I've been in machining for about 17 years now. Over the years(more recently than ever) I've heard a number of shops owners griping about how tough it is to make money in this busineess. The standard argument being that they have to invest $200,000 into equipment to make a $2.00 part and maybe clear 10% on the job if anything at all. Factor in the Asia factor and they seem to paint a pretty bleak picture for the future of the job shop. So, the questions stands, is it worth owning a shop? Is there any money in it for the amount of labor involved in running a shop or should the investment be made elsewhere?