Six Ways to Boost Your Architecture Firm

Setting up your own architect firm involves hard work and commitment. Once you have achieved this milestone, the next area of focus is on taking your business to the next level of success. Whether you own a small office or a large architecture firm, generating and promoting your business needs a clear-cut strategy. Here are some ways to promote your architect business:            

Network

Networking with industry peers and influencers is one of the most important strategies to promote your architecture firm. While you can seek memberships to industry-specific associations such as American Architectural Foundation (AAF) and American Institute of Architects (AIA), arranging and attending as many seminars, speaking events, and fairs as possible is important to build connections.

Architects professional liability insurance

A crucial element of your business success is managing your finances. With tight budgets and thin profit margins that firms are faced with in the initial days, they cannot afford to set aside a huge budget for lawsuits or claims. Architects professional liability insurance provides the optimal cover for architects from lawsuits and claims that arise as a result of their work.

Also known as “errors and omissions insurance,” architects professional liability insurance covers the financial expenses associated with legal defense, judgments and settlements in the event an unhappy client files a lawsuit for faulty, defective, or delayed work.

Invest in technology

Technological innovations are changing the architecture industry and keeping pace with these changes is important to stay ahead of the competition. Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), real-time rendering, 3D-modeling, and artificial intelligence are some of the technology tools that can help you gain a competitive edge.

Engage your employees

An MIT review found that firms that had high employee engagement levels experienced 10 to 15 percent higher growth as compared to firms that had lower employee engagement levels. Rewarding hard work, creating an open forum for discussions, and promoting a strong company culture are some ways to boost employee engagement. This helps turn your employees into brand ambassadors who can then spread your architect firm’s vision and acquire new business contacts.

Optimize your website

Given that 88 percent of consumers turn to the internet to search for a service or product, focusing on building a professional website is crucial to boost your business. Apart from providing the basic contact information, a bio, and a portfolio of projects, your website should also be easy to navigate and attractive.

Use social media to your advantage

According to recent Statista figures, 79 percent of people in the US use social media. Asurvey by Pew Research Center shows seven out of ten adults in the US use Facebook while three-quarters of them visit the social media site once a day at a minimum. As architecture is a visual art form, it is perfectly suited to social media platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram, which are image intense.