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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!

Source by Dave Sharpe