Context & Clarity for Small Firm Architects

A new class of architecture students will begin their studies in a few weeks. What advice do you wish someone gave you when you were starting your architectural education? What advice do you have for new students, especially in light of how you think the profession will (or won't) change in the next 10 years?Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access

Have you used any non-traditional financing for an architecture project? What does that even mean? I'm wondering if you've done something or somehow participated in financing some part of a project. Maybe you've invested something in the construction of a project. Or, maybe you've come up with a non-traditional approach to coming up with your project fees or even helped your client by somehow financing your fees for them. I don't know where this conversation will go, but it's a topic I want to explore.Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access

Bolanle Williams-Olley loves math and she sees numbers everywhere. She recently presented an excellent Expert Training Session on Cash Flow For Architects for the EntreArchitect membership. We've been talking all week about financials for architects and I think this topic of cash flow may be the most important. If you don't have a handle on what's coming in and what's going out and how fast, you're in trouble.Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access

When it comes to financials… What do you track? What do you report on? And When? It's awefully hard to plan for something if we don't know where we're coming from or where we're going. I know this is something that can be really complicated and time consuming or it can be boiled down to its essence and simplified. I’m a fan of the simplified version.Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access

Finances may not be your favorite responsibility in your business, so it would be understandable if you struggled with some aspect of them. Off the top of my head, I could possible struggle points being, cash flow, inconsistent invoicing, inconsistent income, income projections, savings, even profit. With the reputation the profession has for the continual feast or famine roller coaster, you could be struggling with any or all of these things.Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access

Why Modernism?That's where we'll start our conversation on today’s Context & Clarity LIVE.Katharine White MacPhail and I will welcome preservationist, tour guide, podcast host, and the go-to source for information on MCM homes, George Smart, aka Mr. Modernism to Context & Clarity. Join the conversation today as we talk about George's journey from a visit to Fallingwater to founding USModernist and becoming "Mr. Modernism."Share your perspective, and bring your questions to the conversation today at 4:00 pm ET on Facebook in the EntreArchitect Community Facebook Group, on Jeff’s LinkedIn profile, the EntreArchitect YouTube channel, or the EntreArchitect Twitch stream.We’ll also preview the conversation in our 30-Minute Coffee Talk inside the Context & Clarity Club on the Clubhouse App this morning at 9am ET.Context & Clarity LIVE is live-streamed on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, and YouTube.Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access

What do you use to manage the finances of your business? I guess this could be anything from Post-It-Notes to accounting softwares. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the most sophisticated when it comes to managing my business finances, but the tools that immediately come to my mind are CRMs to track and project pipelines, Freshbooks or Quickbooks for invoicing and accounting, Stripe or a million others for receiving online payments, and of course there's Context & Clarity guest alum, Mike Michalowicz’s Profit First Formula. That's a lot of tools and you may be thinking, 'I just use a spreadsheet.' And that's ok too.Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access

I feel like I’ve gotten to know a number of people over the past 15 months that I’d call friends and that I could count on, even though for some of you, I’ve never seen your face, and for most of you, we’ve never met in person. So we've started a new regular Context & Clarity feature that we're calling Member Spotlight, and this week, Revit Coach and Guru, John Kinney will join Katharine and me. Join us for a loose and lively conversation as we see our friends and get to know them a little bit better.Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access

If you're listening to this podcast, you're probably passionate about architecture. Have you ever been so passionate about some aspect of what you do that you created an organization, a not-for-profit, or you led a movement? When we talk to George Smart of US Modernist about preserving architecture, we'll certainly talk about his journey to creating the largest open archive of mid-century modern houses, conducting architectural tours, offering a masters gallery, and becoming the modernist authority, but I think the bigger takeaway is really about how to start a movement.Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access

George Smart's road to starting US Modernist started with wanting to find out more about modern architecture and houses in his area. Now, George is focused on advocating for the preservation of modernist architecture. What’s one aspect of the profession or of architecture in general that you feel passionate about promoting or advocating for?Mentioned in this episode:All AccessAll Access