Lift up Spirit Level!

Last year I left my career of 18 years and hung out my own shingle for Spirit Level Detailing & Design, offering residential renovation design and planning services as well as structural steel and miscellaneous metals detailing for the commercial and industrial markets and also for a few residential projects.  That's the condensed version of the question 'What do you do?'  Let me expand on that, please.

The residential planning side of the business is fairly basic and straightforward, I help homeowners who want to do some, most or all of the work on their home themselves, and need a little guidance to make sure everything is done on the up-and-up.  My partnership with Matriarchy Build as a Pro Consultant for residential construction, design and planning is an extension of this service and a conduit for new clients.

"What is a 'steel detailer'?" Is the common response whenever I tell someone what I do.  In short, a Detailer functions as a translator for the Engineer or Architect and the Steel Fabricator or Erector.  It is better explained by example; the steel columns and beams you see in big buildings, stores and stadiums?  I make the drawings the Fabricator uses to make those and install them.  Steel stairs and railings, ladders, odd ball stuff too numerous to list; that's the Miscellaneous Metals part, which can be tricky and complicated at times.  Even though the work is mentally difficult and requires a high level of focus, I love doing it every day.  Every project is different and every one has its' own challenges, but I find them all interesting and fun to work on.

And like the old saying goes, "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life."

When I started Spirit Level, I used every cent I had from my 401K to do two things; pay my rent in full for a year so I didn't have to stress about housing while things were in the early days, and to get Spirit Level in motion.  I built the website myself and have updated it a few times to get it closer to my vision of it, but I confess I need the help of an experienced person to jazz it up and get it to the finish line.  Similarly with my Face Book page, and social media presence in general, I am in need of someone with better chops than mine to get that up to scratch.  Keeping a tight eye on my budget, I chose to spend on critical tech and software items, but opted for second hand and hand-me-downs for furnishings.

All in all, I think I did fairly well in laying the ground work for Spirit Level and getting the ball rolling.  Professional relationships and a series of prospecting emails have netted me a few clients, who have kept me going, but only just.  The funds I am looking to raise in this campaign will afford me the opportunity to upgrade my office equipment, from the dining room chair and cramped desk I have now, to a proper and more professional arrangement, purchase much needed equipment and data management services that have become critical needs in the last couple months and also seek out services to flesh out the web site, get the social media pages up and running in good form, and do some promotion and public relations.