Architect and Entrepreneur

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

By: Eric W Reinholdt

Narrated by: Eric W Reinholdt

Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Part narrative, part business book, Architect and 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 practices of architecture and interior design.

The problem:

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 businesses 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 Most are geared toward building colossal firms like SOM and Gensler using outdated methods and old business models.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 solution:

Using the lean start-up 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 about:

• Start-up costs
• Business models (old and new)
• Marriage of business and design
• Mind-set
• Branding and 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 and 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.

©2015 Eric W Reinholdt (P)2016 Eric W Reinholdt

Great balance of logic and inspiration.

Would you listen to Architect and Entrepreneur again? Why?

Yes, many chapters contained real-world examples and information which might be wise to take another listen to the specific details.

What other book might you compare Architect and Entrepreneur to and why?

Other books consisting of self-motivation and business related genres.

Which character – as performed by Eric W Reinholdt – was your favorite?

N/A. (Only narration)

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

N/A

Any additional comments?

As a current architect student about ready to enter the field, aspirations are high. This book puts into perspective a great intro/taste of what opening up your own firm will take along with a lot of helpful tips. Looking forward to another volume to come out soon! Narration was great, easy to listen to.

The key information you need to start a design practice

Eric shares his experiences in creation of his own solo practice including successes and pitfalls to avoid. He shares insights on how to create your business as a valuable asset, not just a job. I have been on my own for 5 years and found validation for the moves I made that were successful and resources to improve the areas where I stumbled. It is well conceived and well narrated by the author, sharing his personal experiences and vision as a contribution to your success.

Thank you..

It answered so much. Thank you. Great content, encouraging. After hearing this book, I stopped feeling alone in my future journey.

A modern template to start an architecture firm

If you could sum up Architect and Entrepreneur in three words, what would they be?

Practical, Thorugh, and Experienced

What other book might you compare Architect and Entrepreneur to and why?

There is nothing else as contemporary as Architect and Entrepreneur. Eric Ries book The Lean Startup has a similar methodology

Have you listened to any of Eric W Reinholdt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. On par. He typically brings something worthwhile to the table.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

In architectural (solo) practice, no one can hear you scream (in your home office). Alien 1979

Any additional comments?

Eric's book rocks. I listened to it while working in my home office and it has practical advice, things I had never thought about and things I know I need to do. It is practical, scary (In a good way) and motivating. all things you need to make it work as an Entrepreneur and Architect.

Great motivator!

This is great for anyone who feels like this would be impossible. The more you read, the more you feel like you can feasibly take on the challenge.

Architects must read

Would you consider the audio edition of Architect and Entrepreneur to be better than the print version?

It is a good addition to my printed version. A reminder.

What did you like best about this story?

Openminded and well described story for your enthusiasts who want to become self branded.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Most parts give you optimism throughout well written instructions and guides.

If you're a designer who's thought of flying solo, buy this now!

I have thoroughly enjoyed Eric Reinholdt's field guide to starting a design business. It is the most comprehensive, current, relatable and common sense approach that I've heard. He lays it out there in manageable steps and provides you with an overview of key considerations and sources of further info as you go. He understands the mind of a designer and works with it!

Starting my own design and product firm, I've begun to tackle many of the same issues, but always feel like I'm moving through it blind. Regular business books have not fully encapsulated my particular challenges as a design professional. This is a great reference and offers the big picture- from professional licensing to photographing projects and website design. Now I can see I've actually made good progress and know what I need to take on next.

If you're on the fence about finally flying solo- Eric knows what it feels like. He speaks with the mind of a designer, knows what we're trying to achieve, what we're up against and what our hesitations are. He gets it! and after hearing him speak, he may just prod you to finally make the move!

Great information. Here I go!

Good resource for starting your practice

Where does Architect and Entrepreneur rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's a great resource for architects/designers wanting to start their own design practice. It was a really quick and easy audiobook to listen to.

Any additional comments?

I have the printed copy, and this is a good refresher to the actual book. Having the book is nice, as there are some images/charts/links to refer back to.

Great overview of how to start being your own boss

If you could sum up Architect and Entrepreneur in three words, what would they be?

Informative, Optimistic, Guide

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the way the book describes the author's experience of starting a firm.

Any additional comments?

I wish I would have listened to this book sooner. I am now a couple of years into my firm and I have learned many of the same lessons. It would have been great to have been able to have seen the warning signs early so that I could avoid making similar mistakes.

Refreshing & Relevant Info for Modern Architect

If you could sum up Architect and Entrepreneur in three words, what would they be?

Small business startup

What was one of the most memorable moments of Architect and Entrepreneur?

The balance of new strategies for architects - mainly growing an online presence - with traditional business know-how, such as budgeting, a lean business model, and legal entity types.

Any additional comments?

I have been listening to this book in segments over the last couple weeks and get inspired every time to think about how I approach the business aspect of architecture. Eric draws on a well-rounded career including working for a company before starting his own practice. The book is broken into chapters explaining several aspects of business required for any startup, but specifically as they relate to architectural design. This starts with dreaming of what you're looking for in starting a firm, what you would want to offer your client base. He moves into practical aspects of the business, including varying business types, passive income strategies, and considering your services as a product - a unique way to market in a consumer-driven society. What differentiates this book from past Professional practice resources is its modern day relevancy - Eric references using websites such as Houzz as a tool, and goes into detail on online marketing, such as Search Engine Optimization. Many of these are aspects that you will have to research further, but it's great to have this book as a reference guide. I enjoyed listening to it and intend on purchasing a printed version to keep on hand as reference as I move forward in my career. Even as someone happy in a corporate office setting, this is a great resource to be aware of the aspects of business I have not yet been exposed to, for eventually becoming a project manager or, if I am to take the leap, to know what I'm getting into with starting my own practice.