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Aug 15 2017

How to Write a Business Plan for Your Architecture Firm in 60 Minutes or Less

business-plan-for-architects

A Simple Business Plan for Architects

No one told me that I needed to know how to run a business. I’m an architect. I just need to tack up my shingle, design great buildings and clients will come knocking. Right?

Maybe… but whether clients come knocking or not, its not so simple to keep them knocking.

The solution? Write a business plan.

I know, I know; “I don’t need a business plan,” you say. “It takes too much time and effort.”

The knowledge you gain by the process of developing a business plan may be more valuable to you than the actual plan itself.

Wait! Before you discount my suggestion, think about it from a different perspective. A simple, stripped down perspective. Your first business plan doesn’t need to be a 100 page document, with financial projections and fully developed marketing strategies. In fact, I recommend that it not be.

Start with just one page.

Jim Horan, author of The One Page Business Plan series of books says, “The greatest value in creating a business plan is not the final document. It’s the communication, prioritization, focus, clarity and learning that make the process worthwhile.”

The knowledge you gain by the process of developing a business plan may be more valuable to you than the actual plan itself.

A 5 Step Process for a Simple Business Plan for Architects

Here is a simple 5 step process to develop a completed business plan for architects in 60 minutes or less.

  1. Get started by taking a single sheet of paper and writing a single paragraph describing your vision. What will your business someday look like?
  2. Then scribe your mission. Why are you starting this business?
  3. List a few simple strategies. How do you get there?
  4. Then a few specific goals; benchmarks that will lead you to executing your strategies.
  5. With goals set, commit to paper an action plan. What specific tasks will you accomplish to reach your goals? When will you accomplish them? Who will accomplish them?

That’s it… a business plan. Done. It really is that simple.

Revisit your Business Plan Often

I revisit and revise my business plan at least twice a year. As our firm grows and evolves, priorities change, markets shift, economies collapse. My business plan needs to evolve too.

It’s also a great source of inspiration and motivation. A periodic reminder of my big ideas and reasons-for-being, keeps me focused and wanting to push my architecture firm to the next level.

So, go do it. Reach over and grab a sheet of paper. Do it now… Don’t wait. It will take less than 60 minutes.

What’s your vision?

Question: Do you have a written business plan for your architecture firm?


Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Jan Faukner

 

Written by Mark R. LePage · Categorized: Business · Tagged: Business Plan, business planning, Planning

Comments

  1. juletta says

    January 21, 2019 at 2:31 AM

    yes i want to make business plan

    Reply
  2. isabirye keith joel says

    November 17, 2021 at 2:40 AM

    I want to make plan

    Reply
    • Yousuf Choksy says

      February 14, 2022 at 9:19 AM

      I want to prepare a business plan for a very high ended Architectural firm. I want to target elite projects in uk.

      Reply

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