Water jet cutting job shop for manufacturers

Fabricators, engineering firms, machine builders, stonemasons, joinery and building suppliers, and designers who need larger parts.

Quote by cutting time and material, with trade accounts and repeat batches. Extra income comes from supplying material and from fast turnaround.

• Machine operation and basic CAD or CAM
• Estimating jobs and pricing accurately
• Winning and keeping trade customers
• Managing people and workflow

• Large up-front cost and finance repayments, so check you can cover them in quiet months
• Unit lease terms, planning use, three-phase power, water and drainage, noise and neighbours
• Used abrasive and wastewater disposal rules, check with your council or the environmental regulator
• Public liability, employer's liability, and cover for the machine and stock
• Health and safety training and risk assessments for high-pressure equipment
• Reliance on a few large customers, and who bears the cost of scrapped material

Startup costs are typically estimated at around £150,000 to £350,000, depending on the machine, the unit and any finance arrangements. Check you can cover finance repayments in quiet months before committing to a larger machine.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £10,000 to £40,000, depending on your customer base and how many repeat orders you win. Relying on a few large customers is a risk, so consider how you will spread that.

Check unit lease terms, planning use, three-phase power, water, drainage and noise. Also check used abrasive and wastewater disposal rules, public and employer's liability insurance, machine and stock cover, and health and safety training and risk assessments.