This is the final piece to the puzzle; the final session of the Entrepreneur Architect Academy. For the past twelve weeks, we've explored every element required for a successful architecture firm. We started with your Personal Productivity and we'll wrap it up here with Project Management. You will find all 12 sessions of the Academy by clicking the link in the header menu above or by visiting EntreArchitect.com/Academy. Be sure to bookmark that page, so you will have it for reference in the … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 011 | Professional Liability Insurance: The Risk and Reward
Following these comments is a guest post; originally published in the AIA Trust educational booklet, Making The Transition To Running Your Own Firm. I am publishing it here at Entrepreneur Architect with permission, courtesy of Ann P. Casso, Executive Director of AIA Trust. I am grateful for the Trust’s support of our mission and their contribution to the profession as a whole. Architects are inherently burdened with risk and liability for the services we provide. As licensed professionals we … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 010 | Eight Steps to a Happy Client
"I've been saving for years and I finally have enough to move forward." "I've been dreaming of this day for years. I know exactly what I want." "I've been living in this dream house for years, if only in my head." "I have more than enough money saved to get what I want." "If I start now, I'll be living in it by summer." When one of my residential architecture clients finally reaches out and calls Fivecat Studio, these are some of the thoughts they may start with. They have saved for years … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 009 | Five Provisions for Your Architectural Services Agreement
This is a guest post by Kenneth W. Cobleigh, Esq., Managing Director & Counsel at The American Institute of Architects. When I asked the Entrepreneur Architect tribe who I should contact regarding legal agreements for architects, Ken's name quickly rose to the top of the list. Ken leads the team developing AIA Contract Documents; the most respected collection of agreements for the construction industry. There are many options for agreements, but Ken and his team are working hard to … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 008 | Choosing a Business Structure for Your Architecture Firm
Fivecat Studio was founded in 1999. Annmarie and I were 29 years old. She was licensed. I was not. With no clients and no money, we launched the firm as a sole proprietorship; Annmarie McCarthy, Architect. Slowly, we grew the firm and in 2002, with my license in hand, we incorporated as McCarthy LePage Architects, PC. We knew from day one that we needed a way to differentiate ourselves from the many other local firms. McCarthy LePage Architects sounds very professional, but we do things … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 007.3 | How To Become The Richest Architect You Know (Part 3 of 3)
OK. This is it... where the rubber meets the road. This is the final part of a 3 part guest post by Steven Burns, FAIA, the Director of Product Strategy and Innovations at BQE Software. Steve is the creator of ArchiOffice® the leading office, project management and time tracking software used in more than 1,000 small and mid-sized architectural firms. In the 14 years Steve managed Burns + Beyerl Architects, the firm he co-founded in 1993, the firms’ earnings grew at an average rate of 24% … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 007.2 | How To Become The Richest Architect You Know (Part 2 of 3)
Warning! We're learning how to get rich (slowly) here. If you're not interested in learning how to make money as an architect, carry on with your daily grind. For the rest of you... pay attention. We're going to get deep into the numbers now. This is Part 2 of a 3 part guest post by Steven Burns, FAIA, the Director of Product Strategy and Innovations at BQE Software. Steve is the creator of ArchiOffice® the leading office, project management and time tracking software used in more than 1,000 … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 007.1 | How To Become The Richest Architect You Know (Part 1 of 3)
None of us will admit it, but I know... deep down we all want to be rich. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Let's all get rich in secret. Here's how... This is Part 1 of a 3 part guest post by Steven Burns, FAIA, the Director of Product Strategy and Innovations at BQE Software. Steve is the creator of ArchiOffice® the leading office, project management and time tracking software used in more than 1,000 small and mid-sized architectural firms. In the 14 years Steve managed Burns + Beyerl … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 006 | My 12 Hard-Earned Lessons for Hiring the Right Staff
You started your own firm. Congratulations. Whether it was a planned life strategy or an involuntary response to the miserable "downsized" economy, you've made the right choice. In this profession, being an Entrepreneur Architect is the single best decision you will ever make. (Tweet That) Your future is now up to you. Your success or failure is in your hands… exactly where it should be. It's not going to be easy though. Success doesn't happen without a tremendous amount of hard work, … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 005 | Five Rules of Successful Leadership
We have explored many subjects during these past few weeks. I hope you are finding this series interesting, insightful and inspirational. If so, please share them with every architect you know. We started the Entrepreneur Architect Academy with a session on Personal Productivity. Without understanding the basic fundamentals of being efficient with your time, making the right choices and doing the things that matter most, the rest of these sessions would be worthless. We then moved on to … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 004 | My Sales System
We need to talk. This may be uncomfortable, but we need to talk about money. Are you making enough to finish each month with a profit? Are you making enough to live comfortably? Are you making enough to simply pay the bills? So many architects I know are not making ends meet. We architects are notoriously horrible business people. My mission is to change that. (So share this blog with every architect you know!) I believe, deep down, we all want to be successful. We all want to make … [Read more...]
Entrepreneur Architect Academy 003 | Marketing for Architects
In Session 002, we developed our business and personal life plan. We dreamed big, defined our vision and identified our mission. Today we're going to put all that information to work. Today we are going to tell some stories, or in the jargon of the business world, we are going to do some marketing. Marketing, at its most basic definition, is simply telling our story... to our market. Every one of us is telling a story, whether we intend to or not. Our story is being told through our work, … [Read more...]