The President’s Column


The new year has dawned warm and sunny down here in Tasmania and after a short, very welcome break we are back to business. We have been taking on staff and ensuring our footprint covers the markets and market sectors we have committed to serve, and are continuing to develop our IT and systems with a view towards ISO 9001 accreditation later in the year. I’ve taken on a number of trainees, male and female , each of whom we have inducted fully and who are now on their way to gaining national accreditation.


It’s heartening that there is a generation skilled, ready and interested in becoming surveyors- my sense is that our profession is attractive to many, but that only a few are temperamentally and otherwise suited to the responsibility. I normally take would-be surveyors who approach me and who pass the first filter out with me for as many surveys as possible- there is nothing like a grey or black water tank inspection to sort out the dreamers from the serious in my experience! We need these women and men to come through to ensure the continuity of our profession and our businesses- to me, bringing trainees on makes good business sense.


It’s also a big risk, so


careful selection and frankly discouraging the no-hopers is also a part of the mix I’m afraid.


You may have gathered from my introduction that my thoughts are very much on the business management challenges of our trade. At last years’ Australian


conference, during the panel discussion almost all active surveyors identified cashflow as the biggest challenge they face. I concur without hesitation. We do this (I state advisedly), to make a living, not as a hobby, and it constantly amazes me how challenging it is to get money from a minority of clients.


My experience is that this is the exception, rather than the rule, but it is sometimes enough to give even the most taciturn amongst us sleepless nights and anxious days. The way I look at it, when the work is done as agreed it’s your money- not theirs, and it should be with you as quickly as humanly possible. Like many of you I have staff that have to be paid and overheads to meet and I take these responsibilities seriously.


Based on my own evolving experience I’d like to propose a few mitigation strategies to ensure cashflow for our profession which you might consider…


These are as follows:


1. Diversify and work for as many clients as possible. Don’t have your eggs in one basket.


2. Don’t release reports for new,unknown clients until they have paid- to help, set up multiple payment channels and make it clear in your terms of survey and T&C that this is an expectation. I carry an EFTPOS machine which is smaller than a wallet and I normally offer this to clients to use before I leave a


vessel. Few people walk around without a card these days.


3. Pre-condition your clients to expect to pay before they get their report. Ground rules set early make it easier. If they baulk, they are not clients you want.


4. Be selective who you work for. Not easy at all but if your BS meter is going off the scale after initial discussions with a prospective client-run away! A wise old surveyor once said to me that some of the best jobs are the ones you don’t do!!


5. If you need to do a business management course such as the excellent seminars IIMS runs.


6. Get good professional assistance including bookkeepers and accountants, and listen to their advice.


In spite of already failing to achieve one of my stated ambitions as your President (see my speech at last year’s London conference on the excellent IIMS Youtube channel) I hope that you will sense an optimism in this edition’s column.


There are old surveyors, bold surveyors, but no old and bold surveyors- this adage applies as much in our business life as in our professional one!


Mr Adam Brancher President International Institute of Marine Surveying Email: adambrancher@kedge.com.au


The Report • March 2017 • Issue 79 | 5


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