Respond to Proposals, Scale Your Business

If I can be honest, I never considered government contracts. I thought consulting and residential and commercial work would be sufficient. As a former government employee, I am familiar with red tape and the associated challenges. Even with this, the United States government is the largest company in the world, offering billions in new opportunities for private businesses. And, these opportunities are available at every level of government, and is the bread and butter businesses rely on to not only earn money but grow. Even if we take government out of the equation, there are a ton of nonprofits that issue Request for Proposals (RFP), Request for Qualifications (RFQ), etc. As a result, you should be prepared to seek and respond to these opportunities.

In addition to being a Planner and a Ph.D. Candidate, I teach proposal writing and write proposals for small businesses (which is why this should’ve been a natural step). It’s a skill I acquired due to capacity issues. From there, I became intentional and obtained training for it. My last job was as a proposal writer. My only job was to write. It was at that job that I saw how quickly a business could scale through opportunities that seemed to be raining from the sky. And, these opportunities span across many industries.

If proposal writing isn’t your thing, have a colleague help you. Hire a proposal writer or take a course in proposal writing. Create your own database by visiting sites where opportunities are published (e.g., grants and contracts). Some websites will do this work for you, but it comes at a fee.

Akili and I offer proposal writing, pricing, and workshops. Interested? Contact us for more information.

Starting a Project

In the Process: Hiring an Architect, I explained the process of hiring an architect; specifically, how to hire me! In this post, I help you understand what you, as a client, can do to initiate your project. Whether building on vacant land or renovating an existing residential or commercial building, there is a list of information you need and questions you will have to answer.

First, ask yourself if you have the time and money needed to start a new project. You will need to dedicate time to planning, research, and determining if and why you want to start this new project. Once you've completed this step, decide if you have enough money to pay for surveys, professional services (e.g., architects, engineers, lawyers, etc.) and other start-up costs. Costs will vary and are based on the type of project you initiate.

Once you've confirmed you have the time and money, zero in on the project type. This step will require additional research. Whether building a new house for rental income or a new commercial development, how your property is zoned determines what you can and can't do. Every property has a zoning classification that is categorized as residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, or mixed-use. Contact your city or county planning department to obtain your property's zoning classification as well as a list of allowable uses. In some cases, you may have to apply to get your property rezoned (if there is a particular use you want to use your property for that is not allowed by your current property's zoning classification).

By completing this initial research before initiating your project, you can save money, energy, and heartache by not starting a project without understanding what it takes to complete it successfully.

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The Process: Hiring an Architect

Spoiler Alert: The architect is me.

Whether you want to build a tiny home, renovate a residential/commercial space, or construct a new structure, our process works the same.

Step 1: Complete the contact form and provide information regarding the requested services.

Step 2: We'll contact you to schedule a meeting (e.g., in person or via phone) to discuss the scope of the project in more detail.

Step 3: We will present a proposal outlining deliverables, preliminary cost estimation, and fee description. We offer each of these steps FREE! Our goal is not to be just a service provider, but a partner committed to seeing your project come into fruition.

Interested in working with us? Complete the following contact form.