Secrets to Operating a Successful Gunsmithing Business was written by Gene Kelly, President of the American Gunsmithing Institute and the Gun Club of America. This is the last post of a seven part blog series.
Secret #7:
Leveraging Your Time and Resources
O.K. So How CAN you make more money per hour? Well, I have a number of proven answers to this question and I am only going to share a couple of them with you here. First of all, you can charge “flat rate” per job and get faster at the work itself. (AGI developed an exclusive Gunsmith’s Flat Rate Manual showing you what to charge per type of job; it is included with the Master Gunsmithing Course.) Second, you can batch your work, doing similar jobs at the same time, such as: Bluing, Trigger Jobs, Bedding, etc. You organize your time and tools and get more done faster. Another biggie is knowing what jobs NOT to take. Trust me, knowing how to make this proper decision will keep you out of the poor house!
Other ways of increasing your income and leveraging your time are:
- Have other gunsmiths work for you on a percentage basis
- Specialize in customizing certain types of guns and get higher dollars for those projects
- Implement simple processes that maximize your efficiency.
Combine a dozen other methods and this can result in huge growth in income with more freedom if you want it to.
Hopefully this information was helpful to you and makes you realize there is more to being a successful Gunsmith than just knowing how to turn a screwdriver. But it isn’t really all that complicated if you know what to do. I have so much more to share with you but there isn’t room for it all in this article, however it is available to you through the AGI Business Success Programs and the Business Coaching that I do.
There is a real need for qualified Gunsmiths and I wish you the very best if you choose to get involved in this exciting Profession.
