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031: Words for Winning Work with Juliette Mitchell
This week I speak with Juliette Michell of Architypal a writing consultancy for architects. In this interview Juliette discusses the power of using words in architecture to bring our work to life for our clients and colleagues. Juliette explains to importance of telling stories, to cultivate company culture, develop powerful and meaning marketing collateral and generate company values and mission statements.
In this episode you will learn :
– The key ingredients to writing a practice profile
– Words and phrases every architect should avoid using on their website
– How the right words can attract the right client
Today’s Resources:
030: Marketing Formulas for Architects with Paul Iddon
In this week’s episode I travel to Manchester to visit the phenomenal tour de force that is Paul Iddon. Paul has had a unique career which spans across practicing as an architect running his own office to now running a marketing agency which supports product manufacturers market to architects.
His experience in both terratories provides him with a unique insight into the challenges that architects face both as individual small businesses and as a profession as a whole. In this interview Paul offers some pertinent advice to the profession and how we can collective communicate the value of an architect as well highlighting common mistakes individual businesses make when marketing their services.
In this episode you will learn:
- The most common mistake architects make with their marketing communication
- How to attract clients rather than chase them
- How to detect a ‘bad fit’ client from the outset
Today’s Resources:
029: Creating an Architectural Franchise with Lisa Raynes
In this week’s episode I travel to Manchester to visit Lisa Raynes founder of Pride Rd Architects, an architectural practice specialising in domestic and residential projects with an innovative business model.
Discovering that the domestic market was relatively unaffected by economic down turns Lisa set up Pride Road Architects as a franchise to empower architects who want a better work life balance and want a tried a tested method to set up on their own.
In this interview Lisa goes into depth about how she set up the business, how it operates and how people can join the movement.
Today’s Resources:
028: Essential Business Skills for Architects with Chris Williamson
‘There’s no reason why Business and Art can’t go hand in hand’ – Norman Foster
This week I am speaking with Chris Williamson, co-founder of Weston Williamson, a 100 person strong practice based in central London specialising in large scale transport infrastructure.
In addition to being a chartered architect, Chris has an MSc in Project Management and believes strongly that the art of architecture requires excellent business skills in order to be realised. Previously Chris was the RIBA’s Business Skills ambassador. Chris is currently the International Vice President of the RIBA responsible for setting a strategy to grow into a global membership institution and to encourage more UK architects to seek work globally.
In this interview you will learn
– The essential business skills for architects
– How to grow a large practice and remain creative
– How to move into fiercely guarded sectors
Today’s Resources:
https://www.westonwilliamson.com/people/chris-williamson
027: Strategic Alliances with Richard Zeff
This week I am speaking with Richard Zeff, an estate agent and entrepreneur with 25 years experience in the property industry, about strategic alliances to create power referral partners with related industries. Richard has recently created his own estate agent training and development company and has huge amount of experience in developing estate agents to become effective sales people through building client relationships.
In this interview you will learn
– How Estate Agents and Architects can become powerful referral partners
– How architects can influence the value of property
– The Secrets to selling houses
TODAY’S RESOURCES
Richard’s website
TICKETS FOR BOA UK LIVE EVENT OCTOBER 11th 2018 7-10pm
026: How to Calculate your Fees with Simon Berry of Fresh Projects
This week I spent some time in conversation with our collaborator for the upcoming BOA UK Live Event, Simon Berry, CEO of Fresh Projects of a software company specialising in practice management software for architects and engineers. In this interview Simon discusses how he made the journey from engineer to an entrepreneur with a mission to transform the way architects and engineers do business to empower the industry to run profitable businesses. Like many us in the construction world, Simon at first became disillusioned working as an engineer as the long hours and low pay began to take its toll. Simon began to look towards the finance industry as perhaps an alternative career path and undertook an MBA at Cambridge University. Fortunately some encounters with bankers and brokers led Simon to see that perhaps the grass wasn’t greener, as so many of his peers in these industry were unfulfilled in their work. Simon recognised that one of his greatest assets like many architects and engineers, was his passion for his work. Armed with an entrepreneurial spirit and business skillset Simon created Fresh Projects to eliminate many of business struggles that he had witnessed so many architectural and engineering practices face and to empower them to run better businesses, winning better work and delivering more impactful and fulfilling design through carefully crafted software systems.
In this episode you will learn:
- The mistakes many architects make when calculating their fees
- The key metrics for a profitable business
- Tools for calculating your fees
TODAY’S RESOURCES
TICKETS FOR BOA UK LIVE EVENT OCTOBER 11th 2018 7-10pm
025: Growing a Practice with Ben Allen
In this week’s episode I speak with Ben Allen, director of Studio Ben Allen, an East London based architectural practice. Prior to setting up on his own Ben worked for 15 years with an array of designers, artists and other creative disciplines, including 10 years working intimately as an architect with Icelandic Danish artist Olafur Eliasson.
In this episode Ben talks about starting his own practice and how he continues to combine art, architecture and design.
Listen to find out:
- How Ben delivers architecturally ambitious projects with his client’s support
- Reasons why many architects are under paid
- The important business lessons that Ben has taken from art world
TODAY’S RESOURCES
TICKETS FOR BOA UK LIVE EVENT OCTOBER 11th 2018 7-10pm
024: Counter Proposals with Francis Terry pt 2
This week is the second part of my interview with one of the UK’s leading classical architects, Francis Terry. In this part of the interview Francis discusses the processes he uses to win work and how he has refined the structure of his office to ensure he has the right expertise to enable him to deliver his projects. Francis also discusses some of the counter proposals he has been involved in working with the support of local community groups and residents.
In this interview you will learn :
- The marketing secret Francis uses to win high end clients
- Why Francis doesn’t hire architects
- Why Norman Foster would be great classical architect!
TODAY’S RESOURCES
TICKETS FOR BOA UK LIVE EVENT OCTOBER 11th 2018 7-10pm
023: Succession Planning and Family Business with Francis Terry
This week I am speaking with one of the UK’s leading classical architects, Francis Terry. In this interview Francis discusses the moving story of how he parted ways with his father and business partner, Quinlan Terry, to set up his own practice and how both he and his father overcame the obstacles that such a transition posed on both their business and personal lives. Working in a family business can often be filled with additional complications, when one partner wants to move in a different direction and create a business that reflects their personal values and aspirations.
In this interview you will learn :
- How Francis created his own practice and business model for delivering Traditional Architecture
- Why Palladio would have loved CAD
- How Francis optimises his office to deliver projects
TODAY’S RESOURCES
FINAL DAYS OF EARLY BIRD TICKETS FOR BOA UK LIVE EVENT OCTOBER 11th 2018 7-10pm
022: Creating Landmarks with Julia Barfield
This week I am speaking with one of the UK’s entrepreneurial architect heroes, Julia Barfield. Julia with her late husband David, founded Marks Barfield Architects in 1987. Since then they have been responsible for producing, the London Eye one of the most iconic features of the London skyline, the BA i360 in Brighton and recently the Cambridge Mosque. Julia has approached many of these projects as a socially conscious entrepreneur architect acting as both developer and designer.
In this interview you will learn how Julia:
- How Julia and David took a non winning competition entry and got it built
- Creates a company culture of excellence
- Advises young architects for success
TODAY’S RESOURCES
EARLY BIRD TICKETS FOR BOA UK LIVE EVENT OCTOBER 11th 2018 7-10pm