What is your targeted niche? Local commercial/residential? Specialty consulting?

It's a little of all of the above. (At least for now.) Industrial & Commercial design......and maybe some residential inspections too.

The specialty area I am trying to focus on/push is vibration consulting (especially design of new foundations for machines with unbalanced forces; I've been the go to guy on that everywhere I've worked).

It's one of those things where I need to hunt anything I can starting out.....but I know where I would like to go.

Call every manufacturing companies internal project engineer in the area. They always need guys like you.

I had surprisingly good results with simply sending out letters of introduction (for a one man structural company). Follow up letters keep you fresh in their memories.

First off, congrats. It's scary at the start but great. I love working for myself!

I do residential investigations and found my best clients are realtors. The website will be key as well - I get calls from owners looking for what I do, having found me by google. Make it professional and pretty wit lots of pictures. I agree with jayrod - call the local manufacturers or even mechanical engineering companies or installers and let them know you're there. Offer to bring coffee and bagels and give a talk about what you do.

Good luck!

Please remember: we're not all guys!

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Call every manufacturing companies internal project engineer in the area. They always need guys like you.

Yeah, that's on my "to do" list. And Linkedin is going to help in that regard because I already have links to a lot of them in the area.

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It's scary at the start but great.

Yep, it's already proving to be a bit scary. But (at the same time) I felt like it was inevitable. I've worked at so many places that were so terribly run that I felt like I had to get out on my own.

Way to go Bill.....you won't regret it. As SLTA noted, you'll love it. Did it for the 2nd time 11 years ago....haven't had a minute's rest since and wouldn't trade it for corporate life under any conditions!

I'm in a bit of a niche business....60 percent forensic, 40 percent all else. I do analysis and shop drawing review for two subcontractors for "all else", plus the remediation design for the successful forensic work.

Have 6 partners/associates in 2 locations.....we zre busy!

My senior partner and I have concluded....we are unemployable elsewhere, 'cause corporate weenies (mostly non-engineers in charge) make us both cringe.

Best of luck!! Enjoy it!

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My senior partner and I have concluded....we are unemployable elsewhere, 'cause corporate weenies (mostly non-engineers in charge) make us both cringe.

Funny you should say that because up until now I was looking for a direct position (I have been working freelance). And I kept running into companys that actually let their HR people decide what people are worth interviewing and which ones aren't. An HR person just flat doesn't know what they are looking at with a resume (or anything else). I finally got an interview with one guy and I asked him (he was the engineering department manager): "You would *really* trust your HR group to do that?"

That pulled the pin on it (well that and a million other things)......and I hope never to work for anyone else again.

Good Luck with your new biz!

If you are the sole employee the good news is that it doesn't take many sales to keep you pretty busy! I do the marketing for a small firm and while a website, an updated SOQ and all of that may get you some calls (especially if you are in a busy city somewhere) nothing beats mining your network.

It is the simplest and most direct form of marketing and is the most comfortable in that you know the people. If your network is small (new to the area or something) then you have to start marketing. One easy marketing trick for a small design business is to call folks that might be subconsultants for you on future projects. Have an interview with them and let them know you hope to be hiring them soon for work.

For example, you might need a testing company, or a surveyor. Call a few, stop in to see them, get their info and maybe they get a job that needs a structural engineer - they might refer you.

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My senior partner and I have concluded....we are unemployable elsewhere, 'cause corporate weenies (mostly non-engineers in charge) make us both cringe.

I feel the same way having been self-employed for 19 years.