EntreArchitect // Small Firm Entrepreneur Architects

Business training and resources for small firm entrepreneur architects.

Our Architectural Services Proposal

Several years ago, I attended a local AIA seminar presented by a fellow architect and the Chapter Council. The topic was “alternative agreements”. What I learned during that interactive meeting was that for some projects, selecting one of the many legal documents available from our national professional organizations an appropriate way to protect both the […]

Do you use AIA Contract Documents? Let’s talk agreements…

Several years ago, we constructed a new Proposal document that doubles as our Owner / Architect Agreement. It’s 5 pages long and, together with a separate 2 page “Standard Terms and Conditions” document, it includes all the protections of the AIA document… but looks and reads much friendlier. Fivecat Studio specializes in large residential additions […]

How I Use Social Media

Although not technically “social media”, I have been blogging at http://www.livingwellinwestchester.com since 2006. I have had many clients remark that they read my blog and felt that they had grown to know me before we actually met. For me, that alone makes it worth the time required to post on a weekly basis. Recently, I […]

Are you using social media to attract clients?

The Entrepreneur Architect Linkedin Group has been very active lately. We’ve been discussing fee structures, branding, client acquisition, firm naming, business plans and startups. The question of the day today is about social media. Are you actively using social media platforms such as Linkedin, facebook, Twitter or YouTube to promote your business, make connections, influence […]

How do your clients find YOU?

At the end of an interview with a prospective client, I ask them to complete a short questionnaire. Most of the questions are names, address and telephone numbers, but near the bottom of the page is this question, “How did you learn about Fivecat Studio?” The question is followed by a few choices, “Magazine or […]

How important is your firm’s name?

Our firm’s name is Fivecat Studio. It took quite a long time to settle on the name when we launched the firm back in 1999. Our intent, then and now, is to build a great and enduring firm that will long outlive its founders. We did not want to build the firm around any single […]