Answers for machine shop and manufacturing owners.
Quoting by the hour, spindle utilization, first-article rejects, lead times, and one customer who is 40 percent of revenue.
12 questions, 12 of them with a word-for-word script, the actual math, or a template you can copy.
Finance
All finance →How do I collect from a customer who refuses to pay?
Escalate in stages, in writing, with dates, before you call a lawyer or small claims court. Most non-payers cave once they see you're organized and not going away.
Script TemplateWhat numbers should I actually look at every week to run the business?
Pick five to seven numbers you can pull in fifteen minutes every Monday, not a forty-tab spreadsheet nobody keeps updated. Cash, sales booked, jobs completed, and one leading indicator of trouble beat a dozen vanity metrics.
Template ChecklistHow do I manage cash flow when customers are stretching out how long they take to pay?
Tighten terms going forward, chase the aging receivables aggressively, and build a cash buffer sized to your actual collection lag, not your best-case assumption. You can be profitable on paper and still run out of cash if collections slip.
The math ChecklistShould I buy or lease my next big piece of equipment?
Buy what holds its value and you'll run for years past the loan term. Lease what changes fast, gets used seasonally, or you'd want to upgrade in three years anyway.
The mathShould I take on debt to grow the business?
Only if the debt funds something that generates more cash than it costs, on a timeline you can survive even if growth is slower than planned. Debt to cover a cash shortfall from an already-struggling operation is a different and much riskier decision.
The math Checklist
Hiring
All hiring →How do I write a job posting that actually filters out the wrong people?
Put the real pay, the real hours, and the real hard parts of the job in the posting, on purpose. A posting written to attract everyone attracts everyone, including everyone wrong for the job.
Template ChecklistShould I pay for an employee's training, and how do I make sure they don't take it straight to a competitor?
Pay for training that makes your team better, and use a simple repayment agreement tied to a time period, not a non-compete. It protects your investment without pretending you can stop someone from leaving.
Template ChecklistHow do I know when it's time to hire a manager, and how do I find the right one?
Hire a manager when the business has outgrown your personal attention span, not your patience. Look inside first for someone who already has the trust of the team, and only go outside if nobody internal is close.
Script ChecklistWhat do I do when a key employee suddenly quits?
Cover the immediate gap first with a short-term plan, then find out honestly whether it was preventable before you rush to backfill the exact same role the exact same way. A rushed replacement hire often repeats whatever problem drove the last person out.
Script Checklist
Leadership
All leadership →How do I get out of the truck/bay and actually start running the business instead of just working in it?
Replace yourself one skill at a time, starting with the task that's easiest to hand off, and protect a fixed block of office time on your calendar like it's a customer appointment. You won't get pulled out all at once, and trying to will just put you right back in the field within a week.
The math ChecklistHow do I handle a serious disagreement with my business partner?
Separate the business decision from the relationship, get it in writing once you agree, and use your partnership agreement before you use your feelings. If you don't have a partnership agreement that covers this kind of dispute, fix that the moment things calm down, not after the next one.
Script ChecklistHow do I know if my business could actually survive a week without me?
Run the test for real, not hypothetically: leave for a genuine week with your phone off except for a true emergency line, and see what actually breaks. What breaks is your real to-do list, not a guess.
The math Checklist
Every owner hits these
Not specific to your trade, but they show up in every shop that has employees, customers, and a bank account.