From the shop floor
Quoting strategy, pricing tips, and shop management for job shops and CNC shops.
How to Quote CNC Jobs Faster Without Losing Margin
Most shops take hours to quote a job that should take minutes. Here's why speed matters and how to get there without guessing.
The Real Cost of a Bad Quote
A quote that's too low wins the job and kills your margin. A quote that's too high loses the job entirely. Here's how to find the middle.
Material Markup 101: What Every Job Shop Should Know
Passing material through at cost is leaving money on the table. Here's how to think about markup and what numbers actually make sense.
Setup Time: The Line Item Shops Always Forget
Setup gets buried in the hourly rate, underestimated on small jobs, or left out entirely. It's the most common way shops quietly lose margin.
How to Write a Professional Machine Shop Quote
What separates a quote that wins jobs from one that gets ignored — it's not just the price.
5 Quoting Mistakes Small Shops Make (and How to Fix Them)
These aren't unusual mistakes — they're the standard ones that show up in almost every small job shop. Fixing them is straightforward.
AI Quoting for Machine Shops: What's Actually Useful
There's a lot of noise around AI in manufacturing. Here's what's genuinely useful for job shops right now, and what's still hype.
When to Walk Away: Knowing Which Jobs to Quote
Not every job is worth quoting. Here's how to quickly filter the ones that won't make you money before you spend time on a quote.
From Handshake to Invoice: Modernizing Your Shop's Quoting Process
Many job shops still quote the same way they did 20 years ago. Here's what a modern process looks like and why it matters.
How to Price Tight Tolerance Work
Tight tolerances cost more to hold. Here's how to make sure your quotes reflect the extra time, tooling, and attention tight work actually requires.