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F R O M T H E F O U N D E R
Only a small number of people really get the idea that building a business is not a sprint – it’s an endurance race. It is all about who can last the longest. Building a business is an endurance race
O bserving and working with literally thousands of AEC business owners over the years has taught me that a small number of people really get the idea that building a business is not a sprint. It’s an endurance race. It is all about who can last the longest. The question is, “What are some things you can do to build a firm that will outlast you?”
Mark Zweig
There are many reasons that is important. You want to be there for your loyal clients who need you. You want to provide what could be lifetime opportunities for your employees. You want to build something good and be known for it. And you want to maximize your exit options and value should you ever decide to retire or do something else in the future. Any or all of those could be motivators to build an enduring business. If building an enduring business is something you want to do, here is my best advice as the founder of a more than 34-year-old business that is still going strong: 1)Make ongoing business planning part of your operational discipline. Business planning is not
an academic exercise. It is a discipline. I think business planning is more important in a project- driven business like an AEC firm than it might be in other types of businesses because the projects and clients are where the priorities are. And because one constantly has deadlines set externally and always has projects to do and clients to serve, “working on the business” can too easily be relegated to the back seat. Yet, there are always problems and opportunities that need some intentional management time to either solve or capitalize on. The business plan is the place to address those – it’s where priorities are established – and it establishes goals for the business that are motivational for everyone in the organization. Business plans aren’t static, especially in times like now where everything
See MARK ZWEIG, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 30, 2021, ISSUE 1406
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