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one man band

dia

Apologies to the lovely ladies of Archinect, but the title works better like this.

Please describe your minimum or ideal requirements if you were to set up practice as a single person design/architecture enterprise.

I need some advice as I prepare to embark on a home-working enterprise - it has been a few years.

I am talking primarily equipment - computers, printers, software, telephony, other.

I already have 7 Rhodia 5x5mm note pads...

d

 
Aug 16, 10 8:18 pm
b-money

Just went thru this myself... Here is what I have found:

Use everything you can that you already own. Spend as little money as possible.

Necessities: Decent Laptop, Color Printer / Scanner / Fax with ability to print up to 11x17, Cell Phone, Website. For large plots, send out to a local print house and charge printing costs back to clients. For software, depends on your preferences and abilities. Notebooks and a good pen are key. I recommend the Muji aluminum fountain pen + Leughtturm1917 dots medium pads.

Finally, make sure to carve yourself a space out of your home to call your office. Make it a place where only business takes place, and put a lock on the door...

Hope this helps.

Aug 16, 10 10:57 pm  · 
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dia

Thanks b-money

I have 3 boys 6 and under, so noise is going to be an issue.
Hello basement.

What about the old laptop and desktop combination?

d

Aug 16, 10 11:08 pm  · 
 · 
Rusty!

I second b-money's advice on having a strong separation of work and living space. It's absolutely essential.

Keep a good record of all your purchase receipts. You'll be glad come tax time. Your office basement will be a tax writeoff. Having a trustworthy accountant really helps...

Get a business level internet connection. It's only $10-15 more/month but absolutely worth it as far as level of customer service you will receive in case of emergencies.

Say goodbye to free weekends and do breathing exercises that will prepare you for a completely different type of stress (often very good type of stress).

All the best!!

Aug 16, 10 11:58 pm  · 
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Distant Unicorn

I would look into (if you live in or near a big city) a sublet at an existing office.

In the U.S. (and in big expensive major cities), desks go from anywhere from $150-800 a month. What makes this an option is that it gives you a professional place to meet clients and the like.

And it makes you less liable to get audited or have the tax people come after you-- a home office is hard to write off and you have to gaurantee that the particular written off space is not used at all other than for business.

You also get access to the firm hosting you (possibility of sharing?) for potential business or socialization opportunities.

Give that, you should have the following:

Telephony:
Telephone that can handle multiple lines (get at least two lines, so you can have a maximum of 4 people on hold)
An answering machine
A cell phone
A fax machine

Computers:
An okay laptop, something to type on
A Good desktop
At least one old fashion monitor (or a really expensive new lcd) if you work with a lot of images (color, clarity, refresh rate).

Software:
An accounting package (I prefer quickbooks)
Excel
Microsoft Project (Even if you never have a client who requests a real schedule... or even if you don't do the scheduling right, a schedule can be a nifty impressive tool)
Word processor

Three fonts (that you have actually purchased!-- letterhead, good fonts and other tidbits add legitimacy and appeal to your business)

And of course your standard CAD programs of your choice

Supplies:
Whatever works for you.To better phrase it, whatever works for you that you'll actually use.

I prefer yellow notepads and fountain pens. Manila Envelopes, unicorn-shaped rubber bands (thank you China Direct catalog). I also use a lot of composition notebooks and arches paper. And glitter pens.

Target has this tacky line of gold-toned metal office supples (staples, clips, paper clips, push pins et cetera)... And I like tacky gold-toned things.

(Okay, I'm secretly a 13 year old girl when it comes to office supplies. Who wants to puffy paint each others staples?)

Printers
Laser- Higher cycle (less maintenance), price-competitive WATERPROOF ink, better resolution for the speed

Laser also lets you get away with using really, really cheap paper as it doesn't cause paper to wrinkle

Aug 17, 10 3:03 am  · 
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DisplacedArchitect

good luck Diabase

Aug 18, 10 12:12 am  · 
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snook_dude

shucks...I've been doing it all wrong...

technology changes....so go ink jet

telephone. get a line where you can call anywhere in the us and canada. All you need is one line with a cable connect (high speed)
The phone is not going to be ringing off the hook. Get the call back option so you don't miss calls.

Plotter....biggie...we do most everything on 24X36 HP deskjet 500 series. I had to haul it half way across the state to get it fixed earlier this year because the belt went kapoot. Smaller projects 11X17(cheaper to print) but alot more pages. It takes alot more planning. Printing all done out of office.

I have been sucked in by sketchup...Pro. If you have time on your hands it is fun to play around with.....just remember save..as....save as cause your going to hit a bump in the road and it is easier to go back to something with a seperate name then to fix and move forward.

We have two noisy dogs....I always tell my clients the secretary is having a bad day.

We have three pc's one mac. That is because the Mrs. loves Mac.
If I had taken the money it cost when we bought it and instood purchased stock and held on to it up until today it would be worth over $600,000.00. Leasoned learned. She still loves her Mac.

I think about a lap top to take to the field just because it is a pain to haul drawings around but haven't figured out how to do the finger thingy...

Clients....best clients are repeat clients cause you tend to know what your getting into...but they always want it for less....but hold your ground cause it will cost them more to go elsewhere. I do believe this is true.

Goverment work tends to suck unless you have deep pockets. Usually alot more work pushing paper and well the pay isn't as good unless your going after the big stuff, which is pretty limited by the good ole boy system.

I would recommend a web site: buildingscience.com Good guys with alot of truth and very little bull..s...

Accounting: quickbooks...but don't buy the checks.

You will need and accountant....figure out ahead of time what you need to provide them as it is alot easier than trying to figure it out later...

Quarterly Federal Taxes....they can kill you when your starting out and even after you have been there for awhile. The Goverment does not forgive they just ask for more money when your late.

Tell your wife you love her everyday...and play with the Boys! Do something special with her more often than you think you should and she will be your biggest fan. Let work take its toll and well she will go looking for greener pastures.

enough said.

Aug 18, 10 8:46 pm  · 
 · 
dia

Excellent advice all, thanks.

What I am going to be doing is a little traditional architecture, some construction and development consultancy, a prefab startup and another idea I have in development.

No dogs but.

And I live in the Land of the Long White Cloud...

Aug 18, 10 8:58 pm  · 
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snook_dude

my three sons can be barking dogs!

Aug 18, 10 10:15 pm  · 
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dia

Ah, something we have in common.
My sons bark like dogs and cats fighting! But the oldest one can draw a floor plan, or make a model in lego.

Aug 18, 10 10:28 pm  · 
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