After much planning, I'm getting closer to going into business by myself as a one-man shop. I've got a pretty good idea of how much income it will take to cover my business expenses, etc. The question is, how do I go about gauging how much work there is out there for me to go after? (yes I realize this varies greatly depending on what part of the country we're talking about.)
I am licensed in two states and willing/able to travel statewide in one of the states, and 50% of the state in the neighboring state. I'm planning a fairly aggressive, yet cost-effective marketing campaign, but if no one is spending, I'll be out of work. I've been in the business for almost 14 years now, working in one metro area of about 200,000 people so I like to think I know the local market pretty well, but maybe not as well as I think.
Any ideas? Thanks.
Didn't I use to work with your brother, Pipe?
Seriously, there's always work for somebody that is willing to give their clients the time and attention they pay for and deserve. If you've been employed for 14 years I would think it was highly likely that there's at least another 14 years of work still out there.
As a matter-of-fact sometimes a fresh face is a good thing. That is a surveyor's downfall when he gets complacent about tending to his clients. Someone that answers his emails and phone calls promptly and shows his "go-getter" side is prone to pick up some work from a client that can't seem to get a hold of his "usual" surveyor.
As for workload outlook...who knows? Work ebbs and flows. I've seen some lean times and I've seen fat times. But there has always been something to do. IMHO you need to find those folks that need your profession services. Pay attention to them and it will pay off. And be open minded about the type of work you're willing to do.
Don't settle for only one corner of the industry. The "ebb and flow" WILL catch up with you if you try to stick with only one type of work. Be diverse. I'm in a town of about 100,000 with at least six other survey outfits and I keep two crews busy everyday.
Good luck.
> Any ideas? Thanks.
As a one man shop I think you will be better off focusing on that local market of 200,000 than you would be trying to cover a state and a half. The kind of clients who need statewide coverage usually also need the horsepower to cover several places at the same time.
BTW-the company I work for, which would be one of the 6 or so in direct competition with Paden, has been rather concerned about a recent slump in sales. Last night we got an email from the top that started "January was an amazing sales month and a great way to begin 2013..."
I would say after about 6 years of declining business, now would be a good time to gear up and get into business.
The only gauge for local work I can come up with is of all things, how real estate is selling. We have zero oil field, hardly any commercial and I refuse to do any of the little bit of construction surveying that might come along, so it is all the selling or buying of real estate. There is the family partition surveys that is a good part of my business, but the buying and selling of property is what pays the bills.
If they aint buying it, its going to be slow.
Randy
The real estate market here is a bit slow, but I'm getting the impression from my current employer that it's about to turn around. My focus will be ALTA surveys, construction staking, and plats... all within the metro area. Also considering contracting with construction companies for staking or machine control, and with large engineering firms that have only small satellite offices in town. If the work isn't there, I will branch out further across the state.
Outside of that, there are a lot of what I call "farmstead surveys" that are quite profitable (creating a new boundary to separate the farmstead from a quarter of land), which I could travel statewide for, in addition to ALTA surveys in other major cities - those are always quite profitable.
My marketing will consist of face to face meetings with real estate attorneys, title companies, and developers that I've done business with over the years. I wouldn't say that I'm famous in town, but I've worked with these types of professionals to the point where they would know my name and work.
I was a bit concerned when I saw another small survey shop open up in town last summer, but if there's enough business for one guy, there must be enough for two right? Most of the survey companies in the state are also engineering. There are only a handful of companies that are strictly land surveying, and they seem to stay in business. Some are even located in the most remote parts of the state, where I can't even see how they can stay open, but somehow they do. I would think that living in the largest metro area in the state, there must be enough to keep one more guy busy.
