A reflection on starting a fabrication company

So, I guess it's just a little over a year ago that I decided I would devote pretty much every penny I had to start a small R&D and fabrication company called Entertainment Fabrication. It all started when there were products I was using nearly every day that seemed like they were lacking in much needed features. Even out in the field I would hear various other people complain about what we were using. So it seemed like a logical decision, I like building stuff, I see a need, I'm gonna build epic solutions.
But I guess I bit off more than I could chew. I soon found myself wearing more hats than I ever wanted to. As the only person running the show I had to research, design, build, test, get opinions on, market, and foot the bill for everything I wanted to do. I quickly learned how expensive running a shop could be and how steep the learning curve was.
Here's a short list of the main challenges I've faced:

• lack of space - I have had to make do working out of a garage, when I really need around 2000sq. ft.
• convincing people that my product is worth the extra expense - I don't have mass manufacturing capabilities, my stuff costs often over twice as much as what's on the market, I have to add features, quality, and anything else I can think of to make it worth every penny they spend.
• convincing people to switch - people like the brands they have been using for years, they don't want to switch, I have to convince people that I'll be around for a long time and am worth investing in.
• lack of time - Right?? like who doesn't need more, but a part time job, full time working toward a BSME, plus starting up my own stuff, leaves no time for anything else.
• finding work - This is getting sorta obvious I guess, but it can be harder than you think to find buyers. (Even when proposing the best ideas, sometimes nobody cares enough to "fix" it.)

There have been plenty of times I wanted to sell everything and give up, but friends and family would always remind me why I started the company and encourage me to keep going. I am continually having to learn more and more skills in the shop and business side of things, but every month it gets easier and easier.
Earlier this year I resigned from my "day" job and went back to school to finish my engineering degree. That has given me more time for my company, but still mentally taxes me to the extreme every day.
But it does have it's rewards, when you see something you built being enjoyed by people it is pretty cool. When an expert in an industry tells you your product has potential and is better than what is out there, it can encourage you to keep pushing through the tough times. And most of all, I enjoy what I'm doing.
I have finally gotten to the point where I need more help and have started asking people I know to help me sell items, find contracts, and build stuff. It's neat to see friends get excited about the same things I do.
When I hang out with a group of new people and they ask what I do, everyone seems to think it is such a cool job, and maybe it is, I get to build something from nothing, destroy stuff, and play with some big toys here and there. But to me, the awesome is like the bacon in the pot of beans... sometimes it just makes everything else tolerable. Besides, I'm not going to tell people all the bad stuff in my job.
So, yeah, this was random compared with my usual blogs, but I delivered product to a reseller today, for a display so they can try to sell it. And I was thinking back on everything I've been through and thought I'd post a short little something in case it could encourage someone else who is starting up their own company.
-Steven A.