At this month’s meeting of the AIA Westchester / Mid-Huson Practice Management Committe we were discussing the subject of partnering (two architects working with a joint venture agreement). Among many interesting comments, the question of legal agreements was raised and I wondered if the AIA offered a document for architects looking to partner. As assumed, […]
BAM…Publicity Generated!
Last week, I posted my favorite business and marketing blogs. Catching my link to his blog, Scott Ginsberg took a tour through Entrepreneur Architect and found my post referencing a recent article in Architect magazine about getting publicity. He left an interesting comment. At his blog, Scott “shares ideas, stories and observations from his speeches, […]
A “Sticky” Manifesto
The Heath Brothers, authors of the new bestseller, Made To Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, walk the walk in their ChangeThis manifesto about three straightforward ways to make your strategy work. They preach the power of concrete language and stories to communicate your strategy effectively. Missed the Heath Bros. on “The Today […]
The Pain Level Chart
A trip to Northern Westchester Hospital Center today (everyone is fine now, thanks – a story for another day) got me thinking about systems and how important they are to a successful business. Whether that business is helping patients feel more comfortable or designing a home for a young family, properly designed systems can ensure […]
A Blog a Day…
If you are reading this post, you have probably already learned the value of a well written blog (I hope I am working my way up to “well written”). The best posts will give you a nice juicy morsel of information with links for those who want to dig deeper into the subject. I read […]
Apple for Architecture
I have been using PCs with Microsoft operating systems since purchasing my first PC in 1992. We still use Dell PCs with Windows XP at the studio. When I hired John Whalen, our first Project Manager, he started preaching the virtues of Apple computers. I never considered Apple for the studio, because they would not […]
What’s in a Name?
I am very interested in the business of naming. When Annmarie and I launched Fivecat Studio, we wanted a name that differentiated our firm from all the “Smith and Smith” firms in the region (our legal entity is still McCarthy LePage Architects, PC, so we have not yet taken the full plunge). The Name Inspector […]
Patience, Promises and the Power of Being Centered
Seth posts How to Succeed in Business (to Business). He writes about the importance of patience, not overpromising and finding one thing that clients need, then being the very best at that one thing. I think its pretty good advice for us architects as well. Anyone practicing architecture for more than a few months knows […]
Entrepreneur Architects
When in architecture school, we each had a professor who told us that architecture should be practiced for the art and the art alone. “If you want to make money”, he said, “quit now, take a walk across campus and enroll at the business school.” Some took the advice, left the profession and today are […]
Getting Publicity
The February issue of Architect magazine includes an article written by Fred Bernstein titled, Getting The Publicity You Need. In December, Claire Whitaker closed the doors of The Kreisberg Group, a P.R. firm she lead as president for five years, and moved across town to her new position as the head of public relations for […]
Customer Evangelists
Traditionally, architects have obtained commissions through word of mouth. Complete a project successfully and your client will recommend your firm to their friends and family. What if your clients not only recommended your firm, but worshipped it? What if they were so happy with your services that they went out of their way to spread […]
White Windows
Many years ago, before Annmarie and I started our residential architecture firm, I was a project manager with Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects in Mt. Kisco, New York. I worked very closely with the senior partner at the time, Dick Kaeyer. My first assignment as Project Manager was a major addition and renovation project for […]