2025-02-16
Cash flow, financial clarity and scaling the business
The ACA is delighted to introduce Gordana Blazevska of Management for Design (M4D), which provides principal business/finance advisory services for ACA members. Gordana takes us through some of the most common problems and questions she receives from clients, and some key business advice for architects and designers.
2024-06-10
We’re not award-winning architects (and that’s okay!)
Building Maytree Studios from the ground up meant delivering really modest projects and finding joy in their execution, even if they were not of a scale or standard to reach awards or publication. Rebecca Caldwell reveals that her practice is not award-winning (yet!), but other measures of success are more meaningful for her clients.
2024-04-17
Closing Loopholes timeline
ACA’s HR advisor Catalina Consultants has compiled a summary of changes from the Closing Loopholes legislation plus a timeline of key dates and suggested actions required. Significant changes on the horizon include right to disconnect, new laws related to independent contractors, casual employment definitions, and wage theft.
2024-03-12
Q&A – Right to Disconnnect
Given the recent Right to Disconnect legislation, what adjustments would you recommend we make in our practice to ensure compliance with the new rules? The ACA’s HR advisor Catalina Consultants outlines what the new rules mean for employers and some practical measures to aid in the promotion of a healthy work-life balance while still safeguarding productivity.
2023-10-05
Should your workplace return to ‘office first’?
Hybrid work isn’t just a trend – it’s becoming the new norm. But offices still matter, especially when it comes to collaboration, writes HR specialist Merilyn Speiser.
2022-08-11
Time Management in Practice
Having enough time is one of the greatest challenges facing architects in practice. Time is valuable. Michael Lewarne advises on how to eke out more, with tips on planning, frameworks, strategies, meetings, eliminating distractions, and avoiding perfectionism.
2022-08-10
5 Benefits of Improving PIM at your Practice
Deltek shows how improving your project information management processes will enhance document and email management for your practice.
2022-06-07
Practice pressures and opportunities
How can architects tackle technology, rising costs and the race to secure great talent? Deltek and the ACA hosted a roundtable to find out.
2022-06-06
How to create a good parental leave policy
A good Parental Leave Policy is essential to creating a workplace culture and policy environment that supports parents at all stages. This helps ensure that raising a family doesn’t derail or devalue the career of a talented and valued individual, while also enabling the practice to accrue long-term benefits from investing in staff training and development. This article offers an approach to developing and implementing a parental leave policy.
2022-04-05
Moving beyond spreadsheets
Spreadsheets play a pivotal role in business, but for many practices they have their challenges, from version control to errors to wasted time. Is it time to move beyond spreadsheets in your practice?
2022-03-15
Five Tips for Succession Planning
Danny Chung, National Head of the Built Environment with Macquarie Business Banking, offers valuable succession planning advice, outlining five factors that will ensure you receive full value for your practice when the time comes to sell.
2022-03-06
Resource Management & Profitability
ACA Partner Deltek spoke to architecture industry leaders Mark Murphy from Fender Katsalidis and Scott Huston from DesignInc Sydney to learn the key to successful resource management and its effects on their businesses.
2021-07-13
Designing Practice
Emma Williamson’s recent presentation for the ACA’s annual Business of Design lunch in Adelaide took the audience through the strategies she and partner Kieran Wong have used in building and rebuilding their business over the last 25 years.
2021-05-06
Best Practices in Document Management
Efficient document management assists practices in being more profitable and reducing risk. Deltek’s Linda Dininger offers her tips on streamlining processes and freeing up your time for the more enjoyable aspects of practice.
2021-04-09
Streamlining Your Resource Planning
Resource management is crucial for architecture practices, but few have an effective planning structure in place. Deltek offers three recommendations for getting it right.
2020-11-29
Management for Design FAQs
Management for Design responds to some frequently asked questions for ACA members, covering everything from strategic plans and building a team, to resource and project management, profitability and financial control, and the critical ingredients to successful leadership.
2020-06-01
Running a Practice in Lockdown
Warwick Mihaly shares the challenges of trying to run a small practice in lockdown while supervising remote learning with small children and keeping his business afloat.
2023-03-14
Effective Leadership with Remote Teams
Robert Peake, principal of Management for Design, offers his top tips for effective leadership with remote teams, including setting clear expectations and following through, giving trust freely, and managing achievement, not time.
2019-10-05
The Business of Design
Kerstin Thompson’s presentation for the ACA SA was a thoughtful reflection on the business of design, busting some stubborn myths about architectural practice, and emphasising the need to balance design quality with business practice excellence, financial strength, thriving people and workplace health.
2019-08-26
Tips for Time Management
Running a practice can be unrelenting, changeable and extremely demanding. How do you manage your time in such an unpredictable environment? Rena M. Klein offers some tips.
2019-03-21
Managing Risk 101
Risk management is crucial to effective practice management. Robert Peake outlines the key issues, from business structures and insurances to fee agreements and negotiation.
2018-12-11
Survey Results Available!
The second independent survey of business and practice management systems has uncovered some interesting findings.
2018-09-21
The Business of Small Practice
The ACA - WA’s first Business of Small Practice forum focused on the importance of the ‘connected economy’, with networking and relationships at its core, writes Rachael Bernstone.
2018-02-19
Keeping on Top of Tech
Delegating your technology needs to your IT team is a mistake, argues Robert Peake. As a leader you need to understand and drive the IT strategy within your business.
2017-12-15
Should You Merge Your Firm? Probably!
Merging your firm can make good business sense. Robert Peake outlines the many benefits that a company merge can have for small practice owners.
2017-10-15
We Need to Talk about Money
Peter Raisbeck provides a snappy outline of the ten profit drivers of small architectural practice.
2017-10-14
What is Reasonable Management Action?
An employee usually won’t succeed in an unfair dismissal or bullying claim if the conduct of their employer is considered ‘reasonable management action’. But what does that term mean? Merilyn Speiser from Catalina Consultants investigates.
2017-09-12
Managing your way to profitability
Dynamic leadership, talented employees, exciting projects and appreciative clients mean little if a firm is stressed and struggling with its bottom line, says Jennekin Dicks. Managing profitability well can make all the difference.
2017-06-06
6 Business Tips for Architects
How do you increase the value of your business and put your clients front and centre? Lindy Johnson shares six helpful tips.
2016-10-18
Research in Architectural Practice - 6 ways for architects to create upstream knowledge
How can your practice amplify its research capability? Peter Raisback suggests six strategies.
2016-08-08
Becoming a B Corp: Using business for the power of good
Lee Hillam outlines the process of becoming a B Corp and the benefits that flow from it.
2016-06-14
Managing for Happiness
Nurturing a company culture of opportunity and challenge, support and appreciation is not just about giving you a warm fuzzy feeling - it can increase your bottom line. Rena Klein makes the case.
2016-04-19
How to Improve Productivity with Design Thinking
Your staff are the best people to work out how to improve the productivity of your practice. Rena Klein explains the benefits of an Operational Improvement Charette, and provides a guide to running one.
2016-03-11
Want to be More Profitable? Here's How.
How can small architectural practices be more profitable? Rena Klein outlines the issues to consider, and some strategies for getting started.
2014-11-05
Making Strategy Happen
Does your practice have an effective strategic plan? Robert Peake, of Management for Design, outlines the importance of strategy, and suggests some ways to get started.
2014-05-31
10 Principles for Building an Architectural Business
How do you build an architectural business? Charles Justin offers 10 principles to guide a practice.
2014-05-03
Head in the Cloud
Is it reassuring or not to be told there are many definitions for ‘the Cloud’? Dean Wood reports and reflects on a recent ACA - WA event.
2014-04-09
I've Looked at Clouds From Both Sides Now ...
John Held considers the opportunities and costs of cloud computing in small practice.