Why do we keep tripping over the same problems and issues?
There’s plenty of information available to improve how you manage your practice. Yet people continue to fall into the same traps that cause anxiety, distress and poor results that take away from their professional enjoyment.
Why?
What gives you the most enjoyment in your small architectural/design practice?
Or is it easier to define what doesn’t?
David Perell believes it’s the difference between consumption and integration.
Most people focus on consumption because it’s easy to measure, for example “I’ve read Gerber’s ‘The E-Myth’ and it’s good advice and easy to understand.” (But I haven’t done anything about it).
The focus should be on integration.
Integration is the act of taking things you’ve read or learned and putting them into a coherent whole. To integrate you can’t just consume, you have to produce.
You have to put ideas into your own words, tools and techniques and explain them to others, and you learn best when you explain them in a new medium, such as notes, processes, procedures, etc. You have to leave the generalist and take action about being specific.
Our focus is to work with you to achieve that integration.
We will work with your small architectural/design practice to create the freedom to enjoy your passion and step-up to YOUR NEXT LEVEL, using a growth mindset and small improvements that make a big difference to achieve ‘Freedom through Structure’.
Minimising the stress of transforming your striving practice into a thriving professional business, by simplifying and improving your 7 ON-Business Fundamentals – to become more successful and resilient.
Stop tripping over the same problems and issues.
So here is a simple three step programme that steps up to YOUR NEXT LEVEL. It’s integration with a clear scope and defined, tangible outputs from each session, that sets you up for the future.
Step 1 – POSITION:
Define where your small practice is now… and where you want it to be next.
1.1 Business Sustainability
Can you continue to stay in business? Many practices hide behind unpaid overtime and salary sacrifice. So let’s start with an honest analysis of your Business Sustainability.
1.2 The Tipping Point
The common belief is that the Tipping Point is at the half way mark. But it’s not – it’s much sooner, achievable with an aggregation of simple marginal gains.
1.3 Sustainable Prosperity
Direction is more important than speed – stop going nowhere fast. Without a clear definition of your grandest vision, how can you make a plan to get there? We will build your Brand Identity which defines your purpose (your why, what and how), USP, your 4 RIFF Goals to your success and establish the key milestones for achieving your Vision.,
Step 2 – SIMPLIFY:
Create the tools and techniques needed to simplify what you are doing.
2.1 Organise & Reduce
For many, the 7 ON-Business Fundamentals are ad hoc, inconsistent and confused processes. creating complexity, inaccuracy, anxiety and stress. Simplify what’s needed with organisation and reduction.
2.2 Time & Priorities
Yours is an infinite job, but you only have finite time available. You can’t manage an infinite job by just adding more and more hours. You need to change the way you think about and manage your time and your work. Priorities simplify the process of delivering the greatest value from the finite resources available.
2.3 Systems & Synergies
Integrating systems create synergies that simplify the whole, and create a value which is greater than the sum of its parts. Are you frustrated with your team not doing things the way you want them done, and then having to re-do it? Are you fed-up with the time and energy lost having to re-enter, double-handle or track down/transfer/compile existing information.
Step 3 – IMPROVE:
Take action! Using your tools and techniques, you can measurably improve your 7 ON-Business Fundamentals.
3.1 Business Management
Business Management, Leadership and Culture are overarching functions for your entire organisation and business activity, setting the mission, vision and values that will be used to test all initiatives and actions. It’s responsible for top-down strategy and responsive to bottom-up tactical outcomes. This is where all other fundamentals are integrated with weighted importance.
3.2 Quality Management Systems
A collection of your business processes, focused on consistently meeting client requirements and enhancing their satisfaction. Covering your organisational goals and aspirations, policies, processes, documented information and resources needed to implement and maintain it, converging with sustainability and transparency initiatives.
3.3 Financial Management
The efficient and effective management of money(funds) both income and expenses, in such a manner as to accomplish the objectives of your organisation. It is the specialised function directly associated with the top management, monitored and controlled on a weekly basis with specific Management Accounts including earned Value management and cashflow projections.
3.4 Resources Management
The efficient and effective development of your organisation’s resources when and where they are needed. Such resources may include human skills, facilities, support services, information technology, knowledge, data and other information and materials.
3.5 Marketing Management
The process of developing strategies and plans to market your services, to reach the desired client segment and create awareness of what is offered. To attract your ideal client to you, and engage in your sales processes. Marketing is not sales.
3.6 Sales Management
Improving sales directly increases revenue. Somehow the one profession that’s almost pure knowledge work is largely stuck in a paradigm of selling the hours you work, instead of the value you create. People tend to make irrational and illogical decisions when addressing financially related issues, so price may not be the determining factor in winning new work.
3.7 Project Management Office
The Project Management Office (PMO) is required if you do 2 or more projects. It’s a management structure that standardises the project-related governance processes and facilitates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools and techniques. As the PMO controls the availability and allocation of resources across all projects, as well as meeting the obligations of any project-related contracts/agreements, it is advisable to have the PMO involved in the Sales process.
Our purpose
Helping your small architectural/design practice create the freedom to enjoy your passion and step-up to YOUR NEXT LEVEL.
Minimising the stress of transforming your striving practice into a thriving professional business, to become more successful and resilient.
