Hidden Gems: Meet Mariano Velazquez of plans X press

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariano Velazquez.

Hi Mariano, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
While in high school, Mariano had the opportunity to design an elliptical arch for a construction project where his father served as the general contractor. This experience gave him his first taste of applied geometry.
In 1994, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics with Magna Cum Laude honors from Cal State Dominguez Hills. He then spent four years in management at a national retailer, where he leveraged computers to develop and implement efficient information management systems. Thriving in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment proved to be excellent training for his future in construction.
In 1999, Mariano discovered computer-aided design (CAD), instantly reconnecting with his love of mathematics and geometry. He collaborated with architects to create remarkable projects, quickly mastering the latest 3D design tools. By 2001, he had become a trainer for a software reseller, delivering courses to clients such as Walt Disney Imagineering.
In 2014, Mariano earned his Class B General Contractor license to better serve his design clients.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Selecting, training, and retaining draftspeople is hard. The software is quite complex and requires a significant amount of time to learn. This is one of the reasons that growing as a company in this industry takes a long time.

Also, software and hardware need to be upgraded constantly.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about plans X press?
plans X press was started by Mariano Velazquez to provide a firm foundation to residential renovation and commercial tenant improvement projects by providing quality as-built plans to property owners and design professionals. We use our knowledge and experience in design and construction, and state-of-the art 3D scanning technology to survey real property.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
To start a business, love what you do—your trade—work hard to deliver customer satisfaction, and embrace administration: bookkeeping, recordkeeping, and internal systems.
Once you achieve minimal stability, focus on building a team to delegate as much as possible. For me, this has been the hardest lesson to learn, and it’s the reason I remained small for many years. This challenge is common among entrepreneurs because team-building and delegation require an entirely different skill set than mastering a trade.
If you’re passionate about your work and skilled at it, you likely have perfectionist tendencies, which often lead to difficulty trusting others to handle tasks you excel at. However, if you want your business to grow, you must learn to select strong candidates and exercise patience as they learn your business.

Pricing:

• $0.75/sq.ft. of building

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.plansX.press

Image Credits
Photos by Mariano Velazquez