Sorry about that, to anyone who's still paying attention. I got really busy for a bit there. Along with everyone else at that time of the year, of course, so that's not much of an excuse. Then again, I really have had some big things going on recently.
Biggest of all is that I'm now self-employed. For those who don't know (probably most of you), I'm a drafter. For a few years now I've been working for a structural engineer, mostly doing bridge and marine structure designs. Well, now I work for myself, and with any luck it will lead to a more varied and profitable situation for me.
I've always wanted to work for myself, but it just kept not happening. It's a big thing, and I guess I was waiting for "the right time", whatever that means. So now I've basically stumbled into it sideways. My employer was going through some changes, and I had a couple of options. After looking at everything and thinking it over, I decided that my best option — also the most interesting one — would be go out on my own. As of January 1, I have been on my own.
My former boss still has need for drafting (though not as much as before, which is what prompted this), so I already have one steady client. That's good, because some things aren't official yet. I figured that if I'm going to do this, I should do it right, so I'm forming a Limited Liability Company, or LLC. Unfortunately, the paperwork moves at the speed of government, so it'll be a few more weeks before that's official. Once that happens, I can open a business checking account, get a phone number in the business name, etc. Until then, I'm going to have to make do with the casual setup we have going.
I'm really excited about this, and more than a little scared. This is a risk, but it opens up some wonderful new possibilities. For one thing, I've been thinking about going back to school starting this fall. If I'm able to make this work, then I will have the flexible schedule I need to make that work. It's also a relatively safe way to try out being my own boss. Drafting is something I'm good at, and I already have one client, and several potential clients through him.
I don't want to be a drafter forever, but this gives me a relatively easy way to own my first company. After a year or two of this, I'll hopefully be in a position to do something I'll enjoy even more (something involving art, possibly photography, would be great), and I'll have this experience to guide me when I do it "for real."
So yeah, that's what I've been up to recently. There's a lot to this stuff, so it's been taking up most of my creative energy as of late (what little there was to begin with). As soon as things are finalized I'll post a link to the web site I'm setting up and all of the final information, for those who want to know.
By the by, if anyone reading this needs some professional quality plans or blueprints drawn up, I'll be more than happy to work with people from just about anywhere once I'm fully up and running. I figure that's one way in which I have a leg up on most of the drafters I've known: I'm fully comfortable in the digital age.
Woot!
PS: The cake is a lie.
No comments:
Post a Comment