10 Current Business Strategies on my mind right now accounting for Boom or Bust approaching Australian Property Market

The flipside of this boom, is an 'employees' market. I am paying a lot, for less qualified designers. I am taking on work I should say no top to counteract their onboardiong. Solution? Say No. Shops shut. Waiting List. And no more unqualified team members for now.

Update: this is working very well. Great jobs high fees are scrambling to get in, cherry picked talented future grade (for 2023) on staff waiting list.

A positive of extreme cost increase (materials - all not premium - up 30% last 12 months, 40% last 18 months) + labour and builders margin (head contractor profit on top of costs before GST (tax in Australia) - is damaging even the higher budget projects. This is only hurting those in the approval vacuum (between design and construction) over last 12 months.

Solution? Radically smaller, better designed buildings. This is good.

The glut of COVID bogged projects means fresh entrepreneurs have a plethora of potential clients - 1st tiome in the 12 years I have practiced.

Double down on my battlefield 'how to start from someone actually killing it and doing it' newsletter to kick those fence-sitters into action - @JamesAltucher Choose Yourself style :)

https://andrewsnotes.substack.com/

Update: My 1st Notepad how to design post I doubled up on Substack to raving reviews - you're onto something here JA + team!

I fully customise at least 1 x 1-off bespoke light fitting, kitchen island, furniture piece, within each ADAD project.

Get an E-Com site up and leverage my bespoke suppliers to poroductise(?) standardise for order.

Something I have been thinking about fo some time.

I love my job more than anything in the world. But financially, like any artist, it is a struggle sometimes!

As an example.

For a $1m design, as an architect, we may get paid $150k over the course of likely a 2 year period. 3 mths design ($50)k, 3 mths approvals(...), 6 months documenting details ($50k), 1 year project managing construction ($50k).

Profit? almost nothing :) - but; I make ends meet and get paid to have my creativity realised with a cast of likely 50 absolute specialists, and change many lives in the process - clients, staff. craftsman, photographers, I love it.

Builder, on the final 12 month build, likely profit $150k - after $1m build cost and after salary costs - on the build.

Clients? Either get a forever home, or sell for an extreme profit. The ADAD Value-Add averages

$3m purchase price. Then years later: $60,000 to me (over 2 years), + $1m to builder (over last 12 months of those 2 years) = $3.94M profit to clients. ($8m sale)

$1.3m purchase price. Then immediately: $70,000 to me (over 3 years), + $1.5m to builder (over last 2 years of those 3 years) = $1.13M profit to clients. ($4m sale)

I cant do the math, but there is obviously an insane value-gift in there that possible an NFT cutting me in on future property sales (small fair%) would neb a good play?

Sure a cleve Note PD'er can point me towards the next step :)

The professional photographs I avoid on our main site ( to preserve brand rep) - could create an entire shadow website.

The bathrooms, alterations, gardens where landscape architect wasn't afforded, background paint-jobs to new spaces.

Instant v2 company - $200k-500k reno space over $3-15m new build space.

All the friends I cant actually service through my company because our dreamteam is too expensive (and has to be - essentially a time-bank for creativity)!

Can you believe it, a high-design community service? I kind of like it!

Been dragging the chain on this one... flattered at the invitation, but am much more interested in employing, mentoring, and inspiring those to choose their own path outside of uni education. (or college education for US readers)

If all real building and construction totally comes to a halt, in the worst of all worlds, then a pre academic design teaching positions could be a great pivot.

Andrews notes is here and pure and realistic no matter the economy:

https://andrewsnotes.substack.com/

Creative thinkers architects especially, are highly valued in almost any problem solving high level meets micro level discipline. My personal belief is that beyond the usual: transition to film producer, project manager, artist, entrepreneur, developer... with the impending automation of everything and anything that can be systematised - of which in my mind only the supremely complex human connection + problem finding + emergent complexity + multiple time scales world of architectural design real world birth is safe; - architectural thinking will continue to be the most valuable skill alongside pure human empathy. With or without and economy, with or without AI.