welding works

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A welding business is a good idea for those who have a goal and desire to invest their capital in this business and have sufficiently high welding skills.

The advantage of this business is that any scale is suitable for it. You can work independently, or organize a group of welders.

In this article, we have collected the most important information on how to start your own welding business, assemble a team of skilled workers, organize work in your enterprise and start making a stable profit.

• Business organization
• Necessary equipment
• Recruitment of employees
• Options for a welding plant Production and installation of metal structures
• Production of barbecues and other items
• Pipe repair and replacement
• Dismantling

Welding shop premises

When drawing up a plan for starting a business, you should first of all take into account the requirements for premises in which electric welding work is carried out, established at the legislative level. Several workplaces (posts) can be located in one room at the same time, provided that they are separated from each other. Moreover, if electric welding work will be carried out systematically, then the posts should be placed in separate cabins, the walls of which are made of fireproof materials. If manual arc welding will be performed, and this process will be unsystematic, then screens with a height of at least 1.8 m made of non-combustible materials can be installed between the posts.

The room must have a good exchange ventilation system. Ventilation removal of gases and fresh air supply must be provided at all workplaces. The area of ​​a separate area intended for an electric welding installation must be at least 10 square meters. m, of which at least 3 sq. m must be free from equipment and materials. In addition, in order to ensure safety and convenience of work, it is necessary to provide passages with a width of at least 0.8 m. The workshop floor must be made of non-combustible materials. It will be necessary to equip a fire shield and place primary fire extinguishing equipment on it.

Note: it is better to entrust the design of the power supply system to specialists. To create an optimal low-voltage power supply scheme for a workshop, you need to take into account the layout of the equipment, the power of electrical receivers, and calculate the power load.

An electric welding transformer and an input power supply panel must be installed in the workshop. It should be possible to connect each welding machine to a separate switch with a wire of the appropriate cross-section. The housing of any power source and the housing of the welding installations themselves should be reliably grounded. The equipment must be protected by fuses on the supply side. When choosing a room for a welding workshop, it is advisable to contact representatives of the fire inspection service for clarification regarding fire safety requirements. Work cannot begin until the workshop is completely satisfactory, which, by the way, needs to be confirmed.

Features of work

You can work as a welder anywhere: they are required in factories, construction sites and in housing and communal services - where metal structures need to be connected. Full-time employees typically work 8–12 hours a day. But you don’t have to apply for a job in a company, but advertise - I did this several times. They called me and ordered tandoors for shawarma, they paid me a little, but I realized that I could look for clients myself. But I don’t want to work for myself yet, because I’ll have to buy all the special clothing and equipment, and it’s expensive: for example, a protective suit will cost 20 thousand. I also don’t know if I’ll be able to get many clients.

Welders work with gas or electric welding - who is used to what. I work on an electric one, it seems simpler to me: you plug it into a 220-volt outlet and start cooking. And it’s faster to work with it, because the metal heats up faster from it than from a gas one. This is a responsible job: if you do it poorly, the structure will fall and crush someone, or a gas pipe will burst and people will die. Therefore, I try to cook as I would cook for myself, follow safety precautions and always work in protective clothing, so I have not had any emergencies.

When you work in Moscow, you often end up in divorces. One time I lost 50 thousand, another - 100 thousand, but they paid me for food and accommodation

In general, it is dangerous to work in welding if you do not follow the rules - for example, doing electric welding in wet clothes and in damp weather. If you work in the rain, you can die from electric shock - it can shake quite a lot, so welders work in rubber boots and gloves. Gas welding is also dangerous, you need to be careful - if a gas cylinder falls, it can explode.

I look for vacancies via the Internet: on Avito, Yulia, and in telegram channels. I choose places to work so that I can live fully supported by my employer. Many provide housing, work clothes, food, transportation and equipment. Of course, these are not mansions - in Moscow they are accommodated in a hostel, and in the North you generally have to live in trailers, but they are warm.

When you work in Moscow, you often end up in divorces. Sometimes the organization itself falls apart or the leadership disappears. So I was left without a salary twice: once I lost 50 thousand, the other - 100 thousand, but at least they paid for food and accommodation.

Documents for starting a business

A conclusion on the compliance of the workshop premises with fire safety requirements is not the only document that an entrepreneur will need. In addition, it is necessary to obtain a sanitary and epidemiological certificate from Rospotrebnadzor. But you need to start not even with this, but with registering the welding shop as a business with the tax service. You can register either as an individual entrepreneur or as a legal entity. The organizational and legal form should be chosen based on the scale of the planned activity and the range of clients with whom the entrepreneur will work.

Note: before submitting an application for registration of business activity, you should determine the appropriate economic activity codes in accordance with the latest edition of OKVED. The choice of code depends on what materials, devices and objects the welding shop will work with.

So, if communication systems are being installed, then code 43.22 “Plumbing work, installation of heating systems and air conditioning systems” should be indicated. If welded pipes will be produced, then it is worth including in the application code 24.20 “Production of steel pipes, hollow profiles and fittings,” etc. When registering a business, it is advisable to immediately select the appropriate taxation system. So, if a company will cooperate primarily with legal entities working with VAT, then it is better to use the GST (general taxation system). If the target audience is private customers, then you can choose the simplified tax system (simplified taxation system). It is useful to read which tax to choose for an individual entrepreneur. In the process of carrying out the activities of a welding workshop, additional documents may be required. The need for their presence is determined by the types of welding work, the category of objects where welders will work, and the level of environmental pollution. An approximate list of what may be required:

• approval from a self-regulatory organization (SRO) to carry out welding work
• permit to release harmful substances into the air
• production waste passport

In addition, it is necessary, by orders of the manager, to appoint those responsible for ensuring labor protection, fire safety, and welding work. All welding machines must have passports and certificates of conformity. To carry out work, you must issue a work permit and be sure to keep a briefing log.

Where to start a welding business

Experience alone is not enough to organize independent production. Need capital. At the federal level, grants are provided and quotas are allocated for convenient lending. In municipal organizations and at the regional level, structures have been created to help start-up entrepreneurs, providing advice on economic and legal issues. Specialists constantly monitor. They will help determine the direction of development of the welding business so that it is needed in the territory and turns out to be competitive. It will be easier to draw up a business plan with such support. Where to begin:

• find like-minded people, at least one, but preferably a small team;
• take into account expected costs;
• calculate expected profit;
• think over informing possible clients, possible communication channels: media (newspapers, radio, Internet), business cards, flyers with discounts per bearer;
• determine the scope of coverage; clients include individuals, management organizations, construction companies, industrial and municipal enterprises.

The welding business must be officially registered
Before work can be carried out, the welding business must be officially registered. To work with individuals, an individual entrepreneur is sufficient. Many people start with individual entrepreneurship; taxation in this case will be minimal. If enterprises appear among the clients, you need to register an LLC. A simplified taxation scheme is provided for them. According to OKVED (list of types of economic activities), up to 10 positions are selected, and all areas are indicated in the application. The OKVED register is easy to find on the Internet; it is publicly available.

Workshop staff

Finding employees to carry out welding work is not an easy task, so this point is worth dwelling on in more detail. It is desirable that the enterprise employ generalists. This will allow you to reach a large target audience and provide clients with a wide range of services. The most popular are:

• welders of the third category - craftsmen working with the main areas of metal structures
• welders of the fifth category - carry out welding of important areas, work with high-pressure pipes, steam pipelines, etc.
• welders of the sixth category are the most valuable specialists performing welding work on critical sections of pipelines and metal structures

An employee can only be allowed to carry out orders if he has a number of documents:

• welder's certificate
• electrical safety certificate (group no lower than 2)
• certificate of completion of the PTM (fire-technical minimum) for hot work

A qualified welder must be able to read drawings, use regulatory and technical documentation, set up equipment, carry out welding work with control over compliance with specified parameters. Welding work has a harmful effect on the human body. This fact should be taken into account when setting tariffs for services and determining wages.

Welding shop equipment

Equipping a welding workshop with the necessary equipment will not be difficult for a person who knows the specifics of this field of activity. A beginner will have a more difficult time making a choice. Therefore, it is worth acting consistently. First, you need to determine the list of work carried out in the workshop and make a list of the equipment and furniture that are needed for this. Next, you need to decide on a budget. Then choose the best options in terms of price and quality. To open a welding workshop you will need:

• welders
• welding tables
• metal working tools
• generators
• protective equipment

The cheapest equipment is Chinese-made. However, it will be significantly inferior in quality to European units. Russian equipment is average in quality and price. It is not necessary to purchase new devices; you can buy used ones, and over time, as your business expands, buy newer and more advanced models.

The welding machine is the main tool in the workshop. It allows you to connect and separate metal parts. Based on the principle of operation, ease of use and functionality, welding machines are divided into several types: transformers, rectifiers, semi-automatic machines, inverters, argon units, devices for spot welding and installations for plasma welding. The welding table serves to ensure the convenience and safety of the work of the master. Generators are necessary to maintain the work process in case of power supply problems. Tools for metal processing (for example, a drill, metal shears, a grinder, etc.) will be needed to perform auxiliary work. Protective equipment - overalls, shields, masks, canvas gloves, balaclavas, etc. - are needed to ensure the safety of welders during work.

Income

Naturally, it is not possible now to calculate even an approximate amount of profit. Everything will depend on the availability of orders and productivity. But it won’t be difficult to provide prices that will help you navigate possible income.

Prices for welding work to form a seam

Stainless steel:

• thickness 1-2 mm. Price 8.2 USD per meter;
• thickness 2-4 mm. Price 12.2 USD per meter;
• thickness 4-8 mm. Price 16.4 USD per meter

Aluminum:

• thickness 1.5-3 mm. Price 12.2 USD per meter;
• thickness 3-5 mm. Price 18.3 USD per meter;
• thickness 5-10 mm. Price 28.5 USD per meter

Steel:

• thickness 1.5-3 mm. Price 8.2 USD per meter;
• thickness 3-6 mm. Price 12.2 USD per meter;
• thickness 6-10 mm. Price 16.4 USD per meter

Pipe welding is one of the most labor-intensive and complex processes. Accordingly, the cost of services is high:

• diameter 27 mm. The price of the joint is 2.85 USD;
• diameter 60 mm. The price of the joint is 5.3 USD;
• diameter 273 mm. The price of the joint is 20.4 USD.

The production of metal structures can be approximately assessed on the following scale:

• the frame of the flight of stairs will cost approximately 490-650 USD. per floor;
• garage doors - from $50;
• metal fence – from 32 USD per linear meter;
• balcony – not less than 40 USD;
• gazebo – 245+ USD;
• canopies and canopies – from 32 USD per square meter.

The prices can serve as a guide for creating your own price list for the provision of welding services.

Search for clients

In order for welding as a business to generate high income, you need to choose the right direction of activity. Among private clients, services for the production of barbecues, frames for greenhouses, fencing, fences, gratings and various decorative products are in demand. A popular area is car body repair. It is also beneficial to cooperate with large construction companies. Experienced welders are needed at any stage of building construction.

To promote the services of a welding shop, you can use advertising on social networks and on large advertising sites. It is recommended to print flyers and/or business cards with contact information and a list of services and place them in the mailboxes of people living in the private sector. It must be said that such a business does not need active advertising. If the first few people who use the workshop’s services are satisfied, then an influx of new clients is guaranteed. The so-called word of mouth is the main engine of this business.

What clothes should employees buy?

It is important to choose appropriate clothing for your future employees. You shouldn't skimp on it. That's when it will last for many years. Let's look at what should be in a welder's arsenal:

• A special suit that will meet the requirements of GOST. Jacket and pants; you should not buy overalls, they are uncomfortable and restrict movement.
• High-quality shoes made from fire-resistant materials.
• Chameleon protective mask or glasses.
• Fire resistant gloves.

Price policy

The cost of welding work is calculated separately in each case and depends on:

• type of equipment required
• amount of work
• speed of order fulfillment (urgency)

The average price for basic services is shown in the table:

If the work is not carried out in the workshop itself, but on the customer’s premises, then the specialist’s visit to the site is paid separately.

Application of argon welding

Today, technical gases are widely used in many industries. They are used by such companies as:

• Oil and gas complexes.
• Metallurgy.
• Food industry.
• Metalworking.
• Construction.
• Agriculture.
• Heavy engineering.

In addition to these industries, welding work is used to create fences, furniture, barbecues, and so on.

In this difficult matter, it is important to hire experienced specialists. It is important that the business organizer knows all the intricacies of the work and is a specialist himself. It is then that he will be able to create the necessary team that will perform the work efficiently and on time.

Calculations

To open a small workshop with an area of ​​30 sq. m, designed to organize two workplaces, you will need about 500 thousand rubles. This amount will be spent on paperwork, creating the necessary conditions in the workshop, purchasing equipment, etc. It is useful to read how to get subsidies for starting a small business. The current costs of the workshop consist of rent, utilities, salaries, taxes and the purchase of consumables (electrodes, wire, etc.). In total, a small workshop, depending on workload, spends about 45-50 thousand rubles per month, not counting the salaries of welders. The earning potential in this area is unlimited. If you believe the reviews of entrepreneurs involved in a business such as welding, profitability can reach 80%, which is considered a very high figure. The money included in the opening budget can usually be returned after only 6-8 months from the start of work.

Premises requirements

One of the main points of starting a welding business is finding a suitable premises. You should not save money and rent a room that is in disrepair.

The best option is a production facility with an area of ​​up to 60 m2. It will cost less if it is not located in the very center of the city. You can also rent a workshop at a factory or any other enterprise. You shouldn’t rely on field welding work alone. Stability will only be achieved by having a permanent place for welding work.

Regardless of the size and location, special requirements are imposed on the room:

• electrical wiring and water supply must be of adequate quality;
• it is necessary to have bathrooms and changing rooms for workers;
• the walls of the room must be covered with material that is not prone to fire;
• the floor must be concrete;
• good natural and artificial lighting should be provided;
• the room must be provided with good ventilation and a reliable exhaust system;
• a fire alarm is required;
• There must be enough free space to ensure that the gas cylinders are at a sufficient distance from the welding site.

It must be taken into account that welding work has an increased risk of fire. In addition to the production premises, you should take care of a small office. Applications can be filled out there, calculations can be made, and a computer must be located there. It is necessary to have a telephone number on which you can communicate with customers.