Finding the right mining services partner is an important part of most mining projects. Taking the time to vet your options will help your project go as smoothly as possible. It helps to ensure the company has the expertise to complete your project efficiently and successfully. It will also help to understand the company’s processes and culture so you can make sure the company meshes well with your expectations and needs.
TIPS FOR VETTING A MINING SERVICES COMPANY
Below are 6 tips for vetting a mining services company.
ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
When you are searching for the right mining services company for your project, a good place to start is within your network. Ask if any of your friends or colleagues have worked with a mining services company that they had success with. This is also a good question to post on LinkedIn.
Use the recommended companies as a starting point for your search. If your network hasn’t had recent or relevant interactions with a mining services company, keep that in mind when vetting the company. Management or systems may have changed since your contact interacted with them or they may not be relevant to your situation.
READ ONLINE REVIEWS
After you have a starting list, take the time to search for company reviews online. While most mining services companies don’t have a large number of reviews, the reviews they do have can give you some insights into the company. Doing an online search for “[Company Name] Reviews” will usually turn up reviews on Google Local, Facebook, Indeed, and Glassdoor.
LOOK AT THE COMPANY’S ONLINE FOOTPRINT
While there are still mining services companies that have a limited online presence, it’s becoming less common for companies to have no online presence at all. Doing a quick online search can help you become more informed about the company’s performance and expertise.
- Search the company on LinkedIn. Are there companies like yours that are mentioned—or that mention the company by name? LinkedIn is becoming a more popular place to spread kudos, making it a good place to see if your prospective companies have taken part in projects similar to yours and how their services have been received.
- Search the company under the news section of Google. Search the company name in Google and click the “News” tab under the search box. This pulls up recent news that mentions the company’s name. This is a good place to scan headlines to see what types of projects prospective companies may have recently taken part in.
- View the company’s website. While the quality of their website may not be a direct reflection of the quality of the company, it can give insights into how the company views its services and expertise. Review their services pages to ensure they align with what you’re looking for. If you’re interested in a service that isn’t listed on their site, it may be that the company doesn’t have as high a level of expertise in that area as in others.
REQUEST REFERENCES
When you’re vetting a mining services company, don’t be afraid to ask for references or examples of projects they’ve worked on in the past. Talking to companies that have direct experience with the prospective company can give you good insights into what was done well and whether any services were unsatisfactory.
GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR POTENTIAL TEAM
If your mining services include geologists or other experts, make sure to discuss their background and experience with the prospective company. While one of the benefits of using a mining services company is that you don’t have to personally vet every single employee on your team, it can be helpful to get a good idea of the quality of experts who will be leading your projects.
HAVE MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS
When you’re interacting with the prospective company, take note of how well your inquiries are responded to. Is the company communicative and professional? Do you trust that you will receive a high level of communication and visibility from the company your project?
Get Started
If you’re currently looking for mining services, please reach out! Rangefront offers comprehensive mining services from claim staking to geophysical services, consulting to staffing, and more. Reach out today to discuss your project and see if Rangefront Mining Services is the right fit for you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BRIAN GOSS
President, Rangefront Mining Services
Brian Goss brings over 20 years of experience in gold and mineral exploration. He is the founder and President of Rangefront, a premier geological services and mining consulting company that caters to a large spectrum of clients in the mining and minerals exploration industries. Brian is also a director of Lithium Corp. (OTCQB: LTUM), an exploration stage company specializing in energy storage minerals and from 2014 to 2017, he fulfilled the role of President and Director of Graphite Corp. (OTCQB: GRPH), an exploration stage that specialized in the development of graphite properties. Prior to founding Rangefront, Brian worked as a staff geologist for Centerra Gold on the REN project, as well as various exploration and development projects in the Western United States and Michigan. Brian Goss holds a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Geology from Wayne State University in Michigan.
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