Jon chats with business coach and entrepreneur Ray Brown about a simple yet powerful business framework for architecture practices. They discuss the 'Four Ps' - Practice, Projects, People, and Perception - that can dramatically improve business results. Key insights include being intentional about business perceptions, understanding and managing project hours, the importance of clear roles and strategic hiring, and the value of a foundational business education. They also introduce ArchiBiz's new Business School for Architects. Ray underscores that architects must embrace basic business knowledge to ensure long-term success.

Today's Guest...

Ray Brown is a business coach and entrepreneur. Originally from Scotland & now based in Australia. Ray has coached everyone from startups to top executives of major companies. He is the founder ArchiBiz - a global company that helps ambitious architects build profitable and sustainable businesses without compromising design standards. Ray is our first returning guest, having featured on episode 31 of the podcast back in May 2024.

Episode Highlights...

00:00 Introduction

01:31 Meet Ray Brown

04:03 The Four Ps Framework for Architecture Practices

06:33 Deep Dive into Practice and Projects

16:17 People: Hiring, Training, and Utilisation

22:47 Perception: Shaping Your Market Image

28:43 Introducing the Business School for Architects

35:46 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

38:55 Travel Talk and Farewell

Key Takeaways...

Build Your Business Like You Build a House

You can be great at design, but without a strong business setup, your practice won’t run well. Ray Brown talks about using the “Four Ps” to keep things on track:

🏢 Practice – how your business is set up

📁 Projects – how you run your jobs

👥 People – who you hire and how they work

👀 Perception – how others see your business

Know Where Your Time Goes

You only have so many hours in a day. Ray says it’s important to know how you spend them:

⏱️ Time on client work you can charge for

🧾 Time on project tasks you can’t charge for

📋 Time on things not linked to any project

If you don’t track this properly, you might end up working loads… but earning less than you think.

Don’t Wait Too Long to Hire Help

Hiring someone when you’re too busy can lead to mistakes. Ray says:

👷 Hire before you're desperate

📄 Give each person a clear job and role

💰 Use the right team member for the task – the one who can do the job well without costing too much

This way, your team works better, and your business makes more money.

Links Mentioned In The Episode...

Click here to join the Business School for Architects (for free)

Click here to learn more about ArchiBiz

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Resources…

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In The Next Episode...

Next time Jon chats with Hayley Watts to learn how you can create good habits to lead to more success in your business.