Managing Your Architectural Practice for Profit

There is a new breed of architect evolving today. He or she is a no nonsense, practical sort of service provider, who handles permitting, assists with the paperwork for financing, secures a builder, gets involved in the day to day problems of construction, and solves them jointly with the builder, subcontractor and code personnel. Almost incidental to this work is the design and preparation of working drawings. Some practitioners report design and drawing production to be only 3-5% of their time. Often the production of shell drawings is farmed out to a drafting service. Their staff consists of one or two administrative and field support people. Most of their time is spent coordinating, cajoling, locating and following up on problems and scheduling. Very little time is spent in the office, except to stop by in the morning and finish up at night.
The interesting thing about this architect is that he or she is busy! They report twenty to thirty projects ongoing at any one time with 70-80% actually being built. This is a far cry from the traditional office where 40-60% construction is the norm. The reasons are simply that the new architect gets involved in every phase of a project and keeps it moving. The other reason is that unless a project is viable, the new architect will not waste time pursuing pipe dreams, he is too busy. Being busy, there is enough cash flow to allow him to pick and choose his projects, and drop those not moving forward.

Does this sound like the activities of a typical successful banker, lawyer, accountant, doctor or real estate professional? Yes it does. Are there parallels between these professions? You bet! Are there architects you know who are following this plan, I hope so! Are they the "signature architects?" To a large degree, yes. Can you get there, absolutely!

Step one is to develop a written business plan. You must know where you want to go vs. where you are going. This plan must be practical, positive and possible. That is you must be able to use your present resources to put the plan into action, that is the practical part. Use your present situation to move you to where you want to go! Even if you are working in a dead end job, use resources at that job to move you on to the next level. If it means assembling copies of all your best work, organizing them, making a portfolio, typing a resume, making future job or client contacts, polishing your skills on office computers, office machines, whatever, don't waste your present job resources use them!

The positive steps you can take are to review your business plan periodically in a quiet place. Take your plan out of the office, get away from all your usual haunts and re-read the plan and the steps you think you must take. Are they practical? Have you been able to do any of them, do you see results from your actions? Pencil in changes to the plan to correct the "drift." Look at those changes later. If they still hold up, re-write the plan. Having a written plan puts you head and shoulders above your contemporaries. You have the inner knowledge of planning what you are doing as opposed to just "winging it" as you go along.

Finally, your personal finances will determine if your planning is possible. Of course you may win a lottery, but barring that or some other unexpected infusion of cash, you must finance and pay for your own advancement in architecture. Let me say that again. Unless you are financially able to follow your plan, it is just a dream! But if finances are the only things stopping you, there are ways around that. You can take a second job, you can find a better paying job for yourself or your partner or you can take what resources you have, savings, handyman skills or other marketable skill, and make money outside of architecture. The point is, to acquire the finances to make your plan happen.

Then does your plan accurately forecast your costs? Are your projections of cash in, accurate enough to satisfy your banker? Are you able to put aside cash each pay period or out of each client check? Do you actually know what it will cost to operate your business daily? Are you bringing in enough to cover that and more? Have you considered your family in your planning? Are they fully committed to your plan and do they understand their part in making it happen? Hopefully you and your family will have a common goal, your professional development will figure in and you will have a rich and rewarding life. Good Luck and Godspeed!