In your experience, what is the best time to open a practice, and how were you able to get those initial jobs? I'm interested to hear the different ways people have been able to make it.
1. Start doing freelance work until you have more freelance work than you can handle.
2. Express to current boss intention of leaving to start your own office, but want to make transition work for his office. (ie. not only don't burn bridge, but solidify relationship by how you leave).
3. Then, start your own firm and make your freelance work into your work.
4. Then struggle and be scrappy for a decade or so to build your firm.
You need to have a client base before you go out on your own. I worked for another architectural firm for a while, and I realized I was bringing in a good portion of the work. This was ok with me, actually, until the owner started complaining about the projects, his lack of control, etc. So I went out on my own, and nearly all of the clients I had developed chose to follow me.
How did I develop those clients is the next logical question. Answer: networking. I am pretty enthusiastic about what we do, so I end up talking about it. A LOT!. I met clients at networking functions, at my kids soccer games, at their schools, in restaurants, while volunteering, while in my neighborhood, etc. Best of all, I worked very hard to make those clients happy so that they became my hidden sales force- I get nearly all of my new business from word of mouth from my existing clients. Although most of those early jobs will be residential, work hard to develope commercial clients who will give you repeat work over and over. Contractors make great clients. Leasing agents even better. Join networking groups where these people hang out. Use whatever contacts you have. Did you belong to a fraternity? Work those contacts! Belong to a church? get them to spread the word. Believe it or not, most people genuinely like helping someone, so if you approach them with something specific and doable- such as " I understand you know Mr Smith, the developer of upscale lofts in town. I have been trying to meet him for months. Do you think you could arrange a lunch with the three of us? I would be glad to buy the two of you lunch or a couple of drinks if you have time." Then follow up. Don't just approach it like "what can you do for me?" find out what problems Mr. High end lofts is having. Does he need the name of a good electrical contractor? Does he wish he had an idea for how to use the roof of his buildings for green space? Show you care, and send him some article, or jot down some ideas of how he can solve his problem , pass on the name of a good electrician, etc. Then do it again every month until he bites.
I always wanted to do my own thing or have my own practice; I had my first job in an Arch. Office in junior high- work through H.S. and undergrad. Always new I wanted to be an architect I knew that much, but an opportunity arose to do something I loved more than architecture at that time and I went for it. Five years later I suffer a career changing injury that made my choice of returning to grad school a viable alternative. During grad school I started doing renderings and models for architects in the city, some small projects come my way from relationships during the summers, this keep me going and learning the business part of the design field (which I still struggle with) during my last year of grad school I got an internship with a fabulous firm, didn’t burn the place down so they asked me to stay, worked there for five years and had to move to a different city do to family matters. I moved to a city where I just did not fit architecturally speaking I couldn’t find a job that I could be happy going into every day. I decided to take the time off to finish my ARE. Luckily enough I got a part time teaching position at the local Arch School and set up a small studio to study and do competition, had an open house of my work and my student’s work on urban renewal and other speculative city related projects; which went very well and got some local publicity, I joined some non profit organization and shared my skill with then. In a manner of a few month and three ARE exam latter I had client and project to work on. I have developed great relationship in the past two years and residential and small T.I. work continues to flow my way, until I can complete my exams (4 more to go) and go out there full blast.
Archie is right on the money, I talk to everyone and show a genuine interest in what they do. Word of mouth keeps me going.
Archie- thanks for sharing your years of experience it ‘s much appreciated, I am glad I am somewhat in the right path.
the architect i used to work for would always develop very solid relationships with his clients. he'd always call them just to see how his clients were doing. he'd talk to them even if it's not about architecture.
Own a Practice
In your experience, what is the best time to open a practice, and how were you able to get those initial jobs? I'm interested to hear the different ways people have been able to make it.
In my experience. . .
1. Start doing freelance work until you have more freelance work than you can handle.
2. Express to current boss intention of leaving to start your own office, but want to make transition work for his office. (ie. not only don't burn bridge, but solidify relationship by how you leave).
3. Then, start your own firm and make your freelance work into your work.
4. Then struggle and be scrappy for a decade or so to build your firm.
5. Continue to work hard.
6. Die.
don't forget to pray (personally, I dont' pray to any God, just in general), that's very important when starting a business
You need to have a client base before you go out on your own. I worked for another architectural firm for a while, and I realized I was bringing in a good portion of the work. This was ok with me, actually, until the owner started complaining about the projects, his lack of control, etc. So I went out on my own, and nearly all of the clients I had developed chose to follow me.
How did I develop those clients is the next logical question. Answer: networking. I am pretty enthusiastic about what we do, so I end up talking about it. A LOT!. I met clients at networking functions, at my kids soccer games, at their schools, in restaurants, while volunteering, while in my neighborhood, etc. Best of all, I worked very hard to make those clients happy so that they became my hidden sales force- I get nearly all of my new business from word of mouth from my existing clients. Although most of those early jobs will be residential, work hard to develope commercial clients who will give you repeat work over and over. Contractors make great clients. Leasing agents even better. Join networking groups where these people hang out. Use whatever contacts you have. Did you belong to a fraternity? Work those contacts! Belong to a church? get them to spread the word. Believe it or not, most people genuinely like helping someone, so if you approach them with something specific and doable- such as " I understand you know Mr Smith, the developer of upscale lofts in town. I have been trying to meet him for months. Do you think you could arrange a lunch with the three of us? I would be glad to buy the two of you lunch or a couple of drinks if you have time." Then follow up. Don't just approach it like "what can you do for me?" find out what problems Mr. High end lofts is having. Does he need the name of a good electrical contractor? Does he wish he had an idea for how to use the roof of his buildings for green space? Show you care, and send him some article, or jot down some ideas of how he can solve his problem , pass on the name of a good electrician, etc. Then do it again every month until he bites.
Architect's Essentials of Marketing
I always wanted to do my own thing or have my own practice; I had my first job in an Arch. Office in junior high- work through H.S. and undergrad. Always new I wanted to be an architect I knew that much, but an opportunity arose to do something I loved more than architecture at that time and I went for it. Five years later I suffer a career changing injury that made my choice of returning to grad school a viable alternative. During grad school I started doing renderings and models for architects in the city, some small projects come my way from relationships during the summers, this keep me going and learning the business part of the design field (which I still struggle with) during my last year of grad school I got an internship with a fabulous firm, didn’t burn the place down so they asked me to stay, worked there for five years and had to move to a different city do to family matters. I moved to a city where I just did not fit architecturally speaking I couldn’t find a job that I could be happy going into every day. I decided to take the time off to finish my ARE. Luckily enough I got a part time teaching position at the local Arch School and set up a small studio to study and do competition, had an open house of my work and my student’s work on urban renewal and other speculative city related projects; which went very well and got some local publicity, I joined some non profit organization and shared my skill with then. In a manner of a few month and three ARE exam latter I had client and project to work on. I have developed great relationship in the past two years and residential and small T.I. work continues to flow my way, until I can complete my exams (4 more to go) and go out there full blast.
Archie is right on the money, I talk to everyone and show a genuine interest in what they do. Word of mouth keeps me going.
Archie- thanks for sharing your years of experience it ‘s much appreciated, I am glad I am somewhat in the right path.
the architect i used to work for would always develop very solid relationships with his clients. he'd always call them just to see how his clients were doing. he'd talk to them even if it's not about architecture.
: "people don't really care how much you know until the know how much you care" -- it's a corny old saying, but it holds a lot of truth
you could ask this guy, he is the authority on the subject:
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