4 RODS | Eric Colburn, PLS

Professional Land Surveyor Product Review of EcoStakes

April 7, 2009 in 4 RODS, Berntsen, Business, Land Surveying, Land Surveying Equipment, Product Reviews, Rated As by EricColburn

What value would you give to your survey monuments if they could provide longevity, be easily found and are environmentally friendly, too? One solution that provides all of these benefits is the EcoStake, available exclusively from Berntsen.

Berntsen was kind enough to provide me with a small sample of the EcoStake in the different sizes, markings and colored tops to try out. I was interested in seeing if the EcoStake made a good survey control point, being easy to set yet solid, and be easy to relocate. The fact that the EcoStake is a product made from recycled plastics and is a “green” product appealed to me, also. EcoStake with Orange Top EcoStake with Pink Top

EcoStake Facts:

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: 4 RODS, Berntsen, Control, EcoStake, Green, Land Surveying Products, Land Surveying Supplies, Monuments, Plastic, Product Reviews, Professional Land Surveying, Professional Land Surveyor Product Review, Recycled, Survey
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by EricColburn

Staying Small Successfully: A Guide for Architects, Engineers, and Design Professionals

April 3, 2009 in 4 RODS, Book Reviews, Books, Business, Land Surveying, Rated As by EricColburn

eCampus.com Affiliate Link

“Many architects, landscape architects, and interior designers are self-employed or are partners in small firms. These professionals must understand the management, administrative, and planning skills that are critical to the success of a design firm–and apply them to a small business profile. The revision of this best-selling book addresses the latest changes that affect the successful management and growth of small firms.” Professional Land Surveyor Source: eCampus.com

This is a book that you have to read. It is one of the best books I’ve read that is specifically written for Architects, Engineers and Design Professionals: Professional Land Surveyors included.

I stumbled across this book shopping for business books at a major bookstore, not believing that something so related to our industry has even been written. It was well worth the price and in reading this book I improved my business, business skills and business outlook.

I rate this book 4 RODS out of a total possible 4 RODS.

Tags: 4 RODS, accrual profit, Advanced Project Management Manual, Architects, Best Practices, Book Reviews, Books, Business, culture statement, David Kent Ballast, deceased shareholder, Design, design firm principals, eCampus.com, effective multiplier, Engineers, excess perfection syndrome, Financial Performance Survey, key financial measures, Kristine Fallon, Median Mean Median Mean Overall, Midland Avenue Newton, Moritz Bergmeyer, Mountains of Distinction, New York, ownership transition, payroll burden, Perteet Engineering, Professional Land Surveyor, reimbursable expenses, small business, small design firm, staff size, standard association contracts, staying small successfully, successful small firms, The Jack Johnson Company, Tom Peters, Total Hrs, Total Marketing Costs, Total Payroll Burden, typical employment contract, United States, usefulness selling, utilization ratio
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by EricColburn

Professional Land Surveyor Forum

February 12, 2009 in 4 RODS, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Business, Continuing Education, General, Land Surveying, News, Rated As, Surveying Software by EricColburn

Announcing the Professional Land Surveyor Forum!

The Professional Land Surveyor Forum is a FREE professional grade site that provides you with all the features you need and expect from a professional bulletin board. I think you’ll find it to be the best, feature rich, forum bulletin board in the industry.

You can check out the Professional Land Surveyor Forum, as a guest with limited functionality, or you can register a username, enabling all of the forum features. This will allow you to maintain a consistent identity while posting and keep track of what you’ve read, no matter where you’re working from or what computer you’re using, including wireless access. You’ll be able to fill out a personal Profile and use the built-in Personal Message system. You’ll also be able to subscribe to email notifications, monitor your Forum activity and more.

Feature List

Secure
Easy Registration and Setup
Calendar Support
Communication
User Profiles and User Options
Member navigation and authentication
Member tracking and tracing
News and announcements
Polls
Cool Posting Features
Statistics
User Resources
Wireless access

I’ve created several forum discussion boards to get the Professional Land Surveyor Forum off the ground. Feel free to contact me if there is a specific discussion board topic that you would like to see added.

Current Forum Topics (more to come!)

General Discussion Board
- Feel free to talk about anything and everything in this board.
AutoCAD Civil 3D Board
- Tips and Tricks Forum: Talk and share about your best AutoCAD Civil 3D (or AutoCAD in general) Tips and Tricks.
- Upgrade Forum: Talk and share about AutoCAD Civil 3D Upgrades.
- Help Forum: Talk and share about help issues with AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Business Board
- Getting Paid Forum: The trials and tribulations of accounts collections! What works and what doesn’t? Real life stories!
- Marketing Forum: Talk and share about your best Marketing ideas.
- Starting a Professional Land Surveying Forum: Talk and share about starting a Professional Land Surveying Business.
Career Board
- Seeking Employment Forum: Post a little bit about you, if you’re seeking employment, and what employment opportunities you are looking for.
- Employment Opportunities Forum: Post Employment Opportunities available within your company.
The Economy Board
- Stimulus Plan Forum: Discussion about the Economic Stimulus Plan.

Check out the Professional Land Surveyor Forum now!

Tags: AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Board, Bulletin, Business, Career, Employment, Eric D. Colburn PLS, EricColburn.com, Forum, Free, marketing, Opportunities, Paid, Professional Land Surveyor, Professional Land Surveyor Forum, Seeking, Starting, Stimulus Plan, Tips, Tricks, Upgrades
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by EricColburn

Business Video: Playing to Your Strengths – BusinessWeek

December 13, 2008 in 4 RODS, Business, Business Videos, Land Surveying by EricColburn

Play to Your Strengths

Senior BusinessWeek Editor Diane Brady talks to Marcus Buckingham about his new book, The Truth About You: Your Secret to Success. His message is to Play to your strengths instead of trying to manage your weaknesses

Tags: Business, BusinessWeek, Diane Brady, Land Surveying, Marcus Buckingham, Strengths, The Truth About You: Your Secret to Success, Videos, Weaknesses
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by EricColburn

LivingRheum.com Goes Live

October 27, 2008 in 4 RODS, General, Links, News by EricColburn

My wife, Jo-Ann, has started her own website and blog at LivingRheum.com to write about her experience with having Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). She was diagnosed with RA at the age of 36 and has been courageously fighting this disease and finding ways to make her life better.

Jo-Ann writes on her About Me page,

“I wanted to start this site for people like me who not only were looking for support in dealing with the daily ups and downs of the disease but also as a resource for those of us who are looking for information on what can help us live healthier, happier lives with Rheumatoid Arthritis.”

Prior to writing at LivingRheum.com, Jo-Ann has often helped others with RA understand the disease, finding a good doctor, discovering methods and strategies to live with RA - All important, but mostly being a good listener, friend, and sharing what works for her.

She also writes on her About Me page,

“My hope is that through this site that you can find ways to live with Rheumatoid Arthritis better.”

I rate this website and blog 4 RODS out of a total possible 4 RODS.

Tags: Eric D. Colburn PLS, Jo-Ann Colburn, Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, LivingRheum.com, Lyme Disease, News, News Release, RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis
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by EricColburn

Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty : The Only Networking Book You’ll Ever Need

August 22, 2008 in 4 RODS, Book Reviews, Business, Land Surveying by EricColburn

Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty by Harvey Mackay is a great book for everyone, with valuable networking information you can use in your personal and business life.

In these difficult economic times, having the right contacts in the right place when you need them, will make the difference between survival and failure. As the title states, ideally you would want your network in place before you may ever need them; but there is no time like the present to begin your networking well.

I rate this book 4 RODS out of a total possible 4 RODS.

Tags: Book Reviews, Harvay Mckay, Land Surveying Business, Networking
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by EricColburn

Book Review: Mastering AutoCad Civil 3D

June 30, 2008 in 4 RODS, AutoCAD, Book Reviews, Land Surveying, Rated As, Surveying Software by EricColburn

Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 is a must read if you are using, or plan to implement, AutoCAD Civil 3D. I bought this book last year and I refer to it all the time.

Written by Dana Probert, E.I.T., James Wedding, P.E., along with Mark Scacco, P.E., and Jason Hickey, this book gives comprehensive information, tricks and tips, and is suitable to be read in its entirety, or chapter by chapter as necessary. The accompanying CD includes tutorial files and third-party utilities and plug-ins. I used Q-Legal for AutoDesk Civil 3D, on the accompanying CD, and liked the way it took AutoCAD Civil 3D parcel data and transferred and formatted a legal description.

I didn’t always use the tutorial files provided, instead mostly using real data and land surveying projects from my land surveying business, but I recommend them to anyone trying to learn to use AutoCAD Civil 3D, as they are setup for each tutorial eliminating any issues you may encounter and think its your data (although you learn a lot this way).

I rate this book 4 RODS out of a total possible 4 RODS.