Architect's Essentials to starting a Design Firm Flashcards
Three major categories of design firm technologies:
- Strong-idea firms
- Strong-service firms
- Strong-delivery firms
This firm is organized to deliver singular expertise or innovation on unique projects.
Strong-idea firm
This firm is organized to deliver experience and reliability, especially on complex assignments.
Strong-service firm
This firm is organized to provide highly efficient service on similar or more routine assignments.
Strong-delivery firm
This type of professional, who see their calling as a way of life, typically have as their major goal the opportunity to serve others and produce examples of their discipline. Bottom line is qualitative.
Practice-centered professional
This type of professional, who practice their calling as a means if livelihood, more likely have as their personal objective a quantitative bottom line that is more focused on the tangible rewards of their efforts.
Business-centered professionals
Model Types: first half
- Major client as “booster rocket”
- House for mother
- Academic incubator
- Better mousetrap
- Supersalesperson
Model Types: second half
- Sponsor
- Golden handshake
- Spin-off
- Rebuild of an existing firm (the phoenix)
- Starting small in a good market
Explain Major client as “booster rocket”
start up firm supported by a single client willing to gamble on a young firm
Explain House for mother
project for a family member or project completed using family money
Explain Academic incubator
design firm principals who have relied on their teaching positions to lay foundations of their practice
Explain Better mousetrap
unmet needs and set out to fill it
Explain Supersalesperson
exceptional sales skills and client relationships
Explain Sponsor
has other established professionals act as their booster rockets.
lent their names and skills to young firms
Explain Golden handshake
former employer provides the new firm’s initial work
