Starting My First HVAC Business?!?!

[cdmikes]

Hi hvac-talk forum users, im new to this site so glad to meet you all! I'm about to begin my 6 years in u.s. air force doing hvac work. I'm very entrepreneurial and have always wanted to start my own business and am using the air force to get there.

Of course i have a few questions about it:
Where do you think this business will be in 6 years for all of you that think they can see the future haha?

What kind of money would i have to save up to begin an hvac business?

Obviously for any business its going to be hard the first few years so any advice on just getting started!

Will it be easier to start residential and work my way into commercial or is it easy to just start doing commercial work? I'm assuming more money is to be made doing commercial work, if not let me no!

If i'm still in school by the time i get out of the air force, i would wan2 find a hvac job to begin working while at school. If were still in this recession will it be hard to find work or will my experience in the military make it easy for me to find work?

Before starting a business would it be smart to find a job in the biz just to get a closer look at how the business is run outside of the military?

Where do i look for connections? I'm guessing a good place to start is here haha

Thanks ahead of time for any help you guys can give me, It will be much appreciated and wish me luck in the air forcepile2!

[mike dixon]

good luck

[Jabarco]

If were still in this recession will it be hard to find work or will my experience in the military make it easy for me to find work?

I think it will be easier to find work. I spent 4 years (1975-1979) in the USAF as an Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Specialist. I was assigned to an ICBM Underground Missile Squadron for one of those years and when I got out of the USAF, during the Jimmy Carter ear recession I found 2 jobs in one day. I took the highest paying job. However, 2 months later I received a letter (job offer) from Hughes Aircraft Company's Missile Systems mainly because I passed their defense contractor's security clearance. Since then I've only had two other jobs in the last 34 years. The last job is my present; I'm a California Licensed Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractor. I only do commercial work. The only residential work I ever did was in the USAF military housing (3, 4 & 5 ton splits). In 34 years, I've seen & worked on everything from frictional horsepower refrigeration system to 800 ton absorption chillers all the way up to 2,000 ton centrifugals.

Before starting a business would it be smart to find a job in the biz just to get a closer look at how the business is run outside of the military?

Not required but a good idea. Learn as much about business at their expense, not your expense.

Jabs

[69Stang]

Getting a job outside of the military may be a good idea when you get out, I would recommend getting a job in the office, not in the field though. Learning the business side will be the hard part. Learn to estimate, bill, overhead, etc etc etc.

I wish you the best of luck!

[HVAC9900]

If you have the skills, would recommend going the commercial route rather then resi.

[beenthere]

Get a job first. So you get some practical experience.
Plus, take business courses.

[pilotlight]

Good Luck. get your post count up and apply for pro membership

[Some Dude]

Getting a job outside of the military may be a good idea when you get out, I would recommend getting a job in the office, not in the field though. Learning the business side will be the hard part. Learn to estimate, bill, overhead, etc etc etc.

I wish you the best of luck!

Good advise

[HeyBob]

Mike welcome to H-Talk. Please review the rules, regarding double posting, I am leaving the thread in job discussion open.

Thread Closed.