How to start? 18

[DacMandru]

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

 

[IRstuff]

Probably need to start with a professional engineer license.

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529


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

 

[KENAT]

Where in the world are you as that may well impact details such as that IRstuff points out.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[DacMandru]

I have a PE licence
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

 

[SteelPE]

When you find a way to bring in the client please let me know so I can do the same.

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.

 

[KENAT]

OK, so the question is really how to drum up business - which is a more reasonable query.

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
thread784-270484
thread784-98522
thread784-260754
thread784-190676
thread784-167305

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[DacMandru]

Thank you

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 ....?

 

[BrianPetersen]

Your best bet for finding clients is via the people you already know.

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.

 

[DacMandru]

This is the problem I have right now
I'm not allowed to work for the people I allready know
But I can work for everyone else

 

[Ron]

Did you sign a non-compete agreement with your current company? If so, how does it limit your ability to contact potential clients?

 

[DacMandru]

I work for guvernamental organisations and their partenaires.

Is ok for them if I work for residential or Industrial clients

 

[BrianPetersen]

I would suggest that you obtain a copy of your employment contract, if you don't already have it, and read it and understand it thoroughly the best you can, then hire the services of an employment lawyer and show him the same contract and have the lawyer explain to you what you can and cannot do.

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.

 

[miningman]

I suggest you give up on the idea of self employment immediately. Your ability with the english language and / or your inability to proof read your writings gives an extremely poor first impression. I would never want to do business with a professional who demonstrates such poor attention to detail

 

[DacMandru]

Don't be so critical
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.

 

[BrianPetersen]

I am sure that your French is better than your English given your place of residence.

One thing is for sure; your English is better than my French!

 

[bigmig]

Buy several books on business. Realize the difference between knowing and doing. Take a few marketing classes at the local university, especially on internet marketing.
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.

 

[kacarrol]

There is probably a small business support group in your area. Try to find someone that has started their own business and pick their brains!

 

[rb1957]

how do you start any business ? the better you plan, the more likely you are of success.
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 ?

 

[DacMandru]

Ok my friends
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

 

[BrianPetersen]

I can tell you how we do it (small company, 2 engineers + 1 part-time accountant): Word of mouth.

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 ...