There is no easy answer Pat.... Been on my own for dang near 30 years now and there is no correct answer that fits every occasion.... What I do know is you have to make money doing what your doing. I've had a big shop with 5 guys full time, 3 part time all the way to what I'm doing now, just me in a 3 car garage. Both have their good and bad points. The best part is now when I make my house payment and pay the utility bill my overhead is covered...... However all my "friends" think that now that I'm working in my garage I should be able to do their stuff for free..... They also like to hang out, "borrow" hardware and parts, suck up all the coffee and tease my dog!!!! When you give sponsorship to one guy (either $$$ or labor), then everyone things you should give them the same thing..... If you don't give nothing to anyone, then your and ***hole, so no matter what you do you're wrong!!!!

With a few exceptions, I've quit doing work for customers. I build what I like, the way I like it, and put it up for sale at my price..... Worst part of this scenario is having to fork out a bunch of $$$$$ to build the car, then waiting for a buyer to come along that actually has the bucks to buy it.... Both good and bad there.....

I guess you have to do enough work to pay the bills, then determine how much more you want to do after that.... Advertising is tough in a one man shop, it's very expensive then if it works really well you end up turning people away....

Like you, I still believe that quality work at a fair price will eventually bring you the rewards you deserve.... It's just tough trying to keep everything paid til you get there.... There are some inexpensive ways to attract new customers... take that Goat to all the local car shows and when the boys or eyeballing the monster engine give them a business card....you never know who is going to be at these events and what their business needs are.... Make a visit of parts stores in your area, talk with the manager and maybe offer him a "spiff" for any customers he can send your way needing machine work... offer an engine for sale, like a plain jane 350, for sale in the local ad papers and Craig's list.... If it's not what the guy wants he might still call or stop by to talk about his needs....

As for the "hangers" who like to eat up your time figuring prices and building "pretend engines" for them that they could never afford anyway, give them a broom or a dirty filthy block to scrape guck off of and tell them you can sit and talk about their stuff at break time but right now you have work to get done..... They usually leave, but if not you get a bit of free house cleaning done!!!! Whatever it takes you have to educate them that friendship is friendship and business is business.....