Compact water jet studio for designers and architects

Interior designers, architects, renovation contractors, signmakers, artists and homeowners with custom projects.

You charge per job based on cutting time and material, with a minimum order fee. Design help or file preparation can be billed as extra.

• Vector drawing or CAD software
• An eye for design and tolerances
• Talking customers through what is possible

• Whether your workshop's zoning and lease allow this kind of equipment, and any home-based business rules if you start from a property you own
• Wastewater and used abrasive disposal, which is often regulated locally
• Commercial general liability and equipment insurance, plus WCB/WSIB once you hire (rules vary by province)
• Compact machines cut more slowly and have smaller beds, so check they suit the materials and sizes your customers want
• Winter heating and keeping water lines from freezing in an unheated space
• Custom work can mean costly mistakes on customer-supplied stone or metal, so agree who bears the risk before cutting

Estimates suggest startup costs typically sit around $50,000 to $200,000, depending on the compact machine you choose, your workshop space and the materials you stock.

Check that your workshop's zoning and lease allow the equipment, plus any home-based business rules. Also check local rules on wastewater and used abrasive, insurance and WCB/WSIB once you hire, and who bears the risk on customer-supplied stone or metal.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on the custom jobs you win and the sizes you can cut. Compact machines cut more slowly with smaller beds, so check they suit your customers' work.