> The overwhelming majority of PLS's that I know are very good land surveyors, however they are very, very bad businessmen.
This illustrates why every surveying/geomatics (whatever you want to call it) program should have, at a minimum, 12-15 credits of business classes. Many do. If a surveyor plans to run a business, they should complete courses in economics, business law, accounting, etc. The problem with many surveyors today, if they aren't required to do something, they are not going to. How many would take additional classes, sit through seminars, heck, even read a book, if continuing education wasn't required?
Me!
Currently a Junior in college with a 3.8 GPA, and have been licensed for about 12 years.
It is never too late to learn something new, and perhaps enhance ones career while in the process.
David, I could agree with requiring 12 credits in business, but only after a significant increase of required credits in property boundary principles and law. After all, we are licensed to located property boundaries in accordance with the law, not to "run" a business. Once we are proficient at what we are licensed to do, the business success will usually follow.
> David, I could agree with requiring 12 credits in business, but only after a significant increase of required credits in property boundary principles and law.
Agreed
> After all, we are licensed to located property boundaries in accordance with the law, not to "run" a business. Once we are proficient at what we are licensed to do, the business success will usually follow.
Disagree. As was stated earlier, there are a number of surveyors out there who are good at what they do, great surveyors, but are lacking when it comes to running a business. Most of these surveyors would benefit greatly from some basic business classes.
I'm not sure I agree either. I do agree that business courses would be advantageous to surveyors and a lot of other people. However, the primary purpose, as I see it, is to license the land surveyor to protect property (to safeguard life, health, and property and to promote the public welfare" in this state). Does a license to survey need to require the ability to run a business any more than a license to drive does?
Why couldn't a land surveyor be hired on a regular salary to do the land surveying in an office while not necessarily running the business? If he squanders his money away, that is his problem.
> I'm not sure I agree either. I do agree that business courses would be advantageous to surveyors and a lot of other people. However, the primary purpose, as I see it, is to license the land surveyor to protect property (to safeguard life, health, and property and to promote the public welfare" in this state). Does a license to survey need to require the ability to run a business any more than a license to drive does?
Yeah, but....granting someone a license to practice land surveying is also a de facto granting of someone the right to open a land surveying business. And I would contend that a poorly run business is more likely to lead to the cutting of corners (pun intended) that would put the public welfare in jeopardy.
Yeah, but...... might not a business understanding also influence the businessman to "cut corners"? It is the protection of the public that is the primary focus here, and not making a profit. How about more emphasis on ethics over business?
The Board is in place to protect the public, the market place separates those who stay in businesses and those who don't. As far as requiring business class to obtain a degree is just opining the door for university to gain more money and to have more time to instil their will on the thinking of the student. From what I see there are very few licensed surveyors running a business, most do not have the desire or are not independent enough to take the risk and choose to wrap their hands around a regular paycheck. The desire to make the degree program subject to classes that would serve less than 5% of the grads has to be based on some other goal than producing a good surveyor grad.
jud
> David, I could agree with requiring 12 credits in business, but only after a significant increase of required credits in property boundary principles and law.
Way too much lipstick on the pig! A 3 credit course in Business Law perhaps, much of the other business aspects can or should be covered under surveying-titled courses. Anyways, this is afterall a profession where it is not mandated nationwide that a university education is necessary to function as a surveyor.
>From what I see there are very few licensed surveyors running a business, most do not have the desire or are not independent enough to take the risk and choose to wrap their hands around a regular paycheck. The desire to make the degree program subject to classes that would serve less than 5% of the grads has to be based on some other goal than producing a good surveyor grad.
That's interesting, off the top of my head I'd guess that over 80% of the licensed surveyors I know either: 1) own their own business; 2) are partners (or at least partial equity owners) of a larger multidisciplinary firm or; 3) manage a business group within a larger firm.
I have been in this industry since 1984 & an owner/partner at a Surveying/Civil Engineering firm for the last 14 years until I went out on my own in 2008. Land Surveyors are some of the worst business people I have ever run into. In MI where I am at it takes 6yrs to become an attorney, 7yrs to become a dentist & 8 to become a PS - who is the moron in that equation. We constantly underbid each other yet meet for chapter meetings & buy each other drinks like it never happened. The only "people" that call us professionals are ourselves (I can call myself handsome but that doesn't make it true). I could go on for a while but them that know me I am a glass full guy. Until we can come together as one we will never move forward as a whole. I am not a blamer it doesn't lead anywhere. Obviously I am only speaking from my own experience.