Checklist For Starting A Cast Stone Manufacturing Business

If you are considering starting a small-scale cast stone manufacturing business, here is a checklist to help keep you on track.

Before You Do Anything Else

• Research any local regulations that might affect your business, including truck traffic, industrial zoning requirements, etc.
• Do your local market research, including demand, competition, etc.

Location

• Make sure you have adequate shop space.
• Be sure that you have a warm water supply near your mixing and pouring area.
• Define a dry storage area for cement and coloring agents.
• Get storage containers for coloring agents.
• Set up a curing area in the shop to store molds for 12 hours.
• Be sure that you have adequate table and shelf space for working and storage.
• Have enough room in your "yard" for aggregate delivery.
• Define an aggregate storage area, build bins if desired.
• Locate an outdoors curing area to store product until cured.
• Provide an adequate loading/unloading area in your yard.

Locate and Acquire the Equipment Needed

• Molds--get quality, or you'll have to replace them often.
• Vibrating table.
• Mixer--be sure it's large enough for your projected workload.
• At a minimum, get a pallet jack--if you can afford a forklift, get one.
• Build racks for working with corner molds. --Dry scale--preferably digital.
• Make sure that your water hose has a storage reel and reaches your mixer and vibrating table.
• Stacking pallets--specially designed pallets for holding molds.
• Normal pallets for handling finished product.
• Mold storage solution (industrial wire baskets, etc.)
• Large, sturdy wheelbarrow.
• Misc. buckets, shovels, gloves, putty knives, etc.

Materials

• Determine availability and choices of lightweight aggregate
• Locate a wholesale lightweight aggregate supplier.
• Find a coloring agent supplier.
• Find an admixture supplier.
• Find a wholesale cement supplier.
• Set up accounts with the aggregate, coloring, and cement suppliers.
• Explore various packaging solutions (pallets, boxes, etc)

Misc.

• Will you be installing the product?
• Will you deliver the product to the customer? How?

Business Stuff

• Decide on a business name.
• Get a business license (may need state and local)
• Apply for a state tax number early in the process so you can purchase wholesale.
• Get a business bank account, even if you'll be a sole proprietorship.
• Develop a marketing plan.
• Carefully research your costs and set several price points: wholesale, contractor, and retail.
• Set up a bookkeeping system.
• Design or purchase invoices, estimate forms, etc.
• Business cards and stationery.

Assembling all of the stuff and getting all of the paperwork done can be intimidating, but if you break it up into smaller chunks with a checklist, you'll find the process much more manageable--and maybe even enjoyable!

Copyright 2006 by Dave Sharpe Permission to use this article is freely given as long as it remains unchanged and the resource box remains attached.

Dave Sharpe has experience with natural stone wholesale operations and the manufacture of cast stone. His free 5-part email course, "How To Net 6 Figures a Year Making Cast Stone," is available at http://www.sharpestone.com or by sending a blank email to: sharpestone@aweber.com