CAD Side Business

[TateJ]

I'm thinking of starting a CAD - 3d Modeling - side-business. I can carve out 10 to 20 hours each week for short-term projects. Of course I wouldn't compete with my employer - so that's not an issue. As an example - I'm thinking that drafting for patent applications would be a good quick turn-around business. I'm wondering if any of y'all are doing this. Keep in mind - I'm not an engineer... just a humble CADgeek.
So, is a

http://WWW page

a good place to solicit business?
Or maybe a mass-mailing to all the potential clients I can dig up?
Should I down-play the fact that I'm a 1-person operation, or is this an asset - low overhead?
Should I offer better-than-competitive rates, so I can build a portfolio?
At a minumum, I'll get a cell phone so there will be one contact-point exclusive to the biz - so my 10 yr-old won't be answering a potential business call.
Additionally, I'd appreciate any other advice ya'll can spare.
Thanks for hashing this out with me...

Read my profile & make me an offer... now!
tatejATusfilter.com[/u]​

 

[rhodie]

You need to ask yourself the question "Who in the general public would find a need for a 3D model of anything?" before you invest too much capital.

The burden of finding customers will fall squarely on you; that is, you have to go and find work. Don't expect any great success with people phoning in orders.

At the very least, don't use the "shotgun" advertising approach when offering 3D modeling or drafting services. This might work for vaccum cleaner salesmen, but probably won't for you. It'll actually end up turning you pretty bitter on the whole idea after you experience being rejected 30 times.

The patent-draftsman idea isn't a bad one, but I've been involved in the patenting process multiple times, and every time after an inital sketch was submitted, the patent attorneys hired the drafting work. Maybe you can find one of these offices and suggest your work. (Don't expect to use 3D models in patent work.)

One idea you could investigate is to go call up local manufacturing companies and ask for "clean-up" work. Many times, before Autodesk ruled the drafting world, proprietary CAD systems were used. Some of those old file types may be incompatable with .dxf, IGES, etc... file standards. You can offer to "redraw" these older drawings on a contract basis. I did this type of work while I was in highschool, coverting old UNIX CAD drawings to .dwg formats. (I used the school's computers and CAD licenses, too! I should go to jail for that!...)

You could also offer your services to local home remodelers, drafting rennovations or plot plans.

Good luck, but keep in mind that most non-engineering people have no use for a 3D model, and rarely find a use for a CAD file. You might find that your services end up being less of you working part-time for yourself, but rather you working as part-time draftsman for a company.

Good Luck, give us updates!

 

[buzzp]

There are a few online pages that potential customers post their projects for bids. I can not think of any right now but I know they are out there. For a minimal monthly fee you can see all the details of a project and propose. If I remember some names I will let you know.

 

[peebee]

Try contacting independant one-man engineering companies. I imagine many of them would love to outsource CAD work on a project basis.

 

[JimMetalsCeramics]

Where are you geographically located?

 

[TateJ]

I'm in central Wisconsin - but via FedEx & the WWW, I can work anywhere?

Read my profile & make me an offer... now!
tatejATusfilter.com[/u]​

 

[TheTick]

Where in WI are you? I'm in Milwaukee. The central part of the state isn't exactly a hotbed of design activity, so you'll need to be creative. I've made a bit of mad money doing SW support for small machine and stamping shops that need help sorting out and clening up prior to programming and machining.

Also, I'm on board with a couple "inventors" who need some engineering support to get to market. Right now it's 5% of nothing. But maybe....

Good and evil: wrap them up and disguise it as people.

 

[JimMetalsCeramics]

I don't think the U. S. engineering economy is good right now. You may easily wind up with no customers. I would assume that for CAD work, people want local talent, unless you are dirt cheap.

 

[TheTick]

Actually, some CAD service work has done well in the poor economy. Many companies are faced with personnel shortages due to layoffs, but still have work that must get done. The crew I worked with in Silicon Gulch is doing brisk business that way.

 

[TateJ]

Well I'm not looking to get rich - yea right.
All I have to do is beat my take-home $ at the overtime rate my employer gives me.
As far as contract-work goes - I'd be only a little more $ than dirt.
I'm really looking for satisfaction more than money.
And an excuse to buy a kick-a$$ PC.
I got an entrepreneurial jones, man.
I can convince a customer that I don't have to sit around-the-block to provide prompt turn-around on a project.
It would help if my costomers are

http://WWW-savy

- so I can show work and resolve design issues on-line.

Read my profile & make me an offer... now!
tatejATusfilter.com[/u]​

 

[TheTick]

Take some time to figure out what your overtime is really worth after taxes, etc. Also, take some time to figure your position as a home business w.r.t. taxes. There are many tax advantages to home business that can bring down your overhead once you figure that in.

 

[buzzp]

Have you done any PCB (printed circuit board) layout?

 

[TateJ]

No PCB layout - but I'm highly trainable.
I'm assuming your talking about Printed circuit Board and not Polychlorinated Byphenals - it'real, not sure anymore of the spelling.
I'm thinking PCB layout would be a 2d thing?

Read my profile & make me an offer... now!
tatejATusfilter.com[/u]​

 

[cbiber]

Check in with Product Design & Engineering shops. Those guys usually love the creative stuff of designing the product, but then wouldn't mind some help with getting the manufacturable models out to the suppliers. Also, they usually hate doing "cables and labels". That might be a niche for you. Talk to ME managers at small-ish companies, where they have just 1-2 mechanical guys. You can get their overflow work, for example designing protos of products under development to show at an expo. For the in-house guys, that stuff was a serious time sink, and nobody in the mgmt chain ever realized how bad a schedule hit it really caused for the actual product development. (The proto had to be designed for quick, one-off manufacturing, as opposed to volume production: different design rules.)

Don't be afraid to go out on your own, especially if you've got a paycheck to cover expenses. You can start the business pretty cheap. But take time with your 10 yr old before he/she starts asking for the car keys!

Cathy Biber

Biber Thermal Design

http://www.biberthermal.com

 

[buzzp]

I was curious about PCB layout. I have designed several boards with the help of CAD person. This is the non-traditional method but is effective. Often, PCB design takes someone with somewhat specialized skills although the layout itself can be done by anyone comfortable with CAD in general. Just thought this might be more opportunities for you.

 

[TheTick]

The chief asset in doing PCB layouts for me was patience. Some of the clients were really under the gun and got real pushy.

Good and evil: wrap them up and disguise it as people.

 

[Binary]

A couple of cautions:

Resist the urge to use your employer's hardware or software. Doing so would be unethical and getting caught could easily get you fired.

I'd also be careful about identifying US Filter in anything related to this sideline, specifically your e-mail address. That's almost certainly a violation of their IT guidelines. It also communicates that you're clearly doing this as a sideline which is probably a negative in terms of marketing. If I hired you I would know that your first loyalty is to US Filter, not to your clients.

This is kind of critical but I hope you see it as constructive, which is my intention: Your tag-line is unprofessional. It's fine for Forum banter but not for generating clients. (It could also be construed as solicitation here and therefore get your posts Red Flagged.)

Best of luck but be very careful with the image that you create and communicate. Remember, cliches become cliches because they're usually true - "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

 

[DekiX]

Hi Buzz, i was hoping you could share some of those websites that you may know of that offer bidding on their CAD work. Looking into that sort of thing, but would like to test the waters and see what types of projects are out there. thanks
Dan <M

 

[buzzp]

I have the sites on my PC at home. I will try to post them tonight.

 

[buzzp]

Ok, it took me a while but here are the pages I have bookmarked for freelance work:

http://www.elance.com/

http://www.efreelancers.co.uk/

I know I have more in my fav's somewhere. I did a quick search on 'freelance CAD work' at google.com and got several returns (of course). Some of the summaries look like what your looking for. Good luck and I hope this helps you.