EntreArchitect

DECEMBER 18, 2018

Prior to starting our own firms, we business-owner architects experienced an “entrepreneurial seizure”, as Michael Gerber so accurately described in his book, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. It’s the precise moment when a passionate employee commits to starting her own firm.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Clients 52

EntreArchitect

MAY 23, 2017

With that being said, allow me to share my bookkeeping basics for architects. Bookkeeping Basics for Architects. Depending on the data, you may be able to solve this issue by raising your billing rates, reducing the time spent on project phases, or reducing other costs or expenses. You’re a great architect!

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Management 52

EntreArchitect

APRIL 24, 2018

We may have perfected our marketing, developed a strong reputation, executed a flawless sales process and have received our prospective client’s eager authorization to proceed with a new project. This one step could kill the project before you ever have a chance to demonstrate your skill as an architect. We need a contract.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Contract Firms Development 52

EntreArchitect

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Email Management for Architects. As small firm architects, we are all working so hard to get everything done. Between the many hours we dedicate to building our firms and the time we spend building strong relationships at home, there are not many minutes left to do anything else. Turn off notifications.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Management Firms Architect 52

EntreArchitect

JANUARY 19, 2016

Without any education in business basics, architects rarely understand the fundamentals of business success. Seven years into owning our own small firm, Annmarie and I decided to make some changes. Before I scheduled these tasks, I found that I would fit them in around project deadlines and client meetings.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Management 52

EntreArchitect

MARCH 21, 2017

Fees for Small Firm Architects. There are hundreds of articles, forums, blog posts and comments discussing how we architects are not paid enough and how our clients don’t understand what we do. Discussing compensation among architects (and even openly comparing fees) is not against the law. We are worth more.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Regulation 52

EntreArchitect

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

Professional Liability Insurance for Architects. Architects are inherently burdened with risk and liability for the services we provide. We make thousands of decisions during the development of a typical architectural project. We must protect ourselves, our firms and our families from the risk of legal action.

Insurance 52

Insurance Small Firm Firms Architect 52

EntreArchitect

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

” When Annmarie and I launched Fivecat Studio more than 15 years ago we had no projects, no clients and no money. We were two young architects seeking the freedom of our own firm. A friend helped start us off with our first project; a new local restaurant named Meetinghouse located in Bedford, New York.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Clients 52

EntreArchitect

MARCH 10, 2023

He changed my life as an architect and indirectly impacted an entire generation of architect business owners through EntreArchitect. I was so excited to finally speak with him one-on-one, and this time, as a fellow architect. Gene was my architect superhero. Gene Kohn was an entrepreneur architect.

Small Firm 98

Small Firm Architect Architecture Firm Firms 98

EntreArchitect

JANUARY 26, 2014

Project conversions have been up and down for more than a decade. Our best year, in terms of converting Prospects to Projects was 2004. I know this as fact, because I track my firm’s Prospect to Project Ratio. Every year since Annmarie and I launched the firm in 1999, we’ve had a full workload.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Contract 52

EntreArchitect

SEPTEMBER 7, 2015

Each month, my friend Bob Borson over at Life of an Architect organizes a growing group of architect bloggers to coordinate a single post on a single topic released simultaneously on a specific day. Small firm architects have a very difficult time keeping work and life separate. Work/Life…What an Architect Does.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Client 52

EntreArchitect

OCTOBER 17, 2017

Finding The Time To Be An Architect. As an Entrepreneur Architect, that’s not an easy schedule, but it’s worth every sacrifice that it requires. As a small firm architect running a virtual studio , I am wearing many hats these days. If you are an Entrepreneur Architect, I’m sure this sounds familiar.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Clients 52

EntreArchitect

AUGUST 9, 2016

Every architect has a dream of having their work published in books and magazines. The process of having our work published is one of those secrets architects learn with maturity. The process of having our work published is one of those secrets architects learn with maturity. Every project has the possibility of being published.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Clients 52

EntreArchitect

APRIL 18, 2017

Why Architects Miss Their Profitability Targets. For all professional design firms there are two different, yet interrelated levels of profitability – a firm’s overall profitability and the profitability of each completed project. Profit is Independent of Projects. The legal and organizational structure of a firm.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Management 52

EntreArchitect

NOVEMBER 20, 2017

This quiet time would clear my mind and prepare me for the “chaos” that is running a small firm architecture studio. I find it is also important to stay aware of any potential fires smoldering among our projects. I review each project and identify what needs to be completed, review deadlines and understand priorities for each.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Management 52

EntreArchitect

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

Too many architects I know are not making ends meet. We architects are notoriously horrible business people. So share this blog with every architect you know!). A Simple Sales System for Small Firm Architects. We worked hard, designed projects that people talked about and were well known in our market.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Clients 52

EntreArchitect

AUGUST 4, 2013

As small firm architects, work/life balance plays a critical role in the success of our businesses, as well as the success of our families. Small firm architects have a very difficult time keeping work and life separate. So, how do we keep our stress within a reasonable level for architects? (We

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Clients 52

EntreArchitect

JULY 24, 2018

Recruitment Strategies for Small Firm Architects. Recruiting new employees is one of the most important things a professional services firm can do to be sustainable. Firms leaders can start by breaking down recruitment into three stages: developing a candidate pool, narrowing to set of finalists, and negotiating the hire.

Recruitment 52

Recruitment Small Firm Firms Sustainability 52

Architizer

JANUARY 2, 2024

Combining meticulous craftsmanship, innovative problem solving and a more intimate focus on the contextual needs of each project, such practices can instigate a ripple effect, inspiring larger firms and communities alike.

Architecture Firm 118

Architecture Firm Firms Industrial Small Firm 118

Young Architect

JUNE 12, 2023

Young Architect Architects of Change: The Journey to Revitalizing Communities In this episode of The Young Architect Podcast, Architect Cody Grooms shares his architectural journey as a testament to the power of determination and the impact of inspiring individuals.

Architect 98

Architect Small Firm Zoning Foundation 98

EntreArchitect

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

Starting a new business as a small firm architect or a new career trajectory is something you must experience on your own. Think of your business as a project—and apply that human-centered mindset when building and growing it (aka it’s all an experiment.). This is a post that you might want to bookmark and come back to.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Client 52

EntreArchitect

SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

Architectural designs have been traditionally been limited by technology (or a lack thereof) as much as the vision and abilities of the architect. These solutions can themselves be altered and modified, allowing for the creation of structural designs in minutes that might have taken even the most capable of architects days or weeks.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Architecture 52

EntreArchitect

JULY 25, 2016

Many architects have experienced the result of this shut down when ordering products or materials from European suppliers. The phones stop ringing and fresh prospects cease to inquire about new projects. For many of us small firm architects, this sounds a bit scary. Lee Calisti, AIA – Think Architect (@LeeCalisti).

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Management 52

EntreArchitect

JUNE 14, 2016

As small firm architects, we are responsible for so many different roles and responsibilities. Oh yeah… and we need to design and develop our architecture projects as well. We are architects after all. The first step in being more productive is to automate your architecture firm.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architecture Architecture Firm 52

EntreArchitect

APRIL 6, 2015

To successfully complete a project, an architect is responsible for making thousands of critical decisions. To complete the development of a standard residential additions and alterations project, it takes several months of focus and dedication. But wait… for architects, there’s more. How do YOU make more money?

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Architect Clients 52

Architizer

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Architecture and design firms of all sizes, locales and specialisms are invited to submit their projects and portfolios for major industry recognition, publication in print and more this year. Celebrating the People Behind the Projects. Submit a Project.

Project 94

Project Firms Architecture Architecture Firm 94

EntreArchitect

MAY 26, 2014

We’re spending only what needs to be spent to build a stronger firm… and much sacrifice remains. Small Firm Architects Are Saying Good Bye to the AIA. One such investment seeing the axe is their long-time memberships to the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The Value of My Own AIA Membership.

Small Firm 40

Small Firm Firms Architect Contract 40

EntreArchitect

APRIL 28, 2014

Life lately has become one long busy day after another, running from project to project, trying to keep all the balls in the air. As small firm architects, “balance” should not be our goal. A Benefit of Being a Small Firm Architect. Starting and running a small firm requires sacrifice.

Small Firm 40

Small Firm Firms Architect Structure 40

Architizer

MAY 7, 2024

Crafting a well-defined business strategy is crucial for the success of any business, architecture firms included, but according to the most recent AIA Business Survey Report in 2022, only 26% of small firms, 40% of medium-sized firms, and 71% of large firms have one written down. So, where do you start?

Visualization 78

Visualization Architect Firms Diagram 78

Architizer

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

In the present day, these ideals hold true — but what is expected of the contemporary architect has expanded considerably. Catalyst Building by Michael Green Architects, 10th Annual A+Awards Finalist in the Architecture +Sustainability category. “I am grateful that this project has been appreciated globally.

Environment 98

Environment Architect Small Firm Firms 98

Architizer

MARCH 20, 2023

For architecture and design practices with fewer employees, delivering an extraordinary project is arguably more intimate. Judged on the strength of their portfolios, the following trailblazing practices, each with 10 or fewer employees, were all recognized in the Best Small Firm category of the 10 th Annual A+Awards.

Architecture Firm 101

Architecture Firm Firms Small Firm Architecture 101

EntreArchitect

APRIL 12, 2016

This is a guest post written by our friend (and founding member of EntreArchitect Academy) Marica McKeel ; an architect, designer, foodie, and entrepreneur. In this article Marica shares her recent experience with building a new team for her small firm and how she is being intentional about the culture in which they work.

Small Firm 52

Small Firm Firms Development Developer 52

EntreArchitect

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

He changed my life as an architect and indirectly impacted an entire generation of architect business owners through EntreArchitect. This time as the Day 2 Keynote Speaker at The EntreArchitect Community Annual Meeting , the business conference for small firm architects. Gene inspired me that day in 1992.

Firms 98

Firms Small Firm Architecture Firm Architecture Student 98

EntreArchitect

OCTOBER 13, 2013

The basement had served us well, but among the sounds of babies in the background, we felt that our client base would view our home studio as a weakness; a symbol of young “wanna-be” architects. We reduced expenses, expanded our market and relaxed our focus on our target project type. Survival is Success.

Small Firm 40

Small Firm Firms Architect Client 40

Young Architect

MARCH 14, 2022

After wrapping up his musical career, he started his career in Architecture at a small firm. This was where he realized he had a passion for smaller, more personal projects. . Work on the types of projects that you love! Advice for Aspiring Architects: “Get licensed early!

Architect 82

Architect Architecture School Small Firm Remodeling 82

Architizer

OCTOBER 17, 2023

Architizer is delighted to introduce a NEW Best Firm Category to the 12th Annual A+Awards : Best Sole Practioner. F reelance architects and designers and single-person architecture and/or design firms invited to throw their hats in the ring: Start Submission What is the most propagandistic image of ‘the architect’?

Engineering 135

Engineering Engineering Architecture Small Firm 135

Architizer

OCTOBER 31, 2022

We’re delighted to introduce a NEW Best Firm Category to the 11th Annual A+Awards : Best X-Small Firm. Firms employing 1-5 staff are invited to throw their hats in the ring: Start Submission. If I asked you to describe the portfolio of a firm with five or fewer employees, what types of projects would you envision?

Architecture Firm 66

Architecture Firm Firms Small Firm Architecture 66