The services of architects are currently in great demand. Despite this fact, the market continues to need them quite urgently.
The situation in which demand far exceeds supply indicates only one thing: many specialists need to take up the business plan of the architectural bureau and develop it, since this promising and popular occupation can generate considerable income.
In the coming years, this area will be actively expanded. And this is due to the construction boom in all Russian regions. A similar trend was reflected in the market for a ready-made business.
In order to properly organize your own business, you must first draw up a business plan for the architectural bureau, carefully analyzing the range of all proposed services. The wider the range of work performed, the more you can expect customer requests, of course, provided that only qualified specialists will deal with them. But this is not the only criterion for future success.
How to open a design office
The easiest way to start developing such a business as an architectural design bureau is for professionals who are familiar with this type of activity firsthand. Of no less importance is experience with skills, as well as a good reputation and the existence of an already developed customer base.
The architectural and urban planning bureau must be registered as a legal entity. This must be done in order to obtain the appropriate license, allowing design, repair, and also finishing or construction work.
Before you open a design organization from scratch, you need to draw up a business plan for the architectural bureau.
If the head is a professional engineer and he already has a license for individual activity, then receiving another permission for the organization he created is not required.
Business specifics
Basically, the architectural bureau offers its customers the following services:
• design project with supporting documentation;
• development of a draft proposal, which includes the stylistic concept of the interior;
• project documentation and engineering drawings;
• coordination of redevelopment in the relevant bodies with subsequent changes in plans;
• overhaul and field supervision of the project;
• completion of the facility with furniture and various finishing materials.
As a rule, the bulk of clients come to the architectural design bureau with an order to develop the interior design of their real estate, subsequently choosing services such as coordination, construction and architectural supervision.
The business plan of the architectural bureau involves a separate payment for each of the activities.
To date, standard rates have already been formed in companies that work with residential real estate. For example, the development of the entire interior in an apartment today costs about fifty conventional units for each square meter, a design project - about two hundred, and about a thousand dollars will have to be paid for supervision. e. per month.
Income
Those who are interested in the question of how to open a design company, probably also care about the profitability of this business.I must say that the profitability of this type of activity by specialists is estimated, as a rule, at two hundred percent, and in some cases - even several times more. 
This is specifically about the work of architects and designers. In addition, additional income for those who know how to open a design bureau is also provided by work with building materials, which is formed by a thirty percent mark-up on the wholesale price or through intermediary profit received directly from sellers whose goods the company recommends to its customers.
The implementation of repair work also refers to quite profitable areas of this business. Most architectural and design bureaus have at their disposal several partner construction teams, from which certain remuneration for mediation is transferred to them.
No less cost-effective direction of this business is the complete provision of the client with various exclusive items for design, which are bought from famous artists or created by employees.
Required documents
As a rule, the secrets of how to open a design organization from scratch are known primarily by professionals who already have a good reputation in this business field and have gathered an impressive circle of regular customers. The federal law regulating architectural activities in the Russian Federation clearly regulates all issues related to the development of engineering projects.
He also determines the legal aspects for the work of architects. A legal organization carrying out such activities must have an appropriate license, which gives the right to carry out both design and repair construction works.
The applicant for this permit must meet all the criteria established by law. An important role in this is played by the qualifications of the staff of specialists, as well as their production experience. Each organization in accordance with the regulation on conducting current supervision during the license validity period is repeatedly checked by the relevant authority issuing this permission. This is the State Departmental Expertise, Gosarkhstroynadzor with the State Housing Inspectorate.
Company office
As a rule, before you open a design company, you need to rent at least a small office with an area of up to one hundred square meters, having a separate entrance and preferably located in one of the prestigious areas. Naturally, the room should be very bright. The office will need to be equipped with furniture and modern computer equipment that meets the needs of this business.
Structure
As a rule, each design firm consists of:
• The architectural department, which is responsible for the quality and timing of the execution of orders received. Its employees must have a very high professionalism, as well as necessarily a higher architectural or design or art education.
• Customer Relations Department. Usually it includes several managers who will negotiate the services offered by the company and act as intermediaries during the implementation of the project.
• The department for coordination, which will deal with obtaining approvals or permits for the redevelopment of objects in the work of the company, and coordinates work with subcontractors.
• The construction department, performing repair and construction work, responsible for the quality and timing of the work.
• Accountant, secretary, programmer, etc.
Costs
Before you open a design company, you need to calculate all the costs and evaluate their own capabilities. First you need to decide on the office, the rental price of which in sleeping areas is on average almost two times less than in the center. There is an option to rent a room in shopping centers at an average price of about twenty dollars per square meter.
The next cost will be the repair of the office, which should become the hallmark of the design office. Another important step is the purchase of office equipment - computers with a nineteen-inch monitor, a scalable copier, an A3 inkjet printer, and a scanner. For designers, the most comfortable are tables about two meters long.
Advertising and marketing
To attract customers, the company must have its own portfolio. But if there is none, the start-up company can position the individual work of its employees - architects and designers. It will be very solid if virtual projects executed as 3D models are offered as a portfolio. In addition, it is necessary to calculate in advance the amount that the company will spend on advertising, the effect of which is felt, as a rule, only after three months.
From scratch
An architectural bureau is difficult enough to create, so to speak, from scratch. Firstly, you need to be prepared for red tape when applying for a license and obtaining certificates. In addition, it will be difficult to enter the market itself, where there is always great competition.
In addition, it is difficult to attract “strong” and eminent architects, whose names are already known in certain circles, into a young company.
In some cases, this problem is solved by transferring a certain share of the business to the involved specialist. It is very difficult to get the first order, because the lack of reputation also implies a lack of customers, which at the initial stage somewhat slows down the development.
