Freelance CAD Work
Discussion
Hi All,
I hoping for some advice regarding getting some freelance CAD work for my girlfriend.
She has been working as a design engineer for an industrial steam boiler company for 5 years, before that worked for Metso designing mining equipment, before which she did her MEng at Bristol in mechanical engineering.
We had a baby in April, and now she's had some time as a mum has realise she doesn't want to go back full time, especially with the commute of over an hour each way. Her company have offered her some freelance work as they'd ideally like to keep her due to produce knowledge/quality of her work.
So my question is, if she decided to go it alone how easy would it be to set something up and is this something anyone can advise me on?
Would she be better off approaching an existing freelance CAD company/agency who could then take a slice but would be able to do the leg work looking for projects?
Any help would really be appreciate, as I've got a kit car to finish so would like to see her earning her keep!
I hoping for some advice regarding getting some freelance CAD work for my girlfriend.
She has been working as a design engineer for an industrial steam boiler company for 5 years, before that worked for Metso designing mining equipment, before which she did her MEng at Bristol in mechanical engineering.
We had a baby in April, and now she's had some time as a mum has realise she doesn't want to go back full time, especially with the commute of over an hour each way. Her company have offered her some freelance work as they'd ideally like to keep her due to produce knowledge/quality of her work.
So my question is, if she decided to go it alone how easy would it be to set something up and is this something anyone can advise me on?
Would she be better off approaching an existing freelance CAD company/agency who could then take a slice but would be able to do the leg work looking for projects?
Any help would really be appreciate, as I've got a kit car to finish so would like to see her earning her keep!
Thanks again, I'll definitely be in contact once she has some work.
Can anyone advise on getting in to companies to get CAD work?
I just don't want her wasting time advertising in places that nobody looks! We could knock up some flyers, but again I don't know if this is something that a company would respond to? The other thing I was thinking was that he doesn't nesesarily need to work with local companies as everything can be emailed/done over the phone but I'm not sure how to get the ball rolling.
Can anyone advise on getting in to companies to get CAD work?
I just don't want her wasting time advertising in places that nobody looks! We could knock up some flyers, but again I don't know if this is something that a company would respond to? The other thing I was thinking was that he doesn't nesesarily need to work with local companies as everything can be emailed/done over the phone but I'm not sure how to get the ball rolling.
Howdy, my two pennorth.
Your partner doesn't have to set up a company or anything like that if she's going to be a sole trader working from home or in a client's office. That said, as someone who employs contractors in this and associated roles, a few points to consider.
Overheads: Software licences, hardware etc. You'll usually need the latest version of AutoCAD etc, often a maintenance and support contract will be handy. If she's on a deadline and there's an issue what's the contingency? If she's doing any GIS work then licences for mapping will be needed too.
Insurance: Depending on the type of work and the contract terms, she might need professional insurance. Errors on drawings could lead to claims. Here's where going LTD could be a help but the insurance could be prohibitive for a start up. You'll need terms and conditions drafting up for payment and indemnities.
An agency might be a good call, they might be able to drop her into placements who require assistance. I use these. Expect them to take a chunk of course but they'll take away some of the headache.
If she's just wanting some pin money and to avoid most of the issues above then seeking lower key work might be an option. Estate agents, small land developers, people seeking planning permissions - often need plans which are more indicative in nature and thus require less in terms of warranty and thus attract a lower level of risk.
If she has a workstation and the software, then there is money to be made but just be sure all the bases are covered or she's in the right market.
Your partner doesn't have to set up a company or anything like that if she's going to be a sole trader working from home or in a client's office. That said, as someone who employs contractors in this and associated roles, a few points to consider.
Overheads: Software licences, hardware etc. You'll usually need the latest version of AutoCAD etc, often a maintenance and support contract will be handy. If she's on a deadline and there's an issue what's the contingency? If she's doing any GIS work then licences for mapping will be needed too.
Insurance: Depending on the type of work and the contract terms, she might need professional insurance. Errors on drawings could lead to claims. Here's where going LTD could be a help but the insurance could be prohibitive for a start up. You'll need terms and conditions drafting up for payment and indemnities.
An agency might be a good call, they might be able to drop her into placements who require assistance. I use these. Expect them to take a chunk of course but they'll take away some of the headache.
If she's just wanting some pin money and to avoid most of the issues above then seeking lower key work might be an option. Estate agents, small land developers, people seeking planning permissions - often need plans which are more indicative in nature and thus require less in terms of warranty and thus attract a lower level of risk.
If she has a workstation and the software, then there is money to be made but just be sure all the bases are covered or she's in the right market.
tom_loughlin said:
If she's not already on LinkedIn, get her signed up - there is a lotbof contract work out there at the moment.
Fire me an email if you want any recommendations, from my
LinkedIn, I can tell you who the busiest and most proactive agencies are.
Tom
Thank you Tom that is a great idea.Fire me an email if you want any recommendations, from my
LinkedIn, I can tell you who the busiest and most proactive agencies are.
Tom
I'll get her on to it and fire you a message once she is set up.
Fizpop said:
Howdy, my two pennorth.
Your partner doesn't have to set up a company or anything like that if she's going to be a sole trader working from home or in a client's office. That said, as someone who employs contractors in this and associated roles, a few points to consider.
Overheads: Software licences, hardware etc. You'll usually need the latest version of AutoCAD etc, often a maintenance and support contract will be handy. If she's on a deadline and there's an issue what's the contingency? If she's doing any GIS work then licences for mapping will be needed too.
Insurance: Depending on the type of work and the contract terms, she might need professional insurance. Errors on drawings could lead to claims. Here's where going LTD could be a help but the insurance could be prohibitive for a start up. You'll need terms and conditions drafting up for payment and indemnities.
An agency might be a good call, they might be able to drop her into placements who require assistance. I use these. Expect them to take a chunk of course but they'll take away some of the headache.
If she's just wanting some pin money and to avoid most of the issues above then seeking lower key work might be an option. Estate agents, small land developers, people seeking planning permissions - often need plans which are more indicative in nature and thus require less in terms of warranty and thus attract a lower level of risk.
If she has a workstation and the software, then there is money to be made but just be sure all the bases are covered or she's in the right market.
Thank you Fizpop, exactly what I was looking for really. I think it's definitely the pin money end of the spectrum which she is looking for with minimum hassle/overheads.Your partner doesn't have to set up a company or anything like that if she's going to be a sole trader working from home or in a client's office. That said, as someone who employs contractors in this and associated roles, a few points to consider.
Overheads: Software licences, hardware etc. You'll usually need the latest version of AutoCAD etc, often a maintenance and support contract will be handy. If she's on a deadline and there's an issue what's the contingency? If she's doing any GIS work then licences for mapping will be needed too.
Insurance: Depending on the type of work and the contract terms, she might need professional insurance. Errors on drawings could lead to claims. Here's where going LTD could be a help but the insurance could be prohibitive for a start up. You'll need terms and conditions drafting up for payment and indemnities.
An agency might be a good call, they might be able to drop her into placements who require assistance. I use these. Expect them to take a chunk of course but they'll take away some of the headache.
If she's just wanting some pin money and to avoid most of the issues above then seeking lower key work might be an option. Estate agents, small land developers, people seeking planning permissions - often need plans which are more indicative in nature and thus require less in terms of warranty and thus attract a lower level of risk.
If she has a workstation and the software, then there is money to be made but just be sure all the bases are covered or she's in the right market.
Solidworks, 3D modelling of "real" items and not virtual ones.
With a move into virtual shopping (watch this space in 6 months) people will screaming out for this skillset soon.
We use Solidworks daily and it is the main reason we are progressing as a company.
There is a key reason I choose this platform over any other, based around the physics of making something "real" on screen.
With a move into virtual shopping (watch this space in 6 months) people will screaming out for this skillset soon.
We use Solidworks daily and it is the main reason we are progressing as a company.
There is a key reason I choose this platform over any other, based around the physics of making something "real" on screen.
lukefreeman said:
Just go self employed, company in her name, charge per hour, then fill out a SA at end of year (claiming back a nice chunk for using home as office, buying kit).
Do you mean truly "Self Employed i.e. a sole trader or set up a limited company?They are quite different approaches.
The pin money route is the one I'd back too. If I was in your position, I'd get myself an AutoCAD LT (about £1200) seat, a reasonable PC and access to a plotter (no point in getting one, just ID a local printer who can open dwg files).
Popular bits of work are floor plans for estate agents (you'll need to measure up though), plans for land sales and drawings for planning submissions. Mapping is available online from places like 'emapsite.com' on one year licences. Make sure the mapping cost is additional to your fees. You'll need a 'paper map copying licence' from the ordinance survey too, about £100 per year when I last checked. That same site can help with that too.
Most drawings on mapping will be polylines on boundaries, perhaps some indicative layouts - but in each case it'll either be indicative or from source data by the client. Slap on a disclaimer and jobs a gud'un.
Advert in the paper, approach the local agents see what demand is.
As to rates, totally dependent on the job and where you are. For a floor plan for a 3 bed house with measuring up in the north east where I am, perhaps £50 - £75? I'm sure if you're down south you can get away with more.
On the other hand, I paid £1k to a one man band to scan circa 10 land reg' plans, overlay on to OS maps and trace the boundaries to create a composite land ownership plan, that covered mapping too though.
If I can offer any other assistance, please shout up
Popular bits of work are floor plans for estate agents (you'll need to measure up though), plans for land sales and drawings for planning submissions. Mapping is available online from places like 'emapsite.com' on one year licences. Make sure the mapping cost is additional to your fees. You'll need a 'paper map copying licence' from the ordinance survey too, about £100 per year when I last checked. That same site can help with that too.
Most drawings on mapping will be polylines on boundaries, perhaps some indicative layouts - but in each case it'll either be indicative or from source data by the client. Slap on a disclaimer and jobs a gud'un.
Advert in the paper, approach the local agents see what demand is.
As to rates, totally dependent on the job and where you are. For a floor plan for a 3 bed house with measuring up in the north east where I am, perhaps £50 - £75? I'm sure if you're down south you can get away with more.
On the other hand, I paid £1k to a one man band to scan circa 10 land reg' plans, overlay on to OS maps and trace the boundaries to create a composite land ownership plan, that covered mapping too though.
If I can offer any other assistance, please shout up
If you need AutoCAD and don't want to pay out the £££, the perfectly legal (and free) way to get a programme that does 99% of AutoCAD is Dassault Systemes (Solidworks) own FREEWARE Draftsight software.
They launched it to stop people going over to autodesk at all and stay with Dassault Systemes (Solidworks)
I've been using it for years (as well as Solidworks, Solid Edge, Pro-Engineer and Inventor) and it's 100% compatible with AutoCAD.
http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-ca...
You don't especially need the paid "Professional" version depending on what you're draughting.
They launched it to stop people going over to autodesk at all and stay with Dassault Systemes (Solidworks)
I've been using it for years (as well as Solidworks, Solid Edge, Pro-Engineer and Inventor) and it's 100% compatible with AutoCAD.
http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-ca...
You don't especially need the paid "Professional" version depending on what you're draughting.
spooderman said:
As a design engineer myself, I've often wondered What kind of money is in freelance CAD work.
Anyone with experience care to divulge?
One of the guys that contracts for us doing autoCAD work is on £29 an hour. However he's also retiring at 45 because of previous jobs he's done that have paid a lot more -> save -> buy property -> ????? -> PROFIT.Anyone with experience care to divulge?
The principal of going it alone is fairly simple and most of it has been covered above but I'd just add one point that IF she does go Ltd think carefully about registering for VAT. Many people are told to do it as you can effectively profit on the flat rate VAT. Problem is that if you try to pick up small work for private clients it can price you out as you have to charge them VAT.
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