Magnificent Home Improvements: Architecture Firm

Top 5 Secrets to a Great Design Practice

The last few months have marked a notable turnaround in the number of people who seem more optimistic about the stability of the economy.  Although no one would describe the outlook as 'rosy', the fear of a 'double dip' recession seems out of sight for now.  In our practice, we have definitely seen a rise in the number of people and companies who are starting or re-starting projects that were once stalled.  Although navigating through the last four years has been challenging, it seems that the firms who are best positioned to capitalize on the future are those that seem to have a solid foundation in several key areas.  Whether you are one person or twenty, it is important to remember that the business of Design is a creative one.  If you don't put yourself in a position to be creative then all the service in the world is not going to get you where you want to go.  Here is a brief checklist of the top 5 things that I believe will put your company in a position to succeed: 1- Stay relevant - At Pocono Modern, we have a great shop that sells everything from art to furniture to home accessories.  Some products are hits, and some have barely sold.  The most successful products are the ones that touch a nerve or that capitalize on what people are talking about.  Many designers have 'niches' or areas of specialty, which is perfectly fine.  However you also need to understand how to connect that niche to the practical matters that govern the basic laws of supply and demand.  You might have the best fishing pole in the world, but you are aren't going to catch anything if you aren't fishing where the fish are.  Stay current on websites and publications that speak to your target audience.  When you network, pitch the person and not your product.  Understand how to connect what you do to what they need.   Don't waste your time fishing where there aren't any fish. 2- Don't rely on the Internet to sell your work - In my opinion, this is the single biggest mistake the people make with their marketing.  Many people believe that if they cover all the bases (with a website and a Facebook page and a Twitter Account and an e-mail newsletter) that they will eventually connect with future clients.  I don't believe that we have ever gotten a client on our website alone.  However you can certainly lose clients if your website is not credible.  The most important thing about all of these platforms is to have consistency in your communications.  Focus on quality, not quantity.  Rather than trying to be everywhere at once focus on a consistent stream of high quality communications whether it be things you Tweet or images you post.  Remember that clients are hiring YOU and not your website for their project.  Keep it simple. Only post the best work.  Be selective about what you release. 3- Turn work down - Many Architects I know complain about the loss of work over the last few years as well as the reduction in fees that they have had to take as a result of fighting for projects.  When I ask them how many projects they have turned down, the result is often a look of shock and awe.  'What do you mean, turn work down??'.   I realize that this seems counter intuitive, but the truth is that every client is not going to take you to the promised land (high quality work with little interference).  In fact, even your best clients are seldom going to let you run the show.  The recession has bred a new string of client that wants the work faster and cheaper with you taking all the risk.  To these clients, I say 'no thanks'.  What's amazing is that when you say no, the clients are just as shocked.   I hate to be redundant, but focus on quality and not quantity. This is your reputation after all.  And in a few of those cases, the clients who really wanted to work with us came back and asked us what our terms were.  Now that's the start of a good relationship.   The sister rule of this is to never work with anyone you don't like (be it client or colleague).   4- Do other work - It's easy to get burnt out working for the man (or for clients). You need to do some things for yourself.  Whether it's non profit work, competitions, or just doing something for your own house it's important to have a change of pace every now and again.  Some of the biggest success stories I have seen came from projects that were invented out of thin air.  Chances are if you make something you need or want, then someone else likely does too. 5- Invest in the dream- Every person who strikes out on their own has a dream of some sort.  Maybe the dream is to design your own home.  Maybe the dream is to be financially successful.  Whatever the dream is, you've got to feed it.  If money is what you're after make sure to put away a piece of every dollar you make.  If the dream is to create a font that's going to change the world, make sure you budget a piece of your week to working on it.  One of my goals is to write a particular book.  I've had it outlined for more than a decade.  Only recently did I set a goal for its completion.  Now that I am working on it, I am feeling really good about other parts of my practice.  Working towards a big goal creates inspiration and motivation.  Who doesn't need those? Hopefully the list above helps you to create some priorities in your work.  There's no quick fix solution to having the practice of your dreams, but if you have some guidelines it can certainly be a lot more rewarding. Good Luck!

Top 5 Secrets to a Great Design Practice

The last few months have marked a notable turnaround in the number of people who seem more optimistic about the stability of the economy. A...

6:17 AM

Starting a new Architecture Firm - Lessons Learned

I have to apologize for my absence in the blogosphere. For the last six months I have been setting up a new company focused on the practice of Architecture and Interior Design. (For all you Pocono Modern fans: not to worry. Things in Jim Thorpe are unaffected) Luckily for me, I had already done this back in 2005 so I knew what to expect. What I could not anticipate was the current economic climate and the changes to the way business is done. Having now worked through most of the challenges, I wanted to recount some of the more interesting moments in the hopes that others who are considering starting a new firm (or any business for that matter) can be prepared. And while this topic diverts from the usual shop talk of Architecture, I hope that some may find it useful if you may be considering breaking out on your own. Challenge #1 - Credit for small businesses is virtually non existent. In the old days, you fill out an application with an office supply company or an equipment company and they open an account for you. If it turns out that you don't pay your bills, they shut your account and send you collection notices until you pay. If there is equipment involved, they come and take it. Simple. This is not the case anymore. In order to get any account opened (from the phone company to the copier lease) I had to provide a valid credit card, checking account, professional references and sign a personal guarantee statement. In some cases, I was even turned down despite having near perfect personal credit. The bottom line is that if your company is less than 2 or 3 years old companies don't want to take the risk on you. My recommendation would be to start an LLC on paper even before you know you want to set up shop. That way you can say your company is alot older and skip alot of the red tape that a new business has to deal with. Challenge #2 - Prices have skyrocketed. For the last few years, business has been down. Many companies have responded to this by raising their prices. I guess they figure if they are going to do less business, the business that they do have should be more profitable. In addition to this, raw material and shipping costs have generally gone up due to additional fuel costs and labor wages. The best way I know to combat this is to try and buy slightly used things that you can get a deal on. For example, there are many places that sell second hand office furniture (such as desks, chairs, and filing cabinets) where the pieces are like new. You can also get computers and office equipment off lease at a big discount. Let somebody else pay for the new stuff. Get yourself a better deal and save a little bit of the planet at the same time. Challenge #3 - No one wants to help you. I remember when I started my last firm, there were people lined up to try and help us get work and spread the wealth around. Today, everyone is trying to take care of themselves. Most businesses are just trying to stay afloat until things normalize. Many have already laid off people and are operating on a skeleton crew. Companies are cutting back to the bare minimum and that doesn't leave alot of room for going out of their way to look after your interests. If you are going to build a company now, you have to do it on your own. Challenge #4 - Every company has cut back on something. When we order product literature for building products, we used to get these big binders full of information. Now we get a stack of loose tearsheets with no binder. Companies used to beat down your door to come in and do a lunch presentation where they provide the lunch. Now you don't get so much as a cookie until you actually throw some business their way. Most companies think that these small saves add up to big savings. To me though, it tells you which companies are stable enough to satisfy a customer and which companies have poor management and are fighting for their lives. Challenge #5 - The cost of money. If you are lucky enough to get some business line of credit or a business credit card, be prepared for really high interest rates. Despite record low borrowing costs from the federal government, banks are taking it to the few customers they have left. I recently cancelled a business credit account from Citibank when they jacked my rate to 28.99%. President Obama's credit card reform bill has done little to avert these kinds of abuses. Combine that with the fact that banks are not lending and you have a perfect storm for high interest rates. My suggestion would be to pay cash for as much as you can and use smaller local vendors that may extend better credit terms. They may charge a little more for the item, but in the end you will be ahead. So, that's kind of what I have been doing for the last few months. I promise to return to my normal Architectural subject matter in the next post. For those of you who are also working on new businesses, I wish you all the best.

Starting a new Architecture Firm - Lessons Learned

I have to apologize for my absence in the blogosphere . For the last six months I have been setting up a new company focused on the practi...

12:22 PM

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Top 5 Secrets to a Great Design Practice

Starting a new Architecture Firm - Lessons Learned

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