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...]
4 Steps to Higher Productivity as a Small Firm Architect
Finding The Time To Be An Architect A little past 6AM, tunes from the local radio station wake me from a very deep slumber. (I set the alarm to 6:14, so I hear music rather than the daily 'bad news" report. I am very serious about my “full media blackout“.) After making the family breakfast and keeping the kids focused on meeting the morning deadlines, I hustle the kids off to the bus stop. I work very hard to keep balance in my life. I’m a "scout dad", a "swim dad" and a "row dad". I … [Read more...]
Getting It All Done
As an Entrepreneur Architect I wear many hats. I’m a designer, a draftsman, a project manager, a construction manager, a book keeper, a marketing director, a salesman, a customer service representative, an IT manager, a boss, a partner, a CEO, a COO, a CFO… the list goes on and on. And those are only the hats for my architecture firm. It can be very stressful. At times, it’s overwhelming. I have the same number of hours each day as everyone else. How does one get it all done? ...our … [Read more...]
Confessions Of A Recovering Procrastinator
I think it's genetic... the DNA of every architect includes the sequencing chemistry for our procrastination. We start too late, we prefer the alternative and we push our limits up against every deadline, hoping to squeeze out every last bit of creative energy. Do you procrastinate? I know you do... you're an architect. I too am a recovering procrastinator, but several years ago I developed a process to overcome my natural tendencies to delay. Here are 10 tips I use every day to conquer … [Read more...]
Using Strategic Deadlines for Higher Productivity
Goals are Dreams With Deadlines The deadline is a critical tool, used by the most successful people in the world to make things happen. When teaching about business planning, author/speaker Dave Ramsey says, “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” It’s the deadline that will take our intentions and turn them into reality. Without them, life flows into the void and our best intentions remain unfinished. Author and Peak Performance Master Tony Robbins, says, “The secret of unleashing your true … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Unleash the Significant Power of Sleep
5 Steps to Unleash the Significant Power of Sleep I love to sleep, but the truth is that of all my many skills, sleep may be one of my weakest. I know it’s important and I know it has a direct effect on my health and wellbeing. It even has a direct effect on my overall success. Yet, night after night, I break the rules and my sleep suffers for it. But… I am getting much better. A few years back, I began to experience some concerning health issues. After months of tests and … [Read more...]
The second step will build upon the first… Just Start!
This article was originally published here at EntreArchitect back in May of 2013. It's one of my favorites. -Mark What's holding you back from the success of your dreams? Last summer my son Henry built a rowboat; an eleven foot poorboy skiff built from mahogany lumber and plywood. I shared Henry’s story here on the blog and sent a copy to the local newspaper in Alexandria Bay, New York near where Henry’s boat was christened and launched. Henry was so excited when he saw his name and … [Read more...]
How To Automate Your Small Firm Architecture Studio
As small firm architects, we are responsible for so many different roles and responsibilities. We are pulled in so many different directions and our schedules are full every day, from morning to evening. We need to meet with clients, develop and distribute marketing, respond to important email, manage our social media accounts, send invoices, collect payments and so much more. Oh yeah… and we need to design and develop our architecture projects as well. We are architects after all. How can we … [Read more...]
5 Fundamentals To Learn Before Launching Your Own Architecture Firm
When Annmarie and I launched Fivecat Studio, we were “young and dumb”. We were optimistic and enthusiastic, but we didn’t know what we didn’t know. We were 29 years old, had a dream of starting our own firm and jumped. I always knew I would own my own firm. I’m a born entrepreneur. What I did not know though, was how hard business would be. Blessed with friends who needed architectural services for their new restaurant, we signed a contract and thought we were on our way. We thought that was … [Read more...]
How To Manage Your Architecture Projects Using Evernote
Every morning, as I prepare for my day, I sit down at my iMac and launch my most critical apps. I use the native Mac Mail for email. Nozbe for managing my tasks. Fantastical 2.0 is my current calendar of choice and all my AutoCAD drawing files are safely backed up and accessible on Dropbox. Each app helps me stay productive whether I am in the studio or on the road. And then there's Evernote. I've been using Evernote for a few years now and it has slowly become my most useful tool. … [Read more...]
Learn to Use Deadlines with Skill
The deadline is a critical tool, used by the most successful people in the world to make things happen. When teaching about business planning, author/speaker Dave Ramsey says, "Goals are dreams with deadlines.” It’s the deadline that will take our intentions and turn them into reality. Without them, life flows into the void and our best intentions remain unfinished. Author and Peak Performance Master Tony Robbins, says, "The secret of unleashing your true power is setting goals that are … [Read more...]
Three Lists to Freedom
The EntreArchitect blog now hosts more than 26,000 views per month. The podcast is downloaded more than 7,000 times every 30 days. The Entrepreneur Architect Report, my free weekly newsletter, is delivered to more than 3,500 Entrepreneur Architects each week. Big things are happening here at Entrepreneur Architect. We are rapidly achieving our mission of becoming an influential force in the profession for small firm architects. (Stay tuned for some very exciting news!) My residential … [Read more...]