After being in the business for 25 years I could write a book on the subject. My speciality was in the wood products industry, high speed computer controlled chop saws. This was heavy industrial rather than mom & pop shops, so the money was normally not an issue. They just wanted the machines to run. Then I got into CNC upgrades later, I kinda fell into that one.

First find out what the customer needs and their goals. This is the most important job that you have.

The tendency for a startup business is to ''give the customer a good deal'' just trying to get your foot in the door. A little of this is OK, but don't under price your services. $125/hr is the going rate now, but at that rate you had better produce results quickly and know what you are doing. I normally capped the daily rate at $1000/day even if I spent a bit more time in a day. If travel is required, add actual expenses to the invoice. I normally charged $50/day for meals, plus all other travel expenses. If I could drive to the customer, it's a buck / mile.

I learned early on not to ''cheap out'' on parts. Spec the best stuff for a given job. Trying to save a few hundred bucks on the front end may come back to bite you later. Find the suppliers that have equipment that you need and is adaptable to most applications and stick with that. Become an expert using those products, that way you are not having to learn as you go.

I could go on, but I would rather answer questions so I'm not trying to write a book here.

What kind of upgrades are you planning on getting into? What is your market?