EP234 Stewart Ward, PLS - The Business of Surveying

EP234 Stewart Ward, PLS - The Business of Surveying

From Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast by National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS)

May 6, 2026 · 1h 17m · Episode 242

About this episode

Stewart Ward discusses his journey in surveying and offers insights on running a successful surveying business.

Calling all professional surveying entrepreneurs! Do you often wonder what it takes to run a small surveying business? Do you start from scratch or seek out an existing business for sale? What does it take to make it grow? Do you have what it takes to be a successful business owner? This week's episode of "Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast" finds us at the "Boise Meridian Initial Point Celebration" where we happen to run into our former NSPS Director for Idaho, Stewart Ward, PLS, and owner of Dioptra, a small surveying firm in Chubbuck, ID. Our host, Tim Burch, sat down with Stewart to discuss his path to surveying, licensure, and company ownership. They talked about what it takes to run a successful business, being an effective manager AND leader, and staying humble through it all. Stewart offers a few suggestions to think about when considering ownership while keeping your personal skills sharp. While this conversation went a little longer than most, give it a listen and you will agree it is worth the time. Lots of knowledge nuggets here, so takes some notes and be inspired!

People in this episode

Host: Tim Burch

Guest: Stewart Ward

Topics covered

  • business of surveying
  • entrepreneurship
  • company ownership
  • management
  • leadership

Keywords

  • surveying
  • business ownership
  • entrepreneur
  • management
  • leadership
  • licensure
  • success

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dioptra

Places: Chubbuck, ID

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