How to break into working for yourself
Just starting to read through all the posts I can find on business startup. Great comments and insights.
With a reputable survey-only firm I’ve worked my way up from crew chief, to CAD tech trainee and then suddenly thrust into project management. I feel like I have a natural knack for the forensics of research (field and office) and producing a good-looking survey, but once I suddenly went from drafting for other project managers (previously no title work, minimal boundary analysis, and no working with clients, managing crews – just drafting and a little bit of research and legal description writing) to managing projects from proposal to delivery, I felt like I was drinking out of a fire hose with all the things I didn’t even know I didn’t know. I wish there had been a better training transition, but it seems that the only way they know how to train is sink or swim. I had plenty of experienced RLS at the company bail me out when I got stuck, but learning the project management side of things seems so arbitrary that I would get overwhelmed with not even knowing what to ask when it came to the myriad of requirements from various jurisdictions and clients, and walking a survey through approval processes.
All that to say, I wish I had all the knowledge of running a business to start off on my own right now so I could enjoy being with my kids at home more. A lot of surveys we do I would feel very comfortable being able to do them field-to-finish my self and do it profitably. Most of my time in the field I worked solo, and I felt very comfortable learning how to do that efficiently on my own with the best-in-class equipment our company provides. If I knew I could get enough work in the areas I’m confident in I would probably make the plunge, but I know that is probably just wishful thinking because I would be working more than ever to learn the ropes of running a business, not to mention the things I’m still learning about working with clients, proposals, and carrying the survey across the finish line of walking it through approvals and revisions that I would probably be too stressed to enjoy working from home.
Two years into project management and I’m still learning something new about the surveying side of business on most projects. I feel like this learning process might have been much shorter if I had done the full degree program instead of the 20 hours required of night and online courses that I did in my spare time. I’ve seen a couple of young guys graduate from the full degree program and progress much more quickly when they made it to project manager. I’m a methodical learner and I tend to get hung up (even doing all-nighters) until I feel like I really understand something. Since I went to salary my pay has stagnated, even though I’m working as man or more hours than ever and its taking its toll. In the field, I lose track of time, work through lunch and don’t notice until it gets dark plenty of times without it dampening my enthusiasm or efficiency much. I enjoy the office side as well, but I can’t maintain the same hours in the office as the field without it really affecting my stamina and efficiency.
With all that background, what books, courses would you recommend to get the education I’m missing that I can’t seem to get on the job as quickly as I’d like to be able to work towards my goal of starting my own business (probably solo with focus on ALTA, Boundary, topo surveys).
Sometimes I wonder if it would help to get a PM role in a multi-disciplinary firm where I can work more closely with the architects/engineers/planners to better understand the land development process as a whole. Any thoughts on that?
Alternatively, have any of you found a way to work for yourself on a contract basis as a “freelancer” for other firms so that you don’t have as much of the headaches of insurance, etc? Or is there some other way to gradually break into working for yourself on the side until you have enough clients, experience and confidence to quit your day job?
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