@tim-v-pls & @Dave Karoly both make excellent points. I left my former employer (the largest local land development firm in a 40mile radius), took on a federal job while still part timing it with a construction company. I also began to quietly setup my PLLC for my own, very small business in my first couple of weeks at the new gig. Fast forward several months & several former clients have been in touch despite me telling them I did not wish to take from my previous employer. They’re still apprehensive about this pandemic & the economy in terms of new development but they’ve decided they liked the attention they were receiving from me while I was taking care of them previously; even if I am only part time doing this. What is even crazier is that my former employer’s biggest, local competitor has decided to sign a couple contracts with me simply based on a few dealings with them & them hearing about me via word of mouth through some mutual clients.
trust me, if you give people your best it will eventually be noticed. Don’t sell yourself short on that or on the work you’re doing either. Figure up all of your expenses as well as what you need to earn & charge appropriately for it. Lay it out for them in a proposal and let them know “hey man here’s what I have to do to be earning a profit off this.” They’ll respect it more than you think even if it’s not the cheapest option. Also, always respond to phone calls & emails ASAP as people appreciate it whether the response is good news or bad. Nothing loses a client faster than telling them what they want to hear up front then not getting back to them when you promised to deliver.
Warning.?ÿ Some advice provided above appears to be reckless for one of your tender years.?ÿ Being an expert in one very narrow thing may allow one to go out on their own with only a few years of experience.?ÿ Operating a successful business has little to do with being an expert in one very narrow thing.?ÿ Few of us operating our own firms have such an extremely narrow focus.?ÿ And, less than half of our work time is spent on that at which we are most expert.?ÿ If you want to focus on doing what you do best you need to have others handling everything else that is involved with the business, from taxes to making sure there is toilet paper where toilet paper should be found.?ÿ Phone calls, texts, emails, conferences with clients, bid submittals, making sure there is an adequate supply of ink on hand for the printer, getting the survey chariot's oil changed, acquiring a fresh supply of various expendables (bars for example) and on and on and on are not necessarily survey work.?ÿ They are work a surveyor does only if no one else is available to handle that.?ÿ Those hours cost money.?ÿ They do not make money, except on rare occasions.
This is why large, multidisciplinary firms come into existence.?ÿ Their goal is to keep the experts doing those things that require their expert knowledge and talents.?ÿ The supporting staff from custodial services to the wheeler dealer who schmoozes potential big clients do what they are best at doing.?ÿ They are not out at the job site doing real surveying.
Here is what I've learned: do exactly what you promise and when you promise, for what you promise it will cost. Do not make unforced errors, do not rush or compromise to please or impress: they will drop you like a Kleenex at their own misunderstanding of our profession, and they will jump to the next surveyor who comes along with a cheaper offer. The clients you want will find you
@andy-j 2nd for the Beardslee book/PDF
This is why large, multidisciplinary firms come into existence.?ÿ Their goal is to keep the experts doing those things that require their expert knowledge and talents.?ÿ The supporting staff from custodial services to the wheeler dealer who schmoozes potential big clients do what they are best at doing.
And incidentally, they can be an excellent place to pick up additional survey skills, as well as some of those ancillary skills, prior to going out on your own. They can also pay pretty well depending on all the variables...
Wow! Thanks for all the replies! There??s too many to respond to all of them, but I??ll try to hit the high spots.
I??ve asked for a more client facing role, but those requests have basically fallen on deaf ears.
I think I really want to get into boundaries, Actual boundary work, not deed staking.?ÿI like subdivisions and residential developments pretty well too. I don??t mind highways and heavy construction, but they aren??t my calling.?ÿ
The good news is my wife is starting grad school soon, so I??ll have at least another couple of years of learning and networking before I take the plunge.
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I don't know if this has been suggested already, but if you bring clients into your current employer it will greatly increase your standing in the firm. When the time comes there is a very good chance that those clients will follow you wherever you go. And the taking will be guilt free. If you can pull it off it's a great way to set your self up.