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You don’t start a machine shop by buying a machine.

You start it by solving a problem.

In this episode, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps unpack the reality behind building a machine shop from scratch—and it’s probably different than what most people expect.

Everyone talks about machines.

Very few talk about:

• Cash flow pressure
• Customer concentration risk
• Investors and financing mistakes
• The hidden costs nobody budgets for
• Why your first customer matters more than your first machine

And one statement from this episode flips conventional thinking upside down:

"Don't buy the machine and then go find customers."

If you're dreaming of launching your own shop—or wondering if now is the right time—this episode walks through the real-world decisions that determine whether you grow... or struggle before you ever get started.

PLUS A MAJOR announcement about the future of Machine Shop Growth and the launch of Manufacturing M&A

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.