2013: Breaking it Down and Building it Back Up

Happy New Year to all! I was originally going to write a post looking back at 2012 and all that has happened over the year. However, after thinking on it for a few minutes I realized that looking back wasn't something that would benefit our company at this point. The end of the year brought our biggest change--financing and purchasing a new CNC plasma table--since the business began in 1989. Not much is going to trump that for us.

The weekend after the machine was delivered my father and I were text-ing back and forth about needed tasks to get things moving. He ended the conversation with "Start of a new era" and he is absolutely correct. We are starting from a whole new position, not to say we will forget anything that has gotten us to this point, but we are turning the corner and making a new path.

My father and I had stagnated up until a few months ago and honestly we are looking forward to what will be, rather than what has been, helping to focus on growth. I understand learning from history and all that jazz, but this company needs to focus on gaining positive momentum over the next few years. We are breaking it down and building it back up.

I expect 2013 to be one of our best due to our recent changes in procedure and mindset. The biggest is being mindful of not stagnating and searching for business rather than sitting back, waiting for things to come to us. We need to concentrate on being proactive, creating proper boundaries that will benefit us as a growing company.

Our company needs to take that fearful step forward and let the past fade, letting those new positive changes filter in.

Have a great 2013!

Someone Has a New Vanity Short Link...keshtm.tl

Over the last few days you may have noticed that many of our Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin links had a little more K & E panache than ever before. Well, your sharp eye could not be more accurate. Friday I decided to invest in a new short domain for all of our social media short links with the intent of helping to grow our brand as much as possible. For a $40 yearly investment I secured keshtm.tl as our new vanity short link. Therefore, when you're perusing our social media pages and see our new link, you can trust that you will be led to our website kesheetmetal.com or a trusted article sent out by my father or I. Who am I kidding...I would be the only one sending anything out :)

My nightly reading has focused more on branding the business and making sure that our web presence is as consistent as possible. The short link is just another step in that direction. We may be just a tiny local HVAC sheet metal fabrication shop in the physical world. However, with the internet, we can be as big as we wanna be, spreading our wings and finding new business wherever it is hiding.

Walking that same line we must keep in mind not to over extend ourselves, losing focus on finding new business and keeping our new investment running at all times. Marketing the business is new territory, so we must keeep things in perspective and not spread ourselves too thin.

The Start of a New Era at K & E Sheet Metal LLC

A new era has begun here at K & E Sheet Metal. If you have been following us on Twitter ( if you haven't, shame on you ) you know that our new CNC plasma table has been delivered and should be up and running in a few short weeks. The addition of the plasma cutter help us to increase our current production of HVAC duct and fittings, allowing us to search out new opportunities. Below are a few pics from delivery day. The process went much smoother than I had originally thought and aside from some forklift issues, our new equipment was moved and placed in no time.

First option was to slide it off the truck.

I don't think this is going to work.

Change of plan

Now comes the hard part

Good idea. Let the oldest partner do the heavy lifting.

Almost there!

Slowly...slowly

Just a couple more feet and we're there..lookin' good

Everything worked out well and the new machine should be up and running after the new year. We are waiting for delivery of the air compressor to set up dates when the machine and software techs can come to make the final setup complete, teaching us what we need to know about our new toy.

We can't wait to make the first cut!

Fabricating Custom Ductwork in Glens Falls NY For Over 20 Years

K & E Sheet Metal has been fabricating custom ductwork in Glens Falls NY for over 20 years and we are doing our best to grow the business into the future, providing even better service to new and existing customers. We are a father and son business focusing on residential HVAC sheet metal fabrication along with residential heating and air conditioning installations. Our goal has and will forever be providing customers with quality, affordable duct fabrication and installation service. Helping home owners who need custom sheet metal fabrication with the products that will help them finish their ductwork installation properly. No job is too small for our shop when it comes to providing quality custom ductwork fittings for each and every one of our customers. We fabricate everything from standard custom ductwork to the smallest of sheet metal boxes or flat sheet metal for the everyday walk-in customer.

Because we have been fabricating custom ductwork in Glens Falls NY for so many years we have built a nice following of happy customers and relationships with area vendors. Our business was built on word of mouth advertising and customer recommendations are the catalyst to gaining an evolving local customer base. Our product speaks for itself locally and we work hard daily to continue the service that has kept the company alive over the last 20 years.

If you are looking for custom ductwork fittings or custom ductwork in Glens Falls NY, we are the place to call. We work with our customers to make sure they get the duct needed to finish the job properly.

Replacing your old furnace?

Are you replacing an old broken down furnace and need some custom transitions to fit the new furnace unit to the old duct? We can work with you to provide the custom transition needed to finish the job right, going over measurements and drawings or coming out to take measurements ourselves.

Need a custom supply air plenum or return air plenum?

These are our specialty and can fabricate your new supply air plenum in less than 24 hours from the time you place your order. Return air plenums take a bit longer but we will do our best to finish your order as soon as possible for an affordable price, helping you get the job done right.

Not sure what custom ductwork you need?

Do you live in and need custom ductwork in Glens Falls NY and your not sure what you need? Shoot us an email or give a call to see if we can help with your custom ductwork fabrication needs.

Stop Focusing on The Negative

My life has revolved around negative thoughts, keeping me from focusing on goals that would better my life. Last year, all that changed. With the insertion of therapy, the hoarded clutter of half empty thoughts began clearing and I began to stop focusing on the negative. Since then my excitement and realization of this business being a positive thing rather than a burden has made my life so much better. I am excited to come to work and do my best to grow the company. Being able to stop focusing on the negative thoughts and move to a positive mind has helped me be a better entrepreneur.

The change is apparent when I hear customers and friends who come to our fabrication shop always taking a negative stance first. Whenever I ask them how business is going they usually start with things are slow or it could be better. Phrases I used to say all the time.

These days, I start with the excitement of growing the business, getting the financing for new equipment or focusing on the jobs we currently have and how we can grow relationships with customers. I have been and still am learning to stop focusing on the negative thoughts that lead me to stagnation. Noticing others responses make me realize that the negative thought train is full of passengers.

Since we received the good news about financing for our new CNC plasma cutting machine, more people have asked me if I was scared rather than excited. Their first thought is always fear. It makes being optimistic about anything difficult when all you hear is negativity.

I always start my response positively with excitement about growing the business, looking to the future for more business opportunity and moving forward at all times. Up until this point my life has been ruled by fear. Will there be enough business? Hope that customer comes back. etc...etc. It got me nowhere but depressionville. Something had to change.

Negative things are always going to happen in life and business. However, there is always two sides to each and every story. There is always a positive. The key is to stop focusing on the negative and the fear. Your life and business will be better off for it. I am still a work in progress, but what I have found over the last year is an enjoyment for business and being an entrepreneur that I never had when fear won out every mental battle. I'm willing to take a chance on the positive because it has to be better than the fear that lead me to the status quot.

My change has surely been for the better.

Exciting Start to Our Holiday Season!

A Happy Thanksgiving to all! We are having an exceptional start to the holiday season because K & E Sheet Metal has secured an equipment loan to purchase a new Multicam CNC 1000 Series plasma table cutting system, helping to grow our business immensely over the next 5 to 7 years.

The time was right to make the investment in our company, taking steps to increase our production of HVAC sheet metal duct and fittings in the Glens Falls, NY community. We could not be more excited and hope to have the new machine installed and running by early January. You can follow our twitter page or Google+ page for updates as we begin the shipping and installation process.

We have to thank Glens Falls National Bank for the wonderful work in helping us to secure the loan. They were beyond helpful and honest about the process, informing us clearly on what they could and could not do. In the end they hit all of our targets and we could not be more pleased with the service. Our company does what we can to stay local and this project was no exception. Quality service like this is why our family has been doing business with Glens Falls National Bank for over 30 years. A fantastic community bank.

Waitng Out The SBA Loan Approval Process to Revitalize Our Business

Big things are brewing at our tiny little company. The only issues standing in our way is the SBA loan approval process and those dreaded interest rate decisions. We have dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's, waiting for a determination on whether or not our business has a chance to grow via a small business equipment loan. Our dreams are filled with bright sparked plasma, searing through sheet metal in the form of HVAC fittings. The one thing that will literally cut our fabrication times in half and increase revenues in the process.

Our meeting with the bank went well and we hope to hear some answers by tomorrow or early next week. The SBA loan approval process will determine if we can get a couple more years added to the loan, helping us with a lower monthly cost. Once we hear the good word I can get to work on finding someone to pick up the new equipment and selling my ass off so we can get started revitalizing our micro business.

I am very excited and the decision of the bank, if negative, will not deter me. I will find a way to purchase our new plasma table and start going after business we couldn't handle in the past. My frequency of posts and tweets have suffered since beginning the research and loan process because I have been so focused on finding the best fit for our company to grow.

It's been a while since we experienced the waiting game of something like the SBA loan approval process. Granted, it's not a long wait, but more like a tiny child bursting at the seams at 5 a.m. on a snow soaked Christmas morning.

I just want to tear the paper of my shiny new toy.