In September 2016, after much discussion and weighing up of the pros and cons with my wife, we made a joint ​​decision to do something bold and challenging....we decided to start our own planning company.

Many experts in business say that most small businesses fold after one year, most struggle with cash flow and earning income, and most end up throwing in the towel going back to what they used to do.

A year on and DCI & Associates has survived thanks to a significant project that has kept us working everyday, and a few smaller projects supporting other engineering consultancies that provide some diversity to our workload.

The success in getting the business up and running can be attributed to four principles that I have been developing for the last 11 years as a consultant. These principles are:

• Standards.

• Trust.

• Courage.

• Reputation.

Standards: Don't consultants sell themselves to anyone for the right price? This may be true for some but I know my skills, my capabilities, my limits and how I can stretch and push boundaries. I also know what work I cannot successfully complete and I have been open and honest to potential clients seeking my assistance in fields I do not know. Sure, I could say yes and bluff my way through the packages of work but would that really create a successful outcome for those clients? Would the deliverable be a high quality that upholds my standards? Would the output create a good reputation for me? I will take on challenges if I am confident with additional contemplation, application and innovation to achieve a positive outcome. However where I am not knowledgeable, I will say no. I feel these clients will respect me more for being honest. My standard is to be honest with my clients, transparent in my dealings, and deliver high quality outcomes that are appropriate and acceptable for implementation.

Trust: My standards and work ethic naturally lead to building relationships of trust. This is something that must be earned. As trust grows, work flows and keeps building and growing including repeat work. If a client does not trust you then they will not trust your work and will not engage you to perform additional work. I trust my clients and they trust me because of my standards, my experience and who I am.

Courage: Starting to work for yourself is not an easy task. There have been many late nights working on proposals and projects, many early mornings reviewing work and checking quality, and a lot of sacrifice of personal time to establish the business. Having courage is facing fear, difficulties and challenges, and working through these to create positive outcomes. By having courage I planned out what I needed to do, who I needed to speak to, and how to make it work. I mapped out and planned my tasks then set my mind to following that plan.

Reputation: Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to work on a range of infrastructure, policy, development and service projects in the planning field. With all of these projects, I have showcased my skills and knowledge to clients and colleagues to produce high quality outcomes that aren't focused on the tradition "deliver what the client wants" but focused on the end product and the end user which in most cases is the general public. This focus, coupled with my standards, my courage and developing relationships of trust has given me a reputation for delivery and producing work to a high ethic and standard.

These four things have allowed DCI to succeed for the first year, and will see DCI continue to succeed for many more years to come.

Starting a business for yourself is challenging, it's stressful, it's time consuming and has many late nights. But it also has so many benefits and brings a lot more freedom and happiness to my life and the life of my family, which is my motivation to keep going. I have had to give up many things but ultimately this decision was something worthwhile and what I have learnt in the last year will help me be a better consultant, a better planner, and ultimately a better person.

Would I do this again - you bet!

DCI & Associates is a planning consultancy with a focus on providing traffic, transport and town planning advice.

For more information: www.dciassociates.com.au

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