Three First Steps To Launching Your Architectural Practice

Have you been dreaming of setting up your own architectural practice for a while? Perhaps you’ve been working for a big firm and growing tired of the same old projects. Maybe you’d prefer to take a more personal approach, working one-to-one with clients to achieve distinctive design. Or perhaps you’ve always dreamed of running your own business, being able to pick and choose projects and set your own hours to achieve more of a work-life balance. Whatever it is, choosing to launch a small architectural firm has to be a personal choice. But what does it really take to fly solo? And what should you know before you take the first step and register that website domain or start searching for a studio premises?

Begin With Your Contract

If you’re working for a firm and drawing pay as a salaried employee, the first thing you need to do before going it alone is to look carefully at your contract. As working in architecture is a profession which lends itself to independent practice, many firms insert what is known as a non-solicitation clause into their employee contracts. This restricts you from contacting any clients that you have come into contact with through your employers. There may also be a non-compete clause that bans you from working for a rival or operating within the same niche. If that is the case, contact a specialist in employment law. You don’t want to be fighting off lawsuits while trying to get a business off the ground, but equally there may be some grounds to challenge conditions if they are too restrictive to be reasonable.

Make Your Business Plan

With that out of the way, you need a clearly defined business plan. What areas will you specialise in? What will make your practice unique and know in the marketplace? How will you find clients? What turnover will you need at a certain point in order to be viable? Next think about the premises and equipment that you will need and how much these will cost – everything from studio space to developing a website and leasing CAD design software to purchasing large format print machines to run off plans will need to be considered. This document is vital when pitching for business investment and setting out your mission and values.

Structure Your Practice

You also need to decide what kind of legal entity to set your business up as. For example, you could launch as a sole trader – this avoids some taxes and paperwork, but it does mean that you and your business are considered as a single legal entity, so if the business was to go bankrupt, you would be personally liable and your accounts pursued. Setting up a limited company is a little more work, but it does offer you some legal protection and make it easier to expand operations later on if your firm grows. It’s a good rule of thumb to start as you mean to go on by keeping your business and personal accounts completely separate – things will be a lot less confusing further down the line.

How to Save Time (and Money) for Your One-Person…

If you’re a solo businessperson, whether you’re just getting that startup off the ground, or if you’ve been at it for a few years, you know how stressful, hectic and downright busy juggling all the responsibilities can be. Carrying a business on your back solo is no small feat, and we salute you! But we also know that it is a thankless job, and one that can drive you up the wall if you don’t manage your time properly. 

For those who don’t have the time or money to hire a team of employees (or maybe you just don’t want to, which is valid – you know what’s best for your business!), there are other options. You can save time and money by implementing easy and simple little tweaks that’ll shave time off of your day and make your job so much easier. We’ve outlined a few of these below. 

Virtual Answering Service

Just think of all the time you spend answering phones, checking voicemails, and returning calls. How many times have you finally sat down for that much-needed five minute break, only for your phone to start buzzing in your pocket? It seems like you’re never allowed to be “off”. 

If you don’t have a receptionist to field calls, why not consider a virtual answering service? These services are great for the solo-businessperson; they will field your calls, take down detailed messages, and deliver it all in a timely manner so you don’t have to take up valuable time answering the phone. You’ll work with a professional and well-trained team who fields your calls and reports to you every day. Best of all, most virtual answering services have affordable monthly rates and a variety of options to suit your business. 

Email Services

We all know how it is to be drowning in emails. But for a businessperson, it’s an even more intense experience. How do you navigate between those important emails, among all the spam, junk, and irrelevant chit chat? Sites/apps like Unroll.me can help a lot, by weeding out the junk and helping you manage your correspondence. Many services like MailChimp offer this type of filter in their platform, also. But sometimes you just need a little extra help. 

But there are also email services very similar to virtual answering services, made up of a team who can go through your emails and make sure the right ones are filtered to you. It’s just another way to save you time so you can focus on more valuable tasks. 

Freelance Work

Sometimes there will arise a job that you can’t do – whether it’s graphic design, a bit of writing or something in HR, you need to delegate but you don’t have a team of employees to rely on. It wouldn’t make sense to hire someone for such a temporary job, so what do you do? 

Check out freelancing and career sites like Fiverr, UpWork or FlexJobs to find a great freelancer or independent contractor to hire on a temporary basis; someone with the experience and know-how to complete the tasks that need doing. These experienced workers are often willing to work for very fair rates (just bear to mind that often these sites may charge additional fees or skim off the top) and they get things done fast. If you’re pleased with their performance, you can keep them on retainer for future work! 

Multi-Tasking

Learning to multitask is an essential skill of any self-made businessperson. It means something different for every person and every business. For you, that could mean combining business with pleasure and having a few working lunches, or coffee dates with potential clients. It could mean skyping in with clients while doing light housework, or conference calls via headset while you’re making a commute. 

Making the most of your time is a learned skill, but it’s an important one. It can really save you time if you learn to do it properly. Just remember to keep some of your free time truly free. Self-care and relaxation is important!
These are just a few helpful tips for how to manage your time and shave precious minutes or even hours off your schedule every week, leaving you with more time to take care of the most important aspects of your business (and yourself). Having your own business is a rewarding venture, and to stay successful, you want to make sure you’re organizing your time in the best possible way. It’s easy to do with just a few simple skills.

Four Levels of Workplace Furniture and Which to Invest…

When it comes to outfitting your workplace or office, it’s important to consider the quality of the furniture. Higher-quality furniture will give your employees or clients a better experience in your workplace. This can result in improved productivity and even a better business image. So let’s take a look at the four different levels of workplace furniture and which you should be investing in.

Hand-me-down furniture

The cheapest way to secure some workplace furniture is to consider hand-me-down items. These are essentially cheap or free furniture options that are given to you by relatives, other offices or even thrown away to be dumped. You can typically get some inexpensive chairs and tables off websites like eBay, and some websites even specialize in refurbishing old and unwanted furniture. They usually sell it for an incredibly low price and you can pick up some fantastic deals. However, do keep in mind that most, if not all, of your furniture will be mismatched and it can look rather strange.

IKEA and other fast furniture

Fast furniture stores like IKEA are a great place to look for cheap and professional options, but it also gives you the option of matching your furniture with the rest of your decor. IKEA does have a business division and you’re able to open a business account, and their furniture isn’t bad quality either. This is a great step up from using hand-me-down furniture and you’ll also save a lot of money in the long run.

Workplace-focused furniture

Next, there are stories that focus solely on workplace furniture. This is where you can get lots of high-quality furniture that is built to last and even some brand name options. A good example of this is having chairs from reputable companies like Herman Miller or entire collections from Steelcase. These are a huge step up in terms of price, but they’re also incredibly professional and will make your office or workplace stand out from others.

Speciality furniture

Lastly, there’s the option of speciality furniture. This is often the only choice when you need furniture items that are specific to your industry or workplace. For instance, Educational Furniture sells lots of pieces that are focused on schools, community furniture and libraries. These speciality stores are usually the best option if you’re looking to design a very specific workplace, but you might end up paying a considerable amount of money for certain items. You might also be able to request bespoke furniture pieces if the service allows for it.

Depending on your budget and what you wish to achieve with your workplace furniture, it’s important to take a look at all of your options to see what offers the best value for money. We highly suggest looking at all four of these options to see what best suits your personal needs and what you can afford. Remember that you can always upgrade later in the future if you plan to stay in the same building.