[President Perspective] [PSWRC 2004] [Monthly Meeting]
This month's luncheon meeting topic is a new one: "the Company Presidents' Forum." We have invited several of the local area's company owners and corporation presidents to discuss the issues that are affecting their businesses. In sitting down to write this month's article, this lunch topic was on my mind. What does it mean to own your own company?
I've been self-employed and have owned my own company for what is going on four years now. This has been an eye opening experience to say the least. Initially you worry about things like "Will I find enough work? Will I be able to pay my bills? Will people want to work for me as their boss? What am I getting into?" At the same time as I considered the unknowns which are involved, there was clearly a very appealing feeling of self-determination. Owning my own business would be what I make it to be; nobody is telling me what to do, when to do it, or how to do it. Like the Nike commercial says, "Just do it!" It's on my terms, as I see fit.
For some people, I'm sure this would not be a warm and fuzzy feeling, to say the least. There is a lot to be said for the comfort of leaving your job at the end of the day and being able to do just that, get away from it all. As a self-employed engineer, you never get away from thinking about the business. For me it has been a 24-7 adventure, living and breathing the ups and downs of the profession. Constantly on your mind are issues of business development, keeping up with a heavy workload, keeping clients happy, solving both technical and managerial challenges, liability, and making payroll every two weeks. This was especially true initially. But over time you begin to understand the ebb and flow of these issues, and even though they never go away, you gain a better tolerance of the weight they have on you.
The up side of it all, of course, is that once you get the ball rolling, gain confidence in the uncertainty of what tomorrow brings, and establish your business, it is certainly financially rewarding, especially in good times like we have experienced during the past few years. Many of my friends say, "Oh, you must be making a killing," referring to the busy workload. But what they forget is the risk-reward situation that business owners face. Even though you buy insurance for everything imaginable, along with that protection is the uncertainty of someday being dragged into a frivolous lawsuit (knock on wood, not yet).
For me, one of the best parts of it has been the ability to do things my way - when, where and how I see fit. Also, without a doubt it has been very gratifying to employ some great people with whom I enjoy coming to work and collaborating to accomplish worthwhile projects. There is a great deal of satisfaction in passing out paychecks every two weeks and saying thank you to the employees, and feeling a part of their lives.
In owning your own business, every day brings new challenges and there is only one thing that is for certain, that change is constant - you have to stay focused, make decisions, and move forward. Tomorrow it will surely be something else. And that is invigorating… exhausting, but invigorating.
by Russ Thompson, Branch President
That's right! Cal Poly is gearing up for an exciting time April 1-3, 2004, when this campus hosts the Pacific Southwest Regional Conference. This is the annual event where student teams from regional universities face off in a host of technical and non-technical events, including the legendary concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions. This year, we plan to have some new events and fun activities for everyone. We are looking for local professionals interested in helping to judge the competitive events. This is more fun than it sounds. You get to meet the future of Civil Engineering and see the inside workings of the greatest ASCE student event of the year. So don't hesitate to send email to pswrcslo2004@hotmail.com indicating your desire to take on this important role. We will have experienced students ready to help you through the process. Also, if you are planning on attending, please remember to register.
by Kristina Skrehot, SCE Conference Coordinator
During the July monthly meeting, the Branch had the opportunity to hear from area Public Works Directors. Following that meeting, one of the attendees suggested that we make the same forum available for private engineering firms. The Branch officers value your suggestions, so this month we will be featuring representatives from several local private engineering firms. They will be discussing projects they are working on, and the current business climate on the Central Coast. Please join us at Marie Callendar's on September 18, 2003, for an informative meeting.
by Jeff van den Eikhof