Architect and Entrepreneur: A Field Guide to Building, Branding, and Marketing Your Startup Design Business

by Eric Reinholdt

Part narrative, part business book; Architect + Entrepreneur is filled with contemporary, relevant, fresh tips and advice, from a seasoned professional architect building a new business. The guide advocates novel strategies and tools that merge entrepreneurship with the practice of architecture and interior design. The Embarking on a new business venture is intimidating; you have questions. But many of the resources available to help entrepreneur architects and interior designers start their design business lack timeliness and relevance. Most are geared toward building colossal firms like SOM and Gensler using outdated methods and old business models. If you’re an individual or small team contemplating starting a design business, this is your field guide; crafted to inspire action. The Using the lean startup methodology to create a minimum viable product, the handbook encourages successive small wins that support a broader vision enabling one to, “think big, start small, and learn fast.” It’s a unique take on design practice viewed through the lens of entrepreneurship and is designed to answer the questions all new business owners face, from the rote to the existential. Questions - Startup costs - Business models (old and new) - Marriage of business and design - Mindset - Branding & naming (exercises and ideas) - Internet marketing strategies - Passive income ideas - Setting your fee - Taxes - Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) - Securing the work - Client relations - Software - Billing rates - Contracts Building a business isn’t a singular act; it’s a series of small steps. Using the outline found in Architect + Entrepreneur you can start today. The chapters are organized to guide you from idea to action. Rather than write a business plan you’ll be challenged to craft a brand and you’ll sell it using new technologies. Follow the guide sequentially and you’ll have both the tools and a profitable small business. The Author Award-winning architect, Eric Reinholdt has built his design practice, 30X40 Design Workshop using the strategies outlined in the book. He has successfully transitioned from an employee to architect entrepreneur and continues to refine his brand message, help other architects build their independent practice and serve his clients all from a Longhouse he designed for his family on Mount Desert Island in Maine.

Genres: Architecture, Business, Design, Nonfiction

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 9, 2015

About the author

Eric Reinholdt is an award-winning architect, mountain climber, designer, guitar player, paper cutter, blogger and author. He is the founder of 30X40 Design Workshop, a residential design studio bordering Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island just off the coast of Maine. This is where he lives and practices in a modern Longhouse, designed by him with his family.

His architecture is simple, modern, site-specific, and craft-driven. It features local materials and familiar forms juxtaposed against modern, open floor plans with minimalist detailing. The work celebrates humble materials, subtle contrasts and finely crafted details.

Reviews

[S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great substitute for the almost non existent mentorship in Morocco - I'm not denigrating : ceci est un constat...
I guess that this must be a compulsory read for students on the verge of their graduation.. Although the context is pretty different, but it keeps in line with what a design firm is about, and had the essential questions one asks onself before jumping into action.... I believe setting up your own practice as an architect/designer is a life changing step and something we all dreamed about at some point during our studies... It's only after graduation that we are ushered in working for others to get some experience, best case scenario you'll do it for a few years and then boldly open your own "cabinet" or you'll be used to the comfort of the paycheck and never get to go after THE dream..
I first got to know the author through his YouTube channel, if you're related to architecture and design you might want to check his videos... Simple, short and comfy (design wise)...
Thank you Eric, I have learnt a lot from your experience, grateful for sharing everything about taking the leap of faith...
Strongly recommended! Even if you're just curious, or are hiring an architect/designer, this might be helpful for you to take a look at the real struggle and journey of your design!
Come to think of it we need to raise awareness about design and especially good design!

[Aasiya Muawiyha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a blog post in disguise, with information so run off the mill that it could've been a futile Google search.

[zo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reinholdt’s book is a super useful toolkit and step by step guide to handling all the aspects of starting up your own architecture business from the ground up. What’s great about his approach, is his honesty and transparency vis-à-vis his own experience towards surviving the difficult first steps of a new design business. It’s cool that he touches on topics most architects avoid mentioning: marketing strategies, business models, the economic aspect, taxes, partnerships... all the things I wish we would have learned in school.

I really appreciated the tools he has come up with to handle new clients. He comes from his own experience to share how to pick through possible clients to avoid conflict down the line.

Although his advice comes from the US and the system they have in place there, his tools and methods can be applied anywhere else. He definitely does have an entrepreneurial approach that I have a feeling most French architects wouldn’t enjoy or admit to practice as well. He is pretty up front about his marketing strategies and different ways to make money here or there that may or may not work for you, but he recognizes that and is constantly pushing the reader to develop their own methods for fine tuning their design studios processes, brand and goals really. It’s a super practical guide, I listened to it in audio format but I wish I had the actual book in hand as he breaks things down step by step and also details calculations to use when drafting contracts with clients. The whole chapter on contracts was super useful, it’s just a practical book to have on hand when starting up a new practice, and he is really motivating for anyone wishing to start something.

[Bang Tran hai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers valuable advice for up-and-coming archipreneur.
As an employee, you're building someone else's success. Credit & financial rewards go to your employers but not you. By opening your own business, you're embracing the opportunity to shape your future. This book guides you step by step to create a business of your own:

Step 1: Know your unique selling points. What make you different from other competitors? Why prospective clients should choose your service among millions others? Choose a niche to become the best.
Step 2: Research and know your audience: High-end or budget? What they value? What they desire? Where they hangout? Where they vacation?
Step 3: Craft a compelling brand story & start building your website based on your target market's preference. Balance aesthetics side of things with Call to actions in your website.
Step 4: Build a marketing funnel to generate leads, utilizing autoresponder. Sell on your business and the value you add.
Step 5: Establish a sign-up process that covers all the questions you and a potential client have before you ever meet & integrate it into your marketing funnel. Include a FAQ
Step 6: Build SOP - Standard Operating Procedures: Communication, System, Time tracking, Documentation, Accounting/ invoicing etc.
Step 7: Prepare contracts, pay special attention to payment terms.

[Derenik Baghramian · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the books that will guide you to start your architectural business. Strongly recommend reading this and the 2nd version.

You will find all the necessary data that you will need for the architectural start-up. Sounds unrealistic but believe me it's possible. The author explains and shares specific knowledge that works for him and for his workshop.

In a nut shell, this is a great source to find all the data to start your own architectural studio.

[Karen Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a MUST if you’re planning to start your architecture business. It’s basically a step by step guide on all the important things that we as architects need to know from the beginning. I felt like I was asking to a mentor. Great book.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contained less concise, actionable information or resources than I would have liked. Served more as an advert for other resources/products the author was selling.

[Sofonias Solomon]

its an iformative book , for people in design business, also supported by a youtube channel .

[Kurt Neiswender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Eric's presentation and mindset. I read this for the second time. Started reading vol. 2 for the second time.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for all architects and engineers wanting to go on their own.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Begins with the usual introduction to any book on starting your own business, you have to do everything, its really hard etc

There is then a run-through of different types of company, this takes us up to 20% through the book. This section has American bias and anyone qualified in Architecture should have been taught this already.

Things improve after this, there are some great ideas for alternative business models- that’s what I bought it for.

Some material on lean startups, passive income streams etc. The kind of thing you have almost certainly heard before.

The content about branding and naming is good, the author expresses it well. Main points:

Brand: a clearly articulated and distinctive idea about what you are offering.

What’s your lens? The particular way of seeing the world that you express.

Naming: you need to be able to say it! And no cutesy gimmicks or unnecessary punctuation. Available domain name? Seo friendly.

Lots of web design and marketing stuff- up to 40% now. Wordpress and plugins, affiliate marketing. Writing articles to cast a web outwards from the site. Newsletters, social media, houzz, etc. start on the web and build cred directly to something more commercial, but should start on wordpress with brand and name etc all worked out.

When working for clients its not primarily about design skill- solving their particular problems on a budget is more important.

Up to 80% now.

Email systems, automation, templates etc.

Accounting and project management systems.

Documents and the systems they imply can be bought, and if you develop your own, can be sold.

This book takes the ideas of the entrepreneurial culture of lean startup, Tim Ferris, lifehacker, the cult of productivity, and applies it to architecture. It is important for this because architecture seems to have suffered as a sector when other creatives have recovered well and thrived. Architecture seemed unsuited to these techniques but this book demonstrates how its possible. Well written and thought-provoking.

[Jane Vorbrodt · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any interest in starting up your own architectural practice, I recommend reading Eric's book.

I discovered Eric's writing on Houzz.com, where I too am a contributor. Through his "Ideabooks", I was happy to find more meaty architectural content on a site that houses a lot of fluff.

After checking out his website, I found links to his e-books. It seems like he's on to something, with his writing in connection to architectural practice.

This is the first guide to starting a practice that I have read that offers honest and non-pretentious advice. The material stems from his own experiences - a style that will surely inspire readers to grab a bit of confidence to start practicing on their own.

[Hans Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started my firm 5 years ago, the only available resources were written for those aiming to operate a large firm. Reinholdt's approach to practical, small scale establishment and operation of a design firm was refreshing, insightful and incredibly relevant. It was clearly written for those starting a practice to serve residential clients, so I think the book could benefit to incorporate the perspective of a commercial architect. Despite that, it was a great read and a resource that I will happily share with others.

[Martín Irarrázaval · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante... un enfoque diferente a la arquitectura.

[Nguyen Tien · Rating 5 out of 5]

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