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Management Consulting
Become strategic instead of just opportunistic. Plan firm growth, consider ownership transition, get ready for the recovery. Help for start-ups, for solo practitioners, and management coaching available.
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Relevant, practical and participatory education for design professionals. Workshops and seminars on design firm practice and small firm management. All are eligible for AIA learning units.
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Best Laid Plans: Business Planning for Small Firms
2-hr seminar (also available in a 3-hr workshop version)
In twenty-first century practice, unpredictability is a fact of life for architectural firms. Small firm owners must cope with constantly shifting workloads, respond quickly to promising opportunities, and deal immediately with unexpected challenges. This interactive seminar presents strategies for business planning within this milieu of unpredictability, including case studies illustrating best practices. Participants will learn about the major components of a business plan—purpose, finance, marketing, and operations—and practical techniques for plan development and implementation.
The seminar will include short lectures and numerous interactive opportunities for participants to discuss and to apply the content material. Topics covered include the life cycle of a typical small firm, why owners should plan, obstacles to planning, and how to implement action plans. In general, business planning for small firms will be approached as a process involving strategic thinking, rather than the creation of a static document.
This seminar targets owners of firms with fewer than 20 on staff, and will also be useful to those thinking of starting a firm and to emerging professionals. Participants will have ample opportunity to engage in dialogue with colleagues, with special emphasis given to exchanging strategies for coping with the economic downturn and the slow moving recovery.
This program was presented at the 2009 AIA National Convention as a 2-hour seminar, as well as at the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) 2007 Symposium. The half-day version, presented at the 2010 AIA National Convention, will allow participants more opportunity to apply concepts in an interactive format and to have meaningful conversations with their colleagues from around the nation.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Recognize the importance of business planning and strategic thinking to the success of a small firm
- Evaluate and work with models, templates, and processes relating to business planning in unpredictable and fast changing conditions
- Identify how staff can play a critical role in development and implementation of strategic action plans
- Exchange and assess experiences and insights about small firm practice with colleagues