01. How To Build A Successful Architecture Firm (w/ Mark LePage of EntreArchitect)

Are you a small firm architect? Then you’re also a businessperson. The problem is that architecture school is all about design, with very little training on the day-to-day practicalities of running a company. When Mark LePage and his wife started their architecture firm in 1999, they succeeded by dividing and conquering. Mark headed up the business side, while his wife focused on design. In a quest to create a community to help other small firms, they started EntreArchitect: a thriving online platform to help architects build better businesses. In an interview with Monograph’s Best Practice host George Valdes, LePage shared the importance of honing basic business skills, weeding out bad clients, and valuing a culture of transparency over secrecy.

Interview Takeaways

Architecture requires business education
Financial management is a critical skill
Filling in gaps with the right players
First things first: create a roadmap
Layering in marketing and sales strategies
Architecture community helps spur growth
Don’t be embarrassed about business
Profit is not a dirty word
Knowing who your ideal client is
Embracing an “all for one” mentality
Building a community to spark a career

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