Tim Phillips and the Future of Engineering

Starting a business isn’t always about grand offices, sleek conference rooms, and high-end coffee machines. Sometimes, it’s about spotting a gap in the market, believing in yourself, and making do with what you have, like a kettle in the lounge room.

Just ask Tim Phillips, an engineering consultant who started his business from the back room of his house and is proving that success isn’t dictated by location, but by passion, dedication, and a keen eye for opportunity.

The Birth of a Startup

Tim saw something that many aspiring entrepreneurs overlook, a market gap waiting to be filled. Instead of setting up an expensive office with all the bells and whistles, he chose to focus on providing high-quality service at a fraction of the usual cost. His approach? Keep overheads low, focus on clients, and reinvest in the business (with dreams of a fancy coffee machine in the future, of course!).

But entrepreneurship isn’t all smooth sailing. When Tim started, he struggled with financing, banks weren’t exactly lining up to hand him a blank cheque, and shared workspaces didn’t fit his needs. So, he made do with what he had. And as it turns out, he wasn’t alone. There’s a whole community of talented engineers in Brisbane running their businesses from their garages, sheds, and spare rooms, proving that quality isn’t about where you work but how you work.

Work-Life Balance: A Constant Juggle

Running a business from home sounds great, until you realise that separating work and personal life is easier said than done. Tim admits that balancing work and family can be tough. There are weeks when the workload is crushing, and then there are quiet periods when he can spend more time with his family. But one thing he prioritises? Dinner at 5:30 pm. Because at the end of the day, success means nothing if you don’t get to enjoy it with the people who matter most.

His solution? Structure and delegation. One day, he hopes to grow his team, bringing on engineers and university students looking for work experience, a move that not only helps young professionals break into the industry but also allows him to manage his time better.

From Pandemic Setbacks to Industry Recognition

Starting a business is hard enough, but launching one just before COVID hit? That’s a whole new level of challenge. Tim’s primary client was across the Queensland-New South Wales border, until lockdowns made that impossible. While some people might have thrown in the towel, Tim adapted. His business survived, and in 2023, he became a finalist for the Brisbane Young Entrepreneurs Awards, a recognition he never imagined for himself.

Recognition isn’t something engineers typically receive, but stepping into a room full of ambitious, self-made entrepreneurs opened Tim’s eyes to the possibilities ahead. Seeing others turn their ideas into multi-million-dollar businesses was nothing short of inspiring. But does Tim want to go big? Not necessarily. For him, success isn’t about scaling to impossible heights, it’s about creating a business that works for his life, not the other way around.

The Unexpected Challenges of Entrepreneurship

You’d think the hardest part of starting a business would be getting clients or delivering top-notch services. But for Tim, the real challenge came after registering his company. The admin side, quarterly tax reports, payroll, legal requirements, was an unexpected headache. Luckily, his partner stepped in to handle the financials, freeing him up to do what he does best: engineering.

Then there was the high-vis workwear venture, an experiment in diversification. Tim discovered a demand for red high-vis shirts, a colour that was oddly difficult to find in Australia. So, he imported a batch. Unfortunately, he was the only one who really loved the red high-vis look, and that business didn’t quite take off. Lesson learned: Just because you love a product doesn’t mean the market will. And that’s okay, every failure is a stepping stone to success.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

If there’s one takeaway from Tim’s journey, it’s this: just start. Starting a business doesn’t require millions in funding or years of planning. Sometimes, all you need is an idea, a bit of determination, and a willingness to learn on the go.

For young entrepreneurs wondering whether they have what it takes, Tim’s advice is simple, give it a shot. The cost of starting a business is often less than you think, and the potential upside is enormous. Even if you fail, you’ll learn more from the experience than you ever could from sitting on the sidelines.

Tim’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and keeping things real. Whether you’re building an empire from a home office, testing out ideas on Facebook Marketplace, or pivoting when the unexpected happens, the key is to keep moving forward. And maybe, one day, that fancy coffee machine will be yours.