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The Nevada Traverse Vol.51, No.3, 2024 21Similarly, Farrah%u2019s firm relies on three long-term and trusted subcontractors who assist with drafting and fieldwork. The contractors are provided with 1099s at the end of every year for the purposes of filing taxes. %u201cWe have one draft woman, she%u2019s been on with us as a subcontractor for probably the last 15 years. She goes way back. Same thing with the field guys. So we%u2019re not rotating through random people, but they%u2019re also not working enough hours to make it worth it to the business to bring them on as employees,%u201d Farrah explained.Hiring subcontractors shouldn%u2019t make you feel like you are cutting corners and selling your contractors short. Many contractors don%u2019t want to work 40+ hours per week and are happy to accept the lack of benefits in return for a flexible lifestyle. Meanwhile, Eric is investing in full-time employees because he wants to eventually be able to go toe-to-toe with the largest firms in his region. Having full-time staffers will give him the competitive edge that he craves. This means that although his business is just over a year old, he already has an employee handbook and all of the bells and whistles that come with a much more established company. %u201cI spent a lot of time writing that document and laying out the guidelines of what is a place where I would want to work for the rest of my life, because this is where I%u2019m going to be working,%u201d he said.Yes, it means that Eric now shoulders a greater responsibility for his full-time hires and their families. But it%u2019s a responsibility he is willing to accept as part of his business vision. How to determine what projects to pursueOpening a business doesn%u2019t mean you need to take any job that comes your way%u2014although you certainly might in the early days to get your business off the ground. But ultimately, the best approach is to identify what you are good at and what you enjoy. For example, Eric%u2019s background before striking out on his own was in utility corridor surveys, so he has a second sense for bidding on those types of projects. It%u2019s no surprise that they now make up a good chunk of Northam%u2019s work. The rest of his current projects are small residential surveys, as there is a huge demand and not enough supply.%u201cWe have so few surveyors in the immediate area that it almost feels like a lot of firms in our area are cherry pickers. So the mom and pop surveys get left behind, and we%u2019re filling that void,%u201d Eric said. Due to high demand, Northam now charges over several thousand dollars for those surveys. Similarly, James has a primary focus on construction. He was already familiar with all of the platforms needed to send bids for public projects, which made that area a natural focus. But he also supplements construction work with smaller projects for strategic reasons. %u201cThe goal is to have a mixed bag of work. I think that%u2019s healthier for the business. I also like it for cash flow as well. Construction is painful in how long it takes to get paid sometimes, so it%u2019s really nice to have those small projects to help with cash flow coming in,%u201d James said.Jeanette%u2019s bread and butter has always been boundary surveying, but she, Farrah, and Anna have all happily embraced a diverse approach to projects. %u201cI just love the challenge of the small surveys, and I%u2019m glad that we%u2019re small enough to be able to enjoy doing these types of surveys and helping people. It%u2019s bigger than doing a survey to us. It%u2019s helping these clients with their situation and guiding them through it,%u201d said Jeanette.The silver lining of being a smaller operation is that you can afford to tackle smaller projects without losing money. Anna has also found that clients keep coming back to her over and over because she is willing to take on unique projects that other firms might not normally pick up.Even if you start out by focusing on what you%u2019re good at, it can be both interesting and wise to diversify your project load over time. How to build a support system Running your own firm may sound like the equivalent of being on a desert island. But the truth is that you%u2019re not alone, and support systems are out there. Resources for support include:%u25cf%u0009 Your state survey associations%u25cf%u0009 Local registered land surveyors%u25cf%u0009 Local county surveyors %u25cf%u0009 Mentors from your previous companies %u25cf%u0009 Online communities%u25cf%u0009 Professional societies Your best bet to gain a healthy support network is to cultivate relationships locally and within your local and state survey associations. %u201cIn my part of Arizona, we don%u2019t have very many land surveyors. But the ones that are in my area I have developed relationships with. Luckily for me, the online community has also proven to be a wonderful asset. If I post a question out online, I usually get some really great feedback,%u201d said Farrah. For Anna, the best connections have come through the professional society. %u201cThat%u2019s where I%u2019ve met and developed friendships with so many surveyors that have way more experience than me. I%u2019ve been in surveying for 20 years, but I still need a lot of help,%u201d said Anna.CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE u