Going solo

Well, I'd consider:
Javad GPS (don't tell anybody I said this)
ATV with chainsaw, and magnetic locator, shovel, and hammers, and files, and fiberglass handled mattock.
Trailer, or truck that can haul the atv.
A part time secretary, to assist in office duties.
Learning to eat sardines, herring, and crackers.
H eh heh he

Confidence in your self and your tools............

Well, you have one good thing already....you live in Asheville....one of my favorite places.....remember you will packing equipment up in the mountains...

Delete the following terms from your vocabulary:

Vacation Days
Sick Days
Personal Days
Fringe Benefits
Bonus
Bereavement Leave
Company-provided survey chariot for personal use
Company-enhanced retirement plan
Free office supplies for personal use
Break time
Office Christmas party
BS wid da boyz around da water cooler
"Here, look this over for me before I send it out"

Mr Cow, now the fringe benefits... You are wrong about that! "Honey I don't have to be there for another hr.... you get the pic!"

Holy Cow, post: 397479, member: 50 wrote: Delete the following terms from your vocabulary:

Vacation Days
Sick Days
Personal Days
Fringe Benefits
Bonus
Bereavement Leave
Company-provided survey chariot for personal use
Company-enhanced retirement plan
Free office supplies for personal use
Break time
Office Christmas party
BS wid da boyz around da water cooler
"Here, look this over for me before I send it out"

For some of us, you are assuming all of those words are presently in our vocabulary.

Holy Cow, post: 397479, member: 50 wrote: Delete the following terms from your vocabulary:

Vacation Days
Sick Days
Personal Days
Fringe Benefits
Bonus
Bereavement Leave
Company-provided survey chariot for personal use
Company-enhanced retirement plan
Free office supplies for personal use
Break time
Office Christmas party
BS wid da boyz around da water cooler
"Here, look this over for me before I send it out"

Boy you guys sure know how to make it unappealing

Something I have seen firms struggle with....

Having a clear, complete proposal template so you and your clients are clear on exactly what your providing and (most importantly) what you are not.

Keep your overheads as low as possible starting off.

Your specialisation , Type of clientele only value adding !!!!!
client servicing . no more 40 hour weeks, 7 day a week,
If you are single stay single unless have a very understanding partner,
Remember at the end of a long hot dy you have to pack up all your gear if no assistant. (I assume you want to be true solo)
Not every one is suited to be a solo operator as humans are by tradition into, social interaction.

Trundle, post: 397495, member: 12120 wrote: Something I have seen firms struggle with....

Having a clear, complete proposal template so you and your clients are clear on exactly what your providing and (most importantly) what you are not.

The proposal template was the first thing I tackled. I have a friend at a large firm that helped me with this. What I have been struggling with is not having standards in place... be it in the field or in the office. Autocad templates, invoicing, quoting, marketing, job file organization, even what cogo program do I want to use... I'm not going to lie. I have thought about going back to work for someone else.... but it was only a thought. I'm not ready to give up yet.

to add to Mr.Cow's list:
Adequate sleep!
and FISHING<<<< this is by far the most painful. I have not been fishing since I went Solo 3 months ago... My boat probably thinks I'm dead.

So..................you have this really great story you are dying to tell to someone...................and there's no one there.

You never get to ask, "Well, what do you think about this bent 3/8 bar? Tent stake or not?"

Better hope that MedicAlert thingy works when you step into that deep hole filled with huge leaves in November and cannot drag yourself back to the chariot, where you left your phone because it had no service.

Make sure you charge enough to go fishing most of the time.

If you like keeping your bills paid every month and not carrying a balance on your credit cards, then self employment is not for you.
Even when work is flowing, sometimes the cash ain't. Be prepared to spend every hour of the day, surveying, drafting, billing, talking on the phone, and still needing to research, write a proposal, and needing to do something else that you can't remember. But, it is still better than dancing for the man.

half bubble, post: 397537, member: 175 wrote: Make sure you charge enough to go fishing most of the time.

No no, you're not fishing you're Hydrographic Surveying.

I figured I'd better speak up because I disagree with most of the comments. Going solo was for me a very smart move and I have never regretted it. Going solo took a huge load of stress off my shoulders and made it possible for me to become debt free. I've never been in better shape physically and mentally.

You do need to be organized from top to bottom so you can practice with maximum efficiency, and you need to be a pro at every facet of the operation, from field surveying, field to finish, drafting, and writing proposals. You won't have all that down at first, but if you can learn from your mistakes you will be well on your way.

Repeat: I've never regretted going solo.

Mark Indzeris, post: 397539, member: 1019 wrote: and not carrying a balance on your credit cards

Credit cards are just about the last place you want to go for money. A home equity line is a much better alternative. I've been using one for the last 8 years or so to manage cash flow. I try to keep it paid down -- right now it's almost zero -- but it's nice to have that ready credit available for times when receivables mount and cash runs low.

I'm too new at being solo to offer a lot of wisdom. I have enjoyed it immensely though. I work 6 days per week generally, but I really like what I do. I insist on one day of rest. For starting out, being solo is a blessing. I have zero overhead from employees. When I have a slow week or I need to do research I'm not worried about what to do with a field hand.

I work till 7pm somedays, if it makes sense and I don't have to ask permission.

I try to think carefully when I'm in the field about how I execute the job. Like Bruce said, an experienced surveyor can be much more efficient than a lot of field crews.

Downside (if it is) is that everything falls on your shoulders, even the most rudimentary tasks. The upside is that the work is done to your standards and you don't have to share the returns.

It is sometimes lonely. When something good happens, there's no one with whom to share the experience. That will vary by personality type. You'll need to take your time proof reading. It can be tricky proofing your own work.

The most important character traits I believe that you need are tenacity and self-motivation. When conditions get unfavorable and despair attempts to set in, you have to push harder until the job is done.

God has blessed us as we've taken this on. We're paying our bills and I love each day. If you don't have a deep passion for surveying it's probably not a good idea.

Darryl Beard, post: 397530, member: 11556 wrote: What I have been struggling with is not having standards in place... be it in the field or in the office. Autocad templates, invoicing, quoting, marketing, job file organization, even what cogo program do I want to use....

I was going to mention cad template as well as file management. Having an intuitive, customizable cad template can be the difference between profitable and barely breaking even, and can even let you take on more variety of jobs. Sam's goes for having a field code list, and SOP on what is located and how.

Information management is something I think all types of companies struggle with. Some free advice: Google earth is an excellent way to keep to archive old jobs, create proposal exhibits, ans track the progress of current jobs. Best of all it's free and can be done by just a out anyone.