Small Project Design

In my small practice I have developed the obligatory web presence and manage to land fairly high on the list of Google searches for my practice area.

I occasionally use social media and I network when possible.

I participate in my community by serving on design advisory teams through the local planning board.

I've tried advertising but haven't seen any measurable return on my investment.

I've tried some of the on-line lead services but find them a mixed bag.

In each of the past few years I've won significant projects via the web, but low-tech referrals continue to be my best source of new business.

What strategies work for you?

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Richard Schmidt AIA
Principal, AIA, LEED AP
RF Schmidt Architects
Chestnut Hill MA
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Yard signs! I put a yard sign in front of everything and when I hand a card out in my area 9 times out of 10 they say, "I see your signs everywhere."

That's right! I have one in front of my house and my best builder has one in front of her house too (for the past 3 years). Both of us live on high traffic roads in our neighborhood, so if I only have one or two under construction, it looks like three or four. It's the repetition that's key.

The illusion of success can be as simple as living across the street from a school that all the parents have visit twice a day to pick up and drop off the kids. The parents that may need to renovate soon. I have many clients tell me this is how they discovered me.

I've had the worst luck with print advertising. I paid for an add for both my best builder and I. The only call either of us got was another Architect trying to steal my builder from me. It was clear we were advertising as a team (nice try whoever you were).

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Eric Rawlings AIA
Owner
Rawlings Design, Inc.
Decatur GA
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