Last year I studied 163 architecture websites (crazy, I know!). I studied them because I was tired of hearing architects say: “My website doesn’t matter… I get all my projects from referrals or word-of-mouth”. But in today’s Google-driven, economic-uncertain, pandemic-plagued world, nothing could be further from the truth. Architecture practice websites do matter. Your practice website is your key to getting more (and better*) clients through the door. (*And by better clients I mean … [Read more...]
Why Your Architecture Practice Website Matters
Contract Documents
for Small Firm Architects
You may have built your brand, perfected your marketing, developed a strong reputation, executed a flawless sales process, and have received your prospective client’s eager authorization to proceed with a new project. You've done everything right up to this point, but to make this new relationship official, you need to complete one final important step. You need a signed legal document. You need an Owner/Architect Agreement. It may be the most important step in the entire process of … [Read more...]
Advantages of Remote Hiring and Onboarding for Architects
Our first experience with remote hiring was March 18, 2020 - the first day the firm started working from home. CO Architects is fortunate that our workload increased throughout 2020, so we had to adapt quickly to recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and integrating new staff virtually. We’ve hired and onboarded 25 new employees since March 2020, representing a staff growth of about 17 percent. Virtual Benefits One advantage of remote interviews is that they feel more intimate and relaxed. … [Read more...]
A Case for the Sole Practitioner Architect Business Model
There has never been a better time for architects to practice independently. Computers, the Internet, and cell phones all foster an easier way of practicing remotely. Yet to many architects, the thought of working alone, doing most (if not all) of the tasks on a project seems daunting, unprofitable, menial. However, the Sole Practice business model can be attainable, profitable, and most fulfilling. As a licensed architect with 25 years of experience, this is the model I … [Read more...]
Is It Ethical to Sell in These Times?
The following is a guest post written by Blair Enns, founder and CEO of Win Without Pitching. The content for this article, published here with permission, was first published on April 6, 2020, on the Win Without Pitching blog here. Learn more about Blair Enns, his fantastic books, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto and Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour, and his impactful coaching and training programs here. At the end of a crazy week, David C. Baker and I … [Read more...]
Collecting, Communicating and Closing in a Time of Crisis
The following is a guest post written by Blair Enns, founder and CEO of Win Without Pitching. The content for this article, published here with permission, was first published on March 25, 2020, on the Win Without Pitching blog here. Learn more about Blair Enns, his fantastic books, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto and Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour, and his impactful coaching and training programs here. In last week’s post Three Steps to Surviving … [Read more...]
Three Steps to Surviving and Thriving in a Crisis
The following is a guest post written by Blair Enns, founder and CEO of Win Without Pitching. The content for this article, published here with permission, was first published on March 17, 2020, on the Win Without Pitching blog here. Learn more about Blair Enns, his fantastic books, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto and Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour, and his impactful coaching and training programs here. “May you live in interesting times,”goes the old … [Read more...]
Is your architecture website hurting your firm?
Imagine you'll get hungry tomorrow while you're out and you decide to pick up some quick lunch. What would happen as you drove down the road if you didn’t see signs for McDonald’s or Chipotle—but instead only “Fast Food” or “Eat My Lunch?” Or let’s say you needed a new pair of shoes. What would you do if every shop in the mall had blacked-out windows, doors that opened backward, and a banner out front that read “Guess What’s Inside?” If businesses worked that way, we’d have a hard … [Read more...]
10 Rules for Building a Powerful Brand in Architecture
When Annmarie and I launched our architecture studio in 1999, we knew that we wanted to give our firm a unique identity. Every other firm in the region was named for their founders. Another “Smith and Smith Architects” was not what we wanted to be. (No offense to any Smith and Smiths out there.) Our plans were to create a firm unlike anyone else and we needed a name to separate us from the pack. After a few days of considering alternatives, the name Fivecat Studio consistently rose to the … [Read more...]
The Order of Operations
The Critical Differences Among Mission, Vision, Purpose, Strategy and Goals Are you confused about the difference between mission and vision? Or, between purpose and mission? You’re not alone. I am frequently asked about the differences among mission, vision, purpose, strategy and goals... and where do values fit in? Many people don’t care about definitions. That’s certainly unfortunate. Having clear definitions distinguishes these important concepts. And since there is an order of … [Read more...]
Seeing the Forest AND the Trees
Can Your Firm Benefit from a Third-Party Business Assessment for Architects? As a busy architect and business-owner, it’s easy to become so focused on day-to-day tasks that we forget the importance of stepping back and taking in the big picture. How is my business performing as a system? What are the weak links that I don’t see? What are my team’s unique strengths that we take for granted? But even if you do have the time and the vision to reflect on your business, your individual … [Read more...]
Make Your Social Media Content More Shareable
Many (if not all) of us are using social media on a daily basis. Some of us restrict our time online to personal social interactions, while others use these powerful networking platforms to help promote our architectural businesses. Social media can certainly be a powerful tool, but if not carefully and intentionally managed, our time online can waste away the precious few hours that we are afforded each day. There are a dozen different channels from which to choose. Each has its strengths … [Read more...]
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