Business Development

5 Things We’ve Learned from the Civil Engineering CEO Show

May 16, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Leanna Michniuk from BigTime Software

Good advice is invaluable. And for engineers, hearing advice from leaders in their industry can provide new ways of thinking and even a boost of confidence and reassurance in their work. BigTime Software recently partnered with the Engineering Management Institute as a founding sponsor of the show, The Civil Engineering CEO show, that features interviews with CEOs of leading civil engineering firms on important industry topics. The goal of the show has been to connect engineers with industry leaders to hear their firsthand advice on important topics. The CEOs who have appeared on the show have done just that by sharing with us how they are approaching some of today’s challenges and opportunities including the talent shortage, the abundance of infrastructure work, the hybrid work environment, and more.

Because there have been so many great words of wisdom and amazing guests on the show, we thought we would share the top five things we’ve learned from The Civil Engineering CEO show so far. Keep on reading to hear some sage advice from pros who have lived it themselves.
[Read more…] about 5 Things We’ve Learned from the Civil Engineering CEO Show

How “Grow” Became a Four-Letter Word

March 22, 2021 By Angelique Burns

This is a guest blog by Peter C. Atherton, P.E.

“Grow just means more work for me and more rewards for you.”

That’s an increasing lament from practitioners to principals across our industry.

What went wrong and, more importantly, how can we fix this?

There are many great reasons to grow as an organization.

Here Are Four Reasons I Think Most People Can Get Behind on Our Teams and in Our Firms:

5 Ways to Convince Your Team to Implement New Technology

July 14, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Holly Welles

Adopting new technology into your workflow can have many benefits. With the right tech, you’ll find that you save money, increase efficiency, and improve performance. Despite these advantages, it can sometimes be challenging to get your team to accept new processes.

If you’re going to move forward with new technology, you’ll need your team’s support. Here are five ways you can help them realize the value of implementing new tech.

1. Keep Your Team’s Needs in Mind

How to Navigate the Challenges of Managing Remote Work

June 30, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Trilby Lawless, BigTime Software

Over the last 10 years, remote work has grown in popularity by 91%. Even though the current pandemic has given businesses no other option but to move to remote work, many have seen it as a silver lining. The benefits for employees are clear: flexible work structures, improvement to work-life balance, job satisfaction, and productivity.

But as leaders and managers, you may think: It’s great for individuals, but how do I make it great for the business?

After all, you need to keep goals and projects moving forward, but managing teams and your firm’s operations simply looks different outside of the office. A new set of challenges can arise.

The good news is that with the right tools in place, it is now easier than ever to make this happen and to make it happen efficiently. In this post, we’ll explore the three most common challenges of managing a remote or hybrid office for engineering firms, and the strategies you need to navigate them successfully.

The goal is to have a new management outlook for remote work, so your firm can find its groove outside of the office and empower your team to be productive and grow.

Let’s get into it.

Challenge 1: Lacking an Operational Process That Fosters Communication and Insight Into Progress and Staff Utilization

Factors Affecting Growth in the AEC Industry

December 30, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by John Beck, MBA

It’s no secret that organic growth in any business follows a natural S-curve, with a period of infancy, followed by aggressive expansion, and ultimately maturity. Inherently, achieving exponential growth later in the business cycle is more challenging than achieving exponential growth at the outset.

A vast majority of revenue at an established engineering firm often comes from existing clients, which makes scaling difficult and puts more pressure on relationship building and maintaining. There are a number of factors specific to the engineering industry that can affect growth. I’d like to highlight three factors that affects growth in the AEC Industry.

How to Sell Your Engineering Clients on Sustainable Initiatives

December 16, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Holly Welles

As an engineer, you’ll meet tons of clients who all feel differently about sustainability. Some will be for it, while others may need a little persuading. Luckily, getting others on board doesn’t have to be hard. The benefits of green buildings are abundant and can appeal to even the staunchest refusals. You simply need to know how to sell your case. If you don’t know which selling points to hit, you’ve come to the right place. Discover six ways to win over clients with facts about sustainable building.

Starting an Engineering Firm: A Total Guide

November 11, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Jim Hughes

There are many reasons why a lot of engineers choose to start up their own firm. Basically, you get to be the boss, you get to decide which projects to take, and you get to pursue your engineering passions. And if you nail the right strategy, there are no limits to your income potential. However, starting an engineering firm is not easy. In fact, 90% of startups fail.

Becoming your own boss entails a lot of responsibilities. You have to take care of everything—from raising funds to hiring people and promoting your firm. And if you don’t deliver as intended, you’ll lose clients.

There’s a lot at stake the moment you quit your 9-to-5 job and decide to start up your own firm. To increase your chances of success, follow these guidelines:

Licensing an Engineering Firm and Facilitating Organic Growth

October 14, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Christian Haring of Harbor Compliance

You want to grow your firm, yet when a prime opportunity arises in a new state, it’s not as simple as writing a proposal and jumping in. You have to consider the feasibility of licensing and registering your firm. Can you get a license in time to respond? Since licensing an engineering firm can take anywhere from four weeks to five months, that can be a difficult question to answer with any sort of confidence.

Yet there are resources that provide clarity on state requirements for registering and licensing an engineering firm. In addition, there are best practices you can use to facilitate organic growth in your own time, and on your own terms.

Redefining Business Development for Engineering Professionals

September 16, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Lindsay Diven, CPSM

It’s interesting that in the engineering industry, our sales teams are often referred to as Business Developers or Client Managers. The sound of the word “sales” makes you think of a used car salesperson or a telemarketer. I get it. You studied to be an engineer and practice your craft with pride, as you should. You are very skilled in your expertise.

However, there is a point, when you must win that next project for your team or firm. This typically involves finding potential new clients and meeting with decision makers. Having worked with engineers for more than a decade, I know that this is easier said than done.

Resisting Business Development Meetings

You may resist meeting with clients because you feel you must sell your experience and ideas. This often feels like a “dog and pony show.” The clients often feel this way too. They don’t want to sit in an hour-long meeting listening to how great you and your firm are. They are busy too and more often not taking as many “sales” meetings or are making them shorter. I have experienced some clients only giving us 15 minutes!

So, how do you make business development easier for you and more accepting for your clients? How do you make those type of meetings valuable to both you and your client so that each party feels their time wasn’t wasted?

You do this by redefining business development.

First, let’s start with the original definition.

Tips to Engineer Your Leadership and Coaching Skills for Better Product Development

April 15, 2019 By EMI

***This* *is a guest blog by Nader Mowlaee***

So, you have an awesome idea for a new technology for product development. This is the one. It’s going to make you a millionaire. Or so you think. The problem is, 90 percent of new startups fail, and a lack of collaboration is one of the reasons why.

Sure, you want to take the credit and take action and start developing your new product as quickly as possible, however, you can’t do everything yourself. Instead, you need a team of experienced engineers, managers, and stakeholders to help you along the way. And, you’ll need to provide them with leadership, accountability, and coaching. Here’s why: [Read more…] about Tips to Engineer Your Leadership and Coaching Skills for Better Product Development

5 Things We’ve Learned from the Civil Engineering CEO Show

This is a guest blog by Leanna Michniuk from BigTime Software

How “Grow” Became a Four-Letter Word

This is a guest blog by Peter C. Atherton, P.E.

Here Are Four Reasons I Think Most People Can Get Behind on Our Teams and in Our Firms: