Making Money the Old Fashioned Way

by Joe Martin

Now that the book has been out for a while, we are starting to get some comments back from the people who have read it. Here are a few samples:

Hi Joe,

I was looking for a tabletop CNC mill and found your web site using Google. As I navigated through it, I found your online book, Making Money the Old Fashioned Way and read it from the first to the last line. I am also an entrepreneur, started my software company with no money in '85, grew it up to 15 people and sold it successfully in 2000. I have a talent in software development but had to learn to survive the hard way. I found your experience to be very similar to mine, despite the domain (mechanical vs. software) and the location (USA vs. France). In fact, this book contains all the lessons I have got and more.

Thank you for making it publicly available; I know that if I could have read it before, I would have avoided costly mistakes! This book is the real reason why I want to buy your products.

Michel G.
Paris, France

Dear Joe,

I took a copy of your book off the Internet and it's great. As I told Craig, I do find it "hard to read", because it's as if I'm listening to (hearing) the philosophy or a lecture from my dad and uncles. they were all hard-working electricians with loads of common sense, and I spent a lot of time with them when I was a kid. Needless to say, as I read a section my mind travels back to those times and experiences. Other things resonate so closely with my personal thoughts (which just for your information are usually different than the mainstream views... I'm sure you can relate) that I find myself mentally cheering, "YES--there are other people that think like me!!!", and that too gets distracting.

Joe, a friend of my dad had an "American Rule":

Perhaps your book will help that middle 10% actually learn how to think...and work.

Thanks,

(NOTE: John made a generous donation to the Foundation and has also requested that we make available hardbound copies of Tabletop Machining so that he can make future donations to the Foundation in memory of craftsman friends of his who pass away. The signed book will be forwarded to the local library in their community and donated in the name of the deceased. He felt that rather than sending flowers, he wanted to make a contribution that would not only honor the memory of the craftsman, it would also support and encourage craftsmanship and the entrepreneurial spirit  in the future. The Foundation will be glad to honor this request for others as well.)

Dear Mr. Martin,
I just finished the reading of your book Making Money the Old Fashioned Way. I must say that the book is really excellent. I am living in Czech Republic and 12 years ago (just after the collapse of the socialism in my country) I founded a company here. I started just with my partner and now, after 12 years, we have 50 employees. We are working in a different kind of business, but I can say that your wisdom and simple rules are 100% valid. It is a pity that I did not have the chance to read your book 12 years ago. I had to discover those simple rules on my own, and sometimes it was not cheap.

BTW, I am a happy customer of your company. In the last years, I bought Sherline lathe, mill and plenty of accessories for my hobby purposes. Occasionally, I am also using the machines for my own business. In the last three months, your machines saved me more money than was the total investment in those machines. Simply I decided to made three special adapters (we are using them for testing the quality of fiber optic connections) myself, instead of buying them.

Best regards
Pavel Korensky
Czech Republic

Dear Mr. Martin,
I purchased a lathe and mill from your company about 3 years ago, and I must say that they have performed better than I ever imagined they would. Since then, I have purchased several attachments and I am just as pleased with them.  In addition to the pleasure that my Sherline machines have provided, I wanted to let you know that your book Making Money the old fashioned way was terrific!!!  8 months ago I got fed up with corporate America and ventured out on my own. I have been in the IT industry for 8 years, and through those years I have watched millions of dollars being spent on "projects" that, despite the consultants' claims, would never be what the client really needed.  I have spent hundreds of hours working on and planning my business. Your book affirmed some of my practices and gave me insight into others I have been lacking.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate the knowledge you have provided. Keep up the great work, and
good luck for the future
-- Tim

Subject: Your business book and kudos!

Hello,
I saw a link to your business book on the Musical Instruments Makers Forum http://www.mimf.com.  A very interesting read.  I appreciate your down to earth style.  There seems to be lots of armchair business operators that will write books without ever having actually DONE IT!

I worked as an mechanical engineer for Hewlett-Packard (18 years total) but owned a retail music store from 1989-1992.  I can see the wisdom in much of what you wrote.  I also have a large machining background having worked as a machinist as well as doing CAD/CAM stuff for a number of years. These days, I have a small business at home building custom electric bass guitars.  I had convinced myself after the retail store endeavor that I would avoid businesses that required capitalization (meaning service organizations) but am faced with that dilemma once again with the instrument building business.

I'm still not convinced to take the plunge to buy a large format CNC machine (I build one-piece instruments, requiring 48" of X travel) or CNC router but your thoughts were indeed valuable. I appreciate the experiences of those that have gone before.  Best of luck in your miniature machine business.

Gary Watts
Watts Guitars
Albany, Oregon
http://www.wattsguitars.com

Hello Mr. Martin,

I just read much of your online book Making Money The Old Fashioned Way. It lifted my spirits immediately. Actually this is the 2nd time in about 1 year that I read this article.

I am 34 years old.  I am an electrical engineer and I have worked as a programmer for embedded processors for the last 7+ years.  Prior to this I struggled to get into the role that I am now - 1989 and the early 90's were difficult. Ten years ago I had the vision but not the means/skill/wisdom/experience/knowledge to start a business based on my interests.  I now have many of the things that I lacked before.  I have seen some of my ideas brought to life by other individuals and companies.  In addition, I have the vision to see that I cannot continue for long in the corporate world.  There is a familiar pattern here - a brief 1 or 2 year period of highly demanding and interesting work (for little pay and recognition) followed by "Ok, you did a good job but we don't need you anymore" type of attitude.  In other words, I can show loyalty when I'm doing work but when the work is done the loyalty is not reciprocated.

Also, I've been around long enough to notice that many companies (usually large) will hire fresh-outs (quite often foreign people on work visas) to work on the complex projects and pass over more experienced people - this makes no sense to me.  I learned many of the basic skills (the ability to analyze for example) that I have from highly experienced people, i.e., structured knowledge was passed on to me.  Without this mentoring, I'd be hard-pressed to implement my work, in short, I'd make a mess of what I was working on.

I am inspired by your story.  I am ready to try my "own business."  No, I won't be quitting my job right away but I will be purchasing a Sherline in the near future.  I want to start with something small and simple which I believe I can manufacture in its entirety.  At the very least I will enjoy doing this, learn something, and have fun along the way.  I don't fully know what I want to do/produce but I have to start somewhere and then keep at it.

Thank you for your time.
Jorge Lahens

Hello,
I am a voice from far away, your neighbor at Westec 2000. I have been reading your thoughts holding them in my mine comparing my experiences to yours. Somewhere along the way to that goal in life I might stop and count the cost. The pluses and minuses that bring us a total net life value, quality living. When you write of  the problems of starting and running a new enterprise I am taken back to those very same problems that I have faced. Soooo I suppose what I'm getting at is where or what will make a happy ending. Thanks for sending your manuscript to me I am very pleased with its willingness to speak to plain people, the heart.
Plain people are often punished for seeking help in life. Help such as you offer through these written life experiences and practical applications.

Keep up the Good Work
Just plain Nathan

Mr. Martin,
Howdy, I just wanted to let you know that I finished reading the latest version  of your book.  I found it very enjoyable and informative, definitely a "good read."

I read it through without red pen in hand so that I wouldn't be distracted by trying to make corrections. If I get some time I'll go back through it and make some marks and send it back to you.  I didn't notice any real bad problems, though, and the other folks who are assisting you can probably catch the minor mistakes as well as I would.

I've given copies of your first book to a couple of my friends.  One just bought a "Smithy" lathe/mill set up and the other is a retired gentleman who is having a go at manufacturing recumbent tricycles of his own design. They have enjoyed it as much as my father and I have.

Keep up the good work!
Russell Millar

(NOTE: The Millars, owners of Millar Instruments Inc. in Texas, makers of surgical instruments and medical devices, were very helpful in the editing of the second printing of Joe's book, Tabletop Machining.)

Dear Mr. Martin,

My husband, Bruce and I were looking at Sherline lathes and mills on your web site and came across your book Making Money the Old Fashioned Way. We downloaded it and have enjoyed reading and thinking about what you wrote. We are just beginning to plan the start-up of a small manufacturing business (Quality model ship kits—with parts that actually fit together) and the information that you have provided is very pertinent to our endeavor. We also really appreciate your straightforward way of writing.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with other people going into business for themselves!

Sincerely,
Cheryl D. Bollenbach

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