Start your business as young as you can, bury all of the doubt and fears.
Nabil “Bill” Taha serves as the President of Precision Structural Engineering and is a Professional Engineer with an emphasis on Structural Engineering.
Nabil formed Precision Structural Engineering in 1998. At that time he was a professor of Engineering at Oregon Institute of Technology. Since then, his firm has been providing top quality engineering services all across the globe. During the past 28 years, Nabil has been involved in a wide variety of engineering projects. His career has involved many diverse applications of structural engineering and consulting. Nabil has provided the engineering for structures all around the U.S. and in several countries around the world. He oversees, reviews and supervises the structural design of at least 450 structures annually.
Nabil and his firm are on the leading edge in sustainable building projects; from Straw-Bale, Earthbag, Adobe, and other earthen building methods to Shipping/Cargo Container structures, light gauge steel, and fabric structures. He is constantly writing the book for these types of structures and is helping professionals all over the world find safe and efficient ways to incorporate these building methods. He also has investigated and diagnosed the causes and consequences of the building envelope and structural problems with historical buildings.
Where did the idea for Precision Structural Engineering come from?
I have always had a love for structures. There has never been any doubt that after I finished my education; I wanted to open and run my own Structural Engineering Firm.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
A typical day consists of many phone calls with clients, answering any questions the staff may have, and also reviewing the work of other engineers. I have taken my time to develop policies and procedures to make my staff’s job easier; this allows us all to stay on task and complete work efficiently.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I try to persuade others to follow and illustrate what I am trying to accomplish. Above all, I make sure that I am excited about the new idea.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Precision Structural Engineering is a leader in Shipping/Cargo Container structures. The trend of designing and building structures out of Shipping/Cargo containers has forced me to learn new techniques and sharpen my skills in order to be successful with this trend.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
It is simple for me; I love what I am doing, which greatly impacts my ability to be more productive.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Start your business as young as you can, bury all of the doubt and fears.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on?
Most successful people work about 70-80 hours a week. Sam Walton worked over 70 hours a week even while he was 60-70 years old. You have to think and grow rich.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing that you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Work harder, smarter, and never stop at 40 hours a week.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Accept challenging and difficult tasks. I have always said if it is not in the book, we can rewrite the book. This attitude has helped me grow and constantly acquire new skills.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I always tried to do everything myself, so I have learned to hire and trust other people and allow myself to delegate to them.
What is one Business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Make sure to locate a growing area in your town, buy some houses, hold them for a while and resell for profit.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I always try to attend any webinar or seminar that I can. I am sure to acquire new skills or perfect my current ones, this is always money well spent.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Introducing CRM software into our daily process has allowed us to stay on time with projects, meet deadlines, and become more efficient in our client communication. We use it to keep track of projects, clients, and our budgets.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
“Psychology of Achievement” by Brian Tracy OR “The Best Kept Secret” By Nightingale Corp
What is your favorite quote?
“You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.” – Brian Tracy
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Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.