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

Engineering Management Institute

UPCOMING TRAINING

Call us 800.920.4007

  • 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
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Training
  • Hiring Solutions
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Start
  • Clients
  • Contact

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

Running your own practice requires a lot more administration than jobs you may have had before. Managing invoices, communicating with clients, and staying on top of tax obligations are all things you will be responsible for. Make sure to account for this work on a week-to-week basis. It can be advisable to hire a professional accountant to keep your books in order.

How to Start Your Own Engineering Practice

Make Sure You’re Covered Legally

Unfortunately, it is part of the game as a consultant that occasionally you will have disagreements with clients. In some cases, this may lead to legal action. Whether you are at fault or not, this is a costly process. While it is never pleasant, it is important to be prepared for this eventuality.

Investing in professional indemnity insurance is the best place to start when thinking ahead in this area. This type of insurance covers consultants whose clients make claims against them. It can cover legal costs and any potential settlements relating to such a claim. Also, consider maintaining a relationship with a contract lawyer who has some understanding of the industry. These measures help to protect the livelihood and reputation of your practice.

Account for Updates and Equipment Costs in Your Pricing

As an engineer, a lot of the software and equipment you use every day is highly specialized. This makes them expensive to buy, update, and maintain. Be sure to factor this into your pricing. Routine maintenance or unexpected repairs are occasional costs, which can make them seem hidden. You may occasionally have to purchase the latest design software as well. To avoid being stung by these costs out of the blue, be sure to include this as a consideration in your budgeting and pricing models.

Don’t Take on Too Much at First

Finally, it’s important to know your limits. When you start out, it is likely that your practice will only be yourself and the occasional subcontractor for specific tasks. As you find your feet as an engineering consultant, make sure to be realistic about what you can handle at once.

Taking on a lot of projects might increase revenue, but could lead to projects being delayed or burn you out quickly. Take the time to get comfortable, and look to expand when you feel you are ready.

Starting your own engineering practice is a rewarding experience, giving you control over your career. While it requires adding a few more tools to your toolkit, with a bit of planning, you will be on your way to running a successful business.

About Allison Hail

Start Your Own Engineering Practice

Allison Hail is a freelance writer based in Wellington, New Zealand. She has experience writing on a wide range of topics including business, travel, and lifestyle. Follow Allison on Tumblr to read more of her articles.

We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share on how you started your own engineering practice.

Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below.

  • If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Routines of Top Engineering Executives. Click the button below to download.

    Download the Productivity Routines

To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

Related Posts

  • How to Start an Engineering Company: Owning and Managing an Engineering Business Through a Tough Economy
  • Things You Need to Worry About When Running Your Own Engineering Business
  • How to Start an Engineering Company on Your Own and Grow It by Word of Mouth: An Interview with an Engineering Entrepreneur
  • Engineering Econ 201 - Understanding Business
  • Engineering Consulting Firm - Should you start one or work for one?

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

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

And Get Custom Content Delivered To You Weekly

PM Training

engineering management lessons

career readiness

Categories

  • 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
  • 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
  • TEQC – The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
  • TGEP – The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
  • TSEC-The Structural Engineering Channel
  • TWiCE
  • Uncategorized
  • Women in Engineering

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 © 2022 • All Rights Reserved • Property of Engineering Management Institute • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy

SPECIAL DOWNLOAD

33 Productivity Routines of
Top Engineering Executives

x