If you’ve been working as an architect for a long time, there’s always a temptation to go out on your own. Setting up your own firm allows you more freedom over your work and the chance to explore opportunities that maybe wouldn’t have otherwise been possible.  If it’s something you’re exploring, there are some things you should first know about what it takes to successfully run your own architecture firm, and you can find out about that below.

An Ability to Build a Portfolio Early On

When running any kind of business, the early days are tough. No one knows who you are or whether you can really be trusted to deliver. That’s why proving yourself early on and building up a portfolio of professionally delivered work is so important. That way, you can show future clients what you’ve done and they’ll find it easier to put their trust in you.

An Understanding of the Clients You Want to Attract

In order to successfully attract clients, you first need to have a clear idea of what kind of clients you want to attract in the first place. Think about what you can offer, where your specialist knowledge lies and which kinds of clients will be most likely to find value in your services. From there, you can tailor your services accordingly and attract the right clients.

The Right Partners and Contacts

Architecture is a discipline that leaves you dependent on other partners and professionals. Finding the right suppliers and collaborators will be key because they’ll be part of delivering what your clients are expecting, so they let you down, you’ll also be letting your clients down. So everything from composite panel manufacturers and builders to quantity surveyors and financial lenders will have to be sought out.

Good Software and Physical Creative Skills

The creative side of architecture straddles both the physical and the digital realm. You need to be able to create plans via the latest software, but you also need to think about how you’re going to realize those designs in miniature form via models. These days, this can be done by 3D printing, so that’s something that might be worth exploring.

Control Over the Business Side

It’s important to have control over the business side of things as well. If you’re from an architecture background rather than a business background, it’ll pay off to work alongside people with business experience. That way, you’ll have both sides of things covered and nothing will be left neglected, as is often the risk that’s taken. Either way, it’s important not to neglect the business side of things.

As you can see, there are some things you need to have in place if you’re going to succeed in creating a sustainable architecture company that’s set up for success. But if you have the skills and the drive to go it alone and do great work for your clients, there’s no reason why you can be successful with this.