Going Solo

Gave the standard 2 weeks, I did some contract work for him after that, but not much.

I had one busy real estate office that gave me all of their work and that was enough to get by until I had other clients.

Not burning a bridge is important, but after you leave him, he will probably just think of you as competition.

Do have some work lined up first as you will need more income now that your old boss will not be paying for the little things that add up quick.

Good Luck,

Randy

Exactly what Randy said, except my source was several commercial brokers and an attorney.

I hope it works out for you. However, be prepared, some employers will take your announcement of going solo quite well, while others like my previous employer, can be very petty, childish, accusatory, and unprofessional.

Best of luck.

2 weeks is the standard and reasonable time. As a former employer, I could not ask more

Doing "subcontract" work initially for a former employer is OK, but I figure that what they will want WILL become what they do not want to do and what they do not have any money in....... Work by a "fee Proposal", not hourly till you get yourself established.Been there, seen that, done that, many years ago...............

Petty, Childish, Accusatory, and Unprofessional was the law firm that represented my ex-wife.

I do have a few consistent clients that give me little stake surveys. I do have other income coming in from my wife other sources so I will not need a lot of work in the beginning to start out with.

I bought an older robot and have everything that I need as far as equipment goes. It's just a matter of when to pull the trigger and how much notice to give.

I am their only licensed surveyor and am willing to work until a new survey can transition into the position just to keep from burning the bridge.

Matt

After you are underway and the excitement and agony of starting a new business wanes,
always remember your accounts receivable are as important as your boundary closures.

Wish you the best! B-)

I was laid off by my previous employer, but still managed to leave on good terms. We both understood that is was a necessary move. I looked for another job for some time before deciding to go solo, and I had almost no work lined up. It's been tough, but I have been very fortunate to be working with another surveyor who sends me a lot of sub work.

What did you expect? They're attorneys, aren't they?!

I didn't do the 2 weeks thing. I told him that I would finish all projects I had, if it took 1 day or 1 month. I was pissed at him, he was pissed at me for leaving but I finished everything I started. I wasn't prepared nor did I have money in the bank ($2000) and that was 11 years ago. I tried to leave on a good note but I was going to be the competition and that didn't set well with him. Of course we was a small 3 to 4 person firm. He closed the doors just a few years later and started back being a realtor, then he died on his birthday at age 65.

I had no work lined up and it took 2 years in business to achieve the same pay as with previous job. I wish I was better prepared but I didn't plan on leaving. I came from a: get paid on Friday and I'll see you Monday job. To a: do the work now and hope within 30-60 days I get paid mindset. At my old job, coming up with 3-4 thousand a month was almost impossible because I was just a salary guy. It's just another payment because I'm on a different level now. I'm just as broke but don't work near as hard nor as much. Take off whenever I want (that only hurts myself). And thanks to the IRS. I have bought countless toys (trucks, equipment, mainly just stuff). And I am 100 times happier!

The fun part is starting a business. Just like getting a big job that I have worked hours in trying to get. The part that sucks is actually doing the work. I had more fun creating something from nothing. Now it's just a way that I pay my bills. Fun now is not the same. Been there done that attitude.

I intended to work for myself when I retired from teaching. I already had my company set up and most of my equipment bought, and was doing weekend/after hours work. I needed three more years in order to retire and have monthly retirement benefits headed my way. Then some knucklheads decided to close my program, putting me and another guy out on the streets. My solo firm went into full time gear the day after I gave my last final exams. I have never looked back or slacked up. The above advice is good. Accounts receivable are extremely important, and all the little things do add up. My advice is to work hard, work smart, and keep a shirt pocket full of business cards. Be visible, put a sign on your survey truck, talk to attorneys and realtors, and let the county Chancery Clerk staff know who you are. Doing survey work is the easy part. It's all the other stuff that you may not be used to yet that will take up a lot of time and money. So, don't over extend yourself.

Keep a positive attitude and be a problem solver. Word of mouth will be one of your best forms of "advertising". Turn out your surveys in a timely fashion and make the final product look good. Talk to the adjoiners as well. Down the road, they will either hire you or recommend you.

Good luck. You can do this.

Notice:
I told him I would be leaving. That I could stay for a while if needed, but set no specific time. I stayed and stayed and stayed (it was probably a month or more), until finally I just had to say okay time to leave.

Work Load:
Pretty much nothing. Potential work load was pretty good. I just needed to get my name out there.

> have everything that I need as far as equipment goes

I know you are aware Matt, but it is much more than equipment (office or field). On word of caution - make sure you have any insurance policies your business will need in place. One specific one that is not a huge expense but is a great CYA one is to change you auto policy to a business auto policy.

One month, but I had been there 18 years and was the survey dept. head...We do share clients on occasion..

I tried to buy the company I was working for. We couldn't come to terms. We parted on a bad note. I had no jobs lined up, emptied my 401K, personal savings and tax return went back into the biz, took on a night/weekend job for insurance and cover some costs for 1 1/2 years. Bought equipment through another company that had downsized since banks weren't lending at the time (2009/2010).

Best thing I've ever done.

Good luck.

I think my previous employer had no problem with it. Things were slow at the time and I had been taking on my own work on the weekends and had work to keep me busy full time. I gave a week. Like I said, it was slow there at the time. I made sure not to burn a bridge. I still get along with them and we share files from time to time.

Before I got into full-time teaching, I had two different jobs after the Army. When I was ready to leave each firm, I gave 6 weeks notice and helped interview my replacement. I always left on good terms, and the second firm later retained me for a year to help them with marketing and technical consulting work.

When I left the University of New Orleans, I burned all bridges, poisoned the well, and cast salt on the fields.

🙂

I've worked for a total of six different companies.

1 was a cool engineer, he taught me site planning and how to subdivide land
1 taught me land surveying and remained in the past when modern equipment became available
1 taught me construction surveying, let all his contracts go and retired
3 burned their own bridges most every day I worked for them

Everyone of them paid a very low percentage of the amount I was earning them.

Going on my own was the only road to follow.

😉

> When I left the University of New Orleans, I burned all bridges, poisoned the well, and cast salt on the fields.
>
> 🙂

I haven't gone as far as curse them with a 500 year plaque or anything, but there have been words exchanged with one of my former employers. I still stand by my pissed of rant at his expense and I still think he is a puke of human being!!