The Passion Profit Cycle of Success Prior to starting our own firms, we business-owner architects experienced an “entrepreneurial seizure”, as Michael Gerber so accurately described in his book, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. It’s the precise moment when a passionate employee commits to starting her own firm. Frustrated by the process (or lack of process) established by her employer, she decides that she can do better. Do you remember that … [Read more...]
How Custom Proposals Overcomplicate Your Business
This is the third guest post by Ashley Gartland in a series of three about simplifying your business. Save Time and Make More Money By Developing a "Signature Package" Do you spend too much time creating custom proposals and delivering custom work to your clients? Nine times out of ten, my business coaching clients answer this question with a definitive YES. They have good intentions for creating custom proposals and delivering custom work. It feels generous, personalized and valuable. … [Read more...]
How To Systematize Your Marketing
This is the second guest post by Ashley Gartland in a series of three about simplifying your business. Marketing Without the Overwhelm Let’s just call it like it is: marketing takes up a lot of time in your business – not to mention space in your head. Between social media, content marketing, networking and pitching, you’re working what feels like a full-time job trying to get the word out and stay on people’s radar – and not surprisingly so, because big companies actually have marketing … [Read more...]
How Systems Support More Success in Your Business
(and Freedom in Your Life)
Back in the early days of my coaching business, I didn’t place much importance on systems. They simply didn’t seem necessary, and they certainly didn’t strike me as something that would contribute to my success. Plus, creating systems just felt like more work, a way to waste time I didn’t really have. That changed as I got busier with my business and realized that NOT having systems was preventing me from reaching the next level and achieving more growth. Before I had systems in … [Read more...]
5 Principles of Servant Leadership for Small Firm Architects
Forever Changed as a Leader Late one winter night, under a bare bulb in an empty under-heated DC university dorm room I read Leadership Is an Art by Max De Pree; a book that influenced my approach to leading others from that night forward. Earlier that day, our hosts at the 1992 American Institute of Architecture Students Grassroots conference gave each student leader a copy of the inspirational paperback following a motivational speech about leadership. Full of excitement, eager to make a … [Read more...]
How to Rewrite the Story of Our Profession
No More Starving Artist With a twisted sense of pride, too many architects today accept the small firm stereotype of “starving artist”. Seeds planted in architecture school bloom into a full-on virus as professionals launch their own firms and find their way to small business. New firms are launched every day without proper planning, without an understanding of basic business fundamentals and often with an eager acceptance that life as an architect will be a difficult struggle. I was born an … [Read more...]
The EntreArchitect Profit Challenge
A Quick & Dirty Version You have read this from me before here at EntreArchitect Blog... Profit, Then Art. Build a profitable business and you'll have the time and resources to do the work you love. You will be happier. You will be less stressed. You will have stronger relationships with your family and friends. Money may not buy you happiness, but running an architecture firm that works most certainly will. Last week, I presented a 60 minute webinar where I shared the step by step … [Read more...]
EntreArchitect
Behind The Design 010:
House on Kona Coast by
Dynerman Architects
EntreArchitect: Behind the Design is a continuing blog series where we feature work designed, developed and/or built by small firm entrepreneur architect members of The EntreArchitect Community. Want to have YOUR best work featured here at EntreArchitect? Click here to learn how. House on Kona Coast by Dynerman Architects Project Name House on Kona Coast Project Location Kona, HI Firm Name Dynerman Architects Architect’s Name Alan Dynerman Project Design Team Bill … [Read more...]
They Try to Publish…
And Thus They Perish
Starting out in architecture on your own, not as an intern, or a middle career employee, those of us who want personal expression in design see two venues: competitions that are open to anyone or publication of what you have done. You know you have the chops. You are convinced that what you do has a message, worth, meaning: You just need the "Street Cred". Screaming your genius in a closed room on your laptop feels like playing Solitaire - you win, but who knows. No one hears you. No one sees … [Read more...]
The Power of Blogging
as a Small Firm Architect
The Power of Blogging for Architects The blog is still one of the most effective tools a small firm architect can use to foster community. The goal when writing a blog is to gain an audience. Over time, if encouraged to interact, your audience will develop into a community. A community will guide you, support you and share your content with others. A community will help your audience grow. A community will help you succeed. Small firm architects are busy people. We are not seeking more … [Read more...]
A Productivity System for Architects
A Productivity System for Architects Finding clients you seek to serve, who have projects with appropriate budgets and realistic schedules is very important. Understanding business fundamentals and building systems that will lead to a healthy profitable firm is critical. Developing an effective marketing strategy that provides appropriate leads and a sales system that converts those leads to clients, may make the difference between a thriving business and a endless loop of failure. As small … [Read more...]
Value Based Compensation for Architects
For years architects have been looking for ways to justify their fees and hourly rates to their clients. It may just be that this "justification" posture is the obstacle to achieving their goal of higher fees and enhanced profitability. Instead, more energy could be expended in improving our communication skills, especially our listening skills. We need to take the time to understand our clients' needs and concerns and then educate them about the value-added aspects of our service. Please … [Read more...]
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