Build With
Georgie
Build the business behind the welding.
Bids, estimating, shop systems, and the tools that help you get organized. I share what I’ve learned, what I’m researching, and how I work through it.
Meet Georgie
I research and pull the thread until I figure it out.
I’m Michelle, but most people call me Georgie.
I’ve spent 26+ years in welding and fabrication, across nuclear, gas and oil, food processing, and steel fabrication. I’ve owned my own welding business since 2014.
Build With Georgie is where I share what I’ve learned about the business side of the trade: finding work, reading bid invites, estimating, building systems, and using tools like AI with purpose.
I don’t wait for someone to hand me the answer. I chase it down.
What we’ll work through
The business side of the trade.
Finding Work & Bid Boards
How to actually find work, not just “go find a bid board.” Finding GCs, getting on bid lists, and building relationships with estimators.
Bid Management
You found the opportunity. Now: should you bid it, how do you control it, and how do you know whether all that estimating work is actually paying off?
Estimating
Reading plans and specs without wasting hours, from takeoffs and labor to overhead, markup, and tracking estimated vs. actual costs.
Detailing & Drawing Management
Detailing isn’t just somebody making shop drawings. It’s information control, from hiring a detailer to releasing the right revision to the shop.
Welding Codes, Procedures & Certifications
WPS, PQR, WPQ, and AWS codes without the paralysis: what you need now, what you need for the work you’re pursuing, and what comes as you grow.
Business Systems & Processes
You don’t need more software. You need to understand your process first, so the business doesn’t run on one person’s memory.
AI for the Trades
I’ve been in the trades 26 years. Here’s what I’m making AI do for me now, and where I still check the work.
Build Your Own Software
If you understand your business process, AI can help you build tools around the way you work, instead of stacking monthly subscriptions.
New guides and videos are on the way, one question at a time.
Resources
Tools you can put to work.
Template · Guide · Video
Capability Statements & Bid Invites
A capability statement template, how to put it to work, and other ways to get your name in front of general contractors.
Class · Video
Start with Microsoft 365
Use the Microsoft 365 apps you already pay for to start tracking your work and figure out what your business needs before buying or building software.
Want to know when these open, or have a question you want answered?
Join the ListBuild With
Georgie
Build With Georgie is where I share what I’ve learned about welding, fabrication, and running a business. The Industrious Company is the business behind the work. Industrious SEEDS is where the software and tools fit in.