Re-Invent Your Business 

These days, focusing on a design or construction firm's core business isn't enough. Offering just design or construction services won't cut it. Every company must transform itself into a high-value-added company, because otherwise it won't win work and succeed financially,. And the way to add value is to come up with out-of-the-ordinary solutions. 

Success "has nothing to do with good management practices. It has everything to do with nonconformists, dissenters and rebels. That's where the talent comes from, When people agree, nothing interesting happens. In order for firms to attract major talent, they must not be just like everybody else. Attracting talented people like that is one challenge, but keeping them is a bigger challenge. 

Companies can't survive just on what has been their core competencies anymore. For example, the package delivery services--United Parcel Service, FedEx, etc.--do not just deliver packages anymore. They provide consulting services too, as do most hardware and software firms these days.. IBM's Project eLiza, which he says is IBM's biggest current project. It focuses on creating computers and networks that heal themselves. And 80% of General Electric's revenue these days comes from services, not the products it manufactures. That attitude comes through in branding, which is crucial in all aspects of business, from recruiting to internal satisfaction to capturing the big jobs. 

Harley Davidson Inc., which some people think sells motorcycles, has done it the best, he says. He quotes a Harley exec with this statement: "What we sell is the ability for a 45-year-old accountant to dress in black leather, ride through small towns and have people be afraid of him.

In the design and construction business, the more that firms can help their clients with the entire process, the more their clients will rely on them. Think Turnkey. Look for new business models for delivering your services, For example, Jean Bellas, founder of Space says: "We are a 'real estate facilities consulting' organization, not just an 'interior design' firm." Jas Nakaoka, a California architect specializing in high-end retail design, insists that he doesn’t sell design services, he helps his clients make money. These are the attitudes of the successful firm.. Look for new ways to help your clients achieve their goals and they will beat a path to your door.


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