How to make a name for yourself !

Don't get me wrong I have a lot of pride in the stuff I have done and yes there has been many influnces in my career so far. I always say that its all about the cool factor. I have a cool job.....that I love to do.

which is more than a lot of people I know who can barely pay the bills at a job they hate.

If I start designing outside of my current work. What is a common price to sell a design for......I know the cost of doing the drawings but what is a common commision percent. or out right sale of a design? Keeping in mind that my first few will be really cheap.

Tim

 

The best guide is ther market. If you name a price and eyes roll, then lower it. My first design sold for $7,000, which was about half of what I thought it should be, but it was cash, and it was a built boat.
I have "sold" designs for 10 times that, but it was a complex design, on an hourly basis, with an owner I had known for years. As it was, it worked out at less than 10% of the building costs (a good guideline) so all were happy.
Some designers will charge by the drawing, some by the hour, and some (who have more work than thy need) can charge by the percentage of building costs if it is with a custom builder.
I usually work for 25-30 bucks per hour, but have been up as high as 50 for some jobs. I also spend a lot of time in the backyard with the dogs waiting for work

Steve

 

Actually the money is in expert witness work. Billing rates run between $120-$200 / hour.

 

Expert witness ? what is that

 

Testifying in court regarding lawsuits about bad boats, accidents, shipyard contract disputes, etc.

 

Thanks for the info Steve. I would love to spend timne in the back yard but I don't have enough time. working to pay the bills designing, building and a million other projects. I am also trying to start a business of converting older blue prints into working CAD files that they can be more easily modified (lengthened ect. )or used to creat cnc files and such...do you think it has potential guys ?

 

Do you need to have a p-eng for that...or just a good track record ? the money sounds good but how are the hours ? is somethiong like that good enough to be a primary source of income or just a means of financing the boat designs?

thanks for the input

TIM

 

Being a peng (uin) is nice but not required. It is at least a good supplement, and some guys do it full time, exclusively, since there are a lot more problem boats than you hear about.

 

Sounds interesting. Sound s a lot like surveyor kind of work. Unfortunatley there is not a huge amount of boat yards around here. How would you find such a job?

 

A court-certified boat engineer/inspector? - you might want to read Eric Sponberg's web site about his experiences with this work. As he says, this work is not for the faint-hearted!

Why dont you start your own business?

Choose one of your designs - get your business plan knocked up - speak to your accountant - go to the state and ask if there is any new business/young business funding help (like cheap loans, insurance, cash grants etc.) - build a shed big enough to build the design in - hire one or two people (welder etc) again, work-training schemes can offer cash for unemployed or apprentices - have a boat surveyor check on construction for half an hour twice a week - get your web site up - tow the boat to the boat shows on the weekends

You may even be able to keep your current design-job going if you sort it with your boss - if you choose a design that he/she is not interested in.

The hardest part will be choosing the design!

See - that easy!

 

Look on the web for "forensic engineering"

 

Thanks for the info.

Tim

Do most of you work for yourself or do most of you design on the side as well as work for a boat builder ?

 

3 days/week for Tanton, 2-4 for me, when I have the work. Otherwise it's the "honey-do" list or scrounging for more work. Nothing is too small, nor should it be. Anything that pays is well received, even $10 per hour is to be preferred to nothing

Steve

 

Raising a poorly diapered child...l

Hello,

May I just open by saying that I am pissed, and not pissed off, though I just did a 7 hour call out at the moment I was about to share soimething 'mutual' (is that PC enough) with my wife - OK - they own me - perhaps I can do something about that too - this leading to a personal response to your question...

Fact is 'kid' - and I think it has read prior to mine - THEY OWN YOU - they have bought you (but that should be encouragement towards your talent) - they have not pimped YOU - YOU have pimped yourself to them - and that is the way of things for any new kid on the block - VERY arrogant to think otherwise - you should be thanking these '********' for giving you a chance to forward your work - YESSUMS - YES...

There is nothing illegal about you saying 'while working for such and such - or under the tutelage (sp) of such and such, I DID such and such' - give credit to both yourself and the office that GAVE and PAID you for a hand up - keep and document your original work - agree with your employer to allow it into your personal portfolio - if he/she says NO - tell 'em to piss off and slack their office any way possible - short of personal scandal - if they are not in the business to further it, well punt 'em...

But do NOT assume yourself better than someone or a group of same that has worked their balls to sweat to establish a name for themselves in a very old and very established business with very few credible newcomer marvels...

SH