Land Surveyor Toys - a Must Have

Here we are.

2014.

Its the first Monday back at work after the Christmas and New Year festivities.  Not that we really had a break.  That's one of the disadvantages of running your own business - you never really stop.

There are still phone calls to take, although admittedly far less, emails to reply to and bills to pay.

Our children are now back at school, Mike is working in London on a Monitoring project and I am left to bring you the first intellectual business blog of the year.

So.

Land Surveyors - you have your own toy!!!

C'mon - I bet there isn't one of you who doesn't want this right now!!

What I LOVE about this Playmobil set is that according to the description on Amazon:

Playmobil - Surveyor with equipment

The set consists of a Surveyor with all the equipment that he needs

Includes:

Figure

Tachometer

3 Cones

Did you read that?  ALL the equipment he needs!!  I don't know why we have an office full of big red boxes with Laser Scanners, GPS equipment, poles and tripods, stakes and nails etc etc.

All you need for this profession is 1 surveyor, a tachometer and 3 - yes 3 - cones!  Brilliant.

So then I got to looking on good old Google for other Surveyor toys - of which are there are not many!

How about this Lego creation?

Picture from http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/354290

Or a GI-Joe Surveyor?

Now what I want to see is Barbie Surveyor!  C'mon - one for the girls!

Happy New Year Everyone.  I hope 2014 is a good one.

Beccy

The surveying fraternity

In the last 13 years I have worked for a wide variety of Surveying firms and departments, however it is only in the past 18 months that I have realised how many Surveying firms exist and the level of interaction between them.

Many years ago I noted that a lot of surveys were being lost to small independent firms with low overheads and a fast turn around.  At that time I floated an idea to my then boss about setting up a firm to handle this growing demand which worked as a separate entity to the main firm, but still within the same operating standards.  The idea being to keep the work virtually in house, but not stuck under the same umbrella for overheads/insurance/management.  We'd keep clients happy by doing the work, and keep the work away from the smaller firms - a good principle but it wasn't seen as a viable option at the time because of the insurance & QA hurdles, and working a balance between the two areas of the business.

Well here we are now as a small firm with low overheads, fast turn around times, and a good quality product but without the net of the larger firm should times get slack.  However there are many firms out there willing to pass on any excess work load, and this act can also be reciprocated.  I'd love to go through and list them, but lets face it that would be like cutting off my nose to spite my face!

The challenge now will be to maintain that close fraternity of firms whilst balancing our own needs as a company to grow.  The companies we work with closely are spread across the UK so in essence there is little competition between them, but perhaps in time as each of these companies develops we might find ourselves in the position to create a much more formal agreement to enable the larger group of firms to tender for larger jobs as one, and then split the rewards.  But for now we shall all soldier on through the wind & rain alone to reach our goals.

For more information on the services R L Surveys can offer please visit our website at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or for a more relaxed view we can be found on Facebook, or Twitter.  We are also on LinkedIn, and this is an area we are looking to develop going into 2013.

A new development on the blog is a reaction bar at the bottom of each blog just to keep us on our toes to see what areas people are interested in for future wonderings.

Supporting the Local Community

An area I'm sure we all agree with, but putting ideals into practise is a far more difficult affair!  For a smaller company defining local community is a simple affair, but as you grow the communities you could be involved with also grows.

What are the true options available?  There are the very business orientated routes such as employing local suppliers & employing staff from the local community, but in both these instances there is always the underlying consideration of economics.  Why buy local when a supplier from out of area can provide at a lower cost, and what if the staff with the skills you need are not based locally?

From a much more out going stand point you have to look at considerations such as doing work for local charities either at no cost or at a considerable discount.  This is an option we have gone down in the past when working for certain charities.  Then next option might be supporting local schools in their career programmes, offering work experience to teenagers in  half terms breaks or offering talks on the industry in schools (this should possibly be a demise of the RICS or CICES).  Finally you could sponsor local events such as fireworks displays,summers fairs, sponsor local leagues, or even a roundabout!  The problem with the sponsorship options is the lack of return on an investment - it would generally be done out of sheer good will, with the slim possibility it might lead to more.

For many years I have played table tennis in Medway, Maidstone & Ashford.  Currently I am only playing in the Maidstone league for Hillreed Homes.  The firm sponsor the local league, cover all the costs of entering their teams, and provide a venue for the home matches.  The firm have a very long and successful affiliation with the league, but recent developments mean a nationwide house builder have brought the firm and it will lead to their withdrawal from the league in any capacity.  What this means for the league only time will tell, and I'm sure alternative sponsors will be sought to assist the league financially (and in many other ways).  What is certainly true is that the league/local community has benefited from the company support, and may suffer as a result.  But the support was purely to support the league, there was no true financial benefit to the company beyond a small amount of publicity, and the odd blog!

Perhaps it is any area every business should be required to help in, part of the big community - I seem to be turning conservative!!!!

Food for thought, and make sure you watch out for our first sponsored event!!  But for now you can find out more about R L Surveys through our website, or follow us through Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin.  Failing that we can always be reached on 01233 800109.

2012 - Still on Target?

2012 is our first full calender year of trading and, like most companies, we had SMART targets.  Oh yes I have been on those courses as well where you get deluged with acronyms.  Clearly some is getting through as our targets had been established, although there will be some overlap with calender and financial years lets see how we are doing....

1. Facebook Likes Target: 100, by July 2013. Currently 68
2. Linkedin Connections Target 300, by July 2013.  Currently 328
3. Twitter (@RLSurveys) Followers Target 200, by July 2013.  Currently 208
4. Blogger Views Target 1000, by end of 2012. Currently 1342
5. Topo Survey Enquiries Target 100, for 2012.  Currently 96
6. All survey enquiries Target 200, for 2012.  Currently 150
7. Set Up ISO9001, by end of 2nd years trading - Done
8. Achieve STEMS Silver, by end of 2nd years trading - Done
9. Maintain job tender to success ratio above 50% - TBC

So looking back at those figures we are looking pretty good for Year 2, although it does mean our goals and targets for 2013 need to be higher because achieving most of your goals with ease might be a good confidence boost but it is a little bit of hollow victory (see England v San Marino!!).

Out of the nine targets, five are already completed, one verging on completion, one will not be known until the end of the year, and two looking like coming up short - so if you're reading this and haven't liked us on Facebook pop over to www.facebook.com/rlsurveys and help us on the way, or better still if you have a survey that needs doing find our contact details on www.rlsurveys.co.uk, fifty tenders in two months it's a long shot but anything is possible!

What are the costs of a Land Survey?

It's the forgotten element of construction, but the bedrock of all developments (sorry not trying to offend anyone - we just start the ball rolling from a design and development process, everyone else keeps pushing long after we're gone).  You generally can't start without it but the cost of it is a risk since the development may never get off the ground, and any funds invested will never be recouped.  Hence no one wants to pay over the odds for a survey, yet they expect a good product at a low price.  But what does the price include - and no it's not just a full English at the local greasy spoon!

• Equipment Hire & Maintenance
• Cost of Processing Software (on going & one off)
• Salaries
• Insurances
• Travel to and from site
• A completed digital survey plan in either 2D or 3D
• If you've paid for it paper plots.
• Office Maintenance
• Professional Affiliations
• Ordnance Survey mapping and/or Land Registry plans
• This is not an exhaustive list ( I didn't even utter the word 'profit', but a good overview)

The largest determining factors in the cost of a Land or Measured Building Survey come from distance between site & office, and the length of site time required.  The first can be computed down to the mile (assuming we don't get lost), but the second is a personal perception based on years of experience.  But we do endeavour to provide an honest & competitive quote, and not add in cover for the 'just-in-case' scenario also know in professional circles as the buggeration factor.

Some of these costs are specific to certain jobs, other costs are those which must be spread out across a year and therefore are segmented down to each job - sadly this is more an educated guess than anything else but as with everything in life there will be some jobs which bare more of the cost than others.

A lot of clients have complained about the cost of a Land Survey in the past (with a former employer though).  We are now trying to work with our clients to offer a more tailored approach for pricing to avoid paying for unnecessary detail.  As a company we can set up our surveys to target any level of detail to find a price that is more in keeping with the speculative nature of Land Surveying.

For more details of the services we offer, and examples of our work, please visit www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter (@RLSurveys).

What is a Surveyor?

It's almost a weekly occurrence that someone asks me to provide a structural building survey or something similar, as yet no one has asked me to value fine art but one day who knows.... So here we go a one stop guide to most of the common forms of Surveying:-

Land Surveying - Often regarded as a second oldest profession, this is a profession concerned with the measurement of land and property.  These are the guys you call in to prepare very detailed maps before design works begin, they are also heavily involved in establishing property boundaries, and very precise structural monitoring.


Quantity Surveying - is a profession working within the construction industry concerned with building costs.  Of in more vague terms counting bricks!!


Building Surveying - is a profession concerned with Building Pathology, how a building is construction and where if any faults may lie.  These are the guys you call in for a structural survey before you buy a house.


Arts & Antiques Surveyor - a profession dealing with the valuation, purchase, sale & management of antiques & fine arts


Minerals Surveyor - a profession concerned with the use, value, management & exploration of mineral deposits.


Valuation Surveyor - The profession to call to get a true valuation on your home or property.
Planning & Development Surveyor


Project Management Surveyor - Responsible for the planning, co-ordination, management and financial control of any building scheme.


Environmental Surveyor - Surveyors who use surveying techniques to understand the potential impact of environmental factors on property & construction.  And assess a similar impact of property & construction on the environment. 


Commercial Property Surveyor - A professional advising on the buying, selling & leasing of commercial properties.


There are other forms of Surveyors so feel free to chip in with other examples, or get your own faculty of Surveying on the list.  


With most forms of surveying there is the potential to have the designation 'Chartered' in front of these jobs.  The effect of this one word is to show that as a professional you have been recognised by your peers already in the Chartered Institute as a competent person in your field.


Hope that has cleared a few things up, so R L Surveys are Land and Measured Building Surveyors , More details of the services we offer, and examples of our work can be found at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, Facebook (www.facebook.com/rlsurveys) & Twitter (@RLSurveys).

Our Product

All these blogs and we have been concentrating on the business element of the work, but the important factor is the final product, as reputation is everything, and repeat business is your best source of income.  So what do we produce:-

Topographical Surveys or Land Surveys: 1:200 Survey Plans

Measured Building Surveys: Floor Plans & Elevations

It is impossible to get the true feeling for a survey from a tiny image on screen but is does give a good idea of what we produce, and we like to think that this is a product that will constantly be evolving.  Albeit some of the improvements will be in the stages leading up to this point, but any suggestions you might have on the presentation please let us know so we might incorporate them into the third presentation revision.  Till now the ideas have been solely ours, and great pains have been taken to avoid deliberately copying the format of any styles used by any of our former employers but the natural development of the product may take us that way anyway.

Please keep checking back as new products and services will gradually be added, but with less than a year on the books our pool of examples is limited (yet fairly diverse within themselves).


More details of the services we offer, and examples of our work can be found at www.rlsurveys.co.uk, or you can keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, Facebook (www.facebook.com/rlsurveys) & Twitter (@RLSurveys).