Phase 3 Preparation Tips for Jobber Grant Applicants
To everyone who may be advancing to Phase 3 of the Jobber Grants competition, congratulations on making it this far. The work you put in now can help your business long after this competition. Here are a few things I’d recommend focusing on: Review your full application and be ready to speak confidently about everything you submitted. Practice explaining your business in 30–60 seconds. Keep it simple, clear, and memorable. Know exactly how you would use the grant and the impact it would have on your business. Update your website, LinkedIn, and social media so your online presence reflects your business professionally. Refresh your business plan and make sure it reflects your latest progress and goals. Know your numbers—customers, revenue (if applicable), milestones, growth, and future goals. Practice answering questions out loud. Confidence comes from preparation and repetition. Be ready to explain what makes your business unique and why now is the right time for it. Organize your financial information and important business documents in case they’re needed. Create a simple one-page overview of your business that clearly explains your mission and vision. Gather testimonials, reviews, or customer feedback if you have them. Social proof adds credibility. Stay informed about your industry so you can confidently discuss current trends and opportunities. Build relationships with other founders. Networking often creates opportunities beyond this competition. Don’t memorize answers. Know your story well enough that your passion comes through naturally. Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, stay focused, and walk into every opportunity with confidence. Most importantly, act like you’ve already made it to Phase 3. Use this time to strengthen your business, improve your brand, and prepare for every opportunity ahead. Wishing everyone the best of luck. No matter who moves forward, keep building, keep learning, and keep believing in what you’re creating. Your next breakthrough could be closer than you think.How do you handle the "While you're here, can you just..." clients without awkwardness?
It happens on almost every job—you quote a specific scope of work, show up, and the homeowner asks for a "quick favor" that adds 20 minutes to your day. How do you guys politely pivot them into a paid add-on without killing the customer experience?
Metal Relic: Welding, Business, and Building a Life in Steel
Hey everyone, my name is Jeremy Werkheiser and I’m the owner and artist behind Metal Relic. Metal Relic started in 2017 as a night and weekend side gig. At the time, it was a way for me to take welding, fabrication, salvaged steel, and industrial materials and turn them into something more creative. What started with smaller handmade metal pieces slowly grew into guitars, motorcycles, flowers, wall pieces, machines, creatures, and eventually larger sculptural work. My background is in industrial maintenance and management, so I have always approached my work from both the hands-on trade side and the problem-solving side. Nuts, bolts, washers, chain, sheet steel, pipe, tools, scrap, and raw steel all become part of the work. I like taking hard industrial materials and pushing them into organic forms while still letting the steel look like steel. A lot changed for me over the last few years. After a house fire, losing tools, losing my father, and having life pretty much force a reset, my perspective shifted. Metal Relic became more than just making things. It became a way to rebuild, refocus, and prove that skilled trades can become fine art when you keep pushing the craft. That shift eventually led me back to school for welding, where I treated the education side seriously. I wanted to sharpen the skills behind the art, not just rely on what I already knew. That path led into SkillsUSA, competition work, project documentation, galleries, exhibitions, media features, and national and international recognition for my sculpture work. My piece The Deep Sleep, a steel Kraken attacking a pirate ship, became a major turning point for me and helped show what Metal Relic could become. On the business side, Metal Relic has grown from a side project into a full-time small business. That has meant learning a lot beyond welding: pricing, shipping, customer communication, inventory, event planning, online sales, marketing, photography, branding, and figuring out how to balance smaller production work with larger custom and fine art pieces. Some days the business side is harder than the fabrication side, but it is all part of building something real. I’m not here to make a sales post. I wanted to introduce myself, share some of the history behind Metal Relic, and show the work that came out of that journey. Everything I make is built by hand, one piece at a time, with the goal of turning raw steel into something that feels alive. Glad to be here and looking forward to connecting with everyone. If anyone has questions about my process, the education side, the business side, or the journey from side gig to full-time work, feel free to ask me anything. Jeremy Werkheiser Metal RelicLet’s Support Each Other - Introduce Yourself Below!
We’re all working hard to grow our businesses, and one of the greatest strengths of this community is the opportunity to support one another. If you see a member who could benefit from a referral, make the connection. If someone asks a question and you have experience, share what you’ve learned. Celebrate each other’s wins, encourage one another through challenges, and help create opportunities whenever you can. A single referral, recommendation, or connection could make a real difference for someone’s business. Let’s build a community where we don’t just grow our own businesses—we help each other grow too. 👇 Introduce yourself below: Business name Service(s) you offer City & State (or Country) One way the community can support your businessWhat’s your biggest green flag (or red flag) during a property walkthrough?
Hey everyone! Let’s talk about that initial interaction with a potential client. We’ve all walked onto a job site or a residential property and just known instantly how the experience was going to go—before we even handed over an estimate. Sometimes it's a subtle cue from the homeowner, and sometimes it's the state of the property itself. When you're quoting a job, what is one major "green flag" that tells you a customer will be amazing to work with, or a "red flag" that makes you consider raising your prices or walking away? Let’s swap some stories and see what common signs we all look out for! 👇What Is the Best Portable Vehicle Lift for a Mobile Mechanic Working Without a Shop?
I have a mobile mechanic and detailing service in southeast Oklahoma. I do alignments at homes and businesses and whatever repairs can be accomplished without big shop equipment. Does anyone know of a vehicle lift that is portable enough for one man to pack around and utilize in off grid scenarios?Before You Give Up on Your Dream, Read This.
There was a moment in my life when I was physically run over by a garbage truck. Most people would assume that was the hardest part of my story. It wasn’t. The hardest part was choosing not to let that moment define the rest of my life. Instead of giving up, I got back up. I went back to school—twice. I invested in myself when it would have been easier to make excuses. I kept learning, kept growing, and kept chasing a vision that only I could see. Every setback became another reason to work harder, not quit. If you’re an entrepreneur reading this, I want you to know something: The journey will test you. There will be days when the money isn’t there. Days when nobody believes in your vision. Days when you question yourself. Days when you wonder if you’re falling behind. But don’t confuse a delay with defeat. Some of the greatest victories are being built in seasons where no one is clapping for you. I like to think of life as a rose. Before anyone admires its beauty, it must first push through the darkness beneath the soil. It endures storms, strong winds, and little insects trying to destroy its roots before it ever blooms. Entrepreneurship is no different. Critics will come. Failures will come. Rejections will come. Doubt will come. But if your roots are grounded in faith, purpose, and perseverance, nothing can stop what God has planted within you. So if you’re feeling discouraged today… Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep sharpening your craft. Keep believing in the dream that was placed on your heart. One day, people will see the flower. They’ll celebrate the success. But only you—and God—will know everything it took to bloom. To every entrepreneur in this community: don’t give up on yourself. Your story isn’t over. Your purpose still matters. And what you’re building today may become the blessing someone else needs tomorrow. 🌹💙
