From Micro to Mega - Which size firm is right for you?
Micro (Up to 20 employees)
Practice Profile
The business is typically led by one Partner, though there may occasionally be two.
It operates from a single location, with a significant portion of its revenue coming from a select group of essential clients who may be engaged in the private or public sector.
Pursuit Process
The Partner leads marketing and business development efforts, making all pursuits-related decisions. Partners will involve their technical staff when considering succession planning or aiming to create a culture of engagement. This strategic move identifies potential future leaders and ensures a smooth transition of knowledge and leadership skills.
Marketing Resources and Infrastructure:
For proposal support, the Partner might delegate tasks to a technical staff member or rely on an office administrator, primarily for production-related work.
For more complex proposals and pursuits, outsourcing proposal work might be considered.
The practice will likely have minimal marketing infrastructure, necessitating its development from the ground up.
“Working in administration within the AEC industry offers a valuable opportunity to learn about the field and can serve as a stepping stone to a marketing career.”
Small Firms (20-50 employees)
Practice Profile:
The practice may have multiple partners, typically with one focusing on operations and another on project delivery.
Operations, including marketing, tend to be centralized.
The firm might work in various market segments and operate in multiple office locations within the same state.
It can function as a prime or a sub, but design firms are more likely to be prime.
Pursuit Process:
Some firms may still need to have a formal pursuit process in place. Decision-making can vary, with some partners choosing to delegate these decisions to directors—who might not be equity partners but are leaders of specific practices or offices. Alternatively, partners might make decisions, especially in cases involving long-standing clients or personal connections to the company, and inform the marketing department afterward. The firm may or may not have a systematic way to communicate pursuit activities across different departments and market segments, leading to varied approaches to identifying and acting on opportunities.
Marketing Resources and Infrastructure:
The practice likely employs one dedicated marketing professional and a part-time marketing administrator/coordinator, who typically report to the Partner responsible for strategic planning.
The marketing team's primary role involves working on proposals and general marketing activities, though they may also have some external roles.
Some firms may solely rely on the marketing team to respond to proposals, including how the project will be delivered. Some firms may have individual practice or office leaders producing their proposals with some support from the marketing department.
The practice might engage an outside consultant to enhance marketing efforts if the team needs more industry-specific expertise.
The extent and effectiveness of the marketing infrastructure depend on the marketing staff's tenure, skills, and availability. High staff turnover can challenge the maintenance and improvement of these systems amidst competing deadlines and demands.
“A career in the AEC industry without prior experience or a degree in architecture, planning, engineering, or construction management can be particularly challenging in a small firm setting. This is primarily due to the limited resources and specialized knowledge required, which may not be readily available without direct mentorship. Using the contents of this course as a guide, be prepared to reach out to peers in the industry for continuous feedback and mentorship. ”
Medium to Large AEC Firms (50 and up)
Practice Profile Across Medium and Large Firms
Both medium (50-100 employees) and large firms (100+ employees) in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry may operate across multiple states and engage in a variety of market segments.
These firms commonly adopt the seller/doer model, wherein technical staff balance project delivery with efforts to secure new work.
Offices within these firms might function autonomously as profit centers or adopt a unified "one firm" approach. They can serve as either prime contractors or subcontractors. Large companies might also expand their operations to other countries and structure their organization by geographic regions.
Pursuit Process
Medium-sized firms that embrace a "one firm" approach engage in a collaborative decision-making process guided by a shared strategy. The process may get input from the COO, office leaders, and market sector leaders, with the marketing team playing a significant role in facilitating decisions and contributing to positioning strategies.
In contrast, office leadership leads decision-making when operating as profit centers, emphasizing financial autonomy. Here, the marketing team's involvement might focus more on production with less on strategic planning.
Large firms generally have an established process for integrating marketing efforts, regardless of the organizational model. This process ensures the marketing department is deeply involved in project pursuits.
For global firms, the pursuit process is even more comprehensive, involving a wide range of participants to ensure thorough preparation. Marketing departments in these firms play a crucial role in assembling teams to implement strategy effectively.
Marketing Resources and Infrastructure
Medium-sized firms typically have a small dedicated marketing team, including a marketing manager and a proposal coordinator, with additional support possibly coming from office administrators. The marketing infrastructure at this scale starts to show organization and the development of a marketing framework.
Large and global firms, with their extensive operations and strategic growth plans, have more comprehensive and robust marketing infrastructures. These include advanced platforms like Deltek, Oracle, and Salesforce for tracking project fees, invoicing history, profitability, and client data. While the abundance of data in large firms could lead to information clutter, investing in these systems is invaluable for marketing professionals, offering a centralized resource for customization and information clarification.
“Medium, large, and mega firms offer ideal environments for individuals with degrees in marketing, writing, communications, business, or journalism who are interested in entering the AEC industry. In these settings, you’ll have the opportunity to be guided and mentored by experienced marketing managers. Learning from marketing peers within these organizations can also provide valuable insights and knowledge.”
