Is this the problem?
One of the great benefits of building your small architectural/design practice, is the autonomy you have to follow your passion. Passion for what you love and what you’re good at, doing things your way.
One of the greatest risks to building your small architectural/design practice, is following your passion and neglecting the things you’re not good at or don’t know about.
How are you meant to know what you don’t know?
You can’t ignore the elephant in the room!
How are you going to balance your time spent working IN and ON your small architectural/design practice, for optimal outcomes?
You look for help!
But where?
Is it a business coach, business advisor, business consultant and/or business mentor?
They all sound synonymous, probably because there aren’t any universal hard definitions, but there are some commonly agreed attributes that help you to understand how each may help you.
Business Coach
A business coach focuses on bringing out the best in you and your business to assist you to reach your goals. They will be someone who has experience of running a small business (as opposed to the corporate world). They are likely to focus slightly more on what you want out of the business and what that means to you, rather than on the practical ‘let’s get on with it’.
Business Advisor
They are like a business coach but more focused on your business and how to make it work, rather than your personal development. A collaborative relationship usually exists between client and advisor. They should be looking at the whole business, including your fundamental business functions and how they integrate to built synergies so the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This includes your business management, leadership and culture, quality systems, finance, resources management (HR, facilities, support services, knowledge management, etc), marketing, sales and project management office used to manage operations. They should also be open to helping you deal with the emotional side of running a small business. They will hold you accountable for actions that need to be taken.
Business Consultant
Usually hired to make recommendations (and/or complete specific projects) based on a specific area of expertise, usually at a higher rate, such as lawyers, tax accountants, IT specialists, website developers, graphic designers, etc. Consultants tend to focus on specific problems and may provide a report that details what has to be done but doesn’t hold you accountable for actually completing those tasks.
Business Mentor
They are usually (previous) business owners with a wealth of lived experiences and hard-won wisdom. They are invested in your personal development over the long term and are willing to share their knowledge, having walked the path you want to walk. Mentoring is usually an ongoing process, potentially lasting years, transferring skills and a deeper understanding of what’s involved.
What’s the problem you can’t ignore?
Who do you think will offer you the greatest support – is it a business coach, business advisor, business consultant and/or business mentor?
Practically Partners – business advisory for small architectural and design practices
So they can step-up to their Next Level and convert their project-passion into Sustainable Prosperity, transforming their striving into thriving.
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