You don’t need to be a financial wizard to ensure the future success of your design firm! An accessible guide to financial management, Financial Management for Design Professionals is written for design firm principals who are responsible for their firm’s finances but have little or no financial management education or experience. For mid-career design professionals looking to advance their careers, the book is an indispensable reference and training guide. Using a simple, step-by-step format, this book shows design professionals how to: Develop an annual budget and profit plan Calculate the overhead rate for a firm Calculate the break-even rate and hourly billing rate for each employee Establish project fees Use readily available financial information in successful negotiation Design and interpret financial reports Plus: clear explanations of the fundamentals of financial management!
In the fast-paced, big-stakes design industry, schedules are accelerated and client expectations are high. Literally, time is money and the responsibility for project success or failure rests squarely on the shoulders of one individual: the project manager. Since design professionals rarely receive formal training on project management, the complex discipline can be a sink or swim proposition. For the first time, veteran architect William G. Ramroth, Jr., taps the resources of his 30-plus years of project management experience to offer practical advice, instructions, and techniques to help you think strategically, plan carefully, and troubleshoot problems. Project Management for Design Professionals is written for architects, designers, landscape architects, urban planners, interior designers, engineers and others looking to plan and complete multidisciplinary projects successfully.
In the mid-1960s geotechnical engineers paid the highest liability insurance of any profession and by 1969 were virtually uninsurable. As a result, the ASFE was founded and helped these engineers not only lower their insurance rates, but get to the point where, by 1980, they were the least liability-prone members of the design profession. Now, John Bachner and the ASFE tell all other design professionals how to accomplish the same task. This book, which incorporates the ASFE's Introduction to Professional Practice program for advancing architects' and engineers' knowledge of professional practice issues, addresses almost every aspect of the design professionals' practice as they relate to liability, from procedures for verifying the accuracy of technical output to steps for improving client and project selection, workscope development, personnel training and dispute resolution.
Essential tools and guidance for effective nonprofit financial management Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations provides students, professionals, and board members with a comprehensive reference for the field. Identifying key objectives and exploring current practices, this book offers practical guidance on all major aspects of nonprofit financial management. As nonprofit organizations fall under ever-increasing scrutiny and accountability, this book provides the essential knowledge and tools professional need to maintain a strong financial management system while serving the organization’s stated mission. Financial management, cash flow, and financial sustainability are perennial issues, and this book highlights the concepts, skills, and tools that help organizations address those issues. Clear guidance on analytics, reporting, investing, risk management, and more comprise a singular reference that nonprofit finance and accounting professionals and board members should keep within arm’s reach. Updated to reflect the post-recession reality and outlook for nonprofits, this new edition includes new examples, expanded tax-exempt financing material, and recession analysis that informs strategy going forward. Articulate the proper primary financial objective, target liquidity, and how it ensures financial health and sustainability Understand nonprofit financial practices, processes, and objectives Manage your organization’s resources in the context of its mission Delve into smart investing and risk management best practices Manage liquidity, reporting, cash and operating budgets, debt and other liabilities, IP, legal risk, internal controls and more Craft appropriate financial policies Although the U.S. economy has recovered, recovery has not addressed the systemic and perpetual funding challenges nonprofits face year after year. Despite positive indicators, many organizations remain hampered by pursuit of the wrong primary financial objective, insufficient funding and a lack of investment in long-term sustainability; in this climate, financial managers must stay up-to-date with the latest tools, practices, and regulations in order to serve their organization’s interests. Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations provides clear, in-depth reference and strategy for navigating the expanding financial management function.
Shinn provides detailed information on how an accounting system operates and the basic principles for processing financial data. This fifth edition includes the updated NAHB Chart of Accounts, and shows builders how to take control of their finances.
The definitive guide to management success for sole practitioners and leaders of small design firms Owning and operating a small architectural design firm can be challenging, with tight project deadlines, on-the-fly meetings, rush proposals, and fluctuating workloads as part of the firm’s day-to-day activities. To help small firm owners cope with the chaos and prepare for the unexpected, here is The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management, a no-nonsense guide to repurposing daily demands into workable, goal-directed solutions. Crucial topics such as self-aware leadership, people management, technology, financial health, scenario planning, sustainable practice, and future trends are examined using real-life case studies and business model paradigms. This definitive text explores the whole system experience of a small firm practice to deliver organizational strategies proven to keep a firm’s creative mission on a steady, productive path. The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management addresses how small firm owners can: Deal effectively with unexpected circumstances and shifting work requirements Meet the demands of the marketplace while creating a satisfying workplace Set and achieve goals in an environment of constant change This book is a must-have for those facing the often harsh reality of managing small design firms in a difficult and changing economy. Entrepreneurial architects and designers will discover how to define their own personal and professional meanings of success, as well as how to refocus their business approach to replace long, unrewarding hours with manageable, satisfying ones.
The Business of Design debunks the myth that business sense and creative talent are mutually exclusive, showing design professionals that they can pursue their passion and turn a profit. For nearly thirty years, consultant Keith Granet has helped designers create successful businesses, from branding to billing and everything in between. Unlike other business books, The Business of Design is written and illustrated to speak to a visually thinking audience. The book covers all aspects of running a successful design business, including human resources, client management, product development, marketing, and licensing. This timely update on the tenth anniversary of the first edition includes new content on social media, working from home, and understanding and working with different generations, essential tools in today's ultracompetitive marketplace.
