My eldest son works with me in the surveying practice at the moment as a graduate trainee building surveyor. We’re putting him through university to get his building surveying degree, but it’s a part time course on a day-release scheme.

Along with some of his work colleagues, he has started to supplement his income by drawing building plans for people he gets introduced to, as well as for as some of his university friends, who don’t yet understand how to use programs like CAD.

We were both chatting with his colleagues this week about the level of outside business they all get. Occasionally, they are having to turn work down or delay it, because so many people want plans drawing cheaply.

It seems that they always have a couple of drawing jobs on the go and they charge pretty good money for the work, which is still a lot cheaper than architect or surveyor rates.

Unfortunately, this type of work can only be done after normal working hours, which means that they all often stay behind each evening and sometimes have to work weekends in order to meet their outside obligations. But, they’re all young and keen.

I was impressed by their enthusiasm as throughout my working life, I’ve usually held down more than one position.

So, I introduced them to the world of off-shoring.

The same work that they’re sweating over can be done quicker by sending it to India, with all of their on-site notes and sketches being scanned beforehand.

The cost savings are incredible and the turnaround on the work is far quicker than doing it themselves.

We currently have two companies working on an already completed project, so that we can compare the quality and accuracy of the work, but rather than having to work away (as some of them do at present), they can increase the workload considerably and concentrate on their real jobs again!

Of course, as a domainer and web developer, I’m quite used to the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing work abroad, but when the work is technical and repetitive like CAD drawing, there’s little reason not to do it.

It was certainly interesting watching the reactions of my son and his colleagues when I suggested the idea. Suddenly they get the idea of capitalism and the power of the Internet in particular, that’s is now a lot more than just Facebook!

My son went off looking for domain names immediately. Seems he spotted an opportunity.