How to start?
How to start?
(OP)
I want to start my own business (engineering firm) HVAC and buildings mechanical
Where do I start?
Ant hints will be very apreciated
Thank you
Where do I start?
Ant hints will be very apreciated
Thank you





RE: How to start?
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
[IMG http://tinyurl.com/7ofakss]
Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers
Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!
There is a homework forum hosted by engineering.com: http://www.engineering.com/AskForum/aff/32.aspx
RE: How to start?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: How to start?
I'm in Quebec, Canada
I whant to know where can I find the clients...
How do you find your clients?
Thank you
I work for a compagny wich limited my options for the school boards or governements contracts.
I have to find the clients out of my playground
RE: How to start?
Most of my client I currently have came from contacts I made previously and are people who I have worked with before. I also get some referrals from other engineers who are on their way out and don't want to deal with the business anymore. After being in business for 3 year I only have a list that would contain about 50 names of clients I have worked with.... and the list would be cut down to 6-8 names of companies I work with on a consistent basis.
RE: How to start?
First I'd start by searching this site, especially this forum, for previous threads on similar topic and glean what I could from that. For instance a quick search turned up:
thread784-281474: Advice needed - starting a one man process skid shop
thread784-270484: Mechanical Engineering consultants and small business owners
thread784-98522: Cold Calling / Engineering Sales Suggestions Wanted
thread784-260754: Engineering Sales
thread784-190676: Marketing
thread784-167305: What is the most effective marketing technique in your business?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: How to start?
Very usefull information
I will start by making a list Of potential clients
Any ideeas who should I bring to that list?
And How?
Internet, Google, Linkedin ....?
RE: How to start?
If you don't know anyone, it might be best to work for another outfit for a while, until you do. Just beware of potential employment-contract issues if you leave a company in order to pursue the same work on your own.
RE: How to start?
I'm not allowed to work for the people I allready know
But I can work for everyone else
RE: How to start?
RE: How to start?
Is ok for them if I work for residential or Industrial clients
RE: How to start?
When I did that (previous employer), the lawyer immediately picked up on the fact that the date that the employment contract was signed, was several months after the date that I started employment, and was therefore considered to be signed under duress, but there were a number of things that I still had to do in order to stay out of trouble.
RE: How to start?
RE: How to start?
I don't work for american entreprises so I don't use english very often
You can be an excellent engeneer even your english level is poor
I'm hère just to pick somme ideas
There are places In North America where english is not the first language
For me is my third language
Think out of the box.
RE: How to start?
One thing is for sure; your English is better than my French!
RE: How to start?
Develop an advertising garden that you routinely and consistently snip, water and tend. Make money first. Spend it second.
Work from sun up to sundown and then a few more hours after that. Go to work every day for the first 3 years even if it is just a few hours on weekendds. Your competitors are already ahead. You have some catching up to do.
Identify your market needs, what it lacks, meet the lack. Find the right clients. Fire the wrong ones. Hire a good lawyer and accountant. Get a contract that is good. And by good I mean perfect. Do things your competitors can't or won't.
Be humble and responsive. Answer your phone. Return all your calls within 15 minutes. Serve with all of your ability. When you feel like quitting, don't. Realize that life's greatest tests are unannounced. Consistency is the key to preparation.
Get those few things down and you will be on a good start.
RE: How to start?
RE: How to start?
1) what type of engineering do you want to practice ?
2) who'll be your clients ? why will your clients pick you (amongst 100s of choices) ?
3) it sounds like you have a permanent job already. it is difficult working full time for someone else and part-time for yourself. some employers don't like you doing this, some say you can't ... figure out what you can do. you can always "moon-light" ... work for yourself without telling your employer, but this is unprofessional and would probably lead to dismissal if discovered. part of this depends on how similar are the fields ... if you're working to the govt for highway engineering, there is little conflict of interest with wanting to branch out into residential renovations; if you're working for building inspection and want to do residential then there's a lot more conflict of interest.
4) figure out what you need to do to practice engineering ... licensing and insurance.
another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?
RE: How to start?
I allready aware about many things you write here
I have a licence and is ont a problem with my employer
The real question is how you get your contracts ?
How you contact the important resurce inside Of the compagny who will chose you.
I allready have accidentals contacts but I need something more if I want to fly by my own
Who are your contacts
I give you an exemple
One of my clients has a departement for building maintenance
Is obvios I will be there to offer my services
I need another resources to grow
RE: How to start?
Do everything to the best of your ability - and try to improve that ability with time.
Recognize that it is not a perfect world, and you won't be, either. To err is human - it happens to everyone. How you handle it makes all the difference.
When someone asks you something, tell it like it is. Don't sugar-coat it. If something is going to take 3 weeks to get done, tell them it's going to take 3 weeks ... not 2. But then get it done in the 3 weeks that you said it would take. Say what you are going to do, then do what you said you were going to do, when you said you would do it.
It will take a while.
Our company has not paid one red cent in advertising, ever. We have never cold-called, we have never done anything that all the marketing wizards and expensive consultants say you are supposed to do in order to grow your company and to market yourself. Nothing. But right now, the biggest problem is that the answer I have to the inevitable "I have something for you to look at, how soon can you get here" (which happens on a daily basis ...), is not a very good one, because it's weeks away. And I tell it like it is. "I won't be able to get to this for about 3 weeks, we should pick a day now to make sure it's on the schedule".
I can tell you that it was not always like this ... in the beginning, I was working about one or two days a week. There are times when I wish it was still like that ...
RE: How to start?
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
[IMG http://tinyurl.com/7ofakss]
Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers
Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!
There is a homework forum hosted by engineering.com: http://www.engineering.com/AskForum/aff/32.aspx
RE: How to start?
There are other posts in other forums about engineering consortiums. Groups of people who work out of their house and pool resources when necessary.
I do work at ever level. End users, architects, contractors, fabricators, manufacturers etc, other engineers. Most of these are either former co-workers or former clients. It has just expanded from there through WOM.
There is no one thing that you are going to do that is going to get you the work you are looking for.... it is going to be the 1,000 little things that you are going to do that will get you work.
RE: How to start?
I am upfront about everything; deadlines, costs, what it really takes to do the job. I am surprised how many other Civil companies around here just take on work, let it sit, and ignore the clients. I also let them know we aren't the cheapest but we aren't the most expensive. No one wants expensive, and if they want the cheapest, I wish them luck.
There is a reason people say to have a few years of money when starting out. I wouldn't do this part time unless you partnered with someone who could do it full time. You need to put all your effort towards your company.
B+W Engineering and Design | Los Angeles Civil Engineer and Structural Engineer http://bwengr.com