Equipment cost for Solo Startup

ok here she is.

Nate The Surveyor, post: 366133, member: 291 wrote: There's a story there.
I crashed my TDS with 128 megs of memory. Find earlier thread. I'm on a phone typing, so you can look. I bought a new screen for it. I need screen tape to install it. I bought a TDS from a friend, 32 megs, for 300. Still ain't paid him.
I will want that total sta, and dc combo, for laying out indoor huge buildings. And some things. I have not looked through a survey inst in 6 mos.
I'm babysitting today. Wife took day off. She is experiencing nausea.
Baby is sleeping now. Want a pic?

Yes, we want baby pics.

Grandson comes over tomorrow.

This thread is strictly aimed at the equipment/software/basic set up cost. Let's hope anyone thinking of diving into the deep end will keep in mind all of the other "costs" of leaving the cushy, grab-a-check-on-payday type of employment before taking the leap. Number one: There ain't no benefit package of any kind unless you factor it into your billing and actually stash that amount away EVERY time you get paid for a project. Number two: Most people need SOMEONE ELSE to keep them focused and on task every day. Number three: There is no such thing as a budget....when you get money in your hands.... you pay as many bills as possible right then because there is no guarantee as to when the next wad of money will fall into your hands. Number four: Who is gonna cover yer butt when you are not able to do it yerself? Number five: Are you truly proficient at everything you need to do as a businessperson despite your skills as a surveyor/researcher/draftsperson? Number six: You have one survey chariot/soccer mommobile. What's the immediate backup when it fails you? Number seven: Lots of little, quick-pay jobs help tremendously in surviving while waiting on the large, slow-pay jobs to fatten your back account. Be humble.

Oops. Bank account, not back account. Cawl the spellun poleese.

Computer, plotters, robot, pair of gps domes, dc, and hand tools will run you $80k, lightly used truck will run another $20k.

That is running high end quality equipment.

Of course, there are some out there that could be satisfied with a 20 year old total station, and constant walking back and forth.

summerprophet, post: 366158, member: 8874 wrote: Of course, there are some out there that could be satisfied with a 20 year old total station, and constant walking back and forth.

When I set up in 1993, I bought a brand-new Topcon GTS-302. I started cold -- no clients, no jobs -- so I had a lot more time than money to pay for help in the beginning. One of my first jobs was a 4.7-acre hotel and restaurant complex. I did the whole thing myself with the Topcon and a prism pole with tripod. Walk out, set up the pole, walk back, take the shot, repeat. About 40 field hours, plus drafting. But I didn't have to share the proceeds with anyone except the government.

You could easily start off with used equipment, send drawings out to be plotted, and be in business with minimum expenditure. Many advantages to that: It keeps you from going heavily into debt, you will gain a lot of valuable experience, and you will learn what you will need when you are ready to buy new equipment. I would not hesitate to start off on the cheap while planning ahead. It will be inefficient and labor intensive, but that can be a blessing when you are starting off and still learning the best procedures.

However, once you have a good revenue stream and key clients know who you are, I strongly advise buying the best hardware and software so you will have maximum efficiency. Trust me, the best will pay for itself many times over.

ps My work vehicle is still the 2001 maroon Camaro I bought when I went into business. It is a little banged up but it works just fine and I have no intention of buying a new vehicle. Waste not, want not.

Bruce Small, post: 366170, member: 1201 wrote: My work vehicle is still the 2001 maroon Camaro I bought when I went into business.

What was that about buying the best hardware again?

It is best... Get there fast! 🙂

I would say if at all possible do your homework and choose your office survey software and invest in that from the beginning. As your business grows your files will have a life of their own and you will likely not want to change platforms. Or if you do decide to change platforms it may not be a fun experience.

For field equipment we got started with a new total station and data collector using a Hayes Worry Free Lease back in 1998. We also used that to jump into GPS later on.

I like Holy Cows answer. When you start your own business you leave behind the saftey of a larger company and all of the benefits. You will have nights when you can't sleep because you realize it is all on you now. If you don't find work you can't go on unemployment. If you break your leg you better have disability insurance. If you get sued you better have general liability and e & o insurance. On the other end of the spectrum, if things go well you will have the stress of trying to keep up with everything. There are benefits of running your own business compared to working for the man. You will have more flexibility in your schedule. This is great if you need to get to your kid's baseball game but it's a double edged sword. You will miss a lot of those games because you have to get a job done and nobody else is going to do it for you. Also, pack a lot of money away for taxes. It's easy to forget that nobody is witholding that from your paycheck. These are just tips from someone who was in your shoes 10 years ago. There are a lot of perks with being your own boss. The downside is you can't leave your work at work when the day or week ends. It kind of becomes your life and your brain seldom shuts off, thinking about what you need to get done even when you aren't working.

I understand the need for pinching pennies when thinking about funding a startup effort. From my research, though, I think the difference in price vs. performance completely justifies purchasing these new:

http://x9gps.com/aio/index.htm

For the same price of used equipment I just can't seem to find the same value.

Starting out I used one of those hobbyist metal detectors that are made for finding coins, etc. I kept borrowing it from my neighbor. Had a 100-foot steel tape that I had bought at an auction for a dollar because the first 0.8 or so had snapped off. Had to use 1.0 for zero and remember to subtract 1.0 from whatever number I read. No hook on the end so only worked with a helper around. Did a lot of pacing to get halfway close from reference nails to the monument location. Frequently that helper was one of my daughters between age six and 18.

Jevad11, post: 366182, member: 1908 wrote: You will miss a lot of those games because you have to get a job done and nobody else is going to do it for you.

Prioritization is up to the business owner. I've passed up work in order to be able to make my son's baseball games, and in the 12 years he's been playing have missed maybe 3 of them. That kind of flexibility is one of the reasons I'm in business for myself.

I may as well pile on too.

Jevad11 "There are benefits of running your own business compared to working for the man."
This is true... the only thing is - everyone that you depend on to succeed is now "the man". You now need the support of a whole bunch of people to succeed. Treat them right (even the ones that rub you the wrong way) because you need all of them to do their part if you are going to succeed.

Adding to Holy Cow's list....
Number eight: Who's going to independently check your work? If the answer is nobody - then you better rethink things - you NEED somebody qualified to check every product that goes out the door. You start out the biz with a neutral reputation - you deliver good work the biz gets a good reputation (which you can wreck with a single error) - you deliver bad work and it's highly unlikely that your business will ever recover.

JKinAK, post: 366283, member: 7219 wrote: I may as well pile on too.

Jevad11 "There are benefits of running your own business compared to working for the man."
This is true... the only thing is - everyone that you depend on to succeed is now "the man". You now need the support of a whole bunch of people to succeed. Treat them right (even the ones that rub you the wrong way) because you need all of them to do their part if you are going to succeed.

Adding to Holy Cow's list....
Number eight: Who's going to independently check your work? If the answer is nobody - then you better rethink things - you NEED somebody qualified to check every product that goes out the door. You start out the biz with a neutral reputation - you deliver good work the biz gets a good reputation (which you can wreck with a single error) - you deliver bad work and it's highly unlikely that your business will ever recover.

In my case, I know my ALTA surveys are going to be scrutinized by some very good title officers who know to pick up the phone and ask me questions, which I encourage. And there are the paralegals and their invariably inane comments, like "One of the bearings says West - you forgot the degrees, minutes, and seconds."