Moving To Madison WI need help

[Mallard Creek Carpentry]

I am a framing / carpentry subcontractor moving to Madison Wi , My wife took and new job so we could be by her family. I need help? I am not sure how to move my business or maby some one is looking for a partner for or a great team member . I love cutting custom roofs thats my thing but I am at a lost on how to even meet people. I also have plow snow. I never had a brother so maby a parter a guy like me in his thirtys. I am the kind of guy that loves what I do . I put everthing I have into my company. Cutting rafter hip /vallys is what I do. I guess I am looking for teammates I want to be around guys that like what they are doing. Mabey there is some one out there at can give me some Ideas or thoughts on what to do or where to go, or is a guy like me who is also looking for a teammate.

Thanks Brian

[kreg McMahon]

brian, good luck... you best bet is to start to go around 3-6 all the strip clubs, you will find guys like us there every day !!!

the get a list, which you can do now.. of all the lumber yards, suppliers in the area so you can go there in the mornings and meet the guys coming in to buy stuff, introduce yourself and get their card

you do work that is more specialized and you need to look for builders for framing... but they do not pay much.. additions guys would be good but how long does it take to frame a roof? for a 1-2 room addition.. couple of days?

have you got a local number yet? get one now.... you can call the either change you phone number now to a local number in the area where you will be living.. or get a forwarding number from google for free and have it sent to you cell phone.

how big is the town you are moving too? what is the population, economics of the area... you can search all this out on google

is the area you are moving too spending money on additions etc...

you may have to learn and get a breadboard license for the area, it is still available from me let me know, that a way you can do bead board jobs...

another area is drywall patching if you can do that in the meantime... call all the plumbers, electricians in the area get referrals... slow but one or two might start.

do you have cards made up yet with your name and number(local) yet..

if not order them now from www.gotprint.com nice full color cards only 25 bucks for a 1,000

and then when you get their you just have to start talking to people, see a job site stop your truck and go up and introduce yourself and GET THEIR CARD !!!!!!!!! why so you can call them every month and keep your name in front of them

when I moved across the country from Los Angeles to Charlotte, i had started planning 3 months in advance, and was already getting calls the 30 days before I got their and I told them I was booked for a month,, but once the ball started rolling, by the time I got their I already had jobs booked up,, a few but the ball started

BUT YOU MUST TALK TO PEOPLE guys that do remodeling have their name on the truck so see them stopped go up and introduce your self be firm strong handshake, be confident

and what ever you do do not wear a t shirt with cow udders on it !!! lol but definitely wear the cheese hat around when go go and ask these guys to be your partner.... lol

hey have fun and work at it every single working day... if you had a roofing job you would get up and get out their and get going right? yes.
so you must do the same thing with marketing yourself meet people meet people day in and day out till it happens will take time how long? hard to tell the 3rd guy you talk too might be the one or the 36h guy or the 145 th one or the 687 th one don't know

I am sure others will step up and help out on a positive way, so let me know if you have any other questions.... YOU CAN DO IT IF..... YOU DO IT.... MAKE IT HAPPEN EVERY DAY

[Jef@FDB]

Brian....also try contacting local professional orgs....like Nari or Builders association. They can help in many ways......like sharing their membership lists and even reccomending certain people to talk to.

Madison is gorgeous and a great place to live....with even better people....good luck.

[someguy]

I would start looking on craigslist for job openings. Great way to meet people in the trades. I would be honest and tell them it's just until you get the ball rolling on your business. Good way to make some $$$ while you start the company.

Joe

[Tom Bainbridge]

Mallard.............. moving to a different location?

Google BNI and go along to your local chapter, it is worth a try. It is working for me.

It is a bit intense. Be aware other guys here on the froum are "agin" it

EDIT It doesnt mean BNI won't work for you, nor does it say it will work

It is however a possibile avenue of approach that you may not have considered

[Mallard Creek Carpentry]

thank guys I like the Ideas I need to find some custom home builders that still want stick framing done. I like the ideas. It will take take some time. Thanks again
keep the ideas comming.

[dlhunter]

It's going to be tough to start a framing business right now. New housing isn't the busiest right now and the home builders probably have a list of guys who have been around waiting for the next frame. You may be better off starting with remodelers doing additions and some handyman type work. At least that way you won't need to assemble a crew to frame a big house and have to worry about what you are going to do next with the two guys you hired.

[gary robertson]

most roofs will be truss over 90% are in the north

[Tom Bainbridge]

BNI is really begining to work for me. I am a single person small business

I am reworking my business from the ground up and I am looking to expand

If you have a similar buiness model...........it is well worth a try

[hdrider_chgo]

I was in Madison this week for a couple of days. While there, I noticed a number of large buildings going up at the University, and a number of restorations of some of the historic university buildings in progress or about to start. Additionally, I read about and saw renderings for a couple of large shovel-ready building projects that will start as soon as they get enough donations.

If you are not a union carpenter and/or do not have experience in commercial work, this may not be a good fit. However I also read an article about the top ten companies to work for in Madison, and one of them was a homebuilder which also has a remodeling division, and a handyman division:

http://www.lorenimhoff.com/
http://www.callfixm.com/about/

Good luck. Madison is an incredible place to live.

[kreg McMahon]

who's card are you going to call