• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Engineering Management Institute

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • Women in Engineering: Success Stories from STEM Professionals
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
    • Webinars
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • Women in Engineering: Success Stories from STEM Professionals
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
    • Webinars
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

Business/Entrepreneurship

Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset: Risk Is Opportunity

March 23, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Michael Burns, PE, PgMP, DBIA

An Entrepreneurial Mindset

In previous EMI blogs, we discussed Thinking Big and Being Mindful as We Set Goals and Building Confidence Through Empathetic Stakeholder Engagement. I fully respect that managing these objectives with a myriad of associated voices can be distracting as we attempt to sustain growth. Sustaining growth, for our businesses and talent, is particularly difficult in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry, as we constantly regroup to provide service on projects that marry significant technical challenges with dynamic client expectations. So, the intent of this month’s discussion is to explore a Risk Intelligent approach, creating a consistent basis for our teams to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and explore entrepreneurial solutions. 

[Read more…] about Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset: Risk Is Opportunity

Filed Under: Blog, Business/Entrepreneurship Tagged With: AECOM, An Entrepreneurial Mindset, dynamic decision-making, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Mindset, entrepreneurial solutions, equity, Leaders, opportunity, projects, relationships, risk, risk-intelligent culture, Sustaining growth, talent retention

Creating Recurring Revenue for Increased Stability of a Small Firm

March 16, 2020 By EMI

 This is a guest blog by Sam Lytle, PE

Recurring Revenue

In the world of engineering, owning a business or even being self-employed often requires stepping outside of technical design and into new territories of bookkeeping, marketing, web design, payroll, invoicing, and a bevy of other tasks not normally taken on by engineers.

In 2011, I realized I belonged to the former — the drive to leave the engineering design path hit hard and fast. This drive was the motivating force that helped me make the jump in 2014 to start Civil FX, and it is still with me today. With that career change has also come those many other tasks that a business owner inevitably faces, including financial duties, hiring decisions and — my personal favorite — marketing and branding. As I’m not incredibly technically minded and engineering was never a satisfying fit, this transition has been mostly comfortable for me. The constant barrage of challenges has been steadied by the freedom of being on my own and the feeling of knowing I’m where I need to be in my career.

Building A(n) (Un)Sustainable Business

[Read more…] about Creating Recurring Revenue for Increased Stability of a Small Firm

Filed Under: Blog, Business/Entrepreneurship Tagged With: business, Business Stability, Civil FX, Increased Stability, Intellectual Property, monthly subscription, Product, Recurring Revenue, recurring revenue model, Sam Lytle, selling software, services, small firm, software

How to Start Your Own Engineering Practice

September 9, 2019 By EMI

How to Start Your Own Engineering Practice is a guest blog by Allison Hail

How to Start Your Own Engineering PracticeSo you want to start your own engineering practice? Becoming an independent engineering consultant can be very lucrative. It also gives you freedom over the work you do. But it is a very different lifestyle than working for an engineering firm. There are several important items to consider before taking the plunge.

Find Your Niche

As any engineer will tell you, engineering is an enormous field of work. Even within your specialization, there is a huge variance in the kinds of projects you might take on as an engineering consultant. With innovations occurring every day in the tech sector, this variety is only set to increase.

This presents a wide array of possibilities to specialize your practice. While it may not be wise to be picky about the type of projects you take on at first, aim to be carving out a niche for yourself over time. Building a profile as the go-to person for certain kinds of projects will reduce the time you need to spend finding new clients. As word of mouth spreads, clients should start coming to you off the back of your reputation.

Stay on Top of the Admin

[Read more…] about How to Start Your Own Engineering Practice

Filed Under: Blog, Business/Entrepreneurship Tagged With: administration, Allison Hail, Covered Legally, engineer, Engineering, engineering consultant, engineering firm, Equipment Costs, Find Your Niche, Know Your Limits, projects, software and equipment, Start Your Own Engineering Practice, Stay on Top of the Admin, successful business

Things You Need to Worry About When Running Your Own Engineering Business

February 7, 2019 By EMI

Things You Need to Worry About When Running Your Own Engineering Business is a guest blog by Scott Matthews

Engineering Business

Starting and running your own engineering business is always challenging. As many consultancies are small businesses, they face the same problems as similar ventures. 54% of SMB leaders have stated that acquiring talent is a problem.

In the world of engineering businesses, this is just the first step in a myriad of things you need to worry about. To help your business grow, we’ve analyzed the biggest concerns.

[Read more…] about Things You Need to Worry About When Running Your Own Engineering Business

Filed Under: Blog, Business/Entrepreneurship Tagged With: Best Essays, Brand Identity, clearly defined roles, Detailed Project Report, engineering business, engineering business owners, expenses, investments, Nurturing a culture, Proessaywriting, Scholar Advisor, Scott Matthews, Understanding regulations

How to Think Like an Entrepreneur with this One Simple Step

March 13, 2018 By EMI

How to Think Like an Entrepreneur is a guest blog post by Daniel Hayes, PE, PMP

Think Like an Entrepreneur When I started my engineering career, I worked hard to understand and apply engineering principles and processes required to prepare deliverables in a technically correct and efficient manner.

I consider myself a good engineer.  There was a time I believed the work should speak for itself.  Being an introvert by nature, I don’t like to sell and don’t want to come off as salesy.  I spoke of what I could do for the client.  Yet, clients and prospects always wanted something more.

Why does this happen?  Because as engineers, we are not selling construction plans.  We are not selling the latest in engineering technology.  We are not selling deliverables.  Instead, we are selling solutions to problems.  Real world problems that our clients need to be solved.

If a real estate developer retains a civil engineering firm to prepare a set of construction documents or to acquire the necessary permits and approvals for development, what the client wants is neither the construction documents nor the permit.  What he wants is a completed development, ready for resale or rent.  Engineering is just one of many means to this end and that is why you should start to think like an entrepreneur.

[Read more…] about How to Think Like an Entrepreneur with this One Simple Step

Filed Under: Blog, Business/Entrepreneurship Tagged With: benefits, Daniel Hayes, Dig deeper, engineering principles, Features Not Benefits, solutions to problems, Think Like an Entrepreneur, Understand your client

Achieving Business Success as an Early Stage Entrepreneur

December 27, 2017 By EMI

Achieving Business Success as an Early Stage Entrepreneur is a blog post by Carol Evenson

Achieving Business SuccessFollowing the unprecedented increase in the number of people turning to entrepreneurship, there’s no denying that owning a business is unusually appealing. It’s easy to understand what creates this feeling. Everyone wants some measure of freedom to be able to make their own independent decisions and run their own show, however, do you know a large number of small businesses close every day? To avoid failure, you must mitigate the potential for failure. Below you’ll find five tips that can help you to start your own business and achieve business success.

Achieving Business Success

[Read more…] about Achieving Business Success as an Early Stage Entrepreneur

Filed Under: Blog, Business/Entrepreneurship Tagged With: Achieving Business Success, Be Patient, Carol Evenson, Early Stage Entrepreneur, entrepreneur, Learn Accounting Basics, loneliness, Make Customers Know What You Stand For, You don’t have To Do Everything

5 Recommendations for How to Become a Successful Engineering Manager for Young Engineers with No Managerial Experience

October 17, 2012 By EMI

Through providing career-coaching services to engineers, I know that the most common problem that developing engineers are trying to solve is how to become a successful engineering manager.  After spending the early part of their engineering career becoming confident in their technical skills, many engineers are ready to take the steps required to become an engineering manager.  The problem is that there are no specific steps to become a successful engineering manager; the path is different for everyone.

If you could develop a drink, that when an engineer drank it, they would instantly become a successful engineering manager, I am convinced that it would make you a millionaire.

Want to Be a Successful Engineering Manager but Don’t Know Where to Start?

Download our Free Top Ten Recommendations (and Resources) on How to Become a Successful Engineering Manager

Since I haven’t developed that drink (yet), instead I would like to offer five recommendations from my hundreds of hours coaching both successful and unsuccessful engineering managers.  I am pretty sure this will be a multiple part post as I have more than 5 recommendations, but these are the first 5 that come to mind.
[Read more…] about 5 Recommendations for How to Become a Successful Engineering Manager for Young Engineers with No Managerial Experience

Filed Under: Blog, Business/Entrepreneurship, Personal Development and Professionalism Tagged With: engineering career development, How to Become a Successful Engineering Manager, Successful Engineering Manager

Engineering Econ 201 – Understanding Business

February 5, 2011 By EMI

Engineers by-and-large have a bad rap when it comes to understanding business.  That is, the art of using engineering skills to create value for others, and themselves.  If you’re like I am, your first introduction to “business management” was the engineering economics course you took during your undergraduate program.  In retrospect, that course did nothing to prepare me for (a) managing resources or (b) understanding business finances.   In fact, twenty-plus years later, I can’t really recall what I learned in that course (perhaps cost estimating?)  To overcome what I viewed as a gap in my understanding of the world of business, I gained an MBA.  This was useful for the mechanics and terminology of business, however, it prepared me to be a good mid-level manager.  It didn’t prepare me to be an entrepreneurial business owner, the next step in my evolution.

So, what’s the answer?  How does one prepare themselves to be an entrepreneurial-engineer business owner?  Both good questions and both questions which I’m answering as I go forward.  This said, here’s the what I’ve discovered: [Read more…] about Engineering Econ 201 – Understanding Business

Filed Under: Business/Entrepreneurship

« Previous Page

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

And Get Custom Content Delivered To You Weekly

PM Training

engineering management lessons

career readiness

Categories

  • AECT – AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
  • Blog
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • COVID19
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Ethics & Integrity
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Program Management
    • Project Management
    • Travel
    • Work Life Balance
  • Civil Engineering
  • Engineering Career TV
  • Engineering Technology
  • TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
    • Communication & Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Ethics/Integrity
    • Infrastructure
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Project Management
    • Women in Engineering
  • TECC Podcast-The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Game Changers
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Project Management
    • Work Life Balance
  • TEPM – The Engineering Project Management Podcast
  • TEQC – The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
  • TGEP – The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
    • Tunneling Series
  • TSEC-The Structural Engineering Channel
  • TWiCE
  • Uncategorized
  • WIE Success Stories
  • Women in Engineering
  • Youtube

TECC Sidebar Featured Final

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

We Can Help You:

  • Build solutions to attract talented professionals.
  • Develop your staff’s people skills.
  • Create career roadmaps for your staff.
  • Provide PM training for your professionals.
  • Build custom development programs.
  • Scale sustainably.

Location:

50 E. Ridgewood Avenue #129

Ridgewood NJ, 07450

800-920-4007

Copyright © 2023 • All Rights Reserved • Property of Engineering Management Institute • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy