It Pays to be Nice

Tonight I met with a couple to discuss plans for their home’s renovation.

Following a warm welcome and a quick introduction, I was told that I was called to this meeting because of my mother. If you are a regular reader of my Living Well in Westchester blog, you know that my Mom and Dad live way up north in a house on the St. Lawrence River. So, how could it be that my Mom had any influence on my meeting with these people?

Well, it all comes down to the power of nice.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a few words to honor my Mom. After 25 years of working for Paramus Public Schools, she was retiring and her closest friends arranged a small party for her. The theme of my speech was the power of being nice.

I shared my speech on Living Well and on that day in 2008, a Google Alert for “being nice” was automatically sent to a contributor of a book titled The Power of Nice. She read what I had posted and decided to file my name for future reference, knowing that she would soon want to renovate her home.

It pays to be nice… and there’s some more proof for you.

BUILD LLC

I been following the BUILD blog for about a year. BUILD LLC is a small design/build firm located in Seattle, specializing in modern residential and small commercial projects. They maintain a very nice website and post to their blog on a regular basis.

Their most recent post, Thank You Sir May I Have Another, is a nice reminder of the things we should all be focusing on as we wallow through this mess of an economy. The subtitle of the post reads, A ten-point plan for keeping a smile on your face as the economy kicks the crap out of you.

I was also pleased and excited for the BUILD crew to read a nice little article about BUILD LLC in the current issue of Custom Home magazine (congrats guys).

Do You Tweet?

From Architectural Record:

It seems like everyone these days is constantly plugged into their technological devices, tweeting their whereabouts, Facebooking their statuses, and publicizing anything and everything about themselves. Companies are even engaged in the phenomenon, using social media tools to market their products and services. But for architects, do these online pursuits pay off?

Design firms that have integrated social media into their practices report a spike in interest in their work — particularly from journalists, publishers, and other architects. However, few can say their efforts have directly led to new projects … yet. Social media is so new to the profession that it may take a few years before the benefits can be measured, but some firms are investing now with high hopes for future rewards.

Read more.

Being present online and social networking has worked for us at Fivecat Studio.

About three hundred people read my Living Well in Westchester blog every day. Several past and future clients have become our “fans” on Facebook and we’ve received several new inquires for residential projects directly referencing Twitter as their source.

Are you ready to tweet? Come “follow me” at www.twitter.com/FivecatStudio.

Architects Unemployed

A member of the Entrepreneur Architect LinkedIn Group posted a discussion about what to do when one is unemployed.

I invite you to contribute to the conversation as well, by joining the group and posting your thoughts.

Here is my response to John:

Having never been unemployed, I cannot talk from experience on how best to manage that experience. But, I did start my own firm with my architect wife, from scratch, with no clients and no money.

My suggestion is to start with the approaches that cost the least.

Networking, both online and in person, can put you in a position to be in the right place at the right time. Many times, success is about who you know. Networking at local chamber of commerce events can help get you out there in the public, talking, meeting and greeting.

When you meet a “connector”, invite them for a cup of coffee and talk about their business and how YOU might help THEM. In networking, the key to success is to get people talking about themselves. People like people who are good listeners and who are interested in what THEY do.

Blogging is another low cost way to be perceived as an expert. Sites like Blogger and WordPress offer free easy-to-use blogging platforms.

A simple and professional looking website is also essential. Your firm MUST be there when a prospect searches for your services. If you are invisible online, then you don’t exist.

I also recommend reading the book, The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. It will help you set priorities in life and business, and build a business that will succeed… and survive during times like these.

If you are looking for a job, I suggest getting actively involved in your local AIA, SARA and/or CORA chapters. Volunteer and become a leader in the profession. When firms start to hire again, decision makers will recognize your efforts, as well as your name.

I hope this gets the conversation started…

Survival: How’d YOU do it?

The year 2009 was a very tough time for business. As we move our way past first quarter 2010, we’re starting to see a bit of improvement; a few rays of sunshine among the clouds. We are not yet seeing 2007 numbers, but things are certainly moving in the right direction.

I have discussed how WE made it through the storm over at our LinkedIn Group. Today, I’m wondering how YOU did it. Did you make any specific changes to your firm? Any innovative solutions for survival?

The guys over at BUILD LLC shared their “secrets” last month. Take a peek… then come back here and let us know what you think.

The year 2010 is all about recovery and setting your sights on full blown success in 2011. What did you do in 2009 to survive? What are you doing in 2010 to recover?

Happy Easter!

What’s Your Brand?

When a potential client hears your firm’s name, what do they feel? When they see your logo, what do they think? Your designs? Your studio? Your vehicle? Even the clothes you wear? What do they represent in the marketplace of architectural design?

All these things, together, are your brand.

In his book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell describes in detail how decisions are made within the first few seconds of an impression. How important is your brand? It can be argued that it is the most important factor to your ultimate success. Your brand tells a potential client, as well as your current clients, who you are and what you represent.

What is Frank Gehry’s brand? How about Richard Meier? Frank Lloyd Wright?

Whether you design and develop one, or not, you have a brand. It may be wonderfully inspirational. It may be uncomfortable or repulsive.

What’s YOUR brand? Take control and develop a brand that represents all that you want to be.

Fear

Fear. I think there’s lots of this stuff floating around lately.

Personally, I feel that most of our current economic woes can be tied directly to “fear of the unknown” and “fear of the different”. When the politicians in Washington want the economy to recover, they’ll delay making changes that will forever alter society as we know it, until we’re all comfortably back in business (but that is an entirely different post for an entirely different blog).

Fear can be paralyzing and debilitating. In the business world, fear is the enemy. Fear is the one thing that stands between you and your most successful future. That’s it… fear.

The most successful organizations in history were created by people who pushed past the fear, stared down the risk and took a running leap of faith in their own ideas. Google. Microsoft. Nike. Walmart. Even the United States of America. All built by fearless leaders.

What are your fears? What is standing between you and your greatest success? (Hint: It’s not the economy stupid.)

How Many Business Plans Have YOU Started?

I started at least a dozen business plans for Fivecat Studio, before I finally finished one. The task is overwhelming. Executive Statement? Financial Reports? Fun stuff…

The trick?

Keep it fun, follow your passion and start with one simple page.

Below are five questions. Answer each question with three sentences (no more – no less). When you’re done answering these questions, you’ll have a plan.

1. What is the mission of your firms?
2. What is your vision for the firm?
3. What are the strategies you will use to accomplish your mission for the firm?
4. What are the specific goals you have set using your strategies?
5. What are the specific action plans you will use to meet your goals?

This is how I did it.

Our first completed business plan was a single page. It’s been significantly expanded since then and each year we revisit the plan, revise it, add to it and use it to keep us on course. Its been a key factor in the success of Fivecat Studio.

As an architect, you know you cannot build a successful building without a plan. As an Entrepreneur Architect, you must develop a plan in order to create a successful business.

Will Lower Fees Save Your Firm?

Have you reduced your fees, with the intent of obtaining more work?

The economy dumps and projects vanish. In reaction, the architect drops her fees. Revenues plummet and the firm shutters its shop.

Sound familiar? Do you fall somewhere in that scenario? I hope not.

Reduced fees will not save your practice. It will kill it.

Our strategy is different… and so far, it’s worked.

We held our fees at the level required to cover our overhead and make a profit (which, interestingly enough, is a “high fee” compared to our local competition). That’s what every business must do to stay in business and thrive into the future.

Then we reduced our expenses to the minimum and expanded our services to the maximum. We remained focused on high-touch customer service and our revenues remained strong (although cash flow is a whole other blog post).

We have survived the worst of times.

Have you reduced your fees? Why or why not? What other strategies have you used to weather the storm?

Let’s talk.